INTENTIONS
Pure and Sincere
ISLAM attaches the utmost importance to intentions. No action is
acceptable to God purely on the basis of outer appearance. God
accepts only such actions as are performed with proper intention
and rejects those performed with ill-intention. Right intention is the
moral purposiveness which underlies all actions performed solely for
God’s pleasure. One who acts on such feelings will be rewarded by God
in the Hereafter.
Ill-intention, on the other hand, is a negative
spur to worldly attainment. Ostensibly
religious acts, if performed for worldly gain
or public commendation, are in this sense illintentioned.
Any fame, honour or popularity
which ensues from an ill-intentioned act is
a hollow triumph and is looked upon by the
Almighty with extreme disfavour.
An act which is
performed with ill
intention or with no
good intention, has
no value either in
the eyes of man, or
of God. Things are of
value only when they
are pure.
Intention is rooted in man’s inner thinking
and feelings. A common man is unable to
penetrate the inner recesses of a person’s
mind but God knows full well what a man’s
thought processes and feelings are. People
can be deluded by appearances, but God has complete knowledge of
everything. He will deal with people according to His knowledge and
will reward everyone exactly as they deserve.
Intention has to do with inner reality. A thing which loses its reality or
its meaningfulness is valueless. Similarly, an act which is performed
with ill intention or with no good intention has no value either in the
eyes of man, or of God.
Things are of value only when they are pure, without any adulteration.
An act done with right intention is a pure act, and an act performed
without right intention is an impure act.
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.
GOOD NEWS FROM MUZAFFARNAGAR
HERE we reproduce a news report which has been published
in various newspapers. The text presented below has been
published in The Times of India, dated February 17, 2018:
Muzaffarnagar: Muslims agree to remove mosque for bridge
construction
The long-pending construction work of an overbridge in
Muzaffarnagar city could now see the light of the day after
members from the Muslim community gave their consent to
remove a roadside mosque affecting the project.
The project had remained stalled for the past 10 years with the
religious structure playing as a major hindrance. However, the
locals held a meeting and decided to remove the mosque for the
betterment of the area and smooth flow of traffic. The district
administration had made adequate security arrangements to
deal with any eventualities considering the sensitivity of the issue. However, the demolition drive was conducted under
peaceful atmosphere and no untoward incident was reported
from the spot.
It is commonly believed that the construction of a mosque is an eternal
construction—once built, the mosque cannot be relocated. But it must
be clarified that the shifting of a mosque from one location to another
(relocation) is not a taboo. It is in line with Islamic teachings.
This injunction about mosque-building was established in the later
period of Islam, during the Abbasid era (750–1258 AD). The Quran and
the teachings of the Prophet do not have any injunction about the
sanctity of the location of a mosque.
During the Abbasid period, some jurists gave a fatwa (juristic sanction)
that once a mosque is built at a location, it cannot be shifted from
there. But this fatwa was not unanimously accepted by all jurists and
clerics; only a handful subscribed to this idea.
Present-day Muslim clerics called the above fatwa an ijtihadi (creative
reinterpretation) issue, that is one dealing with the personal opinion
of a scholar and which could be altered if need arises. In other words,
if required, a mosque could be relocated from its original position and
this would be completely permissible in Islam. The Hanbali School of
Jurisprudence endorses this principle as is alluded to in the book of Ibn
Qadama, a Hanbali scholar (1147-1123 AD):
If there arises a need, the ground part of a mosque could be
made into a well (saqaya) or a shop and this is Islamic; even
demolishing a mosque to make a well or a shop is permissible
in Islam. In lieu, the mosque should be re-built at a different
location (Al-Mughni, Ibn Qudama).
Another principle of jurisprudence is talfiq—this means using the
fatwa (injunction) of a school of jurisprudence and applying it to other
schools of jurisprudence. This principle could be used in the case of
mosque relocation because although the Hanafi School does not allow
for relocation of a mosque, the Hanbali School does allow it.
In Islam the issue of mosque-building is on the basis of need, not
only on the basis of sacredness. In the modern world, when the era
of city planning came about, in Muslim cities for example, Makkah
and Madinah, old mosques were relocated in large numbers. This was
done because these old structures served as obstacles in the task of city planning. For example, if the Bilal Mosque was built at a certain
place, then relocating it involved removing it from its original place and
building another mosque with the same name at a different location.
At the original location of this mosque, a new construction would come
up under the city plan.
A mosque is undoubtedly a respectful place. But if need arises, the
location of a mosque could be used for another purpose or to cater to
a requirement, and doing so would be completely Islamic.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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Follow Maulana at speakingtree.in
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.
WOMEN IN ISLAM
REFERRING to men and women, verse 195 of chapter 3 of the
Quran says, “You are members one of another”. Further to this
a man and a woman are considered as ‘two halves of a whole’.
Another important fact is that the whole of the human race comes
from Adam and Eve. Two other verses of the Quran say: “Glory be to
God, who created in pairs all things that the earth produces.” (
“O Humanity! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female.”
(
According to the Quran there is no difference between a man and
woman. They share a common fate, and are subject to the same
existential conditions with the same potential and the same purpose
of being.
Islam is often seen as keeping women in subservience. But Islam
holds women in high esteem; they enjoyed a special status during the
lifetime of the Prophet. During the initial days of Islam, the Prophet’s
wife Khadija was herself a business-woman. Moreover, it was her
initiative that led to their marriage. Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter,
helped in giving first aid to the wounded in battle and Asma, Abu Bakr’s
daughter, used to look after camels and date-orchards. But, if a woman
chose to lead a domestic life, taking care of her family, she had every
right to do so. Thus it can be said that women had the right to express
themselves, and take their own decisions in life.
So women are not required just to stay at home and confine themselves
to household tasks. They can also seek work outside their homes, as
long as there is no harm to their modesty and they do not compromise
on their values.
WOMEN AND EDUCATION
A study of the life of the Prophet tells us that education is just as
essential for women as it is for men. From the Islamic point of view,
the goal of education is to create awareness in the individual. There is
a famous saying of the Prophet that the acquisition of knowledge is the
duty of all Muslims. And scholars who have studied the teachings and
life of the Prophet have inferred that the acquisition of knowledge is
also the duty of every Muslim woman.
In the biographies of the narrators of
Hadith (sayings and deeds of Prophet of
Islam) literature, mention is made of the
academic services of women, which shows
that during the first era of Islam, there was
a strong tendency among women to acquire
knowledge. Imam Bukhari who compiled
the Hadith book Al-Jami as-Sahih, which is
considered as the most authentic source of
Hadith, was initially educated at home by his
mother and sister.
According to the
Quran there is no
difference between
a man and woman.
They share a
common fate, and
are subject to the
same existential
conditions with the
same potential and
the same purpose
of being.
There are some reports that tell us that the
Prophet’s conversations with his wife Aisha
were aimed at educating her. Aisha reported
that the Prophet would often get up in the
middle of the night and then converse with her on various topics.
This informal education was an important part of their life together.
These interactions and discourses made her the most distinguished
personality in matters of religious knowledge. The Prophet also took
her with him during many travels which gave her more knowledge in his
company. She survived the Prophet for a full 50 years, and throughout
this period, she remained a valuable source of Islamic knowledge. Her
house served as a school of religious learning.
Women are just as entitled to seek education as men. However,
this does not necessarily mean that an educated woman should be
rebellious and headstrong, challenging the authority of whomsoever
she likes. Education in the real sense makes a person see reason, and
gives an insight into all aspects of life.
WOMEN AND MODESTY
The Quran enjoins modesty in dress for both men and women such
as will maintain one’s dignity and respect irrespective of gender. The
Quran tells the Prophet to clothe his wives and daughters and the
daughters of the believers in a modest and respectable manner, so
as not to attract undesirable elements. This means a woman should,
by her attire, indicate that she is well-bred, respectable and modest.
It also means that a believing woman, out on the street, or at work,
should not draw attention to herself, but should, of her own free will,
lead a modest life.
One of the teachings
of the Prophet is,
"Every religion has
a characteristic and
the characteristic of
Islam is modesty".
The Quran also says "O children of Adam! We
have sent down to you clothes to cover your
nakedness, and to be pleasing to the eye; but
the raiment of righteousness in the best." (7:
as well as to do good is the truly Islamic way
of life. The Quran further calls upon women
and men to lower their gazes. One of the
teachings of the Prophet is, “Every religion
has a characteristic and the characteristic of
Islam is modesty”.
WOMEN AND WORK
As stated earlier, the Prophet’s wife Khadija was a successful businesswoman,
and the Prophet himself was employed by her. His later
wives Umme Salmah and Zaynab, also earned their own money. The
Quran does not prohibit a woman from working outside her home, or
engaging in business. What is more important is her virtue and how
she conducts herself.
OBLIGATIONS OF A WOMAN
A woman and a man are both obliged to believe in the oneness of God,
without which there is no salvation. Women are also required to say
the obligatory prayers and keep the fasts. A woman who is sufficiently
capable and talented may earn her livelihood outside the home. Islam
attaches particular importance to morality and exhorts both men and
women to be morally responsible to each other, and most importantly
to God.
THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN
For the first time in the human history, women were given their due
legal rights, thanks to Islam, which specifies that property must be
divided among the rightful heirs which included women.
A woman can possess a property separately, and neither her father nor
her husband can exercise any right over it. On this subject, a retired
Chief Justice of the Delhi Court, Mr. Rajinder Sachar had this to say:
"Historically, Islam had been very liberal and progressive in granting
rights to women. Islam had granted these rights to Muslim women
over 1400 years ago."
Entitling women to have a share in property, contrary to the custom of
the time, is a clear proof that Islam had no desire to degrade them. A
woman also has the right to demand maintenance and the court can
ask her father or her husband for a contractual sum. And at the time
of marriage, a woman is entitled to mehr or dower, which should be
solely in her name, not her father’s. The mehr or dower is in no way a
payment for conjugal rights. It is in fact a token sum of money, which
symbolizes in material form, the man’s responsibilities towards his
wife till his last breath.
A woman is also free to give or refuse her consent to marriage. No one
can force her to marry against her will. At the time of the marriage she
is required to give her consent, failing which the marriage would be
invalid. Marriage according to Islam, is a bilateral contract, based on
the free consent of the two contracting parties. The Prophet of Islam
said, “An unmarried girl should not be married until her permission has
been taken”.
Thus, we can see that Islam as it is accords respect and equality to
women. To sum up we can best say that in the matter of gender equality
the maxim of Islam is “Equal in respect, different in role”.
Dr. Farida Khanam
hub@the spiritofislam.org
Hard Work
Hard work is the brightest jewel in
the crown of human virtues.
ABOUT THE QURAN
Creation Plan of God
IF you read the Quran, you will find that it deals with all of the
subjects relating to human beings. But the basic theme of the
Quran is the creation plan of God. All other subjects touched on by
the Quran are related to this basic theme, directly or indirectly. God
Almighty created the universe, and it is God Almighty who revealed this
book called Quran. The primary purpose of the Quran is to reveal that
divine plan according to which the world was created and people were
settled in it.
This theme, which is central to the Quran, is thus described in chapter
test you, and find out which of you is best in conduct”. (
The word ‘life’ represents pre-death period
and the word ‘death’ represents the second
period, which may be called the post-death
period. The pre-death period is very short,
about a hundred years, while the post-death
period has no such limit. It will continue for
all eternity.
Spirituality according
to the Quran is
living in the world
and trying to derive
spiritual food from
material things as a
matter of intellectual
discipline. It means
to control rather
than kill one's
desires.
According to the Quran, God Almighty created
an ideal world that is called Paradise. The
present world—the planet earth—has all
those things that man needs or desires. But, in
this world everything is imperfect in its form.
In Paradise, on the other hand, everything
will be perfect and ideal. Paradise will be free
of every kind of limitation or disadvantage. Moreover, Paradise is an
eternal world. Paradise has a beginning but it has no end.
God Almighty created man and woman, bestowed them with freedom
of choice and then settled them on planet earth. Through His prophets,
God Almighty gave guidance to humanity. In every age the prophets
guided the people of all races about right and wrong.
It was simply a matter of guidance; there was no compulsion for people
to follow it. People were asked to develop their thinking in such a way
as to bring about moral consciousness in themselves and to lead a
good life by their own choice. In this sense, everyone is being tested.
Then God Almighty established a system of complete recording. This recording system is managed by the angels. It is so comprehensive that
it can record the intentions, the speech, the behaviour and the dealings
of every single person. This system is operative at all times, day and
night. The purpose of all these arrangements is to select the kind of
men and women who deserve to gain entry into eternal Paradise. At
the time of Doomsday, God will appear with His angels and according
to the angelic record He will select those men and women who passed
the test.
What are those qualities that are required
for a person to be a deserving candidate for
Paradise? In a single word, it is spirituality.
Paradise is a spiritual world and only those
men and women who have developed
spiritual qualities in their personality will be
blessed with entry into Paradise.
Paradise is a place
where there is
no nuisance, no
noise, free of all
kinds of pollution.
The inhabitants of
Paradise will be
positive thinkers in
the complete sense of
the phrase.
According to the Quranic description. “Paradise
is the home of peace” (
where there is no nuisance, no noise, free of all
kinds of pollution. The inhabitants of Paradise
will be positive thinkers in the complete sense
of the phrase. The environment of Paradise
will be free of all kinds of negative states,
like anger, malice, hate, revenge, wrong desires, jealousy, fighting,
exploitation and dishonesty, for these negative factors cannot be part
of the psychology of the spiritual inhabitants of Paradise.
The definition of spirituality given in the dictionary is—the state of
being opposed to worldliness. This definition is partly true, for not
being driven by worldliness is not just for the sake of not being worldly;
it is for the sake of a higher goal.
There are two kinds of spirituality—one is to renounce the material
world completely which constitutes going into seclusion. This kind of
spirituality has no creative role as such. It suppresses all the natural
qualities of a human being, who then dies without having made full use
of his natural potential.
Quranic spirituality is spirituality of the other kind. It means living in
the world and trying to derive spiritual food from material things as
a matter of intellectual discipline. It means to control rather than kill
one’s desires.
The fact is that God Almighty has created man with great potential.
It is not good to suppress this potential. One should rather avail of
this potential for the sake of personality development. Our personality
develops if we face the challenges posed by the society.
The above spirituality can be termed as creative spirituality. For
example, there is a verse in the Quran which says with reference to
the believers that “they forgive people when they are angry” (
means that spirituality is based on the formula of anger management
rather than on trying to become a person who has no feelings of
anger. The principle for such spirituality can be summarized thus; turn
your negative sentiment into positive response; make friends out of
opponents.
Further, being spiritual should make one live a simple life and follow
high ideals. Simple living and high thinking are complementary to each
other. Simple living saves one from all kinds of distractions and high
thinking saves one from being the victim of negative experiences.
Simple living and high thinking are a sine qua non of the spiritual culture.
Spirituality is mentioned as being of sublime character (
character is that character which is based on high thinking. If one reads
the Quran, one will find that it lays great emphasis on sabr (
(
apparently seem to advocate passivity they are not so, for they embody
great wisdom.
The Quran tries to build that kind of mind which is able to manage all
the affairs of life on the basis of spirituality. It is not passivity that is
advocated but skill in the proper management of life’s problems. The
purpose of this formula—indeed, it is the Quran’s greatest concern—
is to concentrate on high goals and one who wants to achieve high
goals has no option but to foster the aforementioned qualities. He has
to try to effectively manage all undesirable situations. Otherwise, he
will become preoccupied by trivial issues and will fail to continue his
journey towards higher goals.
In the chapter Al-Shams (The Sun) of the Quran, you will find these verses:
“He who purifies it will indeed be successful, and he who corrupts it is
sure to fail” (
personality development, laying emphasis not on its physical, but on
its spiritual aspects. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the main
theme of the Quran, personality development being its basic goal.
What is purification of the soul? It is to purify one’s mind of all kinds
of bias and negativity. In other words, it is to de-condition the wrong
conditioning. This is the mind the Quran tries to build. One who fails
in this de-conditioning process will become a corrupt or an unwanted
personality in the divine scheme of things.
Man’s personality is like an onion. An onion
has a central core, but this core is covered
by many layers. If you want to reach the
core, you have to remove all these covers or
layers. The same is true of the human being.
A human personality is always subject to the
process of conditioning, which wraps it up in
many layers.
Simple living and
high thinking are
complementary to
each other. Simple
living saves one
from all kinds of
distractions and
high thinking saves
one from being the
victim of negative
experiences.
The process of conditioning begins right from
birth. Initially, it is an unconscious process.
The individual’s family, his institutions, his
society, and his community; all are sources
of this conditioning. From childhood up to
adolescence, he is affected by this conditioning. Only after reaching
adulthood does he become able to understand this problem consciously.
From here onwards begins what is called personality development. It
calls for an awakening of the mind and a conscious discovery of this
problem. At this stage, the individual must develop the capacity for
anti-self thinking. He must engage in introspection. He must try to decondition
his previous conditioning with complete objectivity. This is
the most important task for every person.
What is de-conditioning? It is a process of sorting out the items you
have stored in your mind, all of which you must view with complete
objectivity, so that you overhaul your personality in a dispassionate
manner. You have to remove the negative thoughts from your mind, if
you are to turn your negativity into positivity.
A man asked the Prophet of Islam a question—a very comprehensive
one. He said, “O Prophet, give me a master piece of advice by which I
may be able to manage all the affairs of my life”. The Prophet replied:
“Don’t be angry”. (Sahih Bukhari)
The above teaching is a call to purify oneself from reaction. One should
not allow anger to become a part of one’s personality. It is only in this
way that one can truly develop one's personality.
To sum up, we can say that just as every book has its objective, the
objective of the Quran is to make man aware of the creation plan of
God. The main themes of the Quran are enlightenment, closeness to
God, peace and spirituality. It is a book which brings glad tidings to
mankind along with divine admonition and stresses the importance
of man’s discovery of truth on both spiritual and intellectual planes.
SUICIDE
An Islamic Perspective
ONE of the websites gives the following information about the
most common reasons for suicide. A sense of burden—Would
my loved ones be better off without me?; a sense of emotional
pain—There is so much suffering in my life; escaping negative feelings—
Is death the answer to ending this pain?; altered social world—Is death
the answer to my troublesome social relationships?; and hopelessness—Is
there evidence that life is going to get any better?
Suicide is held illegal in all religions and legal systems of the world.
There is a teaching of the Prophet of Islam according to which one who
committed suicide would have to face eternal Hell. A Companion of the
Prophet narrated the following incident:
Discovery of God and
conviction that He is
the All-powerful and
that He has a plan
for us will remove all
kinds of hopelessness
from us. In this
vast universe, it is
God who is man's
support.
“We were accompanying the Prophet in a
ghazwa (battle). Along with us was person
named Quzman who had already embraced
the faith. During the battle he suffered a
serious injury. People began to praise him
before the Prophet for the bravery he had
exhibited. But the Prophet said “He is surely
one of the people of Hell”. The Companions
were taken aback by the Prophet’s words,
so he asked them to go and investigate the
matter. It was then learnt that Quzman had
indeed been severely injured during the
battle and when he could not bear the pain
any longer, he killed himself with his own weapon (Quzman’s case was
that of suicide). When the Prophet was told about this, he uttered these
words: “God is great and I bear witness that I am His messenger”.
After knowing what Islam has to say about committing suicide, it is
very important to understand that if one were to prevent people from
committing such an act one should have an alternative to present to
them; a rational explanation to pain, emotional distress, helplessness,
failure, and a hope for the better world, so that they can face the
challenge and not think of ending their life as a solution.
The creation plan provided by Islam gives an explanation to why we
face these challenges in this world. In the Quran God says:
We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss
of property, lives, and crops. Give good news to those who
endure with fortitude. (
We are born into this world. We spend our short lives here. The journey
of our life in this world passes through different and varied experiences.
Because of these experiences, consciously or otherwise people begin
to think that this present world is for us the real world. Any loss or
failure or problems in this world to such a person will appear as final
and fatal.
Islam preaches that this world is an examination ground where we are
being tested for our eligibility for God’s perfect world of Paradise, where
there is no failure, loss, sorrow or evil; in fact it is a perfect and eternal
world which we all long for. God commands us to face the challenges
of this world with courage and patience. The role of patience in the
examination of life is that it keeps us steadfast under any and every
circumstance. It prevents us from deviating from the right path and
going astray. We will find creative solutions to the problems and not
hide from them. We will not opt for either negativity or extreme steps
of ending our precious life.
The role of patience
in the examination
of life, is that it
keeps us steadfast
under any and every
circumstance. It
prevents us from
deviating from the
right path and going
astray. We will find
creative solutions to
the problems and not
hide from them.
Discovery of God and conviction that He is
the All-powerful and that He has a plan for us
will remove all kinds of hopelessness from us.
In this vast universe, it is God who is man’s
support. It is He alone who can help us cross
this river of life and lead us to the shore.
Each one of us repeatedly goes through
experiences that lead us to realize our severe
limitations. Very often, we do not get what we
want. Every now and then, situations arise in
our lives that compel us to feel completely
helpless. In addition to this fear of loss,
sickness, accident, old age and death tell us
that we are utterly dependent on a force that
is infinitely greater than us, and that without
the help of this infinitely superior power,
we simply cannot face the challenges of life
successfully and will easily fall into despair and hopelessness.
Apart from the promise of the perfect world of Paradise, to those who
endure with fortitude the difficulties of the life in this world, the Kind and Merciful God has further promised to help us in many ways to face
our life here.
The promise of God's forgiveness for those who repent will help a
person make a new beginning, even after committing the biggest of
mistakes. Power of resilience, presence of continuous opportunities,
learning from mistakes and moving on with better plans, support from
families and friends to cope with the situation, strength from prayer
and supplication, qualities of determination to succeed after failure,
to try and try again are all innate in human nature. All these are the
support and comfort to those who want to overcome the hurdles in
their journey of life.
The above factors should enable us to want to live every moment of
our life fully, rather than giving us even for a moment, a thought for
ending our life.
POSITIVE ASPECTS OF FAILURE
Dealing with Loss
ASENSE of failure is what generally makes people sad, depressed
and hopeless. Here we highlight some of the reasons that make
one negative and develop a sense of failure. Looked at from the
bigger picture of life, these situations should not cause one to despair
and can often lead one to greater success.
AFTER A MISTAKE
When one makes a mistake, there are two possible kinds of responses.
The first response is to become regretful. One who is full of regret will
become disheartened after every mistake becoming a victim of stress.
It is also possible that one may lose courage and be unable to do
anything else again. This is a negative aspect of making a mistake. But
there is also a positive aspect of a mistake. That is, it encourages you to
engage in introspection and self-reassessment. When you do this, your
mistake will turn into a mistake-plus. A mistake-plus is bound to activate
your mind. It will lead to brain storming emerging as a natural gift for
you. It will increase your creativity and produce a thinking process that
may lead to the capacity for a better re-appraisal of yourself and an
increased ability to analyze things. A mistake becomes a mistake-plus
when it awakens your mind. It thus enables you to re-plan your life.
OPPORTUNITIES ARE ALWAYS THERE
After losing the first chance, there still exists a possibility of achieving
success. The law of nature is always with you. Our world is full of
opportunities. When you fail to grasp the first one that comes your way,
there is always a second one in the offing. Availing of it will prevent you
from succumbing to frustration and will enable you to re-plan your life.
Very soon you will discover that taking the second chance has probably
brought better results than the first one could ever have done.
FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS
Failure does not mean defeat. Failure can become a stepping stone
to better things, provided you do not lose courage and subsequently
re-plan the course of action. It is a law of nature that the scope for
achievement will always be greater than the quantum of failure. No
failure can stop you in your quest for success, provided you maintain
your positivity. If your first plan fails, that, in a way is good news for
you. For according to the law of nature, your experience of failure will activate your mind. It will open up new windows that were hitherto
closed. Your failure will spur you on to work in a more effective way
and to attain a resounding success. Thus, initial failure can often be a
blessing in disguise.
NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES
According to the law of nature, there is always a positive aspect of
every negative experience. The only condition is that one should not
become negative or succumb to despair. Life is full of unpleasant
experiences. There is no escaping them. But negative experiences are
not evil phenomena. They are in fact a blessing, a kind of intellectual
challenge. In such situations, it is better to wait rather than opt for a
reactive approach. If you save yourself from becoming the victim of
negative experience and do just one thing, that is, let nature take its
own course, it would serve as a positive factor for your mind. It will
certainly increase your thinking capacity and unfold your intellectual
treasure. The only fit response when you find yourself in a negative
situation with others is to forget the unpleasant external experience
and on your own, take a fresh decision to improve your ability. Very
soon you will find that you have gained more than what you had lost.
EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY
Every dark night is a temporary phase in this world and the same is true
of human difficulties. Every human difficulty is temporary in nature.
Every difficulty is bound to disappear after some time. It is a law of
nature that no difficulty goes on forever. So, you have to feed this simple
formula into your thinking, ‘It is all but temporary’. Optimism should be
the key word. Optimism means knowing that one will eventually be
rescued; that the waiting period will only be temporary in nature. The
only thing that can create a serious problem is for you to lose your
patience or to lose hope or to forget that the situation is temporary.
When you save yourself from being upset, you are in a better position
to keep your energy intact, to keep yourself from being a victim of
frustration, for frustration is certainly a disastrous frame of mind to be
in. At every point in life there are serious difficulties on the home front,
the social front, the national front and the international front. The
simple formula for facing these difficulties successfully is to think that,
just like the human being, one’s problems also are only for a limited
period of time. Moreover, difficulty has a plus point. Difficulty unfolds
your hidden qualities; it is a boon rather than an evil. In fact, difficulty
is only a state of mind. It is the mind where difficulties are created and where they can be killed too. So, in difficult situations, try to focus on
your mind rather than on the difficulty. And very soon you will find that
the difficulty has disappeared, first psychologically and then physically.
UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD
A Comprehensive Principle
ACCORDING to Islam, all human beings have been created by
one and the same God, and therefore belong to one great
brotherhood. So far as their earthly origin is concerned, they
are all descendants of the first pair of human beings ever created by
God—Adam and Eve. In their subsequent spread over different parts of
the world, variations in geographical conditions produced a diversity of
stature, skin colours, languages and other racial characteristics.
The teaching of Islam in this regard is that despite differences of colour,
language, culture etc., people should harbour no ill-will towards those
who are apparently unlike themselves, for differentiating between one
man and another is not approved by God. They should rather promote
fellow feeling towards others, even if at first glance they appear like
total strangers to them. Bearing in mind that
they are all traceable back to Adam and Eve,
they should be each other’s well-wishers and
willingly come to one another’s assistance,
like members of the same large family.
The teaching of
Islam with regard
to universal
brotherhood is that
despite differences
of colour, language,
culture etc., people
should harbour no
ill-will towards those
who are apparently
unlike themselves,
for differentiating
between one man
and another is not
approved by God.
Ideally, the relation between one man and
another ought not to be one of strangeness
but one of familiarity; not of distance but of
nearness, not of hatred but of love.
When all human beings are descendants of
the same progenitors, all are equal, no one is
superior or inferior. And before God, certainly,
all human beings are equal; all are equally His
creatures and His servants. For God does not
discriminate between one and the other of
His creations.
The message of universality of brotherhood
calls for one to adopt a comprehensive
principle in one’s dealings with others. It is the principle of treating
others just as one would like to be treated by them. The Prophet
observed, “No one can be a believer until and unless he begins to like
for his brother what he likes for himself”.
All individuals are sure about their likes and dislikes. Now what
is required is that they simply follow the principle that whatever behaviour they want from others, they should themselves accord to
others. Conversely, whatever behaviour towards themselves they
abhor in others should likewise be eschewed by them.
This is such a comprehensive principle that it is useful in every kind of
relationship. It is needed between individuals, men and women and
nations as well. If people were to adhere to this principle, their family
life as well as their social life would improve.
National life as well as international life would
run more smoothly. It is like a master key to
human ethics; one single key which suffices to
open all locked doors.
The Prophet said, “No
one can be a believer
until and unless he
begins to like for his
brother what he likes
for himself”.
One who does not differentiate between his
own people and others is a man of principle.
His is a contradiction free personality. And
the trait, when properly developed, will turn
him into a character par excellence.
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
GREENERY RETURNED
THE tree beside my house before the rainy season had completely
dried up. It looked like it had come to the end of its life. It was
probably not going to be green and lush again, but after the rainy
season, it started to revive. Leaves began to appear on its branches
and by the end of August, it had become completely green again. Its
freshness had returned completely.
This story is symbolic for human beings. It is necessary for a person’s
spiritual life to receive “water”. One who lives without “water”, will have
a personality like a dried up tree.
For human life, divine inspiration is like life-giving water. Through it,
man ought to establish an eternal bond with God. A bond of this kind
will give him renewed freshness. If this bond is broken for any reason,
he will become like a dried up tree.
Remembrance (Zikr) of God is the link to God Almighty. What does
remembering God mean? It is not just the repetition of certain words.
It is to remember Him again and again in different situations. For
example if you see a tree, you will see the miracle of God in it. Your
heart will say, ‘O God! The way you have made the tree green and fresh,
so also in the same way make me like a green tree'.
ON THE EVE OF EXAMS
Success in Life
PARENTS are always eager for their children’s success. But at the
same time, they should be realists. They must limit themselves
to doing wise counselling. It would be counterproductive if they
constantly question their children and apply mental pressure on them
to perform.
Parents must know that in practical life, getting less marks in exams
is relative. A student learns irrespective of the marks he scores and
even if he scores less in one term, he can score better in the next.
This is the case in both education and in practical life. There are many
examples to prove this fact. For example, Mahatma Gandhi and Swami
Vivekananda were not toppers in education, however, they became
heroes in practical life.
The most important things in life are sincerity and determination.
Parents must inculcate this spirit in their children. Qualifying in an
examination is good only for getting further admissions and it is not
necessary for having a better life in the future. Parents must educate
their children on the principles of life and try to inculcate in them
virtues, like patience, wisdom, adjustment, realistic approach, learning
from failure, and knowing that it really doesn’t matter if you don’t get
your way in everything. These are the principles which come to use in
real life. Topping in examinations is not a guarantee that the person
would also be a topper in life. However, the person who is aware of the
principles of life is more likely to be successful.
When it comes to competition with other fellow students it is important
to know that one should discover one’s own worth and capabilities.
Discovering one’s potential and turning it into reality is what is
important rather than just blindly competing with others. It is a matter
of what you are good at and developing that talent. The competition
should be with your own better self.
Read the lives of super-achievers. They carved out their own niche
due to their own inner qualities. They expected high standards from
themselves irrespective of what others were doing. They concentrated
on their own development and moved ahead in life facing every
challenge. Know that the Creator has given different capabilities to
people. You too have a special quality. Discover it and progress in that
field.
THE MONEY CULTURE
For Need, not Greed
WEALTH is one of life’s necessities. But it is not life’s goal. If
wealth is necessary to fulfill life’s material requirements, then
it must be acquired as the mainstay of human existence. But
if wealth is projected as life’s goal and its ever-increasing acquisition
is considered the most important task, then it can become a source of
great misery, which will destroy its seekers not only in this world but
also in the Hereafter.
Man has to live in this world for a certain period of time. For this, he
requires some material facilities, which may serve as a support in his
life. The majority of these things must be purchased with money. So it
is essential for everyone to provide himself with the means to do so.
In this respect wealth is a precious asset for
all of us.
Man is greater than
money. Man should
live for a higher
purpose, and he
should use money
solely as his material
base for constructive
activity
This world is a testing ground and man
has been given freedom, and therefore
everything which a man receives is for a test,
including wealth. Based on this concept of the
creation plan, wealth is also for the purpose
of a test. The proper use of money leads man
to all kinds of progress, whereas the wrong
use of it casts man headlong into the pit of
destruction.
Relative to money, there are two cultures prevailing in our society—
money for the sake of man and man for the sake of money. The Quran
rejects the concept of man for the sake of money, subscribing to the
other concept that money is for the sake of man. In the chapter AlTakathur
(Greed for more and more) the Quran has this to say:
You were obsessed by greed for more and more till you
reached the grave. (
According to the Quranic concept, money or material goods are only
meant to fulfil man’s needs. Money is not a goal in itself. Money can
fulfil the physical requirements of man, but man is more than a physical
entity. Man is an intellectual being, and as such can only find fulfilment
in pursuing some alternative goal which is higher than that of money.
Money gives you material comfort, but it cannot give you wisdom and
learning. The best course for man is to live as a seeker of truth, wisdom,
learning and an ultimate goal that is elevated. That is the only right way
of life for man.
What is that elevated goal for a man? It is intellectual development; it
is to unfold the spiritual nature of his personality; it is to enhance his
mental capacity. All these things are superior to man’s physical being.
One who makes the acquisition of wealth his life’s goal, will of course,
continue to receive bodily nourishment, but his soul will all the while
remain starving. The intellectual part of his mind, continuously in
an under-nourished state, will finally cease to exist. The activities of
earning have to be kept within a certain limit and only then will man
find time to attain the nobler goals.
When man takes money as something which
will fulfil his needs, he remains on the right
path. He can travel along the road of life
smoothly and successfully. But when he takes
money as his supreme goal, he goes astray.
For both men and women money-oriented
thinking is the greatest source of distraction
from the right path.
This world is a testing
ground and man has
been given freedom,
and therefore
everything which
a man receives is
for a test, including
wealth.
Man is greater than money. Man should live
for a higher purpose, and he should use
money solely as his material base for constructive activity, such as
acquiring knowledge, establishing educational institutes and providing
essential services for the society. There are many such facilities
which need money. Indeed without money it is very difficult to have a
successful life on this earth.
Money is a good helper. But it is not a good leader. A money-obsessed
man is like one who has made money his leader. Money which is
commensurate with needs is good, but excess money is bad. Save
yourself from greed and then you will be able to save yourself from
being overly money-minded.
Money for the sake of money is bad, but money for the sake of some
higher purpose is good; money as a necessity is good, but the money
culture per se is a disaster. The money culture will keep a man at a very
low level which does not behove the potential he is born with.
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.
JIHAD
A PERUSAL of the Quran followed by a study of latter-day Muslim
history will reveal a blatant contradiction between the two—
that of principle and practice. Where recent developments in
some Muslim countries bespeak the culture of war, the Quran on the
contrary, is imbued with the spirit of tolerance. Its culture is not that of
war, but of mercy.
At the very beginning of the Quran, the first invocation reads: “In the
name of God, the most Merciful, the most Beneficent". Throughout the
Quran, God’s name is thus invoked no less than 113 times. Moreover,
the Quran states that the prophets were sent to the world as a mercy
to the people. (
The word ‘Jihad’ has nowhere been used in the Quran to mean war in
the sense of launching an offensive. It is used rather, to mean ‘struggle’.
The action most consistently called for in the Quran is the exercise of
patience. Yet today, the Muslim Mujahideen under favourable conditions
have equated ‘God is Great’ with ‘War is Great’. For them, the greatest
reward is to be able to wield a rifle.
In the light of the ongoing conflict, we must ask why so great a
contradiction has arisen between the principles of Islam and the
practices of Muslims? There are two reasons which have contributed to
this, one is historical exigency and the other is the political interpretation
of Islam.
Let us examine each one in detail.
HISTORICAL EXIGENCY
Since time immemorial, military commanders have been accorded
positions of great eminence in the annals of history. It is a universal
phenomenon that the hero is idolized even in peace time and becomes
a model for the people. It is this placing of heroism in the militaristic
context, which has been the greatest underlying factor in the undue
stress laid on war in the latter phase of Islamic history. With the
automatic accord in Muslim society of a place of honour and importance
to the heroes of the battlefield, annalists’ subsequent compilations of
Islamic history have tended to read like an uninterrupted series of wars
and conquests.
These early chronicles having set the example, subsequent writings
on Islamic history have followed the same pattern of emphasis on
militarism. The Prophet’s biographies were called maghazi, that is, ‘The
battles fought by the Prophet’, yet the Prophet Muhammad in fact did
battle only three times in his entire life, and the period of his involvement
in these battles did not total more than one
and a half days. He fought in self-defence,
when hemmed in by aggressors, where he
simply had no option. But historians—flying
in the face of fact—have converted his whole
life into one of confrontation and war.
In the political
interpretation of
Islam the whole of
the religion of Islam
wrongly comes
to be seen as a
collection of parts
whose individual
and collective
significance cannot
be understood
without linking them
with politics.
We must keep in mind that the Prophet
Muhammad was born at a time when an
atmosphere of militancy prevailed in Arab
society, there being, in their view, no other
path to justice. But the Prophet always opted
for the avoidance of conflict. For instance, in
the campaign of Ahzab, the Prophet advised
his Companions to dig a trench between them
and the opponents, thus preventing a headon
clash.
Another well-known instance of the Prophet’s dislike for hostilities
is the Hudaibiyah peace treaty in which the Prophet accepted all the
conditions of the opponents. In the case of the conquest of Makkah, he
avoided a battle altogether by making a rapid entry into the city with
ten thousand Muslims—a number large enough to awe his opponents
into submission.
In this way, on all occasions, the Prophet endeavoured to achieve his
objectives by peaceful rather than by war-like means. It is, therefore,
unconscionable that in later biographical writings, all the events of his
life have been arranged under the heading of ‘battles’ (ghazawat). How
he managed to avert the cataclysms of war has not been dealt with in
any of the works which purportedly depict his life.
Ibn Khaldun, the celebrated 14th century historian, was the first to lay
down definite rules for the study and writing of history and sociology.
He followed the revolutionary course of attempting to present history
as a chronicle of events centering on the common man rather than on
kings, their generals and the battles they fought. But since war heroes
were already entrenched as the idols of society, the caravan of writers
and historians continued to follow the same well-worn path as had
been trodden prior to Ibn Khaldun. When people have come to regard
war heroes as the greatest of men, it is but
natural that it is the events of the battlefield
which will be given the greatest prominence
in works of history. All other events will either
be relegated to the background or omitted
altogether.
The need is to
discard as superficial
and erroneous the
militant and political
interpretation of
Islam, and to adopt
the original version
of Islam based on
peace, mercy and the
love of mankind.
In the past when the sword was the only
weapon of war, militancy did not lead to the
mass-scale loss of life and property such as
modern warfare brings in its wake. In former
times, fighting was confined to the battlefield;
the only sufferers were those engaged in
the battle. But today, the spear and sword
have been replaced by mega-bombs and
devastating long-range missiles, so that killing and destruction take
place on a horrendous scale. It is the entire human settlement which
has now become the global arena of war. Even the air we breathe and
the water we drink are left polluted in the aftermath of war.
People in the West thus find Islam outdated and irrelevant, precisely
because of its militant interpretation. Demands for a reform in Islam
are on the increase, as the ‘old’ version of Islam cannot apparently keep
pace with the modern world.
But, in reality, it is not reformation which is urgent, but revival. What
is needed is to discard as superficial and erroneous the militant and
political interpretation of Islam, and to adopt the original version of
Islam based on peace, mercy and the love of mankind.
The so-called Muslim Mujahideen have been exhorting their coreligionists
to do battle all over the world. But the Quran says, "God
calls to the home of peace" (
everywhere to reject the militant version of Islam, and to start seeing
and accepting Islam as it is truly represented by the Quran.
POLITICAL INTERPRETATION OF ISLAM
The second reason for the violence perpetrated in the name of Islam is
the erroneous political interpretation of Islam by some Muslim scholars.
According to this interpretation a central place was bestowed on politics
in the religion. For those scholars who gave such an interpretation, the
religion or deen was tantamount to establishing its political domination.
They saw this as the very purpose or goal that God wants His servants
to strive towards. Naturally then, in this understanding of Islam, the
rest of deen came to be subordinated to politics. Politics assumed the
central place, through which every aspect of deen could be understood
and its importance ascertained. In this way, in their understanding of
Islam, every aspect of it acquired a political hue. This naturally resulted
in a major deviation.
The political interpretation of the religion of Islam led to a new view
about life and the universe in which politics had a pre-eminent place.
While accepting that God has given free-will to mankind, and the
world is a testing ground on one hand, the proposers of the political
interpretation contradict themselves by saying that people must
establish the divinely revealed Shariah which was conveyed through
God’s messengers. This law covers a wide gamut of issues, including
beliefs, morals, society, civilization and politics. In addition, the political
theory finds it necessary to accept God as the Emperor, Ruler and Law
maker. They further go on to say that, if someone simply accepts God
and believes Him to have no partners, but at the same time, claims to
be fully independent in the sphere in which humans have free-will, he
actually revolts against God.
According to them such people should be set right through guidance,
instruction, exhortation and preaching, but if these methods fail to
get them the desired result of establishing Divine Government, then a
believer is compelled to take to war so that he can remove the hurdles
in the path of this task.
The above interpretation of deen presents God’s sending of the
prophets to the world in a particular political light. Assuming that the
prophets’ concern was to acquire power and that they had acquired it, is absolutely wrong, for the very mission of the prophets was to guide
people to goodness and what is right.
When Islam is made out to be a political ideology, then quite naturally,
the Islamic community is made out to be a political party. Amongst
such a party, worship is reduced to a preface to politics. Piety and
spiritual excellence come to be shaped in a distinctly political mould.
Witnessing to the truth becomes a political act. In other words, in
this political interpretation of Islam the whole of the religion of Islam
wrongly comes to be seen as a collection of parts whose individual and
collective significance cannot be understood without linking them with
politics.
The above mentioned two reasons of historical exigency and the
political interpretation develop the mindset of militancy in its followers.
The solution to this is to present Islam as it is from the original sources,
the Quran and the life and teachings of the Prophet.
CPS International is devoted to this work with teams all over the world
and it invites all the peace loving people to join hands in spreading the
ideology of peace.
ARGUMENT FOR THE LIFE HEREAFTER
From Probability
ONE of the most important tenets of religion is the existence
of the life Hereafter. After death, human beings will leave this
present ephemeral world, and, on the Day of Judgement, will
enter another world, which will be eternal. The present world is but a
place of trial where man, throughout his entire life span, is on probation.
When the time has come for the Last Reckoning, God will destroy this
world and replace it by another world created on an entirely different
pattern. All human beings will then be resurrected and will be brought
before the Almighty to be judged: it is then that they shall be rewarded,
or punished, according to the merits and demerits of their deeds on
this earth.
We shall now examine this concept from different standpoints and
determine whether it is right or wrong to believe in this concept.
Probability
The question that first arises concerns the possible advent of an afterlife
in the present system of the universe. Do any events or indications
substantiate our view?
The first thing that this concept of the other world presupposes is that
man and the universe, in their present form, are not eternal. From the
entire array of human knowledge up to the present, this fact stands out
as indisputable. We all know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that for
both man and the universe, death is an inescapable fate.
The greatest desire of those who do not believe in the other world
is to convert this world into a heaven of eternal bliss. Research into
the cause, or causes of death have even been carried out so that it
could be forestalled and prevented, thus rendering human beings
immortal. But the failure of such research has been abysmal, and with
each unsuccessful attempt, it has been borne in more and more upon
researchers just how ineluctable death is.
Why does death occur? About two hundred explanations have been
put forward as to its causes. Organic decay in the body; the exhaustion
of constituents; the atrophying of veins; the replacement of dynamic
albumens by less dynamic ones; the wearing out of the tissues; the
secretion of poison by intestinal bacteria, which is spread throughout
the body, and so on.
The concept of bodily decay would appear to be correct. Machines,
shoes, garments and all such material things do wear out with the
passage of time. There is, ostensibly, the possibility of our body
wearing out too, sooner or later, just as a garment does. But science
only partially supports this view of bodily decay, for the human body is
very different from a garment, a machine or a piece of rock. It should
be likened, rather to, a river which has been flowing for thousands and
thousands of years and continues to flow in the same fashion even
today. Can we really say that a river becomes old or stagnates?
An American chemist, Dr. Carl Linus Pauling (b. 1901), recipient of two
Noble Prizes, one of Chemistry in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize in
1962, has pointed out that, theoretically man is cast to a great extent
in an eternal mould, cells in the human body
being just like machines which automatically
remove their own defects. In spite of this,
man does grow old, and does die.
When the time has
come for the Last
Reckoning, God
will destroy this
world and replace
it by another world
created on an
entirely different
pattern.
But let us leave death for a moment and look
at life. Our bodies are constantly undergoing
a process of renewal. Molecules of albumen
present within our cells are continually being
produced, destroyed and reproduced. Cells
too (except the nerve cells) are regularly
destroyed and replaced by newly formed
cells. It has been estimated that the blood in a
human body is fully renewed within the short
span of about four months. And, within a few years, all of the atoms
in a human body are totally replaced. It shows that man is more like a
river than a mere structure of flesh and bones.
In short, the human body is constantly undergoing a process of
change. This being so, all concepts of the body becoming old and
worn-out are seen to have no basis in fact. Consider that in the normal
course of events, the indirect causes of death, such as injury, various
types of deficiencies, the clogging of arteries and the wasting away of
muscle, tissue etc., are generally dealt with, bit by bit by the body’s
own processes, (sometimes with the help of medical treatment) but,
in any case are eliminated in the course of time, without either singly
or jointly having caused the onset of death. It is normally much later in
life that death occurs. How then can these injuries, deficiencies, etc., be
held responsible for the death of the body? This would appear to imply
that the cause of death does not lie in the intestines, veins or heart, but
somewhere else.
Another explanation has it that nerve cells are the cause of death
because they remain unchanged throughout life and are never
replaced. The number of nerve cells in a human body thus decline
year after year, thereby weakening the nervous system as a whole. If
it is correct to say that the nervous system is the Achilles’ heel of the
human body, it should conversely, be correct
to say that a body having no nervous system
at all should be able to survive for the longest
period of time.
We all know, beyond
any shadow of a
doubt, that for
both man and the
universe, death is an
inescapable fate.
But observation does not support this view.
A tree, which is devoid of a nervous system
does survive much longer than a man, and
in fact, survives the longest of all forms of
plant-life. But wheat, which likewise, has no
nervous system, survives for only one year.
And the amoeba, with a minute nervous
system, survives for only half an hour.
These examples would appear to imply the reverse—that is, animals
belonging to the higher species, with perfect nervous systems, should
live longer. But that is not the case either. Creatures relatively lower
down the evolutionary scale, like crocodiles, turtles and fishes, are the
ones who survive the longest.
All the investigations so far carried out with the objective of showing
that death need not be a certainty have met with total failure. The fact
still remains that, one-day, all human beings will have to die. There
is no avoiding death. Dr. Alexis Carrel, a French Nobel prize-winner,
who has done advanced research in tissue culture, has discussed this
problem at length under the heading of Inward Time.
Man will never tire of seeking immortality. He will not attain it,
because he is bound by certain laws of his organic constitution.
He may succeed in retarding, perhaps even in reversing in
some measure, the inexorable advance of physiological time.
Never will he vanquish death.
Anomalies in the organization of the present set-up of the universe,
which periodically result in minor calamities, are indicative of what is
going to happen on a large scale, at some time in the future.
The earthquake is the terrestrial phenomenon which most obviously
forewarns us of the possible advent of Doomsday. The interior of
the earth is, in fact, composed of red-hot semi-molten magma, which is ejected periodically through volcanic activity in the form of lava.
Sometimes strong vibrations of the earth’s crust can also be felt. These
are produced by the shrinking of the globe due to the cooling process
which has been going on for aeons. From time to time, the wrinkling
of the earth’s surface assumes gigantic proportions and the resulting
earthquakes are like a unilateral attack of nature upon man in which
nature definitely has the upper hand. ‘When we remember that only a
thin, rocky crust, comparable to the skin of an apple, separates us from
the red-hot, semi-molten interior of our planet, we do not wonder that
the inhabitants of its surface are so often reminded of the “physical
hell” lying below the peaceful woodlands and blue seas.’
Such earthquakes occur almost every day in varying degrees of
intensity, some regions being more prone to earthquakes than others.
The earthquakes which struck Shensi, a district in China, is the oldest
of the highly destructive earthquakes recorded in history. It occurred
in 1556 AD. and took a heavy toll of more than
800,000 lives. Similarly, on the 1st November
1755, a volcano erupted cataclysmically in
Portugal, totally destroying the city of Lisbon.
In the course of this earthquake, within hardly
six minutes, 30,000 people were killed and
all the buildings were destroyed. It has been
calculated that this earthquake caused an
area four times the size of Europe to tremble.
Another earthquake of the same intensity
rocked Assam in 1950 AD. It is reckoned to be one of the ten most
violent and devastating earthquakes on record. The whole of the
northern part of Assam was catastrophically shaken and the course of
the river Brahmaputra was diverted.
An earthquake is,
in fact, but a small
reminder of the day
of resurrection.
An earthquake is, in fact, but a small reminder of the day of resurrection.
When the earth is split asunder with a terrible rumbling; when buildings
come tumbling down like playing cards; when the upper layers of
the earth are cracked open and the interior of the earth is spewed
out, when cities bustling with life are reduced to ashes in a matter of
minutes; when the earth is strewn with dead bodies, like shoals of fish
washed up on the sea coast, man realizes his utter helplessness in the
face of nature. What is most tragic about earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions is the fact that no one can predict when or where they will
take place. And, when they do, everything happens in a flash, leaving
little or no time for escape. The day of the resurrection will come upon
us all of a sudden, just like an earthquake. Such natural catastrophes demonstrate, most awesomely, God’s capacity to destroy the earth at
any moment.
Even more terrifying events take place in the outer reaches of the
universe. In the infinitude of its space, innumerable, enormous celestial
bodies are in rapid and continuous motion colliding and annihilating
one another. Asteroids and comets slam into planets, stars explode
and other stars and galaxies are ripped apart by black holes. In terms
of scale, perhaps nothing is as violent as collisions between huge
clusters of galaxies. Studies in astronomy having confirmed that this is
an actual possibility, it would not be surprising if they did collide. Our
Solar System may well be the result of a smaller collision of this type.
If we can visualize such a collision taking place on a greatly enlarged
scale, the day of resurrection will no longer seem impossible, nor even
such a remote possibility as we had perhaps at first imagined.
Believers in the concept of the life Hereafter contend that a time is
bound to come when the forces of destruction, which are present in the
universe in embryonic forms, will one day assume gigantic proportions.
What is latent today will certainly manifest itself tomorrow, and the
coming of the day of resurrection will be a reality. Today we apprehend
it as a probability; tomorrow we shall witness it as a fact.
EXAMPLE OF THE PROPHET
Character to Emulate
ABOUT 1400 years ago the Prophet was forced by the Quraysh
tribe to leave his native city of Makkah. He showed the utmost
patience and restraint in the face of provocation by the Makkans
but finally to avoid confrontation, left the city along with a handful of
his followers. In Madinah the Prophet was welcomed by the Ansar (the
people who lived in Madinah) who treated the immigrants as their
brothers and sisters and even shared their possessions and properties
with them.
In Madinah, the Prophet founded the mosque known today as the
Prophet’s Mosque, himself taking part in the construction. It became
the centre of his activities, from where he would preach the message
of Islam and ensure that the revelations were memorized and written
down by his Companions.
The Prophet laid
great emphasis on
character building,
excellence in moral
and social conduct,
good family ties and
the dignity of labour.
The Prophet laid great emphasis on character
building, excellence in moral and social
conduct, good family ties and the dignity of
labour. Charity was one of the main features
of the new society. The Prophet said, “Give
alms from your right hand in such a manner
that your left hand should not know of it”. But
over and above giving alms and feeding the
poor, the Prophet gave much wider meaning
to the concept of charity: as he believed that
every good act was a form of charity; smiling
at a fellow human being; showing the road to
a person who has lost his way; removing hindrances such as thorns and
stones from the road, assisting the blind; helping a person to mount
his beast; uttering words of comfort and replying to questions with
mildness. For the Prophet, all of these constituted charity.
The Prophet’s kindness and merciful nature was unparalleled. Often
when he passed by a group of children, he would say, “Children are the
flowers of God”, and pass his hand affectionately over their heads and
sometimes even joined in their innocent games. He gave special honour
and regard to parents. Those, he believed, who served their parents
well, were deserving of Paradise. A man once asked the Prophet, “Who
rightfully deserves the best treatment from me?” “Your mother”, said
the Prophet. Then the man said. “Who comes next?” “Your mother”, said the Prophet. “Who is after that?”, asked the man, “Your mother”,
was the Prophet’s answer. “Who comes next?” insisted the man again.
“Your father”, said the noble Prophet.
The Prophet gave great importance to family ties. He said, “The best
man is he who is best to his wife”. Likewise, the best woman is the one
whose husband feels pleased with her. The Prophet always emphasized
good relations with neighbours and visiting the sick. He said that on the
Day of Resurrection, God would say, “O son of man! I was sick, and you
did not visit Me”. The man would answer, “O
my Lord! How could I visit You when You are
the Lord of the world?” God would answer,
“Did you not know that such and such of My
servants was sick, and you did not visit him.
Did you not know that if you had visited him,
you would surely have found Me with him?
The Prophet
categorically
prohibited gambling
and the use of wine
and would tell his
followers that eating
moderately is the
best solution to avoid
disease.
In a society based on good moral values, evils
such as gambling and drinking find no place.
Thus the Prophet categorically prohibited
gambling and the use of wine and would tell
his followers that eating moderately is the
best solution to avoid disease. “Do not kill your hearts with excess of
eating and drinking”. He told them to divide the stomach into three
parts; one third for food, one third for water and one third to remain
empty. The Prophet also felt very strongly about oral hygiene. He said if
he had not feared putting his followers to trouble, he would have made
it compulsory for them to clean their teeth five times daily before every
prayer, and emphasized that “cleanliness is one half of faith”.
Simple living and contentment were the key teachings in his life. “When
you see a person, who has been given more money and beauty than
you, look then to those who have been given less”. In so doing, we will
thank God for His blessings, rather than feel deprived. The Prophet’s
emphasis on moral values was so high that he advised his followers
never to say that if people treat us well, we will treat them well, and if
people treat us badly, we will treat them likewise. He taught them to
be well mannered with everyone. He also taught them that under no
circumstances should they become angry; “The strong man is not one
who throws people down, but one who withholds himself from anger”.
The Prophet encouraged his followers to earn their livelihood through
trade and by the labours of their hands and to honour the dignity of
labour. One of his saying is, “Pay the labourer his wages before his sweat dries”. He also said that a trader must be very honest, while
selling his goods, he must inform the buyer of any possible defect in
the merchandise.
The Prophet's
emphasis on moral
values was so high
that he advised his
followers never to
say that if people
treat us well, we will
treat them well, and
if people treat us
badly, we will treat
them likewise. He
taught them to be
well mannered with
everyone.
The Prophet’s life was marked by simple living
and sublime character, prayer and devotion,
compassion and humility. After his death,
people used to ask the Prophet’s wife, Aisha,
how he lived at home. “Like any ordinary
man”, she would answer. “He would sweep
the house, stitch his own clothes, mend his
own sandals, water the camels, milk the
goats, help the servants at their work, and eat
his meal with them and he would go to fetch
what we needed from the market”.
Anyone who claims to be a follower of the
Prophet on the road to Paradise has to imbibe
such a character otherwise it will only be
considered as a superficial belief of accepting
the Prophet as an example.
BEFORE DEATH AND AFTER DEATH
To Contemplate Seriously
IN the whole of human history, man’s biggest forgetfulness has
been just one and that is about death. It is a negligence of such
proportions that hardly a few persons can be discovered who have
not been so in this regard.
The present world is a testing ground. It means that in the present
world, all that man has is given to him as a ‘testing material’. Death
brings an end to this test period. That’s why at the moment of death,
all these things which a person has had as long as he was alive are
taken away immediately. Even his name is taken away and people start
referring to the person as a ‘body’.
After death, man enters a new world suddenly. This world is a world
where he will face the consequences of his actions. Earlier, if the
man was living with his ‘test material’, after death he will have to live
with the result of his deeds done in his ephemeral world. Life before
death is temporary—about 100 years at the
maximum—but life after death is eternal.
After death, man
enters a new world
suddenly. This world
is a world where
he will face the
consequences of his
actions. Earlier, if the
man was living with
his ‘test material’,
after death he will
have to live with
the result of his
deeds done in his
ephemeral world.
People have many possessions while they are
on earth. All these things are automatically
acquired from the moment one is born. That’s
why man takes these things for granted. He
cannot think that all these bounties will
suddenly be wrested from him. After death,
man will suddenly find himself in a situation
where he is absolutely alone and totally
destitute.
Thinking about this serious reality should
have been the greatest issue for a human
being. But people tend to ignore and remain
careless and insensitive towards this reality,
until death suddenly comes upon them.
Death indicates to us our reality. It tells us that we are moving from
a situation, where we think we have control over things, to another
situation, in another world, where we will have no control over anything
at all. It tells us that we are moving from light to darkness, from
everything to nothing. Before death, humans are in a world where they
think they are the masters of their destiny. But after death, they are taken to a world where they are compelled to accept being completely
subordinated to someone else—God.
If you keep this reality in mind, your life will be totally transformed. It
will make you realize, for instance, how absurd it is to trouble others,
because you will have to answer for this after death, when you yourself
will be under someone else’s control. It will make you ashamed of
thinking yourself to be superior to others, because you will realize that
the supposed superiority that will one day be snatched away from you
is actually totally unreal.
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
We gave Scriptures, wisdom and prophethood to the Children of
Israel, and provided them with good things and favoured them over all
other people. We gave them clear arguments in matters [of religion].
It was only after knowledge came to them that they differed among
themselves out of mutual rivalry. On the Day of Resurrection your
Lord will judge between them regarding their differences. Then We set
you on a clear path [of religion]: so follow it, and do not yield to the
desires of those who have no knowledge.
They can be of no avail to you against God. The wrongdoers are friends
of one another, while the friend of the righteous is God.
This [Book] brings enlightenment and guidance to mankind, and is a
blessing for those who have firm faith. (
According to verse 16, God exalted the Children of Israel over the
peoples of the world. This parallels what was said of the people (ummah)
of the Prophet Muhammad, i.e. ‘You are the best ummah (nation)’
(
it responsible for conveying the message to other nations.
In principle, the Children of Israel were commanded to convey the
message to the whole world, as is now the case with the Muslims. But
the Children of Israel, by introducing deviations into their Book, lost
this status forever.
There is always uniformity in the authentic teachings of religion.
But additions to them by scholars create differences and undue
complexities. Then every scholar makes additions according to his
taste. Thereafter every scholar and his followers set about proving their additions to be correct and others’ additions to be incorrect. In
this way, religious sects start forming and finally a stage is reached
when one religion becomes divided into several religions.
Do those who commit evil deeds imagine that We shall deal with them
in the same way as We deal with those who have attained to faith
and do righteous deeds, that they will be alike in their living and their
dying? How badly they judge!
God has created the heavens and the earth for a true purpose, so that
every soul may be rewarded for whatever it has earned, and no one
will be wronged.
[Prophet], consider the one who has taken his own desire as a deity,
whom God allows to stray in the face of knowledge, sealing his ears
and heart and covering his eyes—who can guide such a person after
God [has abandoned him]? Will you not take heed? (
When the Children of Israel distorted their revealed religion, God
thereupon revealed the Quran through the Prophet Muhammad.
Since no other prophet was to appear after him, God caused the
Quran to be preserved and kept safe by special arrangements, so that
it should never again happen that the religion of God be lost in the
labyrinth of human additions.
One who thinks that it is all the same whether a man leads a virtuous
life or a life of evil—since either way he ultimately has to die and
perish—is nurturing an extremely erroneous idea. This way of thinking
runs counter to the consciousness of justice which is found in the
very nature of every man right from his birth. Moreover, this is
denying the meaningfulness of the universe, which is immanent in it
to the ultimate degree. The fact is that man’s inherent nature and
the vast universe around him both completely nullify the concept by
which life is treated as being so purposeless as not to lead to any
significant outcome.
To make desire one’s deity means giving it the supreme position in
one’s life. One who thinks and acts under the influence of desire has,
in effect, made himself a slave to it. Man’s mind is perfectly capable
of distinguishing between right and wrong. But, when he mindlessly
follows his desires, he closes the door to reason. Then when he
encounters arguments in support of the Truth, he fails to feel their
weight. In reply to every statement, he presents false arguments and
rejects it. Such behaviour ultimately impairs his mental powers.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
What is your view on the Ram Mandir—Babri Masjid issue, and how
can the Indian government resolve the issue with peace and satisfy
all parties?
In my lifetime, I have not only seen Babri Mosque but have also offered
prayer inside it. Unfortunately, the challenge we face in this case is that
the issue has been emotionalized and an emotional issue cannot be
resolved easily.
My stand on Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir issue is the same since dayone.
In my view, whenever a possibility of a peaceful resolution exists,
one party to the conflict must avail it and not sink into quarrels or
controversy. After the mosque was demolished, I suggested that
Muslims could adopt the same model of relocating mosques which had
been adopted by Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt.
Post Islam when the requirement to offer congregational ‘namaz’ (form
of worship in Islam) emerged in many places, Muslims made mosques
wherever the need arose and this continued for almost a thousand
years. Following the oil revolution, the Arab countries had enough
wealth to take up the task of city planning. In doing so, they realized
that several mosques were built at locations that were acting as a
hindrance to their amenities and infrastructure planning framework.
This issue was brought up to the ulema (Islamic Scholars) for discussion
and the renowned Arab cleric, Sheikh Abdullah bin Baaz gave a fatwa
(unanimously accepted) to relocate these mosques. And this is exactly
what followed. For instance, Masjid-e-Bilal, which was made adjacent
to the boundary of Haram (Kabah) was also relocated and today it is
at a location different from where it was originally built. Physically the
relocated mosques were made out of new infrastructure, however they
shared the same lineage as to the mosque which existed in the original
location. The only loss was archaeological in nature.
In line with my view, the then UP Chief Minister had proposed that if
Muslims were to agree to relocation, he would be the first person to
carry on his head the first bricks to be placed in its foundation. While
the Government appreciated my suggestion, many of the Muslim
leaders unfortunately did not accept the proposal.
Many Muslim leaders incited the masses by saying that the Arab model
would not work in India. They did not realize that this was a matter of an Islamic principle, which does not have two versions. If it was
implementable in Saudi Arabia, then it was implementable in India as
well. So, the issue which would have been resolved amicably was not
done so.
The Court of Law will indeed find it difficult to resolve this matter. In
1991, the Indian Parliament passed a legislation called the Places of
Worship Act, 1991. According to this Act, the government of India was
bound to maintain the status quo of all places of worship on Indian
soil as it stood in 1947. But there was an exception to that of the Babri
Masjid of Ayodhya. The Act maintained that the Babri Masjid issue was
in court, so the government would wait and it would be its duty to
implement the verdict of the court when it was given.
In a nutshell, what is needed is an objective evaluation of the case to see
what is possible and not what is ideal. This was the theme of my article
on this topic in the Hindustan Times, which was titled “Acceptance of
Reality”—the message remains the same—we must accept what is
possible as well as practical and not run after unrealistic ideals.
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 )
