ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

Spirit of Islam is a monthly magazine which is now in its seventh

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!

A MESSAGE FOR THE NEW YEAR

Dear Readers,

Greetings of Peace!

They are not thankful to God, those who are not thankful

to their fellow men. —Prophet Muhammad.

BEING one of those to whom the spirit of Islamic teachings is close

to the heart, I take this opportunity on the New Year to thank all

the readers of our monthly magazine Spirit of Islam.

The beginning of the 7th year of the publication calls for an enormous

gratitude to God Almighty for seeing us through every challenge which

one faces in an effort to continue any endeavour in the way of humanity.

Through this opportunity I would like to convey the benefits I have

received from this magazine. As per the teaching of our mentor

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan we should only present to others what we

ourselves benefit from.

It was my heartfelt desire to understand Islam in the contemporary

idiom since my childhood. I had read many books and journals on

Islam, but none gave me the picture of Islam in a language that I could

understand. When I got involved with Spirit of Islam and Maulana

Wahiduddin Khan’s Centre, my mind found what it had been looking

for all along. I felt this was the Islam that has been presented in the

Quran and Sunnah as it is, but conveyed in the contemporary idiom so

it could address modern minds. One-by-one I was able to understand

the principles of Islam.

I find the articles given in ‘From the Spiritual Tree’ and ‘Towards Global

Peace’ columns of particular relevance to me. Before getting involved

in the magazine one question I often asked was, ‘Is Islam a religion

of peace or does it sanction violence?’ The articles in these sections

made me realize that Islam is completely a religion of peace. It in fact,

gives an ideology of peace that is in perfect harmony with nature and

with contemporary times. Reading the spiritual articles helped me

find peace within myself while the articles on global peace helped me

understand how to attain peace in society and the world at large.

I would like to add that the magazine gives a holistic picture of Islam

after removing the misconceptions related to the religion. It makes one

understand the deeper meaning of jihad, the difference between jihad and qital, the status of women according to Islam, the place of peace

and spirituality in Islam, the need for ijtihad, (re-application of Islamic

teachings in changed times) etc.

The magazine has enabled me to apply Islamic principles to my daily

life. Prior to reading Spirit of Islam, the religion of Islam to me was a

set of commandments and rituals that I had to follow, but they had no

relation to my real life. As such, I did not understand what importance

these had to the building of my personality.

However much I tried, the pillars of Islam were not living parts for me.

But after reading articles from the magazine I was able to discover a

living Islam that had a direct bearing on my life. I would like to give one

example. There is a verse of the Quran which states, “(Paradise) is for

those who undertake tazkiyah” ( 20: 76 ). Previously this verse did not have

any meaning for me. But when I understood the principle of conversion

given in one of the articles of the magazine I realized that tazkiyah is

another name for purification of the soul, a method to reform one’s

character and personality. In spite of having negative experiences from

people I have the ability to convert the negative into positive in my

mind, and respond to others in a positive manner. I try not to get angry

or react in a negative manner. However, it is a day-to-day stru ggle.

As a result of my reading the various articles in the magazine I have

discovered Islamic spirituality. It is nothing mysterious in nature.

Islamic spirituality is based on a two point formula: Simple Living and

High Thinking.

Dear readers, I wish that this New Year helps all of us start a new

journey in life which is filled with wisdom and knowledge. Let us pray

that this year brings us peace and well-being and empowers us with

the ability to manage the day-to-day challenges of life.

Thank you,

Dr. Naghma Siddiqi

Editorial Committee

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.

125 YEARS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

IN THE WEST

THE seventh convention of the Parliament of World's religions was

held recently in Toronto, Canada. This reminded me of the first

time the 29-year-old Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) took to

stage at the Parliament in Chicago 125 years ago to share perspectives

on diversity and co-existence with intellectuals from across the globe.

Swami Vivekananda made a sensational debut at the Parliament. He

was initially nervous about delivering his speech but as he took the

stage, he began by addressing his audience as ‘Sisters and Brothers

of America!’ The hall resounded with a long burst of applause at his

words and he received a standing ovation from the delegates and the

crowd comprising several thousand people from world over. Today,

as we have become increasingly global, the expression takes a larger

dimension and has transformed into ‘Sisters and Brothers of the World!’

The President of Parliament of World’s Religions, John Henry Barrows

later remarked about Vivekananda, calling him “the orange-monk who

exercised the most wonderful influence over his audience.” The media

splashed articles and special features on him and he was labelled as the ‘most popular and influential man’ at the Parliament! In a world

of strangeness and separation, Swami Vivekananda had touched the

chord of familiarity and proximity, awakening a feeling of unity amongst

his audience.

The mission of the Parliament of the World’s Religions is to cultivate

harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and

achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world. Swami Vivekananda

became the ambassador of this message of universal brotherhood at

the Parliament. He was the first to introduce Indian philosophy to the

West in this manner and received support,

leading to the establishment of Vedic centres

in the West. In his interactions, he extensively

discussed tolerance and cooperation between

communities of the world.

Follow one religion,

and respect all. I

can lead a life full of

love and compassion

devoid of any hatred

because in my mind

and in my heart,

I recognize every

person as a creation

of God.

In ‘Letters of Vivekananda,’ Swami Vivekananda

outlined the bright future of India as a nation,

to be shaped by two forces: Islamic Body and

Vedic Brain. I would modify this and say that

in order to create the future we all aspire for,

we would have to resort to a blend of ‘Western

Body, Eastern Brain’—this is the only way we

shall progress in times to come!

Swami Vivekananda was an ardent advocate of religious diversity being

the soul of universality. His formula was, ‘Follow One, Hate None’. This

principle was based on an inherent understanding of the fact that this

world is full of differences—family, society, religious communities and

nations; difference is an integral part of each ecosystem. But differences

are not evil; they are a blessing as they create challenges, which lead to

development and progress in the world.

In my experience too, this is the simplest and most natural formula—

to follow one religion, and respect all. As a nonagenarian, I can lead a

life full of love and compassion devoid of any hatred. This is because

in my mind and in my heart, I recognize every person as a creation of

God. Since every one of us is created by God, how can I hate anyone?

In this respect, there’s no difference between us. It is acceptance of this

reality that can pave the way for us to co-exist and that will enable us

to meaningfully adopt and leverage differences, rather than trying to

eliminate or remove them.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

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FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Dr. Farida Khanam has been a professor at the Department of Islamic Studies

at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. A Study of World's Major Religions, A Simple

Guide to Sufism are two of the books amongst 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.

AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT

ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE

FIQH the Arabic equivalent to jurisprudence literally means an

understanding and knowledge of something. At more than one

place the Quran has used the word fiqh in its general sense of

‘understanding’. In the early days of Islam the terms ilm (knowledge)

and fiqh were frequently used to denote an understanding of Islam

in general. This shows that in the Prophet’s time the term fiqh was

not applied in the legal sense alone. The Prophet blessed one of his

Companions in the following words: “Allahumma faqqih ho fiddin,’ which

means ‘O God, give him understanding in religion’. By these words the

Prophet did not mean exclusively knowledge of law. He meant in fact a

deeper understanding of religion.

Brief History of Fiqh

After the Prophet, the Companions settled in different parts of the vast

Islamic empire. Here they were confronted with new problems, and they

had no option but to exercise their personal judgement. The Prophet

was no longer amidst them to turn to him for the solution of these

problems. Therefore whenever any problem arose they first consulted

the Quran and Hadith and only if they failed to find the solution there,

they resorted, to the exercise of their personal judgement, while

observing fully the spirit of the Quran and Hadith.

It was at this stage when the exercise of reason was done to deduce a

law, that the term fiqh came to be frequently used for this endeavour.

Towards the end of the seventh century a movement of collecting Hadith

started. Large number of people devoted their entire lives to collect

and record the teachings of the Prophet. There was another group of

people who were interested only in those teachings from which some

legal rule could be deduced. For this purpose they resorted to the

exercise of reason and personal judgement. This knowledge came to

be known as fiqh and those who were involved in this task came to be

known as fuqaha.

During the age of successors the Arabs settled in different parts of

the vast Muslim empire. Consequently they came into contact with

different cultures and civilizations—confronting with problems they

had never faced before. In their endeavour

to solve these problems they made great

advances in various fields of learning. Islamic

law developed and towards the middle of

the ninth century books began to be written

exclusively on fiqh.

Whenever any

problem arose they

first consulted the

Quran and Hadith

and only if they failed

to find the solution

there, they resorted,

to the exercise

of their personal

judgement, while

observing fully the

spirit of the Quran

and Hadith.

Origins of Different Schools of Law

One should be clear about the fact that

during the time of the Prophet there was

no such science as that of jurisprudence.

The only ideal for Muslims at that time was

the conduct of the Prophet. They learnt by

observing the Prophet’s actions and under

his instructions. On different occasions, cases

were brought to the Prophet for his decision.

Prophet’s decisions were taken as models for

similar decisions in similar cases. During this period, people were not

interested in unnecessary philosophical discussions or in meticulous

details. Prophet’s practice remained a general directive, interpreted by

the early Muslims in different ways. Of course the Prophet laid down

certain regulations but the jurists elaborated them with more details.

The reason for this further addition to the laws by interpretation is

that the Prophet himself had made allowances in his commands. He

left many things to the discretion of the community to be decided

according to a given situation.

The Prophet provided a wide scope for differences by giving instructions

of a general nature, or by validating two diverse actions in the same situation. Had the Prophet laid down specific and rigid rules for

each problem, the coming generations would have been deprived of

exercising reason and framing laws according to the need of the hour.

Thus whenever any problem arose the Muslims tried to solve it by first

referring to the Quran; If no definite answer was found in the Quran

then they would turn to the Sunnah (the practice of the Prophet); if there

too the problem remained to be solved then

they resorted to consensus of the scholars;

and as a final recourse they drew an analogy

with the Quran and Sunnah.

The Prophet provided

a wide scope for

differences by giving

instructions of a

general nature, or

by validating two

diverse actions in the

same situation.

From the above points we can understand

that the science of jurisprudence had come

into existence with the advent of Islam, but

it developed as an academic discipline in

the eighth century. Imams or scholars have

established four different Islamic schools of

jurisprudence. There is no conflict between

them and they are accepted by all the Muslims

of the world. One could follow any school of thought one wants to. For

example the Maliki School of law is dominant in the Arab west and is

also found in southern Egypt and Sudan.

These four different schools of Islamic jurisprudence have been

established by the following Imams and named after them.

Abu Hanifa Nu’man ibn Thabit (Hanafi School of Law)

Born in 699 CE in Kufa, Umayyad Caliphate

Died in 767 CE in Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate

Malik ibn Anas (Maliki School of Law)

Born in 711 CE in Madinah

Died in 795 CE in Madinah

Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi (Shafi School of Law)

Born in 767 CE in Gaza, Bilad al-Sham, Abbasid Caliphate

Died in 820 CE in Egypt

Ahmad bin Hanbal (Hanbali School of Law)

Born in 780 CE in Baghdad, Iraq

Died in 855 CE in Baghdad, Iraq

Dr. Farida Khanam

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DECEPTION ON ALL SIDES

Until the Day of Truth

THIS is a world of deception and delusion. People are free to do

one thing in reality, but make-out that they are doing something

quite different. They may be pursuing a policy of personal

advancement and self-aggrandisement, but they use slogans which

make it appear as though—far from serving themselves—they are

only out to serve others. They make out that what they are doing is

for the good of their nation, whereas in fact they themselves are the

only beneficiaries of their policies. Everyone twists words to his own

advantage, making the cruelty and injustice that he inflicts on others

appear like justice and humanism. Those who have the law on their

side have a licence to act as they please: if the law sanctions their

misdemeanours, then no one can say that what they are doing is wrong.

This is the way with people of the world. As for people who call

themselves religious, the course that they follow is not very different.

They have attached the label “religion” to a few lifeless dogmas; they

have assigned the highest rewards to menial, mechanical rites and

ceremonies; they make ritual religion appear

like real religion; they give themselves credit

for practising religion, whereas in fact what

they are practising is religion made by man,

not the one revealed by God.

They have made

religion a topic

of argument and

disputation, and

have forgotten that

religion is something

to be practised, not

just to be talked

about.

The “God” that they have invented for

themselves is one that they do not need to

fear. They have appointed for themselves a

prophet who will intercede for them and save

them from damnation, no matter how they

act on earth. The afterlife that they claim to

believe in is one where Heaven is for them

and Hell for others. When they pray they are a picture of humility, but

their prayer does not prevent them from being proud and malicious

when they leave the house of worship. When they fast, they assiduously

abstain from food and drink, but they do not bother to refrain from

lying, deceit, and injustice. They have made religion a topic of argument

and disputation, and have forgotten that religion is something to be

practised, not just to be talked about. Then, to crown it all, they claim

that they are performing “missionary activity,” whereas in fact what

they are doing is seeking to consolidate their own power and prestige.

But counterfeit gold is only considered gold until it has been put to the

test of the touchstone. So it is with the deception that man practises in

this world. It can only prevail until the Day of Reckoning comes to pass,

when God’s truth will eliminate all falsehood and His justice will put an

end to all injustice. Man is free in this world because he is being put to

the test. He can do as he pleases as long as

his trial period lasts. When it comes to an end,

he will find himself absolutely powerless. He

will want to speak, but words will desert him.

He will want to run away, but his legs will not

be able to carry him.

But counterfeit gold

is only considered

gold until it has been

put to the test of the

touchstone. So it is

with the deception

that man practises in

this world.

That will be the day of truth. On that day man

will shed the camouflage which hides his real

state in this world. Everyone will appear as

they really are. What a revelation it will be

when the pretences that people put on fade

away, and reality comes to the fore. In this

world only God knows a person’s true state; in the next world it will

be plain for all to see. Those who appeared in a certain light in this

world will be exposed in a completely different light there: they will be

exposed for what they were, rather than what they pretended to be.

WEALTH

The Great Deceiver

ACCORDING to the Quran, wealth is only meant to fulfil

man’s needs. It is not a goal in itself. It can fulfil the physical

requirements of man, but man is more than a physical entity.

Man is an intellectual being, and as such can only find fulfilment in

pursuing some alternative goal which is higher than accumulation of

wealth.

Wealth is certainly useful for man, but it is a wrong option if one focuses

on the acquisition and hoarding of wealth as the principal end in life.

Wealth can give one material comforts, but it cannot give wisdom and

learning. The best course for humankind is to live as seekers of truth,

wisdom, learning and ultimately a goal that is elevated. It is exactly to

bring about this understanding that the Prophet said:

“It is not poverty that I fear for you, What I fear for you is that you

should have too much access to worldly wealth, as happened to

communities that passed before you; and you become emulous of

it, as was the case with them.”

This Hadith has been propounded in both the main collections of the

teachings of the Prophet, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

What the Prophet warned of, we have seen happening in recent

decades all over the Muslim world. Muslims have had worldly wealth

lavished upon them and with it have been put to a severe test. Palatial

houses to live in, advanced vehicles to drive, huge bank balances to

keep them in luxury, all these and much else besides have come with

the accumulation of worldly wealth.

The trouble with great wealth is that it is all too often bought at the price

of personal integrity. All too often it proves the great deceiver tainting

one’s vision and preventing one from seeing things as they truly are.

What is before our eyes today, we come to think of it as permanent; but

it will be gone tomorrow.

For this reason, worldly wealth has no value in itself. Great expertise

in worldly affairs will be of no avail when one stands before God in the

next world. Then it will only be realities which count. What a pity it is

that man is lost in his own illusions, that he is allowing himself to go

astray in what is, after all, only a transitory phase of his existence, quite

unmindful of the fact that what awaits him is eternity.

A BELIEVERS BEHAVIOUR

Prophetic Guidance

THE behaviour of a true believer in his environment is one of love,

mercy and compassion. Here are some relevant references from

the sayings of the Prophet of Islam in this regard.

“A guardian of orphans (whether the orphan be of one’s near or

distant relation or of strangers) and I will be in one place in Paradise,

like my two fingers”, said the Prophet and his fingers were nearly

touching each other at the time". (Muslim)

Someone said: ‘O Prophet of God, teach me something’. “Abuse

no one”, replied the Prophet, “and despise not anything good and

speak to your fellow-men with open countenance”. (Tirmidhi)

God has no mercy for him who has no mercy for his fellows. (Bukhari

& Muslim)

A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘How many times should

forgive a servant?’ The Prophet kept silent. The man repeated the

question thrice. “Forgive your servant seventy times everyday”, said

the Prophet. (Abu Dawud)

He who does not behave kindly towards younger people and does

not show due respect to older ones is not of us. (Tirmidhi)

Someone asked: ‘What is Islam? The Prophet said: “Purity of speech

and hospitality.” (Musnad Ahmad)

The Prophet said: “On the Day of Judgement God will question:

‘O Man, I was sick and you did not visit Me’. 'My Lord', the man

will wonder, ‘How could I visit you when You are the Lord of the

universe?’ God will remind! ‘My so and so servant was sick and you

did not visit him. Had you visited him, you would have found Me

there, with him?” (Muslim)

Visit the sick, feed the hungry, and help to relieve people’s misery.

(Bukhari)

Muslims who live in the midst of society and bear with patience the

afflictions that come to them are better than those who shun society

and cannot bear any wrong done to them. (Abu Dawud)

Every good deed is a charity, and it is a good deed that you meet

your fellowmen with a cheerful countenance and you pour water

from your bucket into the vessel of your fellow.

Answering a questioner with mildness is charity. Removing that

which is inconvenience to wayfarers, such as thorns and stones is

charity. (Tirmidhi)

The leader of a people is truly their servant. (As-Suyuti)

Faith (iman) is to restrain oneself against all violence, let no believer

commit any violence. (Abu Dawud)

God has forbidden you disobedience of parents, miserliness, false

claims, and the burying alive of female infants (female foeticide).

(Bukhari & Muslim)

Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries. (Ibn Majah)

y The seller is under obligation to disclose any defect in the article

offered for sale. (Bukhari)

Someone asked the Prophet, ‘What fanaticism was?’ and he replied:

“That you help your people in wrongdoing”. (Abu Dawud)

That one will not enter Paradise whose neighbour is not secure

against his mischief. (Muslim)

He who believes in God and the Last Day must not put his neighbour

to inconvenience. (Bukhari & Muslim)

He is not a believer who eats to his fill while his neighbour goes

without food. (Ibn Abbas, Al-Baihiqi)

The Prophet said: “A person passing through a street carrying

anything pointed or with a sharp edge should cover it up, so that

nobody is exposed to the risk of injury due to his carelessness.

(Muslim)

Once when the Prophet was in retreat in the mosque 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.”

He who eases the hardship of another, will have ease bestowed

upon him by God in this world and the next... God goes on helping a

servant so long as he goes on helping his fellow-men. (Muslim)

The Prophet was very insistent upon kindness towards animals.

On one occasion he noticed a dove flying around agitatedly, and

discovered that somebody had caught its young. He was very

annoyed and asked the person to restore the young to the mother

immediately. (Abu Dawud)

With regard to servants, the Prophet said: They are your brothers,

and you must treat them as such. Provide them with the kind of

clothes that you wear, and if you set them a hard task, join them in

it to help them complete it. (Abu Dawud)

The Prophet, during his night prayer, used to say, “O God! I bear

witness that all human beings are brothers”. (An-Nasai)

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

THE TEACHER TREE

THE tree beside my house is my teacher, although a silent one.

The previous summer, this tree, like many other trees, shed its

green leaves. Gradually, it became just like dry wood.

I was doubtful whether it would ever again turn green. But in the

spring, the whole scenario changed. My teacher tree again became a

tree with lush green foliage. The rebirth of this tree was a great spiritual

lesson. My teacher tree turned into a spiritual speaking tree. It gave me

a significant message: ‘Don’t be hopeless in any situation. After every

dry season, there is a good harvest. After every spell of hopelessness,

there is new hope, and after every failure, there is a great success.

After every dark night, there is a bright morning’.

My spiritual tree never left its allotted space. Neither did it ever protest

against anyone; it never demanded that others find its new, living leaves.

It remained at the same place and started a new process within itself.

What was this process? The process was to get its food from below as

well as from sunlight. The strategy worked. The whole of nature came

to its aid and after some months, it gained its lost greenery once again.

This is the lesson I learned from my spiritual tree.

No protest, no complaint, no demand, and no street or stage activism:

simply trust your own natural abilities and work silently. Try to reshape

your destiny. And very soon you will be glad to discover that you have

regained your life.

What is a tree? A tree is an illustration from nature. Nature tells us of

its scheme through trees—that after every winter, a new spring will

follow.

What is needed is only to discover that you have the power to discover

your potential. Discover the opportunities around you and then avail of

all these opportunities by silent planning and action.

My spiritual tree creates no noise, no problems; it creates no unwanted

situations. These are the secrets of a green tree. This is also the secret

of human life. Adopt the tree culture and you will be a good member

of society, just like a tree which is a good ‘member’ of the environment.

Moreover, my spiritual tree has never asked me for anything. It has

never sent any bills to my office. Yet it gives me pleasant scenery,

shade, green branches, fresh oxygen, flowers, etc. It also provides a

perch for chirping birds who with their beautiful songs give me a lot of

pleasure.

The culture of my spiritual tree is that it

silently gives me a message: ‘Adopt my culture

and you will become a fitting ornament of the

garden of the universe. ‘

After every dry

season, there is

a good harvest.

After every spell of

hopelessness, there is

new hope, and after

every failure, there is

a great success. After

every dark night,

there is a bright

morning.

My spiritual tree gives me the best definition

of spirituality. Live as a complex-free soul and

you will find a complex-free world to live in.

Your destiny is in your hands. Never allow

others to decide your destiny.

Utilize your opportunities, turn your potential

into actuality and soon you will find that you

have no complaints to register against others.

Every tree is an embodiment of spirituality; a

silent lexicon. So adopt the tree as your teacher. The tree is a good

teacher who is available at all times to every student. The only condition

for learning from the tree is the ability to listen to silence.

TWO PICTURES

Return to Islam

A CERTAIN Jew lived near Shaykh Bayazid Bastami, the great Sufi

saint. When this saint passed away, someone asked the Jew if he

ever got attracted towards Islam during his interactions with the

Sufi saint. The Jew answered; “I saw two Islams, neither of which I liked.

On the one hand there was the Islam of Shaykh Bayazid Bastami, which

called for extraordinary capacity to follow. Then there was the Islam of

most Muslims, which I would be ashamed to make my own”.

On closer examination of this opinion of the Jew we can understand

that from the point of view of people of other faiths the religion of

the Sufi saint appeared to be a life of renunciation, total retreat—from

the world and unstinted devotion. Great feats of endurance are its

hallmark; nights spent in vigil, days in lengthy

recitations; arduous pilgrimages, punctuated

by prayer at almost every step; memorized

incantations, repeated over and over again,

thousands of times.

Islam is a simple,

natural religion,

possessing a

tremendous inherent

appeal to human

nature.

The religion that would be apparent in the

rank and file of Muslims in general, on the

other hand might be one which appears

far from the true Islam as presented by the

Prophet. For instance they might talk about

faith with great fervour but in action might

keep to their self-interests. They might

prostrate before God, but behave arrogantly with people. They might

recite the Quran but fail to follow the commandments given in it. They

may even resort to violence in the name of Islam. Such actions when

witnessed by others make them think, ‘is this worth following’?

Islam is a simple, natural religion, possessing a tremendous inherent

appeal to human nature. Because of the directness of this appeal, it

spread over a large portion of the globe in the first phase of Islam in

the time of the Prophet and his Companions. Later, however, contrived,

innovatory versions of Islam began to appear, with the result that

Islam lost its natural appeal. Islam is a preserved religion. For this to be

restored, all artificial veils have to be removed from the face of Islam.

Islam has to be presented in its original form, as it is presented in the

Quran and the teachings of the Prophet.

FEED YOUR STARVED INTELLECT

Beat Stress

THE problem of stress is very common. Almost all of us suffer

from stress and so we need to find a method for destressing.

Experience shows that there is no mechanical technique of destressing.

Such a technique could be applied only to a robot, not to a

living human being.

The first step is to diagnose the problem of stress. This is the beginning

of the process of destressing. Stress is actually a problem of starvation.

Just as our body needs food, without which we would go hungry, so

also does our intellect need ‘food’. When we have a feeling of stress

what we are actually experiencing is intellectual or spiritual starvation.

A verse from the Bible which is part of the Lord’s Prayer says: “Give us

today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6: 11)

These words are meant to indicate to us the course we need to take in

self-training. It tells us that we need to feed our souls and relieve our

spiritual starvation. But this can happen only if we learn how to extract

spiritual food from our daily experiences.

In nature, it is the honeybee which

demonstrates this method by extracting

nectar from flowers and making food from it

for itself. Similarly, there is spiritual nectar for

a person in every experience that one faces.

This nectar has to be extracted on a daily

basis from the experiences that we have. If

we fail to do so, we shall suffer from spiritual

starvation.

When we have a

feeling of stress

what we are actually

experiencing is

intellectual or

spiritual starvation.

Discover the art of

feeding the intellect

and you will never

complain of stress.

For example, while at work in your office, you

may feel that you are being discriminated

against. If you reflect on the matter, you will

find that what you faced was not a result of

the discrimination-factor, but of the quality-of-work-factor. That is, the

reason was not discrimination but was rather your own deficiency in

whatever qualities were required in your office. Discovering this is like

extracting nectar. Once you have extracted this ‘nectar’ you will find

positive lines on which to think. You will focus on improving the quality

of your work and soon see that there will be no more ‘discrimination’.

People generally live in a self-centred world. They know about

themselves, but remain unaware about others. Therefore every person

tends to overestimate himself while underestimating others. This

disparity in thinking results in stress. If you

are able to eliminate this disparity and adopt

a realistic approach, you will certainly be able

to lead a stress-free life.

Every person tends

to overestimate

himself while

underestimating

others. This disparity

in thinking results

in stress. Adopt a

realistic approach

and you will be able

to lead a stress-free

life.

Stress is often due to recalling past failures

and/or worrying about the future. A simple

solution to the mental anguish caused by past

failures is to forget them; similarly, a simple

solution for worrying about the future is that

you should think about the problem only

if it becomes a reality rather than worry in

advance. Frequently what one worries about

does not become reality, so there is no need

to worry about it beforehand.

There was a student who was so worried about the results of his exam

that he fell sick and had to be hospitalized. But when the results came

out, he had passed the exam with good marks. In this experience, there

was nectar for the student—that is, he should have waited for the result

rather than become worried in advance.

Stress may be equated with intellectual starvation. If you discover the

art of feeding the intellect, you will never complain of stress.

MANS PLIGHT

Every Dome Has a Grave

HOW grand and imposing the dome appeared from afar. Less so

when the great edifice was entered and there appeared, lying as

low as low could be, a solitary grave. What a contrast between

that mighty dome—a symbol of human greatness and that lowly

grave—testimony to man’s utter helplessness. The two constructions

presented a picture of the startling and agonizing discrepancy between

what man seeks in this world, and what actually comes his way.

He seeks to consolidate his own position on earth, to establish his

own greatness; but the most that he achieves in the end is a dome,

concealing one devastated and done away with by death.

Man seeks to take his fill of worldly pleasures, but it is a mouthful of

earth that is his final portion. He seeks to devour everything in sight

upon this earth, only to be himself devoured by this very earth.

When he speaks, he seems to be defying God, but he cannot truly defy

God, for God hears all that he says. By his own actions, he sets himself

on an infernal course. If only he realized the consequences of his

deeds! If only he saw the folly of condemning

himself to a fate that he does not have the

strength to bear.

The two

constructions—

dome and grave—

presented a picture

of the startling

and agonizing

discrepancy between

what man seeks in

this world, and what

actually comes his

way.

So, clear is the picture of truth that appears

before man on this earth, that one would not

expect him to deny it; yet he does so. Wilfully

and scornfully, he casts truth to one side,

putting his own interests first. Sometimes

his own faults loom before him, clear as the

midday sun, yet he does not acknowledge

them. Sometimes his attention is drawn

to some home truth. Despite having no

reasonable argument with which to defend

himself, he finds words with which to cast

blame on his admonisher.

What a strong stand he takes against oppression, but it is oppression

perpetrated by others that he objects to, not to that of which he

himself is guilty. Blissfully oblivious to his own corruption, he is quick to

expose corruption, and take a stand against it, when he views others as

corrupt. When it comes to fulfilling the rights of others, he is negligent in the extreme. He is quick, though, to take

up the cause of those who have been denied

their rights by others besides himself.

Man seeks to take

his fill of worldly

pleasures, but it is

a mouthful of earth

that is his final

portion.

In order to consolidate his own power, man

raises false slogans, not minding if a whole

nation has to suffer as a result. He seeks to

advance his own interests at the expense

of others, not seeing that in his attempt to

trample on the rights of others, he is in fact

trampling on truth. He lives in a dream world,

though the only world worth living in is one based on truth and reality.

If he were to remember death he would live a good life in preparation

to receive the rewards of God in the eternal life of the Hereafter.

ISLAMIC VIRTUES

Model Character

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 examples worth

emulating.

Running to Another’s Assistance is a Great Religious Duty

Abdullah ibn Abbas, a Companion of the Prophet was in retreat in

the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah, when a man, who was in trouble,

came and sat beside him. When Abdullah ibn Abbas asked him what

the matter was, he said “I owe a man some money, and I am unable to

pay him back.” “Shall I speak to your creditor on your behalf?” asked

Abdullah ibn Abbas. The man approved of this suggestion, and he at

once set off. “Perhaps you have forgotten you are in retreat,” the man

called after him. “No, I have not forgotten,” replied ibn Abbas, “but I

have heard the Prophet say that running to the assistance of one’s

brother and doing one’s utmost to help him is better than remaining

twenty years in retreat.”

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.

Deceivers are Not True Believers

Passing through the marketplace, the Prophet

noticed a man selling from a heap of grain.

The Prophet ran his fingers through the grain

whereupon his fingers became wet. “How is

it that this grain is wet?” he asked the owner,

who said that it was because of the rain. “Then

why not put the wet portion on top, so that

people can see it,” said the Prophet, adding;

“Those who deceive others do not belong with

us”.

Not Indulging in Vain Talk, or Wishing Anyone Ill

When people came to visit Abu Dujanah a Companion of the Prophet

as he lay on his death bed, and saw that despite his sickness, his face

was shining, they asked him how it was that his face was so radiant.

Abu Dujanah replied: “I place reliance on two things more than on any others. For one, I did not indulge in vain talk; for another my heart was

free from ill-feeling towards others.

The Polite Way of Seeking Permission to Enter a House

Safiyah the wife of the Prophet relates how she was with the Prophet

one day when Ali a Companion of the Prophet came and asked if he

might enter his house. He knocked very quietly at the door and the

Prophet asked for the door to be opened to him. On another occasion

Saad ibn Ubadah, a Companion of the Prophet came to see the Prophet,

and after asking permission to enter, he stood in front of the door so

that he could see right inside. The Prophet signed to him to stand to

one side, then, after a suitable interval, invited him to come in. “The

actual reason for asking permission to enter is to avoid seeing inside

the house,” said the Prophet.

LIVING IN A PROFESSIONAL WORLD

Reset Your Priorities

WE are living in a world of profession. In the present world, it is

one’s profession that defines one’s identity. The professionoriented

life is the generally accepted lifestyle of every

person.

Having a profession means living according to the dictates of the ‘money

market’. And everyone tries to develop a professional skill that enables

them to be a sharing partner in the flow of money in the market.

This culture has resulted in a new phenomenon that was absent in

former times, i.e., living in accordance with external requirements

and setting aside internal requirements, that is, what is required by

one’s inner nature. The result is that while everyone is a developed

personality in terms of his profession, in terms of his own nature,

everyone is an underdeveloped personality.

Talk to anyone at random and ask him about his profession he will readily

give you specific answers. If you speak to him about his professional

subject, he will give you a detailed answer for every question. But, if

you ask him about those issues, which pertain

to human life that is, non-professional issues,

you will find that he is not mentally prepared

to discuss this subject.

We are living in a

culture of duality.

When it comes to

their profession,

everyone is wellequipped.

But, as

far as the science

of life is concerned,

everyone is illequipped.

Upon enquiry with a lady from Europe in a

meeting about her profession it unravelled

that she was well-disposed in sharing

information about her professional field. But,

in her personal life she was unhappy with

her spouse and said that she had decided

to separate from him. The main reason she

cited was that her husband was an adamant

person and she did not like this. She knew the

science of her profession but was quite ignorant of the science of life.

This is true of every person. Each one is living in a culture of duality.

When it comes to their profession, everyone is well-equipped. But, as

far as the science of life is concerned, everyone is ill-equipped. This is

so common that finding an exception is very difficult.

It is not a question of balance, it is a question of priority. Everyone

should set or reset their priorities right. The problem with this is when you try to reset your priorities, you fear that you are going to damage

your commercial interests, because when your mind is engaged in

intellectual issues, it will not be able to engage

in money-related issues. You gain one thing,

but at the same time you lose another. But,

this is not a genuine excuse. You should think

in terms of intellectual development and

not just in terms of material development.

Intellectual development is so important

that no excuse for neglecting it is acceptable.

Adopt a simple formula: make intellectual

development your first priority and then try

to manage all other aspects of your life.

Make intellectual

development your

first priority and then

try to manage all

other aspects

A lack of intellectual development is not a simple matter. It is the lack of

intellectual development which has resulted in all those problems that

are common in our present age, for example, tension, unnecessary

lifestyle diseases, lack of peace of mind and losing that very thing that

man so desperately wants—happiness.

FROM DENIAL TO BELIEF

Faith and Reason

PROFESSOR CHANDRA WICKRAMASINGHE is a Sri Lankan-born

British scientist, mathematician, astronomer and astrobiologist.

He headed the department of Applied Mathematics and

Astronomy at University College, Cardiff, in Wales until his retirement

in 2006. He has been conducting research into the origin of life since

1962 in the company of eminent English scientist, Professor Sir Fred

Hoyle. The results of their research have been published in the form of

a book entitled, Evolution from Space, (J.M. Dent, London, 1981)

When the two scientists commenced their research they both agreed

on one point: that the notion of a Creator is inconsistent with science.

But they were so shocked by the final result of their research that they

had to revise their thinking. “From my earliest training as a scientist,”

Wickramasinghe says, “I was very strongly brainwashed to believe that

science cannot be consistent with any kind of

deliberate creation. That notion has had to be

very painfully shed. I am quite uncomfortable

in the situation—the state of mind I now find

myself in. But there is no logical way out of

it. “

New evidence has

again and again

come to light, which

makes belief in God a

scientifically credible

concept, rather than

just a personally

desirable creed.

Both scientists made separate calculations into

the mathematical chances of life having begun

on earth spontaneously. Independently, they

both arrived at the same conclusion: that the

odds against life having begun accidentally

on earth were staggering in mathematical

jargon 10 to the power of 40,000. Add 40,000 noughts to the figure 1

and you have the figure. “That number is such an imponderable in the

universe that I am 100 percent certain that life could not have started

spontaneously on Earth,” says Wickramasinghe.

As they write in their book: “Once we saw that the probability of life

originating at random is so utterly miniscule as to make it absurd, it

became sensible to think that the properties of physics on which life

depends are in every respect deliberate.”

“Sir Fred Hoyle was tending much more than I towards the higher

intelligence Creator,” Wickramasinghe explains. “I used to argue against

it, but I found myself losing every argument. At the moment I can’t find any rational argument to knock down the view, which argues for

conversion to God. If I could have found an argument—even a flimsy

one—I would not have been a party to what we wrote in the book. We

used to have open minds; now we realize that the only logical answer

to life is creation, and not accidental shuffling. I still hope that one day

I may go back to favour a purely mechanistic explanation—I say ‘hope’,

because I still cannot come to terms with my conversion.”

“My being a Buddhist—albeit not an ardent one—was never a problem,

because it is an atheistic religion which does not profess to know

anything about creation and does not have a creator built into it. But I

now find myself driven to this position by logic. There is no other way in

which we can understand the precise ordering of the chemicals of the

universe except to invoke creation on a cosmic scale.”

Until recently, belief in God was considered to be just a personal creed,

not backed up by rational thought. In recent decades, however, this

situation has changed. New evidence has again and again come to

light, which makes belief in God a scientifically credible concept, rather

than just a personally desirable creed.

Science impresses on man the abstract reality of God’s existence, but

if there is a God, what should man’s relationship with Him be? Science

does not, and cannot, answer this question. This is a question that can

only be answered by religion.

Basically every religion answers this question. We present here the

concept from the Islamic perspective. The highlighting points being

God being one who is the Creator, Sustainer of the entire Universe.

A study of the cosmos shows that it operates in unity and harmony

which corroborates His Oneness.

A further in depth study of Islam will present before the reader the

creation plan of God for the humankind which is in accordance to the

law of nature. Further the study will give a clear picture of the exact

relationship of man with God.

DELUSIVE GRANDEUR

Don’t be Fooled

MAN is free in this world. God has not placed any curbs on

him. But this freedom is for the purpose of putting man to

the test, and is not meant to encourage him to lead a life of

permissiveness and then just pass away one day. Rather its purpose

is that man should lead a morally upright life of his own free will, thus

demonstrating that he is of a high moral character.

One who conducts himself in this manner should be reckoned as God’s

special servant. One who, without any apparent compulsion, chose to

be a man of principle; who, without being subjected to any external

force, did of his own free will, what his Lord would have desired. This

liberty accorded to man gives him the opportunity to gain credit for

being the most superior of all God’s creatures.

Man is free in this

world. God has not

placed any curbs on

him. But this freedom

is for the purpose of

putting man to the

test

All the things in this world are God’s

subjects. The stars and satellites rotate in

space entirely at their Lord’s bidding. Trees,

rivers, mountains, and all other such natural

phenomena function according to the

unchangeable laws of God laid down by Him in

advance. Similarly, the animals follow exactly

those instincts instilled in their species as a

matter of Divine Will. Man is the only creature

who has been given, exceptionally, the gift of

power and freedom.

This freedom has opened doors of two kinds for man, one leading to

success and the other to failure. If, on receiving freedom an individual

becomes arrogant and insolent, it will mean that he has failed the test.

People usually take worldly success to be an indication of success in

the life to come. But they are mistaken in this, for success in this life

has nothing to do with eternal success.

Worldly grandeur is no true grandeur at all. Whatever the conditions of

human existence, all men are the same in that they are being tested.

A person’s position on earth is not an indication of success or failure.

When one is raised in stature or in some way honoured in this world,

one would be mistaken if one were then to look down on others, for

all are equal in the face of death. Death puts the whole human race on one level. Great are those whom God sees fit to make great, and lowly

are those who are cast down by Him.

People usually take

worldly success to

be an indication of

success in the life to

come. But they are

mistaken in this, for

success in this life

has nothing to do

with eternal success.

The world being a place of trial, man can

pretend to be great, but it will not be long

before his real position is exposed. On that

day many who have honour in this world will

be debased before God; many who claim to

be friends of justice and humanity will be

exposed as enemies of the very causes they

espoused; many who are acclaimed amongst

the brave will be condemned as cowards;

many who claimed to bow to the truth will be

exposed as shams.

On the other hand, those who remain modest

and humble, bowing to their Lord’s will on all

occasions, will have made the right use of their God-given freedom.

They will, without any compulsion, have bound themselves by divine

principles. Those who choose this course will succeed in the test of

freedom. They will be handsomely rewarded by God as no other

creature. Held to be the chosen servants of God, they will remain in an

everlasting state of blissfulness and blessedness.

WORKING TOGETHER

Hold No Grudges

A hundred times have I fought with my beloved;

A hundred times have I befriended her.

She knew nothing of my fighting or of my befriending.

— A Persian poet

THESE words may seem to belong to the world of poetry, but it

also has enormous relevance to the real world. It gives us an

insight into the type of people needed to achieve any great

purpose in life, i.e., those who possess the quality, mentioned in this

verse, of being able to bury within themselves the grudges that they

feel towards others.

No great objective can be attained by lone individuals. Several people

have to strive together even if the simplest things are to be achieved.

But united effort, besides having many advantages, also presents one

great problem—the problem of people differing among themselves.

Whenever people work together, it is inevitable that various

disagreements and grievances should arise. Sometimes one will receive

a smaller share of the credit, while the other receives a larger portion.

Some attain to high positions while others have to be satisfied with

lower ranks. At times, it is something which has been said which offends

another; at others it is some ill-considered action which seems to hurt

another’s interests. Whatever the bone of contention may be, there

are bound to be repeated occasions which lead to resentment. There

will always be times when one feels anger, jealousy, vindictiveness and

animosity towards some colleague.

There is only one practical solution in such situations. That is, every

individual has to turn himself into a self-correcting machine. He must

defuse within himself the antipathy which he feels towards another.

The grudges which he harbours have to be forgotten. Only then will

people be able to work and struggle on together.

This is what Khalid ibn al-Walid did when the Caliph of those days, Umar

ibn al-Khattab, removed him from his post as the commander of the

Muslim forces in Palestine. At that time, he felt extremely aggrieved.

But then he resolved the issue in his mind by thinking that he was in

that post for the sake of God and God will reward him abundantly so

why should he be angry with Umar. In this way instead of airing his

grievances, he settled them within himself.

A NEW INDIA

Creative Mindset

AFTER 1962, India and China became hostile to each other. But

now, the equation between these two enemies has completely

changed, albeit without the issuance of any formal communiqué

to that effect. Now, in reality, India and China have become business

partners, not rivals.

This is on a parallel with the equation between the Muslims and

Hindus of India. After partition, Hindus and Muslims in effect became

not just each other’s rivals but each other’s enemies. One sign of

this phenomenon was the communal riots that, after partition, were

rampant all across India. But now, riots of this kind no longer appear

in the headlines of our national dailies. They are no longer a burning

issue.

Muslims have

emerged as a selfaware

community

of India, whereas

prior to this, they had

been lacking in any

appropriate sense

of their own value to

the country.

It was the demolition of the Babri Masjid that changed the minds of both

communities, leading to the development of a positive relationship

between Hindus and Muslims, who had both ultimately come to the

conclusion that the demolition of the Babri

Masjid had actually led to the decimation of

the Indian economy. The Hindu community

had ultimately to acknowledge that the

Muslims, rather than being their rivals, were

indeed their customers. And vice versa. After

this discovery, the thinking of both Hindus

and Muslims underwent a total sea change

and they performed a complete about–turn.

They started applying to each other that wellknown

maxim: “The customer is always right.”

One sign of this change is that the Hindu

community has bought up prominent Urdu

newspapers as Muslims bought up certain English newspapers after

independence.

After partition, because the Muslim community regarded the Hindus

as antagonists and rivals, they allowed their own development in

all fields to come to a standstill and, as a community in India, they

became directionless. But now, mostly under compulsion, Muslims

have performed a U-turn, without any declaration of a specific policy.

Indeed, Muslims have accepted Hindus as their brother community

rather than as their rivals.

After partition, the Muslim community was driving up a blind

alley, as it were. But now, with the complete change in the Muslim

attitude, the Muslims are, according to my assessment, a truly fast

growing community, in almost all walks of life in modern India, albeit

unconsciously, rather than consciously.

History shows that great success is always the outcome of great shock.

For Isaac Newton (1642-1727), “apple shock” led to a great discovery.

That is, the law of gravity. This applies also to the case of the Muslims.

The Muslims, by their way of thinking—which was unrelated to hard

reality—took the partition of India to be a

political shock for their future. But after 1971,

everything changed greatly, a new process

set in the Indian Muslim community, and

now this process has reached its culmination

and Muslims have emerged as a self-aware

community of India, whereas prior to this,

they had been lacking in any appropriate

sense of their own value to the country.

The so-called Muslim

intelligentsia is

still intent upon

proclaiming that

Muslims are under

siege, whereas the

reality is totally

different—Muslims

in India have

started rebuilding

themselves as a

creative community.

One international survey shows that when

two communities co-exist in one country—a

majority community and a minority

community—according to the law of nature,

such a situation is bound to be fraught with

tension. The pressure arising therefrom is

bound to start a natural process by which the

minority community, can do no other than enhance its creativity. If,

at the outset it was uncreative in character, it will eventually re-build

itself as a creative community. This is a law of nature that is bound to

come into force, even without any declaration of intention, or obvious

planning. This is an ongoing process in India, and according to the law

of nature, it is impossible for any group to call a halt to it: it is bound,

sooner or later, to come to fruition. The so-called Muslim intelligentsia

is still intent upon proclaiming that Muslims are under siege, whereas

the reality is totally different—the law of nature inevitably prevails, and

certainly, Muslims are no exception to it.

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

Before you also, the Messengers We sent were but [mortal] men to

whom We vouchsafed revelation. Ask the People of the Book, if you

do not know. [We sent them] with clear signs and scriptures. We

have sent down the Reminder to you, to enable you to make clear to

mankind what has been sent down to them, so that they may reflect

upon it. ( 16: 43-44 )

The People of the Book’ (ahl az-zikr), refers to those who have a

knowledge of historical facts relating to past peoples and past prophets.

What had to be ascertained from them was not about truth or untruth:

they were to be asked about whether the prophets appearing in past

ages were human beings or not. The fact that the Prophet Muhammad

was a human being was treated by the people of Makkah as evidence

of his not being the Prophet of God. They were told to ascertain from

the communities among whom prophets had been appearing (just as

in the case of the Jews) whether the prophets who appeared among

them were human beings or angels.

A prophet appears for the purpose of ‘reminding’. This reminding is, in

fact, done with the help of arguments. However, it is also necessary for

the preacher to prove himself to be absolutely serious in this regard. If

a man makes people aware of Heaven and Hell, but at the same time

engages in such activities as prove him to be flippant about Heaven

and Hell, his dawah efforts will become ridiculous in the eyes of the

people.

However, even if the call of the preacher is of a high standard and

is presented in a perfect manner, it will benefit only those who pay attention to it. Those who do not pay attention can never be benefited

by the call of truth.

Do those who devise evil plans feel secure that God will not make

them sink into the land, or that a punishment will not come upon

them from where they least expect? Or that He will not seize them

suddenly in their daily activities and they will not be able to frustrate

Him? Or that He will not punish them by giving them a fright? Indeed,

your Lord is kind and merciful. ( 16: 45-47 )

This verse pertains to the last stage of the Makkan period when the

opponents of the Prophet Muhammad were conspiring to kill him. The

Prophet is God’s representative on God’s earth. Therefore, hatching

such a conspiracy against a prophet must necessarily be the handiwork

of such persons as are absolutely fearless of God’s retribution. The

fact is that God is the Possessor of such control over man that He can

cause him to be buried deep in the earth if He so desires, or He may

wreak vengeance on him at the very place which he considers safe; or

God may seize him in the course of his activities and he will not be able

to save himself. God may even seize upon him when he is conscious of

the risk and fully aware of the situation.

In short, God may seize upon man at any time and in any situation. If He

sees people doing mischief, yet lets them go unpunished, they should

not become fearless, because His restraint is due to His consideration

of ‘test’ conditions and not to His being powerless.

Have they not observed the things God has created, casting their

shadows right and left, prostrating themselves before God in all

humility? Everything in the heavens and all the creatures on the earth

prostrate themselves before God, as do the angels, and they do not

behave proudly: they fear their Lord above them, and do what they

are commanded. ( 16: 48-50 )

Man indulges in arrogance in a world where all the things surrounding

him are teaching him lessons in obedience. For example, the shadows

of material things. The shadow of a thing standing erect falls on the

ground. In this way, it symbolizes kneeling down (sajdah). It shows

symbolically how a man should bow down before his Creator.

Though angels are not visible to man, the running of this immense

universe in the most regulated manner proves that the agents appointed

by God to run it are extremely powerful. These angels, in spite of being

extraordinarily powerful, are totally obedient to God. If they were not so, the system of the universe would not function continuously with so

much precision and uniformity.

In view of this, to be entirely correct in his behaviour, man can do no

other than surrender himself to God, do obeisance to Him and become

His most obedient subject.

God says, ‘Do not take two gods. He is only One God. So fear Me alone.’

To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and on the earth, and

obedience is due to Him alone. Will you then fear anyone other than

God? ( 16: 51-52 )

God has warned man through His prophets that he should not hold to

any god except the one and only God. The God of this universe is only

one. Man should fear only Him; he should be obedient to Him alone.

If a man fully realizes that it is God who is the sole Creator and Lord

of all, and that his life completely depends upon Him, the feeling that

develops in him as a result of this realization is fear of God (taqwa).

Eternal obedience is the due of God alone in this heaven and earth.

Everything here is completely bound by divine law. In such a world, to

pray to or to worship or to repose hope in anybody else is absolutely

irrational. The present universe is such that it completely rejects

ascribing partners to God (shirk).

ASK MAULANA

Your Questions Answered

What is the role of a Mosque in Islam?

Mosque or ‘Masjid’, literally means a place for self-prostration; that

is, a place formally designated for the saying of prayers. According

to a teaching of the Prophet, “The mosque is a house of God-fearing

people”. This means in effect, that it is a centre for the inculcation of

reverence, where individuals learn what is meant by piety and are thus

prepared for a life of devotion to the Almighty.

The Masjid is built so that people may visit it to read the Book of God,

to remember their Creator, silently and in prayer, and to hear His

commandments on how they should lead their lives, that is, how to

conduct themselves according to His will.

The most important of all these activities is the saying of prayers, a ritual

to be carried out five times a day as prescribed by Islam. The mosque,

initially intended as a place of worship, has come to be built to serve

other related purposes, such as housing a seminary, library, lecture

hall, guest house, dispensary etc. The Prophet advised the building of

mosques in a simple style, so that there should be no dissipation or

dilution of the true religious and spiritual atmosphere.

What is the meaning of Azaan which we hear from the Mosque five

times a day?

Azaan is the call for prayer which is used to notify the Muslims about

the prayer times of the five compulsory prayers which are supposed to

be observed by Muslims daily.

Following are the words of the Azaan in Arabic with their translation:

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar

God is Great, God is Great, God is Great, God is Great

Aashhadu Allaa ilaaha Illal-Laah, Aashhadu Allaa ilaaha Illal-Laah,

I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, I bear witness that

there is no god except Allah

Aashhadu Aanna Muhammadur Rasoolul-lah, Aashhadu Aanna

Muhammadur Rasoolul-lah

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness

that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

Haiyya Alas-salah, Haiyya Alas-salah

Come towards Prayer, Come towards Prayer

Haiya Alal-falah, Haiya Alal-falah

Come towards Success, Come towards Success

Assalaatu Khayrum Minan Naum, Assalaatu Khayrum Minan Naum [only

said during dawn prayer]

Prayer is better than sleep, Prayer is better than sleep

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar

God is Great, God is Great

La ilaaha Illal-Laah

There is no deity but God.

When and why was this method of calling for prayer established?

In Makkah, the number of Muslims was small. They could gather for

prayers without any call. When Prophet Muhammad arrived in Madinah,

the number of Muslims started to increase. Prophet Muhammad

built Masjid Al-Nabawi to offer Salah regularly. By the second year of

Hijrath, (migration) the number of Muslims had increased. The people

announced the call to prayer in a loud voice so that those who heard

this call came to join the Salah. Muslims felt the need to find a way to

inform people to come to the Salah. Prophet Muhammad asked his

Companions for their advice.

Some of the Companions suggested that the Muslims, should blow

a horn to announce the time for the Salah. Others said, the Muslims

might ring bells. A few proposed that the Muslims, kindle a fire to call

people to pray. Prophet Muhammad wasn’t satisfied with any of these

ideas. He waited to hear a better idea or to receive guidance from God.

One day, a Companion, Abdullah ibn Zaid came to Prophet Muhammad

and said, “O Messenger of Allah! I had a beautiful dream last night.”

“What was the dream you saw”, Prophet Muhammad asked Zaid.

Zaid answered, “I’ve seen that a man wearing green garment taught me

the words of the Azaan and advised me to call people to prayer with

these words.” He then recited the words of the Azaan.

The words were beautiful and full of meaning. Prophet Muhammad

recognized that the dream of Zaid was true. He asked Zaid to teach the

words of Azaan to Bilal, another Companion of the Prophet.

Bilal stood up and called the Azaan. The voice of Bilal resounded

throughout the Madinah. People came running to Masjid Al-Nabawi.

Umar ibn khattab was one of the persons who came and said:

“O Messenger of God, an Angel taught me the same words in my dream

last night.” And Prophet Muhammad accepted this Azaan as the official

call to prayers.