ABOUT THE MAGAZINE
Spirit of Islam is a monthly magazine which is now in its sixth year
of publication. The aim of this journal is to present Islam in the
contemporary idiom, while at the same time the contents are
of universal appeal and of interest to a wider circle of spiritual
seekers. It is our desire to help Muslims rediscover Islam, focusing
on its message of peace and spirituality as derived from the Quran
and the teachings of the Prophet, and in general we strive towards
religious understanding for bringing about greater harmony.
Another purpose of this magazine is to assist its readers to deal
with life’s challenges, deriving positivity even from negative
occurrences, gaining in spirituality and developing themselves
intellectually so that they may contribute constructively to society.
The magazine’s regular readers will appreciate that the entire
thrust of its articles is directed to the individual—a collection of
intellectually prepared individuals being the sole foundation on
which a peaceful and harmonious society can be built.
As the subtitle indicates, Spirit of Islam is working towards
enlightening people on the subject of global peace and regularly
addresses relevant contemporary issues. The articles on peace
based on the teachings of the Prophet of Islam offer us an
ideology of peace—principles which lay down how peace may be
established between conflicting groups, controversies resolved and
conflicts defused. We believe that violence begins in the mind
and so an effective ideology of peace needs to be presented to
counter its influence.
We hope and pray that God helps us in this noble endeavour
and grants us His special blessings!
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.
DIFFERENT IS BEAUTIFUL
EF SCHUMACHER authored a book ‘Small Is Beautiful: A Study Of
Economics As If People Mattered’. It is often used to champion
small, appropriate technologies that are believed to empower
people more, in contrast with phrases such as “bigger is better”. Paul
Taylor wrote the book, ‘Black is Beautiful: A Philosophy of Black Aesthetics’
In the same vein, I would like to say, ‘Different is Beautiful’.
I am specifically referring to differences of opinion which should be
used as a stepping stone rather than considering it as an obstacle. There
is an example from Islamic history to illustrate this: The Kabah was
built in the shape of a rectangle by Prophet Abraham, four thousand
years ago. It transpired that for some reason, the Kabah had to be
re-constructed, but in the process of construction the Makkan people
made it square-shaped. Consequently, about a third of the area of the
former rectangular building was missing from the newly built Kabah.
The Prophet of Islam was later advised to restore the Kabah to its
original shape, as built by Prophet Abraham. But the Prophet did not
do so. The long, rectangular shape of the Kabah was earlier required,
as it had been built as a house of prayer. Later, since it was needed
only for circumambulation, a square-shaped Kabah could be used just
as well. Therefore, the Prophet letting the Kabah continue in its square
shape was an example of re-planning on the basis of what was already
there. His doing so meant that the Kabah could be immediately used
just as it was, otherwise in the struggle to rebuild it and recover what
was lost, precious time would have been wasted.
There are several examples that convey that planning on the basis of
what remains with one is the best form of planning, as it reduces losses
by not causing any further delay. The same principle could have been
applied to the re-building of Palestine. If, after the Balfour Agreement
in 1948, the Arabs had planned on the basis of the part of the country
that remained with them, Palestine would have been a story of success.
Palestine is situated at a strategic location in the Middle East, and it was
enriched not only by its natural oil reserves but also by its historical
monuments. If the leaders of Palestine or the rest of the Arab world
had known the secret of planning with what was left to them, they
would have restored and developed these monuments of historic
value in order to attract visitors, thereby making it a great tourist hub.
In this way, they would have converted Palestine into ‘Palestine Plus’.
But Arab leaders did not realize this secret of success. Consequently,
Palestine has been a story of failure, despite the innumerable sacrifices
that have been made.
‘Different is beautiful’ is undoubtedly a comprehensive formula, which
has several aspects to it. For example, if there are differences of
opinion among people, it paves the way for dialogue. This dialogue
becomes the stepping-stone to new thoughts and ideas, which in turn
foster creative and intellectual development.
Human beings are born with unlimited capacity, which usually remains
in a dormant state. To convert this potential into actuality, a trigger is
needed. For example, Newton saw an apple falling from a tree. This
caused him to wonder why the apple did not go up. This type of thinking
is actually what every occasion of difference has the potential capacity
to yield. It is only once the mind has been triggered that it becomes
creative and looks beyond limitations to discover hitherto unknown
facts and ideas, just as Newton did.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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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 has designed a series of courses on
peace-building, countering extremism and conflict resolution.
THE ARABS AND THE
EMERGENCE OF ISLAM
WITH an area of 120,000 square miles, the land of Arabia is
the largest peninsula in the world. It has the Red Sea to the
West, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the south-east
and the rivers Euphrates and Tigris and the Persian Gulf to the northeast.
It thus occupies a unique position. It is situated in Asia, yet only
the narrow Red Sea divides it from Africa and by just passing through
the Suez canal, one reaches the Mediterranean Sea and Europe. It is
thus at the centre of three continents, yet it is apart from all of them.
Arabia being a very hot and dry country, one third of it is desert. Yemen,
the original home of the Semites, is the only exception, in that it is
fertile and enjoys a rainy season. Besides this, the rest of the peninsula
consists of barren valleys and deserts. The camel was the only means
of transportation during the pre-Islamic period. Makkah and Madinah
were two towns initially inhabited by the descendants of the nomads,
who still retained many of the desert habits of their ancestors.
Situated in a valley, Makkah is one of the oldest cities in the world.
It is a desert, with no vegetation or date palms. However there are
some fertile spots in the desert, which are called Oases. Large as well
as small clans settled around these Oases. Makkah since ancient times
was an important centre for the caravans coming from the south with
valuable merchandise. They brought gold, precious stones and spices
from Africa to Yemen. From here it was taken to the markets of Syria, Egypt and many other places on the backs of camels. Agriculture not
being possible, Makkah thrived on commerce. It became an important
trading centre because of the Sanctuary—the Kabah, to visit which
people came from places far and near. So Makkah became a religious
as well as a financial centre. As a religious centre, Makkah wielded
greater influence on this account. Makkah, a focal point of pilgrimage
dating back to the origin of Arab history, owed its status to the Kabah,
which had been built by Prophets Abraham and Ismael.
The progeny of Ismael were known as naturalized Arabs and they greatly
multiplied. They were divided into many tribes and clans. The Quraysh
were the largest tribe and were considered the most honourable. Due
to trade the Quraysh became one of the richest and most powerful
tribes. Prophet Muhammad belonged to the Banu Hashim clan of the
Quraysh. Besides the Arabs there were also Christians and Jews who
lived in Arabia. A large number of their population lived in Madinah.
Makkah, a focal point
of pilgrimage dating
back to the origin of
Arab history, owed its
status to the Kabah,
which had been built
by Prophets Abraham
and Ismael.
In Arabia there are two different geographical
types of soil markedly different from one
another—the oasis and the desert. The
inhabitants of Arabia naturally were divided
into two main groups: nomadic or Bedouins
and settled people or the city dwellers. The
Bedouins lived in tents and possessed goats,
camels and horses. They were continually
on the move. They attached the greatest
importance to total freedom for the individual
as well as the tribe, but this was not the case
with the city dwellers. They attached importance not only to freedom
but also to peace, security and prosperity.
As far as the religion of the Arabs was concerned the Arabs followed the
religion of Abraham for some generations, but their later generations
tended to deviate from the path of monotheism.
Emergence of Islam
Islam emerged in a region known as Hijaz, inhabited by the descendants
of Ismael and another tribe, the Banu Kinanah. These people had
access only to limited resources, limited habitable area, cattle, pasture
and oases. Everything was in short supply. They could only afford an
extremely simple life. Due to these constraints they often waged war,
sometimes to take possession of the limited reservoirs of water and
pastures. As they lived very far from the artificial world of civilization the
Bedouins had many good qualities. The atmosphere of nature served as a vast school of nature for them. They never led the artificial life of
the cities and their life was devoid of all formalities. This extremely
simple, austere life made them realists.
All this was responsible for producing in them the qualities which
the Arabs called manliness, which meant to them, acknowledging the
truth, speaking nothing but the truth, fulfilling
promises, honouring obligations, supporting
the oppressed, boldness, noble character,
patience, generosity and hospitality. When
this high level of humanity was guided by the
message of Islam, they were able to perform
great feats. This fact is mentioned in one of
the sayings of the Prophet as:
“Those who were good people in the days of
ignorance will also be good people during
Islam.”
These Arabs were
the people who were
selected by God to
lend full support to
His final Prophet, so
that he might fulfil
the divine mission.
Among the ancient Arabs there were also a sizeable number who were
known as Hanif. These people were truth seekers. They lived an aloof
social life. They used to say:
“O God, I do not know how You should be worshipped. Had I known, I
would have certainly worshipped you in that manner.”
These people, true in nature took no time in responding to the call of
Prophet Muhammad who belonged to the tribe of Quraysh, when he
began preaching in 610 AD, after being chosen as a prophet by God.
They became his devoted Companions. Though in the initial stage of
the Prophet’s call, many of them—due to some misunderstanding—had
turned against the Prophet, later—after understanding the message—
they became his followers.
Thus the sending of the final prophet amongst the Arabs was not
without reason. It was a well-planned decision of God which He in
His own knowledge decreed. These Arabs were the people who were
selected by God to lend full support to His final Prophet, so that he
might fulfil the divine mission.
Dr. Farida Khanam
hub@the spiritofislam.org
BLAME THYSELF
I Am Wrong
IN his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
highlights the dangers of criticism. “... It wounds man’s precious pride,
hurts his sense of injustice and arouses his resentment.” It is obviously
no way to endear oneself to anyone. To underscore this he tells the
story of a hardened criminal by the name of Crowley who, having
parked his car in a no-parking area in Long Island, was approached
by a policeman and asked for his license. Crowley so resented the
implication that he was in the wrong that he took out his gun and shot
the policeman dead. The murderer was arrested in May 1931, a case
was filed against him and the judge sentenced him to death on the
electric chair. Such was his egocentricity that when he was being taken
to be executed he said, “This is what I get for killing people? No, this is
what I get for defending myself.”
To everyone, Crowley was clearly a murderer, but out of self-love, he
sought to find words which would exonerate him of the crime. But no
one can gloss over murder with mere words. Rectitude is not a matter
of self-righteousness, but a matter of fact.
To utter the three
damning words,
“I am wrong” is
so difficult that in
the long history of
mankind there have
been very few cases
of people who have
actually brought
themselves to
utter them.
Nevertheless, people become disaffected or
even enraged on being criticized and, in his
book, Carnegie has covered the whole range
of reasons for this being so. The main reason
is that criticism, particularly when it is true,
brings one down from the high pedestal
on which one has placed oneself. Man is a
self-lover. He never wants to admit his
mistakes. To utter the three damning words,
“I am wrong” is so difficult that in the long
history of humankind there have been very
few cases of people who have actually brought
themselves to utter them.
DOES THE WORLD OF THE HEREAFTER EXIST
Purpose and Meaning of Life
WE can subject the inquiry of the existence of the Hereafter to
the same scientific principles as we use to study the physical
phenomenon around us. We present here a few ideas in
support of the argument that the world of the Hereafter is a rational
and scientific fact.
The Meaningful Universe
Sir James Jeans once observed that the Creator of the universe must
have possessed a mathematical mind. Here, we must add that the very
meaningfulness of the universe is a proof that its Creator must have
had a deep sense of purpose. Such a purposeful Creator could not
have created a world, which was imperfect—
and therefore meaningless—if this objective
was to be fulfilled.
Despite all its
meaningfulness, our
world in its present
state is incomplete.
It requires the
existence of another
world for its
completion.
Despite all its meaningfulness, our world in
its present state is incomplete. It requires the
existence of another world for its completion.
It is such a world that all the prophets have
called the world of the Hereafter. This world
of the Hereafter is not just a matter of dogma.
It is an entirely scientific fact.
First of all, we must define what is scientific
proof? Scientific proof does not mean that there can be any degree
of absolute certainty about whatever is to be proved. This kind of
undeniable certainty is not possible. When something is said to
have been proved scientifically, this statement only means that its
probability has been established. And, from the scientific viewpoint,
we cannot refuse to apply to the case of the world Hereafter, a method
that we hold valid in most scientific matters. As we know, the steps to
a scientific inquiry include—hypothesis, observation and verification.
If we apply this three-point formula to the world Hereafter, we can
certainly arrive at an understanding of its probability. And as we know,
in the field of science, probability paves the way for certainty.
Can Man Fulfil all his Desires?
A careful study of the human society shows that all men and women
have two contradictory themes running throughout their lives. On
the one hand, they are consumed by a limitless desire to establish
a dream world for themselves—a world that is in keeping with their
ideals and where they may lead their lives—with all the sought-after
pleasures and comforts. But, on the other hand, they are faced with
this contradiction that, despite surrounding themselves with all the
material things conceivable, they fail to build their desired world.
Boredom, loss, illness, accident, the infirmities of old age and finally
death—within a period of around a 100 years or less—that is the story
of every individual born into this world.
The following example is an apt illustration of the same.
Billy Graham, a well-known American missionary, writes that he once
received an urgent message from an American billionaire who wanted
to meet him without a moment’s delay. On receiving this message, Billy
Graham cancelled all his other appointments and immediately set out
to meet this man.
Everything in this
world exists in pairs;
everything becomes
complete only in a
pair—the negative
and positive particles
in an atom, the
male and female in
humans, animals and
even in plants.
When he arrived at the billionaire’s palatial
home, he was immediately taken to a private
room, where the two men sat on chairs facing
one another. Then, with great seriousness,
the billionaire said to Billy Graham, “You see,
I am an old man and life has lost all meaning
for me. I am going to take a fateful leap into
the unknown...Young man can you give me a
ray of hope?”
The American billionaire is not the only person
to be faced with this kind of desperation.
Every individual, man or woman, born into
this world, is faced with this question at one
time or the other.
We can come to grips with this paradox by examining the observable
phenomenon of the principle of pairs, which is universally operative.
Everything in this world exists in pairs; everything becomes complete
only in a pair—the negative and positive particles in an atom, the male
and female in humans, animals and even in plants. Therefore, it follows
that along with this world there must exist another parallel world, and
in its existence lies the completion of our present world.
The Right Framework
Now, let us come to an understanding of the basic framework of this
parallel world. Within this framework, the concepts of “Paradise” and
“Hell” will also become clear. Paradise is a resting place for sincere and
truth-loving people, while Hell is a place for the insolent and the false.
Thus the picture that evolves is that of the present world being made
by its Creator to serve as a testing ground for man due to which he
has been granted free-will, whereas the next
world has been created as a place where we
shall reap the rewards of (or punishments for)
our actions in this world.
Paradise is a resting
place for sincere and
truth-loving people,
while Hell is a place
for the insolent and
the false.
Let us not forget that although our mind is
eternal, our bodies are transient. The study
of human physiology shows that our body
is composed of several living cells, which
keep transforming themselves. In this way
the body is renewed at regular intervals. It is
regenerated just like the water in a running
stream. Yet the body eventually dies but the spiritual personality, or
the soul, remains unchanged and lives on. This is because the soul can
exist even independent of the body.
While everything in this world is so designed as to permit man to
develop his personality, we must remember that everything in the
present world is finally just a test for man. For, only those who are
capable of positivity will finally gain admission into Paradise.
A Satisfactory Explanation
If we go by the theory of cause and effect, is it possible that this
entire world could just have been created in vain—with no purpose
whatsoever?
Look at the sun, the moon or the tiniest insect—is it conceivable that
they could all have been created without any specific purpose?
In fact, everything appears to have been created for a specific purpose.
Even human desires appear to have been created for a purpose.
However, this purpose cannot be fulfilled in this present limited world.
Since these desires are unlimited, they can only be fulfilled in an
unlimited world, i.e. in Paradise.
This brings us to the question—what is Paradise? Paradise is the
ultimate answer to the human quest. It is a vast, zero-defect, evil-free
universe, complete in itself.
Certainty prevails all over the universe, but the human world is marred
by uncertainty. Fear is unheard of in the universe, but man continually
suffers from fear and apprehension. The rest of the universe is in a
state of equilibrium as it receives everything that it needs, while human
beings are in a state of imbalance as they are the only creatures in the
world to suffer from the painful thought that they have not received
what they wanted. Moreover, the rest of the
universe is evil-free, while human beings
continually suffer from the problem of evil
due to the misuse of freedom by others.
Even human desires
appear to have
been created for a
purpose. However,
this purpose cannot
be fulfilled in this
present limited
world.
Paradise is the answer to all these problems.
The concept of Paradise shows that man
too will find everything that the rest of the
universe has found. So while the rest of the
universe is receiving what it wants today in
this world itself, man will receive what he
wants tomorrow in Paradise.
PEACE SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
A Three Point Formula
HEALTH, Spirituality and Peace are linked to one another. Health
means a sound physical body; Spirituality purifies one’s soul
and develops one’s personality, and Peace is an essential
ingredient in building a healthy society.
All religions give emphasis to these three issues. The Prophet of Islam
once said that a strong believer is better than a weak believer, because
a strong believer can shoulder all responsibilities in a far better
manner. Spirituality has been called rabbaniyat in Islam, which means
to turn one’s materialistic thinking into spiritual thinking. This creates
high human values.
Peace is essential for every society. No progress and development takes
place without peace. This is the reason why Islam enjoins peace, even
at the price of unilateral adjustment. Therefore, a three point formula
of being healthy, being peaceful and being spiritual is best for all of us.
All the religions including Islam are subject to change, not in terms of
revision but in terms of reapplication. Religion is an eternal truth. But
the social framework in which religion is required to be followed is
an ever-changing phenomenon. It is change in society and not in the
religion itself that needs reapplication to the given situation.
Every religion, including Islam represents a set of values. These basic
values are eternal by their nature. But at the time of change, it requires
a new kind of adoption and assimilation. It is this process through
which human civilization continues its march in history.
This process of change or reapplication applies to all human disciplines
like politics, media and the market (economics). For example, in
ancient times, politics was based on kingship, so religion found ways
of adjustment with this political power. But in modern times political
structure is based on popular democracy, so we can see that every
religion has sought adjustment with a democratic political system. So
is the case of other aspects of human life. In every situation religion is
bound to play its much awaited role in establishing peace and harmony
throughout the world.
As far as Indian society is concerned, it is deeply rooted in religion.
Almost all the major religions have their roots in India. Indian society
is a multi-religious society. Religious values are intact among Indian
people perhaps more than in any other country. Any planning in India
must take account of this social reality.
India is rapidly heading towards modern material development but
at the same time India’s roots are strong and there has been no
degeneration in its spiritual prowess. Religious traditions are deeply
connected to peace, tolerance and spirituality. This is unique to India
and perhaps there is no other country in the world which is so greatly
oriented towards peace, tolerance and spirituality. India is truly a
representative of the positive spirit of religion.
If it is unique to this part of the world, it is mainly because Indians
possess the rare quality of adjustment. They readily adopt modernity
without abandoning the healthy religious traditions of the past. India
was fortunate to become an abode of different cultural and religious
traditions. This international interaction was a great plus point for India.
It enhanced the developmental activities in India and also through
this process the country was able to develop a kind of multi-religious
civilization.
The future picture of religion seems to be
a bright one. The process of give and take
between politics and religion is quite visible
and we can say with a considerable degree of
certainty that religion will continue to play a
very constructive role in the development of
human civilization.
Indian society is
a multi-religious
society. Religious
values are intact
among Indian people
perhaps more than in
any other country.
Let us understand this in a correct historical
perspective. During the previous centuries,
religious people—for whatever the reason—
engaged themselves all too frequently
in violent action. This presented an obstacle to religion playing its
destined constructive role in shaping national and international life,
but after the emergence of the United Nations in the 20th century, the
scenario has changed altogether. The United Nations is helping to
create a new world where peace becomes a compulsion rather than a
choice. In such a situation, religion is bound to play its much awaited
part in establishing peace and harmony throughout the world.
India has been fortunate in its having become the abode of different
cultural and religious traditions and it is thanks to this that it has
been able to develop a multi-religious civilization. This in turn has
underpinned and promoted ongoing international interactions which
has been a great plus point for India, as it has served to facilitate and
enhance the developmental activities in India today.
FOCUSED THINKING
Prevent Distraction
THE Quran is a religious book, all the teachings of which are
based on religion and spirituality. But there are no watertight
compartments in life. Every kind of religious teaching has some
secular or worldly aspect to it. This applies also to the Quran. For
example, fasting is a religious teaching of the Quran but, at the same
time, fasting has a secular aspect in that it is good for one’s physical
health.
This is likewise true of tawhid—the most important teaching of the
Quran—meaning the oneness of God.
There is no god but the one God. The following Quranic verse most
aptly expresses this:
Say, ‘He is God, the One, God, the Self-sufficient One. He does
not give birth, nor was He born, and there is nothing like Him.’
(
Obviously, this is a religious tenet, but it also has its secular aspect,
that is, focused thinking. When a believer adopts the belief that God is
only one, he develops the habit of concentration. Concentration is the
ability to direct all your effort and attention to a single point.
Belief in tawhid develops a well-integrated, focused personality. Such
a personality hinges upon a single focused mind. In the first instance,
focused thinking takes on the hue of a religious belief but, according to
the law of nature, it underlies and conditions the temperament of the
believer to the point where it spreads and affects all the other aspects
of his personality.
Thus tawhid leads to focused thinking, and focused thinking prevents
the individual from becoming the victim of a fragmented mind. This
kind of thinking makes one an integrated personality.
Focused thinking saves one from mental confusion. It helps one to
concentrate all efforts on a single point, thus saving one from all kinds
of distractions and from developing what is called a ‘grasshopper’
mind. It further develops concentration, enabling one to differentiate
between relevant and the irrelevant, between the real and the relative.
It leads to concerted effort, ensuring that one will not waste time and
energy. Being focused in one’s thinking means that journey will follow a single track without any kind of deviation. One who engages in this
kind of thinking is bound to achieve great success.
You should know the importance of concentration in achieving any goal
you choose for yourself. You can understand this from the example of
one of the famous thinkers Charles Darwin (1809-1882), who played
a major part in the intellectual formation of modern man. Darwin
achieved this position of eminence in the modern world by dint of
exceptional hard work.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica (1984) says of him:
All his mental energy was focused on his subject and that was why
poetry, pictures and music ceased in his mature life to afford him the
pleasure that they had given him in his earlier days.
Such intellectual concentration is vital to peak achievement in any
field, be it right or wrong. Man has to be so engrossed in his work that
everything else pales into insignificance beside it. Unless everything
else loses its interest for him, he cannot climb to any great heights of
success. If we examine the lives of the truly great, we find that they all
worked in the same dedicated way.
In any task of some complexity, there are always aspects of it which
present problems that appear at first sight to be insoluble. Sometimes
innumerable facts have to be marshalled which can be interpreted only
with the keenest of insight. Often a mysterious, elusive factor emerges
just at a point when one thinks that all questions have been answered.
Such difficulties can be overcome and such secrets unveiled only when
one’s total intellectual capacity is directed towards the unravelling of
the mystery. Without the utmost devotion and one hundred per cent
concentration, success will remain forever beyond one’s grasp.
It is said that the father of modern science, Isaac Newton, had the
special capacity to think in this focused way. Many other great thinkers
and super achievers had this ability. Indeed, there is no example in
history of anyone achieving great success without having this gift.
Focused thinking is the greatest quality in people.
When a believer develops focused thinking in terms of his religious
belief, it is not possible to confine it to religious matters. Naturally,
it widens its sphere to cover all other aspects of the functioning of
his mind. So, believers in the one God naturally become believers in
a single target. In terms of religion, this is to believe in the oneness
of God and, in terms of non-religious matters, it means concentrated
thinking. Here, religion and secularism go hand in hand on the road
of life.
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.
TERRORISM: A GRAVE THREAT
TERRORISM is one of the gravest threats the world is facing today.
The tragedy and irony of it is that most acts of armed violence
by groups or individuals are being carried out in the name of
religion, especially Islam.
Any terrorist or any individual can fulfil a given mission properly only
when he is ideologically convinced of its validity. Ideology provides
man with the necessary inspiration. Without an ideology, he fails to
summon the requisite energy and enthusiasm so vital to the success
of any struggle. This is as true of terrorism as it is of any other field of
human endeavour.
Some countries are engaged in crushing terrorism in the name of Islam
through military action, but that alone will not suffice to eliminate this
phenomenon. Apart from often being armed to their teeth, today’s
terrorists are consumed by the ideology of their cause. So, engaging
them is not simply an issue of gun versus gun. It has to be an issue of
ideology versus ideology.
Violence always begins in the mind; it needs to be uprooted therefore,
from the mind itself. We have to find an ideology of peace with which to
confront the ideology of violence; without that there will be no end to
the violence. Terrorists are people of a different breed; their ultimate
goal is not necessarily victory. Death too is a desired goal. According
to their self-devised ideology they believe that if they die in a militant struggle, they will instantly enter Paradise. Thus for them both victory
and defeat will have equal value—in either case they believe that they
are the winners.
On the strength of the above mentioned misleading ideology, terrorists
can sustain their militancy for an indefinite period of time, even for
many generations. But although they belong to a different breed, they
are not a people apart. They are an integral part of the contemporary
society they live in. And the greatest source of their strength is the
ideological factory they run, aimed at brainwashing the youth. This
brainwashing goes on unceasingly, and there is always a long queue of
those who want to be recruited and end up as martyrs.
Terrorism will persist in one form or another until the ideology of
violence is countered with another ideology based on peace. But let us
first understand the ideology of violence that is resulting in terrorism.
This ideology is that Islam is a political
system and that it is the duty of all Muslims
to establish the political rule of Islam in the
world. This kind of thinking was not prevalent
during the time of Prophet Muhammad or
his Companions. It is a later innovation. This
was developed over the last few centuries
by a handful of people and has become
widespread in the Muslim world today. This
has led to the present day violence.
Ideology provides
man with the
necessary inspiration.
Without an ideology,
he fails to summon
the requisite energy
and enthusiasm so
vital to the success of
any struggle.
A group of Muslims especially among the youth
have become obsessed with this ideology and
are trying to establish the political rule of
Islam, thinking it to be their ticket to Paradise. Having failed to achieve
this objective of establishing Islamic rule by peaceful methods, they
have started resorting to suicide bombing. The reasoning behind this
seems to be, ‘If we cannot eliminate non-Islamic rule, let us at least
destabilize it and pave the way for Islamic rule.’
After studying Islam by referring to its original sources—the Quran
and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (the Hadith)—one can say
with certainty that the political interpretation of Islam is an innovation
and the real Islam, as followed by Prophet Muhammad and his early
followers, is based upon peace, compassion and tolerance.
A new strategy must now be adopted, a strategy that requires
developing a full-fledged ideology of peace to counter the ideology of
violence. The ideology of violence is prevalent all over the world and is so deep-rooted in the minds of not only the extremists but also of
many common Muslims that it is important to expose this ideology
for what it is and show in detail how it contradicts Quranic teachings.
Everyone will thus see the stark difference between the two.
Time and again throughout the ages, people have risen in rebellion and
made their mark on human history, but seldom did they attain the level
that the Islamists of today have taken it to. There are two main reasons
for this state of events—modern weaponry and modern media. These
are the twin factors that have propelled terrorism into the limelight.
Another aspect of this phenomenon which must be questioned is the
terrorists’ ideology. The extremists call their terrorist culture ‘Islamic
Jihad’—clearly a misnomer—and portray their actions as having been
carried out under the banner of Islam. In
this manner, the religion of Islam gets falsely
linked with terrorist activities, and its name
gets besmirched.
Contrary to common belief, Islam, by
definition is a religion of peace. The very word
Islam (from the Arabic silm) means peace.
According to the teachings of the Prophet,
peace is Islam. In other words, peace is a
prerequisite of Islam. The same is stated in
the Hadith:
A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hands people are safe.
Terrorism will
persist in one form
or another until the
ideology of violence
is countered with
another ideology
based on peace.
Further, one of the attributes of God mentioned in the Quran (
is As-Salam, which means ‘peace and security’. Thus God Himself is a
manifestation of peace. Indeed ‘God is peace’. The Quran (
divine guidance to the paths of peace. Paradise, which is the ideal
human abode, is called the ‘Home of Peace’ (
the people of Paradise will wish one another peace—this indicates that
the social culture of the people of Paradise will be based on peace.
The movement of the terrorists is a movement against humanity. To
put an end to this movement, what is required is to bring about a deconditioning
of its adherents. This can be done only by meeting them
on an intellectual level and impressing upon them the true and positive
picture of Islam based on the ideology of peace rather than on their
deceitful ideology of violence.
INDIVIDUAL SOCIETY AND STATE
From the Original Sources
IN the following article a brief account of some of the basic aspects
pertaining to an individual, society and state are presented in the
light of Quran and Hadith. Understanding these concepts is of high
priority as the world is witnessing muslim culture today which in many
aspects is contradicting the real tenets of Islam.
Individual
The Quran says:
Are they seeking a religion other than God’s when every soul in
heaven and on earth have, willingly or by compulsion, bowed to
His will? (
This means submission to God is the religion for both man and the
universe. All the things on the earth or in space are following God’s
commands to the letter. The revolution of the stars, the flowing of
water, the growing of trees, in short, all things are following the same
course which was determined for them by God. Nothing is allowed to
deviate from the divine path. The Quran says:
The sun is not allowed to overtake the moon,
nor does the night outpace the day. Each
swims along in its own orbit. (
The same is required of human beings. The
Prophet Muhammad said:
A believer with his faith is like a horse with its
tether. The movement of the horse is restricted
to the length of its tether. So is the case with
the believer. His words and deeds are all
restricted by the limitations set by his faith.
To establish an ideal
Islamic State is not
the main target of
Islam, as is wrongly
projected by some
groups of Muslims.
The true believer should lead a highly disciplined life, always adhering
to the set of commandments ordained by God Almighty. He should
be entirely pure in speech, and should subordinate his intention and
thinking to the will of God. He should always be conscious that he is a
servant of his Lord. The Quran depicts the true believer thus:
The true servants of the Gracious One are those who walk upon the
earth with humility and when they are addressed by the ignorant ones,
their response is ‘Peace’ and those who spend the night prostrating
themselves, and standing before their Lord, who say, ‘Our Lord, ward off from us the punishment of Hell, for its punishment is a dreadful
torment to suffer. Indeed it is an evil abode and an evil dwelling place.'
They are those who are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but keep
a balance between the two. Those who never invoke any other deity
besides God, nor take a life which God has made sacred, except with
the right to do so, nor commit adultery. Anyone who does that shall
face punishment. he shall have his suffering doubled on the Day of
Resurrection and he will abide forever in disgrace, except for those
who repent and believe and do good deeds. God will change the evil
deeds of such people into good ones: He is most forgiving and most
merciful. He who repents and does good
deeds has truly turned to God.
In the Islamic
scheme, it is the
individual—who is a
real part of the body
of Islam while society
and the state are
only its relative part.
And those who do not bear false witness and
when they pass by frivolity, they pass by with
dignity; who do not turn a blind eye and a
deaf ear to the signs of their Lord when they
are reminded of them; who say ‘Lord grant us
joy in our spouses and children and make us
a model for the righteous. These are the ones
who will be rewarded with lofty mansions in
Paradise, for their steadfastness. They will be
received therein with greetings of welcome
and salutations of peace. There they shall abide forever; a blessed
dwelling and a blessed resting place. (
Society
The foundation of society in Islam is based on mutual well-wishing. In
chapter Al-Asr (The Time) the Quran says:
By the time, verily Man is in loss, except for those who believe and do good
works and exhort one another to truth and to patience. (
How should a Muslim live in a society? The answer is given in one of
the Hadith: “If any one of you sees an evil in society, he must rectify it
by his own hand. And if he has no capacity to do so, he should do it
by his tongue. And if he is unable even to discourage it, then, let him
condemn the same in his own heart.” (Bukhari)
A society based on these principles will naturally be a place in which
good will flourish as a result of mutual reminding (which should be
done with a friendly attitude), and the roots of evil—if not totally
eradicated—will dry up due to public discouragement. As the truth is
openly propagated and the virtue of patience is highly recommended in society, there will definitely prevail a peaceful atmosphere which is
a prerequisite for the healthy growth and development of both the
individual personality and the social system at large.
It is only in an atmosphere of such peaceful social order that the
rights of individuals and communal harmony are ensured, and the
higher values of brotherhood, cooperation and altruism are sincerely
observed; and, finally, the projects of common welfare, progress and
prosperity are successfully achieved.
To sum up, when the ideals of Islam are consciously put into practice
by its adherents, there will emerge a society that will be appreciably
more secure, free of violence and naturally cooperative, progressive,
prosperous, good-enhancing and evil-resisting.
State
What is a state? It is an organized political
community under one government. Islam
does not prescribe any particular form or
structure of the state. Nevertheless, Islamic
teachings seem to be so comprehensive
that they embrace all essential issues of life
including the state and its related national or
international problems as well.
Submission to God is
the only true religion
for both man and the
universe.
What is an Islamic state? A state governed by
Muslims is not necessarily an Islamic state. Apart from its monotheistic
doctrinal basis, an Islamic state would, in practice, be identified with
the summum bonum principle of ‘no-compulsion.’ No compulsion
should be exercised, either before or after the gaining of power. For
power gained through compulsion or power used for compulsion in
any sphere whatsoever, particularly in religious matters, is strictly
prohibited and condemned in Islam. That is why the coercive forms
of states, though governed by Muslim dictators, have never been
considered ideal Islamic states by the scholars of Islam.
Islam, moreover, does not allow its followers to rebel against any
established state, even though it may not seem to be in accordance
with the Islamic ideal. Compulsion on the part of the state should never
be resisted by means of counter-compulsion, i.e. it has to be countered
through negotiation, backed up by conviction. This ensures such
stability of law and order as will subsequently help promote Islamic
values, and this may gradually prepare a firm ground for a real Islamic
state to stand on.
To establish an ideal Islamic state is not the main target of Islam, as
is wrongly projected by some groups of Muslims. An Islamic state is
something that may ultimately emerge from a society consisting of
sincere, practicing Muslims, and its government may take any workable
form,—this being neither predictable nor pre-determinable. Such a
state, according to the Quran is a worldly reward of God granted to
His righteous servants, when He wills, and not a direct target towards
which the believers must struggle.
To conclude, Islam begins when one discovers God as the ultimate
truth. This results in a spiritual transformation which leads to new
thinking and new sentiments—indeed to the emergence of a whole
new personality. A new man is born: he is quite different from what he
was before. He now becomes a combination of spirituality, compassion
and tranquility. This is like an intellectual and spiritual revolution. This
inner transformation finds expression in his external behaviour, in
worship, in character, in social relations, etc. To produce a person like
this is the main target of Islam. All other aspects of Islam hinge on the
fact that man lives in a society, and the greater the number of such
individuals in a society, the greater the changes brought about at the
social level. This process leads to what may be called the social system
of Islam.
This revolution among individuals and society goes on developing until,
conditions being favourable, it culminates in what is termed the Islamic
state. This process is mentioned in the Quran:
God has promised to those of you who believe and do good
works that He shall make them masters in the land as He
made their ancestors before them, and that He shall certainly
strengthen the religion which He has approved for them, and
that He shall certainly change their fears to a feeling of security
and peace. Provided they worship Me. (
In a garden it is the individual tree which has the real existence. The
garden is only a collective manifestation of a number of trees. This is
true also of man. In the Islamic scheme, it is the individual—who is a
real part of the body of Islam while society and the state are only its
relative parts.
Those individuals who have undergone spiritual transformation are
called “rabbani” in the Quran. Where there are “rabbani” individuals in
considerable numbers, the “orchard,” that is, Islamic society, and the
state, will come into existence on their own.
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
LOVE OF GOD
LOVE of God is not simply a philosophical issue: it is rooted in the
very nature of a human being. Love means strong affection. Love
is a natural phenomenon, an elevated kind of positive response
towards someone you feel is loveable. Love cannot be created in a
vacuum, it requires a strong base of affection.
Love of God is this same kind of strong affection. The basis of this love is
quite natural when one discovers that one was created by God and that
it was God who has given humankind all such bounties as the planet
earth, the life-support system, oxygen, water and food. All these things
were not created by man. They are precious
gifts bestowed by someone else. When one
discovers this fact, one naturally becomes a
lover of God. Thus, love of God is the outcome
of one’s discovery.
Love of God is
not simply a
philosophical issue:
it is rooted in the
very nature of a
human being.
Every sincere person reaches a stage in life
when he faces some basic questions such
as, how did I come into existence? how is it
that I find myself in a world that is extremely favourable to me? One realizes that this compatibility between man
and the rest of the universe is so unique that science has observed
that the universe has been custom-made for man. Love is in fact an
acknowledgment of this. When we endeavour to acknowledge our
super-benefactor, we call it love of God.
Although love is an inner feeling, it comes naturally to human beings to
give it an external expression. It is said that man is a social animal, so it
is but natural that one’s inner love should also find some expression in
terms of social relationships. It is this social expression of one’s inner
feeling that is called peace. In terms of God, love is a psychological
acknowledgment of the Creator, and in terms of society, love is
manifested in peaceful living among other members of society.
When a person has
love in his heart
for his Creator, at
the same time he
cannot resist showing
his love to his
neighbours.
It is not relevant to ask, if we cannot see
God, how can we express our love towards
Him? This contention may have been valid
in the era before nuclear science, but after
the emergence of nuclear science it is totally
invalid. Nuclear science has successfully
established that nothing is observable in
this world. For example, everyone loves his
mother, but in terms of modern science, no
one is able to see his mother. One’s mother,
as well as other things, is nothing but a
combination of numerous unobservable
electrons. In fact, ‘mother’ is an unobservable
inner being whom we see with reference to her external body. Similarly,
God is an unobservable being whom we see through His creation. In
such a world, it is irrational to say that one cannot love God because one
cannot observe Him. The fact is that if you receive some good things
from anyone, you cannot do other than acknowledge his generosity. In
this sense, love of God is a natural phenomenon.
It is also a law of nature that if you add a pinch of dye to a glass of water,
all of the water becomes coloured. This principle is also applicable in
the case of love. When a person has love in his heart for his Creator, at
the same time he cannot resist showing his love to his neighbours. And
in this electronic age, the whole world is one’s neighbour.
One can say that love has two dimensions: theoretical and practical.
In terms of the theoretical dimension, love means love of God and in
terms of the practical or social, love means love for all human beings.
TRUTH AT ALL COSTS
AN American statesman, scientist and writer, Benjamin Franklin
(1706-90), was known in his childhood to be a tactless fellow, yet
in later years, he rose to the coveted post of ambassadorship,
being appointed ambassador of America to France. His secret of
success lay in his own words:
“I will speak ill of no man, and speak all the good I know of everybody.”
Man indeed loves nothing more than being praised and hates nothing
more than being criticized.
A man of principle, however, upholds the truth, no matter what price
has to be paid. In doing so, he can become an object of scorn or be
treated as an outcast from society. On the other hand an unscrupulous
person draws the crowds. The reason is quite simple. The former abides
by the truth, at all costs. He does not mould himself to the wishes of
the people, while, to the latter, it is expediency alone which counts. His
aim is to earn the goodwill of the people, so he moulds himself into
what they want him to be.
A man of principle,
however, upholds
the truth, no matter
what price has to
be paid.
To pass on to others something one does not
believe in; to present falsehood as truth for
the sake of consolidating one’s hold on people
amounts to hypocrisy. One so inclined is very
likely to achieve success in this world, but will
be cast aside in the next world, where truth
and untruth will become as clearly separated
from each other as day is from night.
There is a great difference between a preacher,
the ambassador of God, and an ambassador
who is appointed by worldly governments. The former himself sets out
to please God while the latter is appointed to please the people. The
latter sets his eyes on expediency, on worldly gain, while the former
sets his eyes on truth, however dear it might cost him.
A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who
is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who
has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in
all things. Eleanor Roosevelt.
ISLAMIC VIRTUES
To Emulate
FOR centuries the lives of the Prophet and his Companions
have served as models of a truly God-fearing existence for all
humankind, and will continue to do so. Hence God's preservation
of this page of history with such exactitude that anyone, who is sincere
about learning from their example can know, even today, every detail
of how they lived and died. The following are a few of the examples
worth emulating.
What those who sit with leaders should be like
Abdullah Ibn Abbas tells of how his father once said to him: “My boy, I
see how the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab, invites
you to his meetings and takes you into his confidence. He also turns
to you as well as to the other Companions for advice. I am going to
give you three pieces of advice which are worth remembering: firstly,
fear God, and never let it be said of you by Umar that you told a lie;
secondly, keep his secrets well, and thirdly, never speak ill of anyone
in his presence.” Amir says that each one of those pieces of advice was
better than a thousand. “Better than ten thousand,” rejoined Abbas.
(Al-Tabarani)
Lip service is not a proof of real attachment
Jubair ibn Nufair relates how, as his father was sitting with Miqdad ibn
Aswad one day, a passerby, on seeing a Companion of the Prophet
said: “How fortunate are those two eyes that have seen the Prophet!
By God, if only we could have seen what you saw and shared in your
experiences!” Nufair said that he was impressed by the man’s words;
he seemed to have spoken well. But Miqdad looked towards the man
and said: “No one whom God has saved from being present at those
hours should desire to have been there. Who knows how they would
have acted in those circumstances? By God, many of whom God cast
into Hell came to see the Prophet, such as did not accept what he said,
or believe in his mission.”
On hearing the Hereafter mentioned, he waived his claim
Umm Salamah tells of how two of the Ansar brought a dispute before
the Prophet about a long-standing issue of inheritance for which
neither party could produce a witness. “You bring me your disputes,”
the Prophet said to them, “and, when no proper evidence is brought forward, I judge them according to my own way of thinking. I might,
on the basis of partial evidence, make a settlement in favour of one
of the parties, but in so doing, it may be that I take away from the
other what is his rightful due. In that case, the one in whose favour I
pass judgement should not accept what has been apportioned to him,
for that would be like his accepting a firebrand which, on the Day of
Resurrection, would stick on his neck.” At these words, both the Ansar
broke down and wept. “Prophet of God!” they both cried out, “he can
have my rightful share!” “The Prophet then told them that in view of
their changed attitude they should go and, seeking to do what was
just and right, should divide the inheritance into two parts. Then they
should draw lots as to who should have which part. In this way, each
would have the other’s approval of the share he received. (Kanz alUmmal)
Knowledge is more than just information
Malik ibn Anas said: “Knowledge is enlightenment. It comes only to a
humble, fearing, pious heart.”
Swallowing one’s anger increases one’s faith
Abdullah ibn Abbas records the Prophet as saying: “The draught of one
who swallows his anger is dearer to God than any other. God fills with
faith one who swallows his anger for God’s sake.” (Musnad Ahmad)
Receiving praise, not with conceit, but with humility
According to Naafi, someone launching into extravagant eulogies to
Abdullah ibn Umar, addressed him as “most noble of men, son of the
most noble”. “Neither am I the most noble of men, nor am I the son of
the most noble,” replied Ibn Umar. “I am just one of God’s servants;
in Him do I have hope, and Him do I fear. By God, you are bent on
destroying a man with such praise.” (Hilyat al-Auliya)
RELIGION AND THE LIFE HEREAFTER
Points to Ponder
The crux of religion is indubitably the belief in the life Hereafter.
SO says Allama Shibli Nomani (1857-1914) under the heading ‘Life
after Death’ in his famous book, Al Ghazzali. He goes on to say
that it is because of this belief that religion has had an impact on
human activities. Yet, despite it being the single most important belief
in religion, it has been open to question. He quotes a Bedouin poet
who, addressing his wife, expresses this most succinctly:
Death, rebirth,
My dear: it is all nonsense.
The existence of
the soul is a matter
of intuition. After
pondering over it,
we come to know
that the faculty of
reason is not merely
a property of matter.
Matter is a lifeless
thing.
Shibli feels that the first and most difficult hurdle to be surmounted is
acceptance of the fact that the spirit survives as an entity in its own right,
quite independently of the body. The materialists for their part think of
the soul as being just one more ingredient in
the body, in the way that a chemical element
is inextricably a part of a compound, or they
regard it as being a particular property of the
faculties of thought and sense perception on
a parallel with the melody which results when
notes of a musical instrument are struck in a
particular sequence. Drawing extensively on
two of Imam Ghazzali’s books, he observes
that the description of the soul and the
arguments which Ghazzali has mentioned
are all derived from Greek philosophers.
Aristotle in his Theology has said the same
and Avicenna has reiterated this in his own
language. But the strange thing is that Ghazzali has left out the point
which is of prime importance in the discussion of spirit or soul. Soul
has no body. It is an essence. It being purely non-material, makes it of
the first importance to prove its existence. As Shibli himself observes:
The existence of the soul is a matter of intuition. After pondering
over it, we come to know that the faculty of reason is not merely
a property of matter. Matter is a lifeless thing. Without reason,
you cannot find sublime ideas, arts and sciences and scientific
disciplines in matter. These are delicate substances, quite other
than matter, which account for creativity in the fields of the arts and the sciences. Matter cannot have a creative faculty. This is
an attribute of the soul After proving the existence of soul as
something separate, the second stage is to prove its survival,
that is, its capacity to survive after the death of the body.
As a corollary to this he adds: ‘Though Avicenna has presented lengthy
arguments about the existence of the soul, these are nothing but word
games—or tautology—just like other Greek philosophic thoughts. If an
atheist bent on denying its existence says, “What you have said is just a
kind of repetition of your claim. It has nothing to do with the argument
but is a reiteration of your initial statement and may be matter itself
is responsible for its kaleidoscopic manifestations after combining in
a particular way; the working of a machine and the music of a musical
instrument are similar things, but without having any kind of spirit."
There is no logic by which he can be reduced to silence. That is why
Imam Ghazzali did not produce any logical argument about the soul.’
Shibli Nomani ends the discussion at this point. And of a work
dating back to 1901, we could hardly expect more. Modern research,
however, has opened up new vistas of events
and realities, so that we can now assert to a
certain extent that the permanent existence
of the soul, independent of the body, or the
survival of the soul after the death of the
body is no more a thing which involves blind
faith; rather it has become a reality which can
be empirically proved.
Personality is
changelessness in
change, that is, the
human personality
is self-existent (as
compared to the
body), keeping
its existence in
changeless form
amidst continuous
changes.
Science has discovered that the body is
composed of innumerable tiny cells. These
cells disintegrate each moment, but our diet
makes up for those destroyed cells and they
are replaced with new ones. The body is thus
like a building which is composed of billions
of bricks but which is in the process of replacing its bricks at every
moment. Now, if the soul is a phenomenon of the body, then with the
disintegration or changing of the cells of the body, the soul should
simultaneously undergo the same transformation, just as a whole
machine is affected when one part of it is broken, or as the breaking of a
single string affects the tone of a musical instrument. But such is not the
case with the soul. This shows that the soul is independent of the body
and has its own existence. This is why a scientist has said, “Personality
is changelessness in change,” that is, the human personality is self existent (as compared to the body), keeping its existence in changeless
form amidst continuous changes.
Further proof of the truth of this concept is provided by the discovery
in the field of psychology of the ‘unconscious’ or the ‘subconscious’—a
major part of the human brain. It has been established that the thoughts
stored in the unconscious remain in exactly the same condition until
death. Freud writes in his thirty-first lecture:
The laws of logic—above all, the law of contradiction, do not
hold for processes in the Id (inner nature). Contradictory
impulses exist side by side without neutralizing each other or
drawing apart; at most they combine
in compromise. There is nothing in the
Id, which can be compared to negation,
and we are astonished to find in it an
exception to the philosophers’ assertion
that space and time are necessary forms
of our mental acts. In the Id there is
nothing corresponding to the idea of time,
no recognition of the passage of time, and
(a thing which is very remarkable and
awaits adequate attention in philosophic
thought) no alteration of mental processes
by the passage of time. Cognitive impulses
which have never got beyond the Id, and even impressions which
have been pushed down into the Id by repression, are virtually
immortal and are preserved for whole decades as though they
had only recently occurred.
By means of various
experiments and
demonstrations,
it was shown that
even after bodily
death, the human
personality survives
in some mysterious
form.
The processes of the Id being independent of time shows that the
unconscious has its own independent existence; it has been established
that the body is subject to the laws of time and space and that it is in
space and time that all its actions take place. Now if the soul is simply
an extension of the body, then, like the body, it too should be subject
to the laws of time and space. Since observation has shown that this is
not so, there is the inevitable inference that the soul by its very nature
is something separate from (though not extraneous to) the body and
that it exists independently. The relation of the soul to the body is
not comparable to that of a machine and its movement, nor to that
of a musical instrument and the music it produces. Had there been
any basis for this comparison, the same laws, which apply to the body,
would have affected the soul.
A branch of modern psychology which makes an empirical study of
man’s supernatural faculties—psychical research—does establish the
existence of life after death at a purely observational level. What is
most interesting is that such research does not establish mere survival;
rather it establishes the survival of exactly the same personality—the
entity that was known to us before death.
Man has possessed many other analyzable traits right from the
very beginning, but it is only comparatively recently that they have
been analyzed scientifically. For instance, dreaming is one of the
oldest known activities of man. But ancient man was unaware of the
psychological relevance of dreams, the facts of which have come to
light only after recent scientific research. Even more interesting are
quite other manifestations of the human spirit, the recent facts and
figures of which give strong indications of the
existence of extra-sensory perception and of
the objects of this perception.
Facts strongly
suggest that the
universe, and the
human personality,
each have a
dimension additional
to the material one
so capably and
successfully explored
by the natural
sciences.
The first institution to conduct research in
this field was established in England in 1882.
It still exists today under the name of “Society
for Psychical Research.” It began its work on
a large scale in 1889 by contacting 17,000
people who were asked whether—when they
believed themselves completely awake—they
had ever had a vivid impression of seeing,
or being touched by a living being (who was
not actually there) or inanimate object which
moved apparently of its own volition or of
hearing a voice which, so far as they could
discover, was not due to any external physical cause. Many other
institutions from other countries conducted similar research and,
by means of various experiments and demonstrations, it was shown
that even after bodily death, the human personality survives in some
mysterious form.
In his book A Philosophical Scrutiny of Religion, C.J. Ducasse observes:
These facts strongly suggest that the universe, and the human
personality, each have a dimension additional to the material
one so capably and successfully explored by the natural sciences.
Many other scholars who have objectively examined the evidence
furnished by psychical research have felt compelled to accept the life Hereafter as a matter of fact. C. J. Ducasse (d. 1969), Professor
of Philosophy at the Brown University, has made a philosophical and
psychological scrutiny of this concept. He did not believe it in the sense
in which it is presented by religion, yet he held that apart from the
dogmas of religion, such evidence does exist that compels us to accept
the survival of life after death. After making a general survey of various
investigations in the field of research, he observed:
Some of the keenest-minded and best-informed persons, who
studied the evidence over many years in a highly critical spirit,
eventually came to the conclusion that, in some cases at least,
only the survival hypothesis remained plausible. Among such
persons may be mentioned Alfred Russel Wallace, Sir William
Crookes, F.W.H. Myers, Cesare Lombroso, Camille Flammarion,
Sir Oliver Lodge, Dr. Richard Hodgson, Mrs. Henry Sidwick and
Professor Hyslop, to name only a few of the most eminent.
This suggests that the belief in a life after
death, which so many persons have found
no particular difficulty in accepting as an
article of religious faith, not only may be
true but is perhaps capable of empirical
proof; and if so, that, instead of the
inventions of theologians concerning the
nature of the postmortem life, factual
information regarding it may eventually
be obtained.
The truth is that if life
survives after death,
there can be no
interpretation other
than a religious one.
That, in such a case, the content of this information will turn
out to be useful rather than not, for the two tasks which it
is the function of religion to perform, does not, of course,
automatically follow.
Ducasse, while accepting life after death as a reality, has refused to
accept the religious nature of this same phenomenon. This is only a
matter of his own personal predilections. The truth is that if life survives
after death, there can be no interpretation other than a religious
one.
THE WAY OF BALANCE AND MODERATION
Practical Behaviour
The best way is that of moderation.
(Prophet Muhammad)
BALANCE and moderation are of great importance in religion,
but this importance is not as an eternal principle. Rather, its
importance is because of practical wisdom. In this regard, two
points are of great importance. One is the fact that balance is required
in practical matters and not in religious beliefs or principles . As far as
principles or religious beliefs are concerned, what is always desirable is
the ideal. In respect of religious truth, there is no middle way.
The other point is that the way of moderation
and balance is required because of practical
necessity. In this world, every person has
the freedom of thought. Because of this,
differences arise between people. It is simply
not possible to put an end to these differences
and to get everyone to act and think in the
same way. On account of this, in such matters
you have to adopt the method of moderation
and balance so that you do not clash with
others and can lead your lives peacefully.
Practical behaviour
is related to external
form. Depending
on the prevailing
conditions,
adjustment can be
made in the external
form so that we do
not clash with others.
As practical behaviour is related to external form and depends on the
prevailing conditions, adjustment can be made in the external form so
as to live harmoniously in society. But as religious beliefs are based
on eternal principles there is no question of the middle path in this
domain.
PROPHET OF ISLAM
Love for Humankind
The Prophet Muhammad is introduced in the Qur’an in these words:
We have sent you forth as a mercy to all mankind (
THIS shows that his distinctive quality was that he was a blessing
incarnate in word and deed. It is reported in the books of Hadith
that, when his opponents greatly increased their persecution,
his Companions asked him to curse them. At this the Prophet replied,
“I have not been sent to lay a curse upon men but to be a blessing to
them.” His opponents continued to treat him and his Companions with
injustice and cruelty, but he always prayed for them.
Once he was so badly stoned by his enemies that the blood began to
spurt from all over his body. This happened when he went to Taif where
the Hijaz aristocracy used to while away their summer days. When he
attempted to call them to Islam, instead of listening to his words of
wisdom, they set the street urchins upon him, who kept chasing him
till nightfall. Even at that point, when he was utterly exhausted and
bleeding from head to foot, all he said was: “O
my Lord, guide my people along the true path
as they are ignorant of the truth.”
One of the lessons
the Prophet taught
was that we should
live among others
like flowers, and not
like thorns.
His heart was filled with intense love for all
humankind irrespective of caste, creed, or
colour. He advised his Companions to regard
all people as their brothers and sisters. He
added: “You are all Adam’s offspring and
Adam was born of clay.”
All this tells us what kind of awareness he wanted to bring about in
man. His mission was to bring people abreast of the reality that all
men and women, although inhabiting different regions of the world,
and seemingly different from one another as regards their colour,
language, dress, culture, etc., were each other’s blood brothers. Hence
a proper relationship will be established between all human beings
only if they regard one another as sisters and brothers. Only then will
proper feelings of love and respect prevail throughout the world.
A true believer is one with whom others feel secure. One who returns love
for hatred.
The Prophet made it clear that one who would only return love for
love was on a lower ethical plane. We should never think it is only if people treat us well, that we should treat them well. We should rather
be accustomed to being good to those who are not good to us and to
not wronging those who harm us.
By God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer; by God, he is not
a believer, with whom his neighbours are not secure.
The above teaching of the Prophet shows how much he loved and
cared for all human beings. One of the lessons he taught was that we
should live among others like flowers, and not like thorns, without
giving trouble to anybody.
If a believer is not able to benefit others, he must at least do them no harm.
This shows that to the Prophet the man who becomes useful to others
leads his life on a higher plane. But if he fails to do so, he should at
least create no trouble for his fellow men.
For a man to be a really good servant of God,
he must live in this world as a no-problem
person. There is no third option.
The Prophet moulded
his own life in
accordance with the
ideal pattern of life
which he presented
to others in the
form of the
Quran.
The Prophet’s own example is testified to by
Anas ibn Malik who served the Prophet for
ten years. He says that the Prophet never ever
rebuked him. “When I did something, he never
questioned my manner of doing it; and when
I did not do something, he never questioned
my failure to do it. He was the most goodnatured
of all men.” Such conduct gained him
the respect even of his enemies and his followers stood by him through
all kinds of hardship and misfortune. He applied the principles on
which his own life was based in equal measure to those who followed
his path and to those who had harmed or discountenanced him.
It could never happen in the present world that everyone’s’ thinking,
tastes, aptitude, likes and dislikes exactly coincided. For many reasons,
differences do arise in this world. But then, what is the permanent
solution to the problem? The solution lies in tolerance, called iraz in
Arabic. The Prophet’s entire life served as a perfect example of this
principle. According to his wife, Aisha, “He was a personification of the
Quran.”
That is to say, the Prophet moulded his own life in accordance with the
ideal pattern of life which he presented to others in the form of the
Quran. He never beat a servant, or a woman, or anyone else. He did, of course, fight for what was right. Yet, when he had to choose between
two alternatives, he would take the easier course, provided it involved
no sin. No one was more careful to avoid sin than he. He never sought
revenge—on his own behalf—for any wrong done to him personally.
Only if God’s commandments had been broken would he mete out
retribution for the sake of God. It was such conduct which gained the
Prophet universal respect.
In the early Makkan period when the antagonists far exceeded the
Prophet’s Companions in number, it often happened that when the
Prophet would stand to pray, his detractors would come near him and
whistle and clap in order to disturb him, but the Prophet did not even
once show his anger at such acts. He always opted for the policy of
tolerance and avoidance of confrontation.
When the opposition became very strong the Prophet left Makkah for
Madinah. But his antagonists did not leave him in peace. They began to
attack Madinah. In this way a state of war prevailed.
Since the Prophet avoided war at all costs,
he strove to bring about a peace agreement
between him and the Makkans. After great
efforts on his part, the opponents agreed to
the finalizing of a 10-year peace treaty, which
was drafted and signed at the Al-Hudaibiya.
The Prophet set the
example of peace
and tolerance
being linked with
one another. If we
desire peace, we
must tolerate many
unpleasant things
from others. There
is no other way to
establish peace in
society.
While the Al-Hudaibiya treaty was being
drafted, the Makkans indulged in a number of
extremely provocative acts. For instance, the
agreement mentioned the Prophet’s name
as ‘Muhammad the Messenger of God.’ They
insisted that the phrase ‘the messenger of
God’ should be taken out, and be replaced
simply by ‘Muhammad, son of Abdullah’.
The Prophet accepted their condition and
deleted the appellation with his own hands. Similarly, they made the
condition that if they could lay their hands on any Muslim they would
make him a hostage, but if the Muslims succeeded in detaining any
from the opponents side, they would have to set him free. The Prophet
even relented on this point. For the restoration of peace in the region,
the Prophet accepted a number of such clauses as were added by the
opponents. In this way he set the example of peace and tolerance
being linked with one another. If we desire peace, we must tolerate many unpleasant things from others. There is no other way to establish
peace in society.
Once the Prophet was seated at a place in Madinah, along with his
Companions. During this time a funeral procession passed by. On
seeing this the Prophet stood up. Seeing the Prophet stand, up, one of
his Companions remarked that the funeral was that of a Jew, to this the
Prophet replied, ‘Was he not a human being?’
This incident illustrates how an atmosphere of mutual love and
compassion can be brought about in the world only when we consciously
rise above all insidious demarcation of caste, colour and creed. Just as
the Prophet did, we too must look at all men as human beings who
deserve to be respected at all events.
AT DEATHS DOOR
Stepping into the Hereafter
DEATH is the most certain stage in life. Every person definitely
has to pass through this stage. For every being that is bestowed
with life, the arrival of death is a must. Every living being will one
day die. Every eye that sees will one day lose its light. Every tongue that
speaks will one day fall silent. Every person will one day be brought to
stand before death’s door. At that moment, the world will be behind
him, and in front of him will be the Hereafter. He will be leaving a world
that he will never visit again, and he will be entering a world that he
will never be able to come out of. He will be removed from the field of
action and taken to where he will have to face the eternal consequences
of his actions.
Every living being will
one day die. Every
eye that sees will
one day lose its light.
Every tongue that
speaks will one day
fall silent.
Life is unreliable, while death is absolutely
certain. We are alive only because we have not
died as yet, and we do not know when death
will happen. Every moment, we are advancing
towards death. We are closer to death than
to life. We have no idea of when death will
arrive. It can arrive at any moment. In fact, the
next moment could be of death, This is why a
Hadith tells us to count ourselves among the
dead, or the ‘people of the graves’.
Death nullifies everything. It is the most terrifying event in our lives. If
death were simply the end of life, it would not be very terrifying. If death
only meant that we would no longer exist as beings that walk, see and
hear, it would, despite all its terrors, be simply an event that occurred
at a particular moment, rather than an issue with eternal implications.
But the fact is that death is not the end of our lives. Rather, it is the
beginning of a new and eternal life. Death means entry into a world
based on the eternal consequences of our actions in the life before
death.
Every person is travelling from life towards death. For some, this
journey is for the sake of this world. For others, it is for the sake of
the Hereafter. Some people are immersed in the things of this visible
world. Others live in the things of the invisible world. Some spend their
lives rushing about trying to fulfil their desires and satisfy their egos.
Others are overwhelmed by the fear and the love of God.
In this world, the difference between these two types of people may
not be apparent in all respects, but this is not so as far as what is
going to happen after their deaths is concerned. He who lives in the
consciousness of God and the Hereafter is saving himself, while he
who lives in worldly pleasures and the desires that his ego chases is
destroying himself.
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 humankind, 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
PROSTRATION
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Alif Lam Mim. This Book has beyond all doubt been revealed by the
Lord of the Universe. Do they say, ‘He has invented it himself.’? No
indeed! It is the truth from your Lord to warn a people to whom,
before you, no warner came, so that hopefully they may be rightly
guided. (
On the face of it, this is an ordinary statement consisting of just a
few words. But this is a very serious and portentous claim, which in
the entire history of religion, nobody has had the courage to profess,
except those chosen few to whom the Book of God was in actuality
revealed. Other than the appointed person, anyone who mustered
the audacity to utter these words was either a trifler or a madman.
The Quran is a proof in itself. Its miraculous style, its claims that have
not been proved wrong even after centuries have elapsed,—all these and
similar considerations prove that it is a book sent by God. And since it
is a book of God, it is absolutely necessary that everybody should pay
heed to its warnings and gives serious thought to them.
It was God who created the heavens and the earth and whatsoever
is in between in six Days, and then He established Himself on the
throne. You have no patron nor any intercessor besides Him. So will
you not pay heed? He directs all affairs from heaven to earth. Then all
will again ascend to Him on a Day whose length is a thousand years
by the way you measure. Such is the Knower of the unseen and the
visible, the Powerful, the Merciful, who gave everything its perfect form. He originated the creation of man from clay, then He made his
progeny from an extract of a humble fluid. Then He moulded him; He
breathed His Spirit into him; He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts.
How seldom you are grateful! (
The gradual creation of the universe, in six days meaning six stages,
along with the system full of wisdom governing it, is indicative of the
fact that the Creator has some special purpose behind this creation.
Moreover, numerous processes are incessantly going on in the universe.
This further proves that its Creator is running it in a well-planned
manner. The human being is a wonderful living organism, but if his
body is analyzed, it will be found that it is composed of earth elements.
Then this creation does not end there, but continues eternally through
the process of procreation and regeneration.
If the individual gives deep and serious consideration to these facts, his
mind will be free of feelings of awe for anything except the Majesty of
God. He will become a grateful subject of God. But there are very few
who give deep consideration to anything. That is why there are very
few people who offer praises to God and are grateful to Him.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
Abstaining from food and water is a physical act. How does this benefit
a believer in the spiritual sense, or what spiritual qualities does this
abstinence help one inculcate?
In the month of Ramazan, a believer abstains from food and drink
from dawn till dusk. It is only after sunset that he satisfies his hunger
and quenches his thirst. When a person goes through this process,
he trains himself in the art of desire management and so builds up
his self-control. This trait of restraint or abstinence does not remain
restricted to one’s intake of food, rather by exercising restraint for one
month in a year, one is able to lead a life of self-discipline in all matters
for the rest of the year.
The practice of fasting is also largely aimed at saving a person from
distractions. It produces sincerity in him. It draws a person’s attention
away from the external world and into the internal world. This helps
one rise from trivial issues and become more centred on higher and
deeper issues of life.
The main aim of fasting is to lessen a person’s dependence on material
things and strengthen his spiritual resolve, so that he may enter the
higher realms of piety. Fasting is thus a stimulus for spiritual and
intellectual development. Once made aware of his own helplessness,
he connects to God with sincere prayer.
The Quran began to be revealed during the month of Ramazan. Can
you please explain the special relation between the Quran and fasting
during Ramazan?
The Arabic word for fasting is sawm meaning abstinence or restraint
from desires. The abstinence from food and water is symbolic of
saving oneself from all kinds of distraction, including basic needs, for a
temporary period of time. The main purpose of fasting is to go through
the Quran with complete focus and dedication. This is a very serious
study. So, believers are required to keep away from all other activities,
and concentrate their minds totally on the study of the Quran so that
they are able to discover the deep meaning in the Quran. According to
a Hadith, “The wonders of Quran shall never cease.” (Mishkat)
Just as taking more and more water from an ocean does not dry it
up, similarly, continually reflecting on the Quran only allows its deeper
meaning to unfold. Materialists think on the lines of “more and more money” but the mindset of a believer should be “more and more
wisdom from the Quran.” In other words if you dedicate the month of
Ramazan to the study of Quran, you shall discover newer meanings. For
instance the following verse of the Quran opens a whole new meaning
to the reader: “Believers, fasting has been prescribed for you, just as it
was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard yourselves
against evil.” (
This verse highlights that fasting is a universal practice and was a
common element across religions. And ever since man inhabited earth,
prophets were sent to guide him and they enjoined their community to
observe fasts. When man observes a fast today, he gets connected to
a long history. I was gripped by the realization of this thrilling idea that
those who observe fasts in the month of Ramazan become a part of that
divine chain which begins from the first pious person and ends with the
last man of history! The realization that you have got connected with
the list of those pious and God-fearing men who led a rightly guided
life is an overwhelming experience.
Fasting thus prepares a person for the study of the Quran. And when a
person studies the Quran with a well-prepared mind, he can understand
the teachings of the Quran in greater depth.
Many people overeat before the beginning of their fast so that they
do not feel hungry during the fasting period. Also they eat elaborately
at the time of breaking of their fast. What do you have to say about
this trend?
The Quran has laid out detailed commandments pertaining to fasting
in the month of Ramazan. The following verse signifies the unique
relationship between Quran and fasting: “The month of Ramazan is the
month when the Quran was sent down as guidance for mankind with
clear proofs of guidance and the criterion by which to distinguish right
from wrong. Therefore, whoever of you is present in that month, let
him fast.” (
According to another verse: “Believers, fasting has been prescribed for
you, just as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may
guard yourselves against evil.” (
Ramazan is the month of heightened God-consciousness, of attaining
piety (taqwa). As I deliberated upon the verses above, I realized that
taqwa actually, refers to sensitivity. Fasting by its very nature is an act
of patience and restraint. It helps a person to attain a state of mind,
which makes him a more sensitive person. In fact, those who indulge in overeating to curb the feeling of thirst and hunger, in effect do not
observe the fast as they do not allow the purpose of Ramazan to be
met. Let me clarify this with the following instance from the life of the
Prophet.
When Prophet Muhammad was returning from Taif, he was
overwhelmed with sorrow at the response he received from the leaders
of Taif. The people of Taif ordered their children to throw stones at
Prophet Muhammad to drive him out of the city, causing him to bleed
profusely. It was in this state of being wounded, hungry and thirsty,
that God suggested turning the valley of Makkah into gold for him
but the Prophet replied, “No, my Lord, but let me have enough to eat
and be hungry on alternate days; then when I am hungry I shall make
supplication to You and make mention of You, and when I have enough
I shall praise and thank You.” (Musnad Ahmad)
From these Hadith, it can be drawn that the feeling of hunger and thirst
serve the purpose of inculcating sensitivity within a person by making
him experience helplessness. This develops piety. Unless he is sensitive,
a person cannot seriously deliberate over issues. In psychology, ‘high
sensitivity,’ is explained as the ability to process information deeply,
to concentrate deeply and be highly conscientious. High sensitivity
inculcates curiosity, seriousness and all other high qualities in a person.
The author of a book on high sensitivity wrote, ‘a person of high
sensitivity can grasp a point with greater intensity.’ This statement
illustrates the purpose of fasting—to inculcate sensitivity so that one is
able to understand the profound meaning of the Quran.
What is the religious and social significance of Eid-ul-Fitr?
Eid-ul-Fitr literally means ‘festival of breaking the fast.’ Like other
festivals, it is a symbol of an important article of faith. It reminds one
of an Islamic belief in the form of social practice.
Muslims believe that human life is divided into two parts: the predeath
period and the post-death period. One who follows divine
commandments in the pre-death period will be rewarded in the postdeath
period.
Just before Eid-ul-Fitr, Muslims keep fast throughout the whole month
of Ramazan. Fasting symbolizes life in the present world in which
Muslims follow God’s commandments. Eid-ul-Fitr denotes the reward
that will be given by God Almighty in the Hereafter in return for our
good deeds.
This festival also has a social connotation. On this day Muslims go out
of their homes, offer a congregational prayer, meet their neighbours,
exchange good wishes with other people and eat and drink without any
restriction. All these activities are reminders of life in Paradise.
Eid-ul-Fitr may be a Muslim festival, but Muslims, like other communities,
live in a society, in a neighbourhood. This makes it automatically a
social festival. Therefore, Muslims meet not only with their religious
brothers, but also with neighbours of other denominations and with
their colleagues at work or in business.
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 )
