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.
RELIGIOUS BASE PLUS
OBJECTIVE THINKING
AFTER the death of my father, there was no elder in the family. The
elder in the extended family was my uncle, Sufi Abdul Majeed
Khan, who was my father’s younger brother. He was a spiritual
person. As everyone in the family was acquiring secular education, he
wanted one of us to become a Maulvi or a religious scholar. Due to this
obsession, my uncle got me enrolled in a madrasa, an Islamic seminary,
and bore all the expenses. The credit of my seminary education goes
to him.
At my madrasa, the Quran was considered the most important book.
Hadith (teachings of the Prophet) was also taught and we had an Arab
scholar who taught Arabic. This was the atmosphere of my madrasa.
Madrasa education helped build my foundation. Had I not gone to a
madrasa, I would not have formed a religious base.
In every person’s life there are many incidents of school days. There are
many in mine too. I will share one of them, which had a great impact
on my life. One day in class, we read a lesson from our textbook, which contained the following verse of the Quran: “Do they never reflect on
the camels and how they were created?” (
Our teacher then asked a question to our class of twenty-five students:
“Are the hoofs of a camel like that of a horse or a buffalo?” No student
could answer the question. He then told us something really important.
He quoted an Arabic saying: To know that you do not know is half of
knowledge. That is, when you know that you do not know something,
you pay attention to it whenever you come face to face with it. He
further explained that since all of us did not know that we did not know
about a camel’s hoofs, we never paid attention even when camels went
past us.
Later on, while studying science, I realized this is what we call the spirit
of inquiry. Our teacher told us about the importance of the spirit of
inquiry through an Arabic saying. Since then, I was filled with the spirit of
inquiry and I continue to do it to this day. The spirit of inquiry therefore
is an important part of my life. And this I learnt at my madrasa.
Make yourself free
from arrogance, bias
and hatred, only then
will you become a
person who can be
described as a man
of understanding.
After acquiring education at a madrasa I returned home and would
often interact with a family friend, Ateeq Ahmad Ansari, who had a
Master’s degree in English Literature from Lucknow’s La Martiniere
College. His English was obviously very good, and so every time we
conversed, I would feel lesser than him in some manner. Compared
to his English expression I felt mine to be
somewhat lacking. I realized that if I have
to live in this world, I would have to study
English and acquire modern knowledge.
This is how I started studying, and later on
modern thought became my subject of study.
I studied modern thought extensively and
deeply. It was therefore the realization that
madrasa education is not enough that took
me back to studies. Post madrasa education,
I read the Quran and Hadith again with a new
perspective and studied English for several
years. Then I moved to Delhi in 1967. Here began a new chapter of my
life. In fact my life can be divided into two phases: the phase before
1967, which was a period of self-training. And the phase after 1967
became a period of the peace mission.
The greatest thing I acquired from studying modern thought was
objective thinking. I had not learned this at the madrasa. As a result
of my study, I grew acutely objective. I discovered that traditional knowledge and concepts would not appeal to the modern mind. To
address the modern mind, we will have to speak in the modern idiom.
Objective thinking is very important to
understand things in the right perspective.
The mind should be disciplined to develop this
skill. For doing this you need to think rising
above immediate circumstances. You need to
form opinions from an objective analysis of
things. If you want to be a right thinker you
have to train yourself and develop this quality.
An objective thinker is a right thinker. One
who is free of all kinds of bias and prejudice.
You must have the ability to analyze things in
a logical basis. You must know the difference
between what is relevant and what is irrelevant.
Objective thinking
is very important to
understand things in
the right perspective.
The mind should be
disciplined to develop
this skill.
Make yourself a complex-free person and then you will be able to
understand things without any difficulty. Make yourself free from
arrogance, bias and hatred, only then will you become a person who
can be described as a man of understanding. It is evident that people
of understanding are not born; they are trained. Train yourself and you
will become a man of understanding.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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Follow Maulana at speakingtree.in
FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Farida Khanam has been a professor at the Department of Islamic Studies at
Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. A Study of World's Major Religions, A Simple Guide
to Sufism are two of the books amongst many others, of which she is the author. She
has also translated many books on Islam authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.
Currently, the chairperson of Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS International),
an organization founded by her father Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, she is a regular
contributor of articles to journals, newspapers and magazines. Dr. Khanam has
edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his
Urdu commentary of the Quran into English. Under Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Peace Foundation, along with the CPS team, she has designed a series of courses on
peace-building, countering extremism and conflict resolution.
HAJJ—THE PILGRIMAGE
HAJJ or pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet
observed: “There are five basic pillars of Islam. To bear
testimony that there is no deity save Allah, and that Muhammad
is His Prophet; to say prayers regularly and pay the poor due, to make a
pilgrimage to the house of God, and fast during the month of Ramazan.
The root meaning of the word “Hajj” is ‘to set out’ or to make a
pilgrimage. Canonically it has come to refer to a Muslim act of worship,
performed annually in the month of Zul Hijjah, the twelfth month of the
lunar calendar.
To perform Hajj is incumbent at least once in a lifetime, upon every
Muslim, who is an adult, free, in good health and has sufficient money
for the expenses of the journey. Women have to be accompanied by a
close relative like husband, father, son or brother.
Among all Muslim acts of worship, Hajj holds a prominent position. In
one Hadith, the Prophet called it “the supreme act of worship”. But it is
not just the rites of pilgrimage that constitute this importance, it is the
spirit in which Hajj is performed. Let us put this another way and say
that it is not merely a matter of going to Makkah and returning. There
is much more to Hajj than that. Hajj has been prescribed so that it may
inspire us with a new religious fervour. To return from Hajj with one’s
faith in God strengthened and rekindled—that is the hallmark of a true
pilgrim. Hajj assumes a supreme act of worship when it is undertaken in its true spirit, and performed in the proper manner. It will then be
the greatest act in a pilgrim’s life, he will never be the same again.
To go on Hajj is to meet God. When the pilgrim reaches the border of the
sacred territory, he is filled with awe of God, he feels that he is leaving
his own world, and entering God’s. He feels he is revolving around Him,
running towards Him, journeying on His behalf, making a sacrifice in
His name, praying to the Lord and seeing his prayers answered.
The House of God in Makkah is one of God’s signs on earth. The souls
which have strayed from the Lord take comfort in Him once again; hearts
which have become hard as stone are brought low before Almighty
God; eyes which have lost their vision are
filled with divine radiance. But these blessings
of Hajj are available only to those who come
prepared for them. Otherwise Hajj will be
just a tour, a visit which leaves no lasting
impression upon the traveller.
The blessings of Hajj
are available only
to those who come
prepared for them.
Otherwise Hajj will
be just a tour, a visit
which leaves no
lasting impression
upon the traveller
The pilgrims gather on the plain of Arafat in
order to recall the time when they will gather
on the plain of the Last Day. It is to conjure
up visions in this world of what they will
experience in practice in the next world.
The Prophet Muhammad said: “Hajj is to
stand in the plains of Arafat.” This shows how important it is to visit
Arafat and to spend time there. The plain of Arafat, where the pilgrims
spend one whole day is like a picture of the Day of Reckoning. Believers
come in from all sides to witness the spectacle. All are clad in a simple
garment. There is nothing to make anyone stand out from the rest. All
recite the same words: “Here we are at your service, Lord.” Anyone who
sees this spectacle must be reminded of this verse from the Quran:
The trumpet will be blown and, at once they will rise up from
their graves, and hasten to their Lord. (
For all these reasons, Hajj reigns supreme among all acts of devotion.
Just as the sacred mosque in Makkah has a station above all other
mosques, so the worship that is performed there—as part of the
pilgrimage—stands head and shoulders above all other acts of
devotion.
Dr. Farida Khanam
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GRATITUDE
To God and Man
One who does not express his gratitude to other human beings will
never be thankful to God. —Prophet Muhammad
THANKFULNESS is a state of mind which cannot be
compartmentalized. If it manifests itself in one place, the
chances are that it will do so in other places too. If a man shows
gratitude to one person, he will surely show it to others likewise.
When a man does someone a good turn, it is something quite obvious—a
tangible direct experience. On the contrary, God’s kindness, being an
indirect experience, is not at all obvious. One
has to be perceptive, and reflective to be able
to realize the favours granted to man by God.
While the favours a man does are observable,
God’s favours can be realized only by thinking
about them.
Failing at first to
acknowledge the
favours of one’s
fellow men leads
on to failure to
give wholehearted
credence to the Lord
of the Universe.
One who fails to perceive an event which is
directly observable cannot be expected to
grasp something which can be apprehended
only after a great deal of cogitation.
If the recipient of a favour fails to acknowledge
it for fear of belittling himself in the eyes of his benefactor, he does
himself nothing but harm. It is more a question of being belittled in the
eyes of his own conscience than falling down in others’ eyes—a course
by far the more injurious.
An even greater disadvantage of an ungrateful attitude is that it
produces a mentality of non-acknowledgement. Failing at first
to acknowledge the favours of one’s fellow men leads on to failure to
give wholehearted credence to the Lord of the Universe. There is no
greater loss in this world than one who has failed to acknowledge his
Creator.
Self-knowledge is the beginning
of self-improvement.
THE QURAN AND SUNNAH
Its Relevance in Modern Times
EVERY religion revealed by God was, in its original form, eternal in
character, just as the sun and the moon have a timeless character
about them. Religion, in fact, is another name for eternal values,
which in their nature are timeless and uniformly applicable in all
situations and at all times.
A religion loses
its relevance in
succeeding ages
when it is no longer
preserved in its
pristine form owing
to human additions
and interpolations.
A religion loses its relevance in succeeding
ages when it is no longer preserved in its
pristine form owing to human additions and
interpolations. The Prophet of Islam, who
came in the 7th century, did not bring a new
religion. His mission in fact was aimed at
sifting the divinely revealed parts from the
human additions which had crept into the
ancient religions over the ages. The divine
religion thus needed to be established in its
original form. This reality has been expressed
thus in the Quran:
“Also for those who follow the Messenger—the unlettered prophet
they find described in the Torah that is with them, and in the Gospel—
who commands them to do right and forbids them to do wrong, who
makes good things lawful to them and bad things unlawful, who will
relieve them of their burdens and of the shackles that weigh upon
them. Those that believe in him and honour him those that aid him
and follow the light sent down with him, shall surely triumph." (
In this verse “burden” and “shackles” mean human addition. It is
these human additions which make a religion irrelevant in succeeding
ages. When a religion is purified of human additions, the question of
irrelevance with time automatically vanishes. Since Islam is free from
additions, there is no possibility of Islam being irrelevant at any time
or in any situation. In fact the commands given in Islam are totally
timeless in character. As the Quran says:
God has ordained for you the same religion which He enjoined
on Noah, and which We have revealed to you, and which We
enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus, so that you
should remain steadfast in religion and not become divided in
it. (
In this verse the believers are commanded to follow those teachings
of religion which were given to all prophets. These are: monotheism,
developing sincerity, inculcating good virtues, having a noble character,
and doing good deeds for the Hereafter. We learn from this verse that
there are four parts of religious teachings sent down by God. One part
encompasses all that is common to all the prophets sent to any part
of the world. These teachings do not change with the changing times.
These are the basic essence of religion. If we have to follow this real
part of religion, the question of relevance or irrelevance does not arise,
whatever the age, for its tenets are based on eternal values.
Another part of God’s religion covers Shariah
(Law) and Minhaj (Method). In this second
part of the teachings some concessions had
to be made according to the age and situation
in which the teachings were revealed. That is
why the prophets were given different Shariah
at different times.
In the above verse, Shariah means detailed
law and Minhaj means its method. Since these
two things relate very much to circumstances,
they change with the changing situations. For
instance, the principle of marriage between
Adam’s sons and daughters was different from the principles given to
other prophets. Similarly, the respective political methods followed by
the Prophets Joseph and Moses were different from one another. This
difference was due to the difference in time and circumstances.
If we look at the teachings of Islam from this angle, we shall find that
there is no conflict between these teachings and the demands of
modern times and that Islam is practicable in the modern age in the
full sense of the word.
The real and basic demand of Islam is that man should believe in one
God. He should worship Him alone. He should embody truth, honesty,
justice and other moral values. In short, within his own private sphere,
he should fully obey God. Obviously, these teachings of Islam do not
clash with the demands of modern times, which are equally practicable
today.
There is no conflict
between the
teachings of Islam
and the demands of
modern times. Islam
is practicable in the
modern age in the
full sense of
the word.
Another part of Islam pertains to social laws, for instance, deterrent
punishments. These kinds of laws similarly do not clash with the
demands of modern times. For commandments such as these do
not mean that Muslims should start implementing these commands in whatever circumstances they find themselves. On the contrary,
the prerequisite for the enforcement of these commands is that first
of all they should be acceptable in society. As long as they remain
unacceptable they will remain in abeyance.
Then there is Minhaj, that is, method. In this field also there is no clash
between Islam and modern times. For, in social matters Islam will
adopt whatever method is worthy of being implemented according to
the spirit of the age. For instance, no attempt will be made to impose
the system of caliphate by force in a country which has a democratic
system. Rather by cooperating with the times, peaceful Islamic dawah
work will be performed. That is demonstrated
in the lives of the various prophets. In such
matters, there is no single method which
emerged among the prophets or the pious
Caliphs.
The real and basic
demand of Islam
is that man should
believe in one God.
He should worship
Him alone.
We deduce an important principle from an
incident in the life of the Prophet of Islam.
A person named Musaylama rose in Yemen,
who falsely claimed to be God’s prophet and
to have been appointed as co-prophet along
with the Prophet Muhammad. Musaylama
sent a two-member delegation to Madinah to meet the Prophet of Islam
and asked him to acknowledge his prophethood. The Prophet asked
the delegates what opinion they had about Musaylama regarding his
claim to prophethood. They said that they believed in his claim. At this
the Prophet of Islam replied that, had there been no rule in this world
that envoys should not be harmed, he would have had both of them
killed. (Seerat ibn Hisham)
From this incident in the life of the Prophet of Islam, we learn a very
important principle of Shariah. That is, if a principle is generally accepted,
at the international level, then the relevant Islamic principle will also be
the same as that of other nations. This decision of the Prophet of Islam
shows that in matters of age-old customs, the law of the believers as
well as of other nations would not be separate, provided the matter in
hand did not pertain to some unlawful act, for instance, the eating of
pork. It is obvious that if Islam followed this principle in international
matters, then there would be no conflict or clash in the practical sense
between Islam and other nations in respect of changing times.
One important teaching of Islam is that, with the exception of matters
of worship and beliefs, no command is absolute so far as social matters are concerned. Commands can change with changes in place and time.
The Shariah law can be changed as per the rule framed by our jurists.
Commands change with the change of time and place. This teaching
establishes at the outset that in no circumstance should we clash with
the times. Rather, in keeping with the demand of the times we are free
to carve out our path. In such a situation there is no possibility of Islam
ever appearing to be irrelevant with the change of time. Obviously,
when we are not supposed to go against circumstances, how could
Islam ever become irrelevant due to the changed situation?
From a study of the Prophet’s life we may deduce the important
congregational principle that Islam does not encourage us to clash with
the prevailing political status quo but urges us instead to pursue our
goal by accepting the status quo. This teaching
solves the problem of Islam ever becoming
irrelevant with the changing times. A system
becomes irrelevant only when it is at variance
with the changing times. When there is no
such clash, the question of irrelevance does
not arise at all.
Muslims have been
commanded, in no
uncertain terms, that
in any circumstance
and in any age when
they find political
corruption among
the rulers, they
must sedulously
refrain from opting
for a policy of
confrontation with
them.
The guidance of the Prophet of Islam has
been gathered together in books of Hadith,
one part of which is found in Kitab al-Fitan.
In these teachings, Muslims have been
commanded, in no uncertain terms, that in
any circumstance and in any age when they
find political corruption among the rulers,
they must sedulously refrain from opting for
a policy of confrontation with them. Totally
avoiding political confrontation with them, they must continue working
in non-controversial spheres, for instance, in the fields of education,
dawah, economics, social work, etc. The aim of this teaching of the
Prophet is to make Islam relevant at all times.
The actual target of Islam is the intellectual, spiritual and moral
rectification of the individual. This task is wholly related to the sphere
of individual freedom. Today the principle has been accepted all over
the world that every individual has been granted full freedom in his
own personal sphere. He is free to think and act as he likes. This is the
actual sphere of Islamic action. And when in this sphere where every
individual is granted total freedom, no objection can be raised that
Islam has lost its relevance in modern times.
Another sphere of human action is that which concerns social matters.
This is the sphere in which confrontation takes place, raising the
question of relevance and irrelevance. Islamic teaching for this sphere
is action in accordance with circumstances. If circumstances are not
conducive for action, we have to follow the path of persuasion and
counselling, strictly adhering to peaceful means.
There are also certain matters where the teachings of Islam apparently
go against the prevalent custom. For instance, the justification of wine,
interest-based economy, deterrent punishment, etc. The teachings of
Islam in such matters are clearly different from the prevalent custom
of modern times. And as we know, the majority today is not at the
moment willing to accept the teaching of Islam in these matters.
This would appear to show that Islam has become irrelevant in
modern times. But it is not right to draw this conclusion in haste. It
is true that the teachings of Islam in social matters are different from
the custom of the age. But this is a matter pertaining to ideological
differences. Islam does not enjoin its followers to set about changing
the status quo at the first instance, in order to replace it with the Islamic
system. The teaching of Islam in this matter is to opt for the way of
patience. That is, refraining completely from
launching oneself on a collision course and
instead communicating one’s point of view to
others in the language of persuasion. In this
way an atmosphere can be created which is
favourable to Islam and the relevance of Islam
can be proved purely on a rational basis, so
that it may find acceptance in due course.
The actual target
of Islam is the
intellectual,
spiritual and moral
rectification of the
individual.
In modern times there are two aspects to a
religion becoming irrelevant, one ideological,
another practical. Becoming irrelevant from
the practical point of view means that a religion gives such commands
to its adherents as are impracticable from the point of view of the
age factor. As mentioned above, no such command exists in Islam.
In its practical aspects, Islam is a religion of adjustment, giving ample
concession to circumstances. There is enough flexibility in Islam in this
regard. That is why Islam could never become irrelevant, whatever the
age, so far as practical matters are concerned.
When we look at this issue from the ideological point of view, we do
find on certain occasions, that the demands of Islam and the demands
of the age are diametrically opposed to one another. But as mentioned above, in matters of ideological differences the way of peaceful
persuasion alone must be adopted. At all events, no practical initiative
is to be taken when the circumstances are unfavourable. In such a state
of affairs, ideological differences will never create any problems in any
age or in any situation.
One thing worth remembering in this connection relates to Ijtihad
(exercise of judgement with reasoning). One role of Ijtihad is that
whenever any teaching of Islam appears to be going against the
demands of the time, the religious scholars are duty-bound to strive
by exercising Ijtihad to seek a reapplication of the teachings of Islam
to the changed situation. Ijtihad is in fact another name for seeking
reapplication of Islamic teachings to the changing needs of the time.
Muslim scholars of modern times, feeling the need to exercise Ijtihad,
have made an effort to reapply the principle of Islam in this matter.
For instance, in the Indian subcontinent Maulana Husain Ahmad
Madani and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad said that since in modern times
nationality was linked with the homeland, Islam would also follow the
same principle. That is to say, in whichever country Muslims lived, they
would be regarded as co-patriots like other citizens. And they would
not insist on a separate nationality for themselves.
Great importance has been attached to the process of Ijtihad in Islam.
According to one Hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari, if a Muslim exercises Ijtihad
and he reaches the right decision he will be doubly rewarded and if,
even after his sincere effort, he fails to reach the right judgement he
will still be rewarded. This shows that the act of Ijtihad must continue
in all circumstances, even when there is a possibility of arriving at the
wrong judgement.
The aim of Ijtihad is that in all ages the gap between Islam and the age
may continue to be filled. In no circumstance should the impression be
formed that Islam has become irrelevant. It was due to the importance
of this matter that the Prophet of Islam encouraged Muslims to
continue the process of Ijtihad, even at the risk of making mistakes. In
no circumstance was the door of Ijtihad to be closed.
The truth is that the actual goal of Islam is to bring about an intellectual
revolution among people, in order to produce high thinking. Such a
task is eternal in its nature. Along with eternal laws, goes the principle
of flexibility in Islam. Along with azimat (absolute commands), Islam
gives ample space for concessions and exemptions. Along with the
observance of form, Islam gives equal importance to the spirit.
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.
LEARNING FROM EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS
A cart pulled by two oxen, drove past Abu Darda, a Companion of the
Prophet. He watched as one of the oxen carried on pulling while the
other stopped. “There is a lesson even in this,” said Abu Darda. “The
one that stopped was whipped, while the other was left alone.”
MENTION WHAT IS GOOD: PASS OVER WHAT IS EVIL
Abu Harun tells of how he once went to Abu Hazim, and after greeting
asked him how one could offer thanks for one’s two eyes. “When you
behold good, make mention of it and when you behold evil, pass over
it,” replied Abu Hazim. Then Abu Harun asked him how one could offer
thanks for one’s ears. “When you hear something good, pass it on,” said
Abu Hazim, “and when you hear something evil, make no mention of
it.”
PREFERRING TO BE UNOSTENTATIOUS
At the end of a long journey on camel-back, Caliph Umar arrived in
Palestine along with a group of emigrants and helpers. The long
garment which he had been wearing for so many days had torn at the
back and it was given to be washed and mended. The garment was
brought back mended, along with another one made out of fine cloth.
Umar looked at it and asked the person what this was that he had
brought. “Your garments,” he replied. “I have washed and patched it.
The other one is a gift from me.” Umar examined it, running his hand
over it, then he put on his own garment and gave the other one back to
him saying that the old one absorbed sweat better.
BY PERFORMING SMALL TASKS A MAN DOES NOT DEMEAN HIMSELF
The Caliph of Islam, Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, was talking to someone late
one night when the lamp started flickering. “I will wake up the servant,” ventured his companion, “He can put some oil in the lamp.” Umar told
him not to do so. Then he got up and put the oil in the lamp himself. “I
was Umar ibn Abdul Aziz before I put oil in the lamp, and I am still Umar
ibn Adul Aziz,” said the Caliph.
WHILE WORSHIPPING GOD, DO NOT INCONVENIENCE OTHERS
The Prophet was once in retreat in the mosque when he was disturbed
by the sound of loud recitation. Raising the curtain, he said to the
worshippers, “Look, you are all intent on beseeching God, but in so
doing you must not trouble others. Don’t raise your voices to outdo
each other while reciting the Quran.”
SHOWING NO FAVOURITISM
Abdullah ibn Arqam came before Umar one day and said to him:
“Commander of the faithful, there are some ornaments and silver
dishes among the articles that have come into the treasure from Jalula.
Please look at them and tell us what to do with them.” Remind me
of this when you see that I am free,” replied Umar. A few days later,
Abdullah did so when the Commander of the faithful appeared to have
nothing to occupy his attention. Umar then went to the treasury and
had the ornaments and dishes brought before him. The moment he
saw them, he recited the fourteenth verse of the chapter Al-Imran:
“The satisfaction of worldly desires through women and children and
heaped up treasures of gold and silver, and pedigreed horses, and
cattle and lands is attractive to people. All this is the provision of the
worldly life; but the most excellent abode is with God.”
Then Umar said: “We cannot help but rejoice in something that has
been made tempting to us. Lord, may we spend it aright. Protect us
from its evil.” Just then one of his own sons, Abdul Rahman, came along
and asked his father for a ring, Umar did not give him the ring instead
he said: “Go to your mother, she will feed you barley soup.”
Small, individual changes can
indeed bring big results.
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.
MISUNDERSTANDING JIHAD
BECAUSE of a wrong interpretation by some Muslims, jihad has
come to be understood as war to ‘reform’ others, or what is
called in Urdu as muslihana jang (reformist war). These people
say that Muslims are God’s khalifas or deputies on earth and that it is
the responsibility of Muslims as God’s deputies to establish the rule of
God in the world. They think they are charged with the God-given task
of making people obey God’s rules. They name this war as jihad.
This understanding of jihad is undoubtedly false. It has nothing to do
with the Quran and the Sunnah, the Prophet’s practice.
The notion of a ‘reformist war’—from the point of view of its
consequences—is nothing but war for promoting fasad or strife. In
society, everyone has the right to peacefully express their views, but
the belief that one can use physical force to ‘reform’ others is simply
unacceptable when it comes to relations between communities and
countries. In any particular society, and also at the international level,
no group of people can arrogate to themselves a right that they are not
willing to allow others also to enjoy. If a particular group wants to have
the right to engage in ‘reformist war’, then, obviously, it must be ready
to grant the same right to other groups as well. The result of this would
be that each group would start warring with the other groups, all in the
name of self-styled ‘reform’. Needless to say, no ‘reform’ can ever come
about this way. The only result will be never-ending strife.
The fact is that there is only one legitimate form of war, and that is war
fought in defence. If a nation transgresses its geographical boundaries
and openly attacks another nation, then, in such a situation, the nation
that has been attacked has the right to reply by fighting in defence.
Other than this, there are no legitimate grounds for war at all in Islam.
This principle is as firmly grounded and accepted in Islam as in many
other non-Islamic systems.
In this regard, there is an issue that needs particular attention. It relates
to the past, to the period of the age of monarchs. In this period, much
of the world was under various dynasties. At that time, the monarch
was considered to be above the law. He thought he could do whatever
he wanted. Because of this, every king engaged in deeds that were
clearly morally or legally improper.
Morally improper deeds were committed by kings all over the world in
those days. But all this is now just a part of ancient history. However,
while in many countries this has been forgotten and did not cause
conflict between communities, this is not the
case in India, where it has become the cause
of considerable and continuing bitterness
between Hindus and Muslims, leading to
repeated communal riots. It is a major
challenge in the path of promoting communal
harmony.
In society, everyone
has the right to
peacefully express
their views, but the
belief that one can
use physical force
to ‘reform’ others is
simply unacceptable
when it comes to
relations between
communities and
countries
The basic reason for this is Muslim ulema
and intellectuals have wrongly seen and
portrayed Muslim dynasties in India as
‘Islamic’ dynasties, considering them to be a
chapter of the history of Islam as such. In fact,
however, these dynasties merely consisted
of rulers who happened to belong to some
Muslim families. It is completely wrong
to consider their rule as ‘Islamic’ rule. These two things are totally
different. But because this difference was not kept in mind, the events
that were associated with particular Muslim kings or Muslim dynasties
came to be associated in people’s minds with Islam as a religion.
Because this basic distinction was not borne in mind, another terrible
blunder that Muslims made was that they perceived the period of the
rule of these Muslim rulers as a source of Islamic pride. They viewed
it as a symbol of the domination of Islam. On the other hand, Hindus
began thinking on the lines of what is called ‘righting of historical wrongs’. Naturally, both these stances led to mutual bitterness. When
Muslims began taking pride in the memory of the deeds of Muslim
kings, then, consciously or otherwise, these kings became, for them, a
sacred part of their religious history. And, on the other hand, Hindus
perceived these same deeds as historical misdeeds and began trying
to redress them.
Both sides have blundered. The mistake of the Muslims is that they
are not ready to re-look at the history of these Muslim rulers because
they have given this history a religious hue. And, on the other hand,
the mistake of the Hindus is that they are not willing to forget the past.
They insist on the righting of historical wrongs, even if this results in
destroying the potentials and prospects of the present.
In this matter both parties need to be realistic. Muslims should not give
the Muslim rulers of the past the status of ‘Islamic rulers’. Instead, they
should see them simply as the government of particular families. They
should disown the un-Islamic and immoral
behaviour of these Muslim rulers. They
should openly condemn them for this—be it
Mahmud Ghaznavi or Aurangzeb or anyone
else.
For a country to
progress, a necessary
condition is to
maintain national
progress as the
main issue, setting
aside everything
else as of secondary
importance.
On the other hand, Hindus should seek
to forget the past, in line with the saying,
‘The past is past’. They should desist from
emotionalism in this regard and adopt a
pragmatic and realistic approach. Hindus
should remember that historical wrongs have
always happened, but yet no one has ever
been able to remedy any of them. This theory about righting historical
wrongs is undoubtedly unwise. It is tantamount to spoiling one’s
present in the name of correcting the past. This view is against nature.
People who think in this way will, in the name of salvaging their past,
only lose their present and future.
Unfortunately, however, this is precisely what has happened in India.
Countries that have sought to build their present after forgetting the
bitterness of their past have achieved brilliant success. One example
of this is Japan. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Japan did
not seek to correct the wrongs committed against it by America, but,
instead, focused on trying to rebuild itself. The result was that Japan
is today an economic superpower. In contrast, in India people tried
to rectify historical wrongs, but that only further exacerbated the
country’s backwardness.
For a country to progress, a necessary condition is to maintain
national progress as the main issue, setting aside everything else as
of secondary importance. People in general should be concerned that
national progress should continue unhampered. They must refuse
to let emotionally-driven issues and controversies come in the way
of national progress. Without this sort of popular consciousness, it is
impossible to have social peace.
A story is told about a Qazi or Muslim judge. One day, he had to hear
a very strange case. It involved two women who were fighting over a
newly-born child, each claiming it as hers. However, neither of them
had any sort of legal proof of being the child’s mother. This was a big
test for the Qazi. Finally, he ruled that the child should be sliced into
two, and that each woman should get a part of the child’s body.
When the Qazi passed this judgement, it
made no impact on the woman who falsely
claimed to be the child’s mother. But the real
mother burst out screaming. ‘Don’t kill the
child! Give it to this other woman, if you want!’
she pleaded.
Attempting to
eliminate differences
is to defy a universal
law of nature.
Needless to say, no
individual or group is
so strong that it can
fight with, and win
against, nature.
This is the true standard of love. Those who
truly love their country must shout out, like
this woman did, ‘We cannot bear to see our
country being destroyed! We must forget the
past so that we can fully use the opportunities
available in the present in order to gift our
country a glorious future!’
In national life, peace and unity are possible only on the basis of
acceptance. It is a principle of nature that differences will arise between
individuals and also between groups. Differences are a necessary part of
life. That is why communal harmony cannot come about by eliminating
differences. Rather, it is possible only on the basis of tolerance and
acceptance.
The fact is that attempting to eliminate differences is to defy a
universal law of nature. Needless to say, no individual or group is
so strong that it can fight with, and win against, nature. That is why
pragmatism demands that as far as the issue of religious and cultural
differences is concerned, we must abide by the principle of tolerance,
rather than resort to confrontation. Accept differences so that unity
can be established, because seeking to establish unity by eliminating
differences is simply impossible.
TO MAKE UP FOR OUR HELPLESSNESS
God’s Mercy
GOD’S power is absolute; man’s power before His is as nothing.
It is not true to say that the difference between God and man is
one of having more power or less power; the difference is one
of power and powerlessness. God is omnipotent, while man has not
one iota of power.
What if one questions the very propriety of God having created man as
a powerless creature? What if one claims that it was not fair of God to
have put man in a world in which he has no power over himself, or over
the world around him? This question can only be answered if a way
is found in which man can completely make up for his helplessness.
Nothing less than complete compensation will provide a satisfactory
answer. Added to this, the compensation for man’s helplessness must
come from his helplessness itself. It must be the very fact that man
has no power that makes up for his powerlessness, for otherwise the
answer will not justify the question.
The answer to this question is given clearly in the teachings of the Quran
and Prophet of Islam. God has shown us special mercy: He has made
supplication sufficient to ensure that we receive. If a person makes a
real, earnest supplication to God, then he will find what he seeks. Since
man has no power of his own, he has to be given something in order
to possess it. God has promised that one who prays for something will
receive it. One who presents his helplessness before God in the form
of humble supplication will receive compensation for his helplessness.
In this way God gives unto man from his own presence.
The Prophet of Islam put it this way: “No prayer is ever rejected.” These
words of the Prophet Jesus express the same truth:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth;
And to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread,
will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,
how much more shall your Father which is in heaven given good things
to them that ask him. (St. Mathew 7:7-11)
THE VEIL OF SATAN
Avert Deception
THE following is a part of a lengthy Hadith of the Prophet of Islam:
Satan keeps hovering over the eyes of humankind so that they
may not reflect upon the divine signs scattered all over the
heavens and the earth. Had it not been so, they would certainly see the
divine wonders in the universe.
The universe around us is called nature in scientific terminology. Man
comes across numerous events or phenomena in this vast world of
nature. He sees and has experiences, but most people are unable to
derive any meaning or lesson from them. This verse of the Quran refers
to the unheeding: “And there are many signs in the heavens and the
earth that they pass by and give no heed to”. (
These events scattered in the universe
are in fact divine signs—they serve as an
introduction to the Creator in the form of His
creation. If man were to see with open eyes
he would observe the marvels of nature in
these signs.
It is Satan who puts
the thought in man’s
mind that all those
signs of nature are
the result of the
laws of cause and
effect, occurring as a
natural consequence,
rather than as the
result of divine
power
But Satan puts such thoughts in man’s mind
as prevent him from seeing those events of
nature from the right perspective. It is Satan
who puts the thought in man’s mind that all
those signs of nature are the result of the laws
of cause and effect, occurring as a natural
consequence, rather than as the result of
divine power. Satan tries to stop man from
looking at these events from the point of view of deriving lessons from
them. He strives to make man look at them purely from the point view
of material gain. Satan tries to make man take everything around him
for granted and not ponder or reflect upon them. It is these Satanic
whisperings (waswasa) which deprive man of the right realization of
reality.
He who is most in error is one
who cannot say ' I have erred.'
WHAT IS TRUTH
Nature
THE Quran states: " If truth had followed their whims and desires,
heavens and earth and all that lives in them would have been
brought to ruin. (
The whole universe, except man, is following this divine scheme. That is
why the Quran points out that the universe is
faultless (
He follows his desires and forsakes the true
path. The result is corruption and disorder
in the human world. Man’s perversion is the
price of his freedom.
If man follows the
path of truth, like
the universe, he can
produce the same
spirit of peace and
harmony which the
cosmos already
displays.
The Islamic solution to the problems of man
is the same as that which has been ordained
for the rest of the universe. If man follows the
path of truth, like the universe, he can produce
the same spirit of peace and harmony which
the cosmos already displays. The path of truth
as opposed to the path of man’s desire can be
understood from this verse in the Quran: " The sun cannot overtake
the moon, nor can the night outpace the day; each floats in (its own)
orbit" (
It is God’s will that everything should move in its own orbit. All
astronomical bodies act accordingly, never clashing with one another
on their course. If man were to apply this principle to his life, everyone
would operate in his own given sphere, thus rectifying the friction
which exists in human society. On the other hand, if he follows his
own desires, he comes into conflict with his fellow men which causes
trouble both at the individual and societal or national levels.
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
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
THE greatest thing that is desired from man is that he should
be grateful to his Creator and Sustainer and that he should
acknowledge God as the Giver of all blessings. But this
thankfulness or acknowledgement is the rarest of rare things in this
world. Man lives in this world amidst a multitude of divine blessings,
yet he remains ungrateful.
What is the reason for this? The reason is that whatever man receives,
he gives himself the credit for it. How did he come to this world? This
was owing to his parents. How does he survive in this world? Through
his planning and strategy. How did he make progress? By his cleverness.
How did all his issues get solved? Through his friends and relatives.
How did he receive the place of honour? Through his connections and
relations, etc.
In this way, what happens is that everything man receives from God is
attributed to someone else, rather than to God.
It is due to this wrong association that feelings of gratefulness and
acknowledgment are not produced within him. Just uttering some words
like ‘Alhamdu lillah’ or ‘Subhana Allah’ does not suffice as thanksgiving
to God.
Gratefulness is always a result of discovery. First of all man discovers the
reality of God being our greatest benefactor. This discovery awakens
his mind. Subsequently, a process begins in his mind which results in
the flowing of a spring of gratitude within his heart.
This internal state produced within one finds expression in the form
of words of thanksgiving and acknowledgement of God’s blessings.
One who has not known gratefulness at the level of discovery will
fail to do the obeisance of thankfulness to God at the level of human
utterance.
SEARCH FOR TRUTH
An Intellectual Pursuit
MAN is a born seeker—a veritable truth-seeking being. Every
human being regards himself as incomplete until he has found
that supreme principle by which he can explain his existence
in this world and discover the purpose and meaning of his life.
Everyone is a seeker. True. But few are finders. Why? Because, where
seeking is instinctive, finding is the outcome of one’s own conscious
effort.
In the pre-Islamic period, there were certain individuals in Arabia, called
Hunafa. They were all truth seekers. Confining themselves to solitary
places, they would remember God and say: “O God if we had known
how to worship You, we would have worshipped You accordingly.”
This was due to their urge to come to grips with reality—an urge such as
is found in every human being, the difference between one individual
and another being only one of degree: in some, the urge is weak, in
others it is strong.
Then, there are some deviations. Some people take certain material
objects to be their goal in life and do their utmost to obtain them. But
there is an evidence that they do so mistakenly. Before obtaining these
material objects, they are highly enthusiastic
about them. But as soon as they have them
in their possession their enthusiasm turns
to frustration for, with experience, they
invariably find that what they have struggled
for so hard, has failed to give them the
desired sense of fulfilment. All these material
things in this world are meant to fulfil only our
physical needs. They have nothing to do with
the purpose of our lives. This purpose can
only be spiritual in nature, and not something
material.
To make one’s life
meaningful, one
has to discover its
purpose. One should
be extremely sincere
and honest in this
respect.
To achieve this purpose is the greatest quest in life. Everyone is
motivated, consciously or unconsciously, by this demand of human
nature, everyone at one time or another suffers from a sense of
frustration, with or without sad experiences. To make one’s life
meaningful, therefore one has to discover its purpose. One should be
extremely sincere and honest in this respect. Sincerity and honesty are an assurance of engaging oneself unremittingly in this pursuit, and
never giving-up, until one has discovered the real purpose of human
existence.
When a man succeeds in discovering this ideal, he becomes a person
who is fit to be called a complete man, one who has succeeded
in making his life purposeful, in the real sense of the word. Such a
person has been called in the Quran: Al-Nafs-ul-Mutmainna (
means a soul at rest, in peace or in a state
of complete satisfaction. That is, a man who
wholeheartedly follows the divine way of life
and is always fully satisfied, whether or not
it is in consonance with his own desires. By
showing such total willingness to surrender
his will to the will of God, he attains that state
of humanity which is at one with the creation
plan of God. This will to search for the truth
is implanted in everyone. But it depends
upon every individual himself, whether or
not he pursues this natural urge. Only through sincere pursuit will he
discover the truth and thus make his life meaningful. For any kind of
negligence or apathy in this regard, there is no excuse, whatever the
circumstances.
The philosophical
explanation of the
world requires
unbounded
knowledge, whereas
man has had only
limited knowledge
bestowed upon him.
The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of philosophy, science
and mysticism in this quest for truth.
Philosophy
Philosophy is the only discipline which, by its own definition, embodies
the quest for knowledge and understanding of the nature and meaning
of the universe as well as of human life. But after a long search of
more than 5000 years, to which the greatest minds of human history
have been bent, it has failed to provide any definite answer to such
questions.
The main concern of philosophy was to make a unified picture of
the world, including human life. But the long history of philosophy
shows that this still remains an unfulfilled dream. The Encyclopaedia
Britannica in its 27-page article on philosophy and its history, admits
that there seems to be no possibility of philosophical unification. The
article concludes with this remark:
In the contemporary philosophical universe, multiplicity and
division still reign.
Why this failure? This failure is not of a chance or intermittent nature,
but seems to be a permanent feature of the philosophical approach to
reality. The Quran has drawn our attention to this fact, saying:
They question you about the spirit. Say, 'The spirit is at my Lord's
command, and you have been granted but little knowledge.' (
This means the problem stems from man’s own shortcomings. The
philosophical explanation of the world requires unbounded knowledge,
whereas man has had only limited knowledge bestowed upon him. Due
to these intellectual constraints man cannot uncover the secrets of the
world on his own. So it is not the lack of research, but the blinkered
state of the human mind, that stands as a permanent obstacle in
the philosopher’s path to reality. It is this human inadequacy which
explains the unexplainable.
For example, suppose, in order to unveil reality and the law of life, the
enquirer starts from a study of human settlements. After a detailed
survey, he comes to the conclusion that since society is composed
of human beings, he had better focus on
the individual, and so he studies human
psychology. But there he finds that, despite
extensive research in this field it has resulted
in nothing but intellectual chaos.
The search for
truth, by its very
nature, is entirely an
intellectual exercise.
Its findings too are
intellectual in nature.
He ultimately finds that no unified system
emerges from psychology. In despair of
finding any solution to the problem, he turns
to biology. His in-depth study of biology
leads him to the conclusion that the whole
human system is based on certain chemical
actions and reactions, so, for a proper understanding of the human
body he begins to study physics and chemistry. This study leads him
to the discovery that, in the last analysis, man like other things, is
composed of atoms. So, he takes to the study of nuclear science, only
to arrive at the conclusion that the atom is composed of nothing but
incomprehensible waves of electrons.
At this point man, as well as the universe, are seen as nothing but,
in the words of a scientist, a mad dance of electrons. A philosopher
ostensibly begins his study from a basis of knowledge, but ultimately
comes to a point where there is nothing but the universal darkness of
bewilderment. Thus a 5000-year journey of philosophy has brought the
sorry conclusion that, due to its limitations, it is simply not in a position
to unfold the secrets of the universe.
It is evident from the several thousand year-long history of
philosophical inquiry that philosophy has failed to give any satisfactory
answer to questions concerning reality. Moreover, there is a growing
body of evidence that philosophy is inherently incompetent for the
task undertaken by it. The need, therefore, is to find some alternative
discipline that may help us reach our desired intellectual goal.
Science
Science has divided the world of knowledge into two parts—knowledge
of things and knowledge of truths. According to this division, science
has confined its study only to a part of the world and not to the entire
world. A scientist has rightly remarked that “science gives us but a
partial knowledge of reality.”
Science has never
claimed that its
objective is to
discover the total
truth or absolute
reality. The concerns
of science are
basically descriptive,
and not theological.
This means science being confined in its
scope to the physical aspect of the world,
has kept itself aloof from higher spiritual
matters. No scientist has ever claimed that
science attempts to find out the absolute
truth. All scientists humbly submit that the
“search for truth” is not their target. They are
simply trying to understand how the objective
world functions and not why it functions. For
instance, the chemistry of a flower may be
chemically analyzed, but not its odour.
Science has never claimed that its objective is to discover the total truth
or absolute reality. The concerns of science are basically descriptive,
and not theological. Although science has failed to give a satisfactory
answer to the quest for truth, it is not to be disparaged, for this has
never been its motivation.
Many people had pinned their hopes on science providing them with
the superior life they had sought for so long. But after more than two
hundred years, it has dawned upon recent generations that science
has fallen far short of fulfilling man’s hopes and aspirations, even in the
material sense. Now it has been generally acknowledged that, although
science has many plus points for human betterment, it has many minus
points as well.
Science gave us machines, but along with them it also gave us a new
kind of social problem: unemployment. Science gave us comfortable
motor cars but at the same time it polluted the air, making it difficult
for human beings to inhale fresh air; just as with the rise of modern industry, there came the pollution of life-giving water. Production may
have been accelerated, but at the cost of adversely affecting our whole
social structure.
If the object of science was to provide man with the answer to his
search for truth, it had obviously failed. If the search for truth was not
within the province of science, there was no reason for it to figure in
such discussions at all. In other words, science cannot be legitimately
blamed for not helping man to grasp the ultimate reality, for this was
not something expected of it. Indeed the reality lies far beyond the
boundaries of science.
Mysticism
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, mysticism is a “quest for a
hidden truth or wisdom.” The Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought
defines it thus: “Mysticism is the direct experience of the divine as
real and near, blotting out all sense of time and producing intense
joy.” According to the mystics, the final state
produced by mystical exercises is inner joy
or spiritual bliss, whereas the subject of the
present article is the search for truth.
The highlight of
human existence
is consciousness,
or the mind. The
successful seeker of
truth finds it at the
level of the mind, or
consciousness.
The search for truth, by its very nature, is
entirely an intellectual exercise. Its findings
too are intellectual in nature. It is successful
when the seeker finds rational answers to the
questions he poses about the universe and
his own existence. The search for truth is not
a vague matter. It begins from the conscious
mind and also culminates there.
The case of mysticism is quite different. Mysticism is based essentially
on intuition, and is not a conscious intellectual process. As such,
the mystical experience is more an act of spiritual exhilaration than
an effort to apprehend the truth in intellectual terms. Mysticism, as
popularly conceived, makes the basic assumption that the physical,
material, and social needs of man act as obstacles to his spiritual
progress. Therefore, mysticism teaches him to reduce his physical
needs to the barest minimum; to renounce worldly and social relations;
and if possible to retire to the mountains or jungles. In this way, he will
supposedly be able to purify his soul. Thus, by giving up the world and
by certain exercises in self-abnegation, a mystic expects to awaken his
spirituality.
The mystics can broadly be divided into two groups: those who believe
in God and those who do not. Non-believers in God assert that there is
a hidden treasure in the centres of our souls. The task of the mystic is
to discover this hidden treasure. But this is only a supposition. None of
them has ever been able to define this hidden treasure or to explain it
in understandable terms. Tagore has thus expressed this claim made
by the mystics:
“Man has a feeling that he is truly represented in something which
exceeds himself.”
But this is only a subjective statement unsupported by logical proofs.
That is why, in spite of its great popularity, no school of this mystical
thought has so far produced any objective criterion by which one may
rationally ascertain that the existence of such a hidden treasure within
the human soul is a reality, and not an illusion. On the other hand,
no well-defined law, or step-by-step practical programme, has been
introduced by any individual or group that might help the common
man reach his spiritual destination consciously and independently.
Moreover, mysticism makes the claim that the natural quest of man is
its own fulfilment. It does not require any external effort to arrive at
the perceived goal. In other words, it is like assuming that the feeling
of thirst or hunger in man contains its own satisfaction. A thirsty or
hungry person is not to trouble himself to search for water or food in
the outer world.
Those (of this school of thought) who believe in God interpret this
hidden treasure in terms of God. To them the inner contemplation of a
mystic is directed towards God.
This concept too is rationally inexplicable, for, if such mystic exercises
are a means to discover God, then, there should be genuine proof that
God Himself has shown this way to find Him. But there is no evidence
that this path has been prescribed by God. On the other hand, there
is a clear indication that this course separates the seeker from God’s
creation and leads him to a life of isolation. This makes it plain that God
cannot enjoin such a path to realization as would mean nullifying the
very purpose of creation.
The mystics hold that although the mystical experience may be a great
discovery for them, it is, however, a mysterious and unexplainable
realization which can be felt at the sensory level, but which cannot be
fully articulated. According to a mystic: “It is knowledge of the most
adequate kind, only it cannot be expressed in words.”
This aspect of the mystical experience proves it to be a totally subjective
discipline. And something as subjective as this can in no degree be
a rational answer to the human search for truth. Those who have
attempted to describe the mystic experience have chosen different
ways of doing so. One is the narrative method, that is, describing
their point of view in terms only of claims, without any supporting
arguments. Another method is to make use of metaphors. That is,
attempt to describe something by means of supposed analogies. From
the point of view of rational reasoning, both methods are inadequate,
being quite lacking in any credibility in rational terms, and are therefore
invalid.
Therefore the three branches—philosophy, science and mysticism do
not provide answers to a seeker as he aims at a rational explanation of
the world and endeavours to discover a definite principle by which he
may successfully plan his present life.
The highlight of human existence is consciousness, or the mind.
The successful seeker of truth finds it at the level of the mind, or
consciousness, and not at the level of ecstasy.
A material analogy is the electric bulb and the powersource. The bulb in
its inactivated state is a lightless object. With no inherent light, it lacks
the innate ability to give light to others. But when connected to the
powersource, it immediately lights up, becomes bright, giving light to
others. This exemplifies the criterion for discovering truth. Finding the
truth is like consciously finding a light.
For a conscious being like man, an unawakened mind cannot realize
the ultimate truth or the higher reality of God. God can be realized only
through a developed mind.
The field of knowledge is vast, and can be classified as—knowledge
of things and knowledge of truth. The study of man tells that deeper
knowledge is required to determine how to lead life in this world.
This has been dealt with in detail by Alexis Carrel in his book, Man
the Unknown. It has to be conceded that man cannot discover this
necessary knowledge through his own efforts and requires external
guidance. Therefore the stage is left to the Prophets to present the
knowledge of truth.
SUICIDE
Not an Option
GENERAL ATIQUR RAHMAN, former Chairman of the Pakistan
Federal Service Commission, came to Delhi on an official visit in
February 1984. An emigrant to Pakistan, he had worked before
partition during the Second World War with Field Marshal Manekshaw
in Burma. At a meeting with journalists, he told of how, during his stay
in Burma, Manekshaw had once been badly wounded, and the pain
having become unbearable, he decided to put an end to his life by
shooting himself. He asked Rahman to give him a pistol for this purpose,
but Rahman refused. The General added, laughing, “Had I known at the
time what Field Marshal Manekshaw was going to do to us during the
1971 war, I would certainly have given him my pistol!”
Manekshaw’s state of despair was such,
during the Second World War, that he wanted
to commit suicide; quite unaware of the fact
that 25 years later, he was to emerge the
victor in the 1971 war.
The present world
is one in which
every one has their
moments of pain
and grief. But these
should be recognized
as a transient phase,
and borne with
stoicism and courage.
If Islam holds suicide to be unlawful, it is
because committing suicide means having
despaired totally of any succour from God.
What is equally bad is that it also signifies a
refusal of the world hereafter. But if a man
is convinced that he will not face extinction
upon the death of the body, and that he will
experience a rebirth in the world hereafter,
he will never commit suicide. For one who is fully aware of life after the
present life, the anguish of this life will pale into insignificance.
Beside this, there is another aspect to holding suicide unlawful—it
conveys a message to man not to be forgetful of the future because of
temporary hardships. The present world is one in which every person
has their moments of pain and grief. But these should be recognized
as transient phase, and borne with stoicism and courage. Just think of
Manekshaw who wished to annihilate himself, little realizing that his
name was to be emblazoned in the pages of history as a latter-day
conqueror.
THE MESSAGE AND MEANING OF HAJJ
God-oriented Life
THE significance and message of the pilgrimage is for man to turn
towards God, making God the central focus of his life. Although
Hajj lasts for just a few days, the lessons it provides have a much
broader significance. Hajj is a comprehensive guide for the entirety of
one’s life.
When we take leave of our homes and families and set off for Hajj,
we feel as if we are journeying towards God. It feels like we have left
our world and are entering the world of God. We feel we are heading
towards the House of God, to the abode and working place of God’s
Prophet and his Companions—to the historically significant places of
people who had devoted their entire lives for the sake of God, and who
gave their lives in God’s path. With this, the pilgrim also realizes the fact
that he is setting off for that place which God specially chose to reveal
his final guidance to humankind.
In this manner, Hajj leads the pilgrim to becoming a God-oriented
person. He recalls and remembers God. His mind is filled with thoughts
of God. If earlier he used to think principally about himself, now he
thinks mainly or wholly of God.
Although, Hajj is
in the form of a
physical journey,
due to its internal
spirit it becomes a
meaningful one that
leads the pilgrim to
a lofty stage.
A person’s psyche is moulded in accordance
with his thoughts. If we think about and act
only for ourselves, we become self-centred.
But when we set off towards God, our mind
turns towards Him. We begin to think of
God. We now remember that it was God who
created us; that it is God who gave us so many
different opportunities; that it was He who
made us capable of doing many things in this
world; that it was because of His blessings
that we are able to journey towards His house;
that, finally, the day will dawn when we will die, after which we will have
to directly appear in His court. All this makes the pilgrim’s journey into
a truly spiritual one. Although, Hajj is in the form of a physical journey,
due to its internal spirit it becomes a meaningful one that leads the
pilgrim to a lofty stage.
As the Haji, or pilgrim, reaches a particular place close to the place of
pilgrimage he calls out the following words:
“God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! There is none
worthy of worship other than Him! And God is the Greatest!
God is the Greatest! And all praise is for Him!”
By constantly repeating these words, a consciousness develops in a
Haji (Hajj pilgrim) that all greatness is for God alone. In comparison to
God, everything else pales into complete insignificance. The greatness
of everything else is only so that it can be drowned or surrendered
in this greatest of all glory—the glory of God. This is the real secret
of social consciousness. You cannot have unity and harmonious
collective living where every one thinks that they are greater than the
others. On the other hand, when everyone surrenders their sense of
individual greatness, you will find unity and harmony. People can live
harmoniously together only when everyone surrenders their sense of
greatness before a single being.
When people from different parts of the
world arrive close to the place of pilgrimage,
they remove their distinctive dress and don
the same sort of simple, unstitched white
clothes—a uniform known as ihram. This
symbolizes that they have now entered a new
world. By removing their national costume or
personal dress, it is as if they are shedding
the lifestyles that they had been conditioned
into. They are now stirred by a powerful Godconsciousness,
being dyed in the hue of God.
When everyone
surrenders their
sense of individual
greatness, you
will find unity and
harmony. People can
live harmoniously
together only when
everyone surrenders
their sense of
greatness before a
single being
Putting divine clothes on their bodies, the
pilgrims begin to utter divine words: Labbaik!
Allahuma Labbaik! It means: ‘Here I am at Your
service! Here I am at Your service!’ They cry
out, as if God had called them and they are rushing towards Him. The
cries of Labbaik! Labbaik! ‘Here I am at Your service! Here I am at Your
service!’ resound continuously from the pilgrims all around. When the
pilgrim cries, Labbaik! ‘Here I am!’ he doesn’t mean to say that he has
come to settle in Makkah.
It isn’t a declaration of his having left his homeland and arriving in
Makkah. Rather, it is a declaration of having left his previous conduct
or behaviour. It is an announcement to say that, ‘I am here with a
complete willingness to obey You (God), and do whatever You (God)
command. To submit my life and soul to Your command.’ Although the
pilgrim declares, Labbaik, ‘Here I am at Your service!’ at the place of Hajj; he must stand by this declaration in practice in his personal life
on his return from Hajj too.
On reaching Makkah, the first thing that the pilgrim does is to
circumambulate the Kabah. This is an important ritual of Hajj known as
tawaf. The Kabah is a historical structure originally built by the Prophet
Abraham in the centre of a large courtyard also called the House of
God. In the courtyard, the pilgrims go around the Kabah seven times,
symbolizing their willingness to have God as the centre of their lives.
They affirm that they will consider God as the focus around which
their lives will revolve. It is as if scattered bits of iron are being pulled
towards a divine magnet.
Hajj teaches us to
lead God-centric
lives, to make God
the focus of every
aspect of our lives
and to spend our
lives according to
His will.
The tawaf is symbolic of making all of one’s
efforts constrained to a single focus. This is
akin to our solar system, where all the planets
revolve around a single sun, the axis around
which they whirl. In the same way, Hajj
teaches us to lead God-centric lives, to make
God the focus of every aspect of our lives
and to spend our lives according to His will.
This is the same with all the other rituals of
Hajj. Thus, in different ways, all rituals of Hajj
have the same symbolic significance of a Godconscious
life.
Believers all over the world turn towards the Kabah every day, offering
their five daily prayers. Ordinarily, this is just a notion in the minds
of people, but when they gather together during Hajj, it becomes
an astounding reality. When believers from all over the world pray
together facing the Kabah, they experience an amazing sense of unity
when they realize that they are facing the same Kabah of the believers
of the whole world.
During the tawaf, the orderly circumambulation of the Kabah provides
the pilgrims another invaluable lesson—of working together, of doing
things together and in harmony. Here, differences between rulers and
subjects are wiped off completely, as are ethnic differences. It is as if
every single person has just one status: as a servant of the one God. At
this time, they have no other status but this.
After the tawaf, the pilgrim runs seven times between the hillocks of
Safa and Marwah. This too, is a symbolic declaration—an expression
of the pilgrim’s determination to devote all of himself to God’s path.
This running between the two hillocks is not simply a mere physical act.
In the form of repetition of a historical act, it stands for the pilgrim’s
willingness to spend his whole life running in God’s path. It is symbolic
of making all activities throughout one’s life to be contained within
certain boundaries. If our activities are not bound or regulated in this
manner, it would lead to chaos. Such regulation is necessary for a wellordered
life.
One of the most important acts of worship during Hajj is the heading
to and staying in the plain of Arafat. This presents a truly astonishing
sight. Vast numbers of people, from across the world, assemble here,
wearing the same simple clothes and uttering the same words, ‘Here
I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am.’ It is a worldly rehearsal of the
Day of Judgement, when all people will be brought before God. It is
a reminder of the great truth that one day we will all have to stand
before God, accountable for all our actions.
If one realizes this significance of the assembly
at Arafat, one’s life can be totally transformed.
It is as if all the differences among human
beings have suddenly vanished, and that,
setting aside all their conflicts, they have
surrendered themselves to the one God.
It is as if they have all become one, just as
their God is one. Despite their differences
of language, colour, status and gender, they
have become identical and one. Different
nationalities, it appears, have all turned into one single nation or
community. Hajj is a glorious and unparalleled expression of human
unity and collectiveness. One cannot find anything similar elsewhere
in the world.
Hajj is a glorious
and unparalleled
expression of
human unity and
collectiveness.
Another part of the rituals of Hajj is the collection of pebbles for
stoning of the Jamarat. It symbolizes preparation for warding off the
evil whispers of the devil. By stoning the Jamarat, the pilgrim refreshes
his determination to repel evil and cause the devil to flee from him.
He announces his enmity against, and opposition to, the devil. If one
converts this symbolic act into actual practice, one can truly expel all
evil and negativity from oneself.
Following this, the pilgrim sacrifices an animal in God’s path. In the
Quran it is included in the divine symbols. Sacrificing an animal stands
for sacrificing one’s own self. By sacrificing an animal, the pilgrim
symbolizes his willingness to sacrifice everything in God’s path, including
even his own life if need be. He expresses, thereby, his commitment to
offer his everything for God’s sake.
Although the rituals of Hajj are completed in Makkah, many pilgrims
go to Madinah after finishing their Hajj. The ancient name for Madinah
is Yathrib. Towards the end of his life, the Prophet of Islam made it his
centre, and that is why it came to be known as Madinat-un-Nabi or ‘The
City of the Prophet’. Madinah is a short form of this term.
Hajj leads the pilgrim
to becoming a Godoriented
person.
He recalls and
remembers God. His
mind is filled with
thoughts of God.
In Madinah is a mosque built by the Prophet,
where his grave is also located. Here also one
finds the footprints of his prophetic life. When
Hajis (pilgrims) arrive in Madinah, they are
reminded once again of the collective unity of
humankind despite its diversity. The mosque
of the Prophet reminds them that their one
true guide is the same Prophet. They return
from here with the feeling that despite their
geographical or national differences, they
have to follow the same path, the one shown
by the Prophet. This is another powerful symbol of their unity. They
return from Madinah inspired by the understanding that no matter
what their differences—of nation, ethnicity and so on—they must all
walk on the path of their same Prophet, that they must take as their
guide the same blessed figure, and that their God is the One God.
THE RECOGNITION OF TRUTH
A Test
WHEN the Prophet first brought God’s message to the people,
there were many who opposed him. When he conveyed the
message they said, “It is witchcraft.” They also asked, “Why
was this Qur’an not revealed to some great man of the two towns?”
(
blessings? It is We Who apportion to them their livelihoods in this
world, exalting some in rank above others, so that the one may take
the other into his service. Better is your Lord’s mercy than all their
hoarded treasures. (
The “two towns,” Makkah and Taif, were
central cities in ancient Arabia, where certain
citizens like Walid ibn Mughirah and Utbah
ibn Rabia in Makkah and Urwah ibn Masood
and Ibn Abd Yalayl in Taif, enjoyed the status
of acknowledged leaders (akabirs). They were
held in high esteem and were looked up to
by the people for guidance. That is why when
“Muhammad ibn Abdullah” claimed to be the
Prophet, people failed to understand how
that could be possible, when he was not one
of the acknowledged leaders.
To be able to perceive
the truth for what
it is, is one of the
most important tests
set for man by his
Maker. That is why
this ever-recurring
test will confront
man till Judgement
Day itself
The truth is generally accepted when projected as such by some
established and influential personality. But acknowledgement of the
truth—and here is the greatest test for man—is valid only when the
truth recommends itself by virtue of its own merit; when it is perceptible
as such without the say-so of men of fame and status.
To be able to perceive the truth for what it is, is one of the most
important tests set for man by his Maker. That is why this ever-recurring
test will confront man till Judgement Day itself: Those who consistently
measure up to it will succeed: Those who do not will fail.
To accept the truth on the basis of its visible grandeur is to judge by
mere externals. Such an acknowledgement is valueless in the eyes
of God. The true believer is one who accepts God’s reality before any
visible signs appear to support it.
This world is a world of trial, in which God appears only to those who
have the ability to penetrate the divine disguise.
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
Believers, obey God and the Messenger when he calls you to that
which gives you life. Know that God stands between man and his
heart, and you shall all be gathered in His presence. And beware of
an affliction that will not smite exclusively those among you who
have done wrong. Know that God is severe in exacting retribution.
(
Here the ‘call of life’ means the call for the struggle to convey the
Truth to others. Initially this struggle starts by preaching by word of
mouth or by means of the pen. But the belligerent attitude of those
to whom the call is given takes this struggle to various other stages,
even to the extent of migration or war. Man formulates his religious
life in accordance with his ideas, at the individual level. He makes
his life so consistent with his circumstances that it appears to be an
island of safety for him. He has the feeling that if he exerts himself to
reform others, this well-established abode will be destroyed; his well
organized life will be disturbed and the regulation of his time and the
system devised by him to govern his property—keeping his personal
requirements in view—will be upset.
Such fears prevent him from making efforts to call upon others to the
Truth and to sacrifice his life and property for that cause. But this is
utter stupidity. The fact is that the abode of peace which he considers
his ‘life’ is his graveyard, and hidden in the sacrifice in which he sees
his death, lies the secret of his life. Giving the call to the people and
their reformation are extremely important tasks, provided that they
are aimed at the Hereafter and are not for worldly purposes. It makes
a dead religion a living religion. It links man with God at the highest
level. It introduces man to such religious experiences as he could never have if he remained in his individual shell. If, in spite of hearing such
an important call on behalf of God, people are still unmindful of it, they
incur the risk of creating a psychological barrier between themselves
and the Truth; they risk losing their natural capacity to hear the voice
of Truth, to rush towards it and discover their Lord.
Man’s life is social in nature. Nobody can go on living on his own on
an isolated island. If a man is content with his personal righteousness,
he always incurs the risk that, as a result of perversion in society, he
himself will also be affected, for he is also a part of the same society. His
struggle to reform the people would serve as a practical demonstration
that he was not involved directly or indirectly with evil people. Every
evil starts in a small way and then gradually becomes greatly enlarged.
If it happens that when an evil is in the initial stages, it is opposed by
a number of people at that time, it will be easily crushed. But once the
evil has spread, it becomes so deep-rooted that it becomes impossible
to eliminate it.
Remember when you were few in number and were accounted weak in
the land, ever fearing the onslaught of your enemies, but He provided
you with shelter, and supported you with His help and provided you
with good things, so that you might be grateful. Do not betray God
and His Messenger, and do not knowingly violate your trusts. Know
that your wealth and children are a trial and that there is an immense
reward with God. (
In Makkah, Muslims were in a state of helplessness. They were always
in fear of being uprooted at any time. They were like a weakling who is
oppressed in every way and denied even his legitimate rights. At last
the way to Madinah opened for them. They were given the opportunity
to go to Madinah, form a centre of their own there and live in freedom
and with respect in that atmosphere.
This providing of easy circumstances after difficulties is meant to infuse
feelings of gratefulness in man. When a man’s living conditions reach
the point where he feels himself helpless, at that time suddenly God’s
help appears and everything changes for the better. It happens in this
way so that man should firmly believe that whatever happened was at
the behest of God, and on the basis of this realization, he should be
overflowing with gratitude for the grace of God.
Man embraces faith in God and His Prophet. In this way, he vows that
he will tread the path of God and His Prophet. But, while adopting the
way of Faith, the compulsions of his property and children come in
the way. Then, he shuns the requirements of Faith and gives all his attention to property and children. This is an open betrayal of his
pledge of Faith. The gravity of this betrayal becomes painfully obvious
when it is realized that the things for which man betrays God are in
themselves gifts from God.
What are a man’s property and his children? Are they not gifts from
God? They are a trust given by God to his subject. The best use of this
trust is that when its Donor wants it, it should be willingly surrendered
to Him. But when God exhorts the people to rise and strive with all
their might in the cause of His religion, they make an excuse of that
very trust of God which they should have sacrificed for God’s religion
and thus fulfilled their pledge of Faith to Him. In this way, after being
on the verge of success, they add their names to the list of failures.
An action becomes a crime in the eyes of God only when it is perpetrated
in the full knowledge that it is wrong.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
What characteristic trait is most essential in an individual so that he
can contribute to national development?
The example of Toyota, Japanese automobile company, provides an
insight into this question.
Toyota has been functioning for the last thirty years without a single day
ever having been wasted, and without its production ever once having
slackened. This is only one of the many examples which explain the fast
development of industry in Japan. General Motors and the Ford Motor
Company of the USA are the biggest motor manufacturing companies
in the world. The annual production of these motor companies is, on
an average,
annually produces 33 cars per worker.
Considering the non-existence or at least paucity of all the major raw
materials of industry in Japan—coal, iron, petroleum, etc.—Japan still
manages to surpass all other countries in industrial progress. One
might well ask why one commentator attributes Japan’s success to:
“A national spirit of compromise and co-operation, and a willingness
to endure short-term setbacks for the long-term good of the nation,
company or family.”
It is temperament then which plays the most crucial role in the making
of a nation. It is important in nation-building in the way that bricks are
important in any kind of construction work. A house made of unfired
bricks is unsafe, because any calamity, even a minor one, can bring it
tumbling down. A building, on the other hand, which is made of kilnfired
bricks can be trusted to withstand the onslaught of tempests and
floods.
A character so tempered that it can be depended upon through thick
and thin—like the kiln-fired brick—is what in the long run builds a
nation, for it is only such a temperament which can remain attuned
to the more and more complex procedures of industrialization and
remain steadfastly geared to national progress.
Recently there has been a lot of activism seen throughout our country
to root out corruption. What is the right approach to resolving the
problem of corruption?
Everyone is worried and wants to have a corruption-free world. This
in itself is a good desire, there is no doubt about it. But such a desire can be achieved only through adopting the right method towards its
fulfilment.
People, both political and non-political, are fascinated by the concept
of raising voices against evil. Every day there are some examples of
the use of this method. Some people are speaking on stage, some
are protesting on the streets, some are organizing paidal-yatras, while
others are trying to produce the required result through the ballot box.
The purpose of all is common, that is, to raise their voice against social
and political evils.
These methods have been in use for more than half a century, however,
the required result is nil. The situation is akin to sowing the seed but
having no yield in return.
Why have these efforts failed to produce positive results? The
reason is very clear. Social change cannot be brought about through
demonstrating on the streets, it is brought about by changing people
at the intellectual level. Social change is not an issue of street activism,
it is an issue of intellectual activism. The only way to social change is
one, that is, education, both formal and informal. This method seems
to be a very long-term method, but according to the law of nature,
any substantial result is achieved only by long-term planning. Shortterm
planning cannot produce any valuable result. Social construction
or nation building is like growing oak trees. If we perform this task in
the right way, a time will come when nation building will have become
a reality. However, if we do not adopt the right method to carry out this
task, then even after thousands of years of effort we will not be able to
achieve our target.
To eradicate corruption, we have to give individuals a goal greater
than money. The pursuit of wealth will only lead to discontentment,
while the pursuit of wisdom will always lead to contentment. Only the
content can abandon corrupt practices. To achieve this goal, we have
to address individual minds, not attract crowds. A spiritual revolution
cannot be brought about by a mob. And only a spiritual revolution can
root out corruption. Education is the first step towards the construction
of a nation. There can be no other beginning to the journey.
What is the most pressing issue confronting India as a society today?
In present-day India, the sphere of education and employment is
vitiated by favouritism. But if the government in power were to take
decisions which were merit-based instead of favour-based, the class
of people who reaped benefits from the favour culture might become discontented, thus making the government’s second term doubtful.
But, the result would certainly be the coming of a new culture in India,
which would usher in an age of quality education and services. Thus, a
process of sound development would be initiated.
India’s basic problem is the lack of quality in education, services and
administration. The only reason for this is favouritism, which inevitably
thrives at the cost of quality. This policy may benefit some individuals,
but because of it the nation as a whole suffers. Quality in work comes
into evidence when everything is based on merit. Those who make the
second term their concern will only take popular decisions. But, one
whose concern is the nation will take realistic decisions.
The issue facing Indian democracy is not who won the elections. Rather,
the losers should willingly accept defeat, while the winners should
make the availing of present opportunities their sole concern. In such
a situation, the present party may lose the second term, but because
of its efforts, the country will have been set in motion along the path
of progress.
In developed countries, the principle of ‘compete or perish’ works
in every field. ‘Compete or perish’ is not a negative concept. In fact,
it means ‘stand up through competition and save the nation from
perishing.’
Thus, whenever there is development, there will, at the same time, be
the voicing of complaints or grievances, which have to be dealt with.
Otherwise, the process of development will come to a standstill. The
concern of democratic administrators should be the nation rather
than the immediate wishes of the voter community. The real issue for
them must be whether or not the nation is moving towards holistic
development in the long-term.
Often we see that a minor dispute between two individuals leads to a
full-fledged conflict between groups representing the two individuals.
How to avoid such instances?
People nowadays tend to resort to violence at the slightest
provocation from others. When the losses of meaningless quarrels
are pointed out to them, they seek to justify themselves by saying
that they were not the aggressors and that their opponents had
forced them to take to fighting. “We didn’t fight!” they retort. “It was
those people who did it! They conspired against us to make us fight.”
Such people do not know that “not to fight” is not simply that if no one
fights you, you do not fight with anyone. "Not to fight" means that if
someone comes to fight you, still you should not fight with him. Nonviolence
does not mean remaining peaceful so long as no one is acting
violently towards you. It means to refrain from violence even in face
of violence. If someone seeks to provoke you, you should not allow
yourself to get provoked. If someone conspires against you, you should
render the conspiracy ineffective through wisdom and silent, positive
action.
Unity is crucial for the joint working of the citizens of a country,
so that they can contribute to the successful advancement of their
nation. How should we practice this unity?
When the Indian journalist Khushwant Singh visited Japan, he enquired
about the prospects of the legal profession there. He was told that
it was not a flourishing business. The reason being the fact that the
Japanese preferred settling disputes on their own to suing in the
courts. Willingness to admit faults by each party is the surest way to
bring quarrels to an end. It is only when either party seeks to place
the whole blame on the other side that the quarrel takes a turn for the
worse. Whereas the very gesture of shouldering the blame softens up
the other side, with the result that the dispute dies a natural death.
This realistic attitude has greatly benefited the Japanese in many
respects. For instance, this makes them place their trust in one another.
Thus they save the time and money they would otherwise expend on
lengthy legal documents. Most of the commercial institutions trust in
verbal understandings. Formerly it was practiced only among Japanese,
but now foreign investors have also started to take advantage of this
practice. Avoidance of unnecessary legal obligations invariably speeds
up the work.
Essentially, such an outlook gives rise to unity. It is undoubtedly the
greatest force that contributes to the success of a nation. In the words
of an expert of Japanese affairs, the secret of Japan’s success lies in:
“Never quarrelling amongst themselves, always doing everything
together.”
If you fail to act you cannot
compensate for it by speaking more.
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 )
