TOTAL INVOLVEMENT IN A TASK
Successful Teamwork
A HIGH degree of motivation is required when people work
together as a team. While working individually motivation is
inherent as it involves personal profit: it is in one’s own interest
to see the work through to the successful end, and one does so. One
is moved by a sense of personal responsibility; one realizes that if one
does not accomplish the task oneself, there is no one else who would
do it.
But with work involving a group of people, one tends to lay the onus
on other people. One tends to think that if I do not carry on, there
are plenty of others who will continue in my
place. Seeing that there is no personal profit
to be gained from the work in hand, one
tends to see it as a burden best laid on others’
shoulders. Only when one has come to think
of the common good as one’s own good, of the
profit of society as one’s own profit, will one
become fully committed to collective work.
Such commitment requires, above all, a deep
sense of social consciousness. It requires
one to be oriented towards the needs of the
community, as anyone would normally be
oriented to cater for their own needs.
Only when one has
come to think of the
common good as
one’s own good, of
the profit of society
as one’s own profit,
will one become
fully committed to
collective work.
People with such a sense of social consciousness will put their heart
and soul into collective work whenever such work is required. Then,
when totally involved in it, they will see it through to the final stage and
successful culmination.
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
SPIRITUAL PROGRESS
THE actual target of Islam is spiritual progress. For this, man’s
spirituality has to be awakened, and the divine feelings latent
within him aroused. In the Quran, this (Islam’s actual goal) is
called purification and cleansing (
In fact, every person is born with an upright nature. In this respect,
everyone by their very birth is pure and clean. But during their stay
in this world they become conditioned and externally sullied. What is
meant by purification is for one to rid oneself of this conditioning—this
outer shell of moral grime and revert to the upright nature one was
born with.
This action of purification and cleansing has to be performed by the
individual. A little child may be clean and pure on his own, but this state
of purity is not due to some effort on his part, for he has been in this
state from the very moment of his creation. It is a different matter when
he grows up. He is now conditioned by the influence of family, friends
and society. Now, he must make himself clean and pure spiritually by
his own striving. It amounts to arriving consciously at the optimal stage
of spiritual development by one’s own will and efforts. It is this self-attained spiritual progress which is desirable in Islam. In the Quran it is
called, coming before one’s Lord with a “pure heart” (
According to a Hadith, while praying the Prophet observed, “May God fill
my heart with light.” Similarly, while praying for someone, the Prophet
once uttered these words, “O God, forgive his
sins and purify his heart.” In the book Muatta
of the Islamic scholar Imam Malik, a saying of
sage Luqman is recorded in these words: God
revives the heart with the light of wisdom, just as
He revives the dead earth with rains.
Purification is for one
to rid oneself of the
outer shell of moral
grime acquired by
external conditioning
and revert to the
upright nature one
was born with.
This is called spiritual progress. And it is this
spiritual progress which is the actual goal
of Islam. Those who fail to make spiritual
progress will never become truly Islamic in
character.
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.
SPIRIT OF ISLAM
DURING a seminar about ‘Understanding Religion from its Original
Sources’ I said, “If you want to understand Islam in its original
form you have to accept one fundamental principle; you have
to differentiate between Islam and Muslims. You have to judge Islam
based on its original text. And, you have to judge Muslims in the light
of Islamic teachings and not vice versa.”
It is a fact that every religion is originally based on its text but after
some time it is reduced to a mere set of traditions that are based on its
community. That is, it is a universal phenomenon that after some time
there emerges a parallel point of reference. First the reference point
is the text and then later its community emerges as a reference point.
Exactly the same thing happened in Islam. Originally there was only
one person who was the point of reference regarding Islam and that
was Prophet Muhammad. But then people started to accept the Muslim
community as the point of reference. And steadily there emerged a
parallel phenomenon, which was the community (of Muslims). People
started to take this community as a point of reference to understand
the religion of Islam. Then a time came that Islam and the community
of Muslims both become synonymous. People started to refer to Islam
and Muslims as alternative titles. And now after a long history this
has become an established norm. People refer to Islam while they are
trying to describe the community of Muslims.
To explain this point, let me give you an example. ‘Jihad’ is a term used
in the Quran as well as in the Hadith. But Muslims generally consider
this word synonymous with war. They use this word as though jihad
and war are equivalent. While it is totally wrong. If you read the Quran
objectively you will find that the Quran never uses jihad as synonymous
with war. In fact, jihad simply means struggle and it is used in Islam as
an ideological struggle rather than struggle by the sword. The other
equivalent term of jihad is dawah, or the task of conveying the message
of God to people. ‘Do jihad’ and ‘Do dawah’ are both equivalent terms.
When the Quran tries to refer to war it uses
another term, which is qital. So qital means
war while jihad implies a peaceful struggle for
the dissemination of Islamic principles which
are essentially based on tawhid (the oneness
of God).
To understand Islam,
you have to judge
Islam based on its
original text. And,
you have to judge
Muslims in the light
of Islamic teachings
and not vice versa.
This is the basic problem regarding the
understanding of Islam. If one wants to
understand what Islam is, then one must
differentiate between Islam and Muslims. They
must know that Islam is an ideology based
on the Quran and the prophetic teachings.
Academically this is the first important principle for understanding
Islam. Without keeping this in mind you cannot understand Islam. This
differentiation is not only an academic requirement, it is also academic
honesty. When Islam and the Muslim community both are different
you must recognize this as a fact, otherwise you will be dishonest in
studying this subject.
Dr. Farida Khanam
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ONE MONTH HAS GONE BY
Reflections and Resolutions
IT looks like just the other day everyone wished each other a Happy
New Year and one month has already gone by. New year resolutions,
analysis of the past year, plans and programmes for the new year
are a regular part of the beginning of the new year both amongst the
common folk, the celebrities and the organizations all over the world. It
is time to check enthusiasm levels and to introspect about two things:
first, about our sincerity in making the best use of time and the second
is about pursuing our goals without clashing with others.
At the very outset it would be of great importance to reflect on death.
From the beginning of the year until now many people have died. Every
death gives a message. One who dies has availed of his chance and it
does not exist for him any longer. For those who are alive, every death
gives a message that they still have their chance and therefore must
avail of it.
One who dies has
availed of his chance
and it does not exist
for him any longer.
For those who are
alive, every death
gives a message that
they still have their
chance and therefore
must avail of it.
There are two ways to lead your life. One is
to simply pass your time. The other is to use
time meaningfully. If you fall into the first
category, you are just wasting your life. By
spending your days meaningfully, you are
truly living and making proper use of this
amazing blessing that is life.
Never waste a moment of your available time.
By availing of your moments you can be the
possessor of your months and years. Wasting
minutes will cause you to lose months, if not
years.
If you are wasting, daily, just five minutes of your hour, this will amount
to wasting two hours in twenty-four hours. This will eventually come to
60 hours in a month, and 720 hours in a year. This is how the majority
of people have been wasting most of their available time. A man whose
life span is 80 years hardly makes full use of 40 years of his time.
Time is your greatest asset. Be meticulous about saving it. All great
success ultimately boils down to an accumulation of small successes.
Once you are ready to achieve a small success, a big success will come
your way by itself.
Every new day that dawns brings with it many opportunities. These
opportunities do not loudly announce themselves. It is for us to
recognize and use them in a fruitful manner that can spread benefit
to others. You need to skilfully discern the opportunities that come
your way. Recognize those that are truly for you and those that are
not. Learn to appreciate these opportunities and avail them in the
best and most realistic way, but be aware of the limits within which
you must remain. You need to be sensitive so
that in the process you do not transgress into
another’s territory.
All great success
ultimately boils down
to an accumulation
of small successes.
Once you are ready
to achieve a small
success, a big success
will come your way
by itself
The many opportunities that come your way
are not exclusively for you. There are several
others who are equally motivated. Success in
your life can happen only by cooperating with
others, never through conflict. Develop the
skill of navigating your life without clashing
with others. Just as you have some interests,
others do too. A smart person carefully avoids
clashing with other people’s interests and
sails ahead to attain his life goals.
To sum up one should be very cautious about making correct use of
time and to move ahead in life without getting into conflict with others.
Adhering to these two principles will ensure one’s success in life.
THE WORK OF NATIONBUILDING
Individual by Individual
THE work of nation-building is similar to planting an orchard. The
growth and development of a nation is a lengthy affair, and there
has to be a tremendous input at both the individual and national
levels before it finally bursts into blossom and finds the position of
honour and glory in the world.
If it takes a mighty tree one hundred years to reach its full stature,
whoever wishes to possess such a tree has no option but to tend to
it for that period. If instead of nurturing it with care and skill, people
called for an ‘orchard meeting’, or people come out on to the streets
and launch a strike campaign in the name of trees, or gather in some
open place or march through the streets shouting slogans, they will
never possess a single tree, less own an orchard.
The work of planting an orchard begins by obtaining seedlings and
providing every single one with such favourable conditions as will
enable it to develop its potential and grow into a fully developed tree.
When one has done this with innumerable seedlings, one can then
expect to have an orchard.
Build the individual and you build the nation. If hidden potential is to
be developed, it takes education, encouragement and the provision of
a proper environment at an individual level very early on in the whole
process, just as a sapling must be put into well prepared ground and
given the right type and quantity of nutrients, water, sunlight etc. If
people are properly instructed, while they are still young and receptive
and by people who adopt a caring, positive attitude, they develop a
healthy awareness of what their commitments to society should be
and what it means to be part of a nation.
Although we must accept the fact that this is a highly competitive
world, there is nothing to prevent us from endeavouring to cooperate
with and encourage cooperation from others. If we stand shoulder
to shoulder with our fellow men in the face of the most challenging
situations, there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome, no peril that
we cannot face.
Thus, it is the individual temperament which plays the most crucial role
in the making of a nation. It is important in nation-building in the way
the bricks are important in any kind of construction.
BASIC TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PROPHET
The Best Example
THE Quran describes the Prophet of Islam as a human being like
any other. What distinguished him from others was not his being
something other than human, but rather his being a prophet as
well as a human being. This is illustrated by the following verse from
the Quran:
Say, ‘I am only a human being like yourselves. It is revealed to me that your
God is one God. So let him who hopes to meet his Lord, do good deeds and
let him associate no one else in the worship of his Lord.’ (
This was something natural, and gave credence to the practical example
set by the Prophet of Islam for the benefit of all human beings. It is quite
clear that his ability to convince rested on his being a human being like
all others; on his having feelings of the same nature as other human
beings. If it were not so then the command to follow the example of
the Prophet would have been rendered impracticable. The greatness
of the Prophet of Islam lay in adopting a superior code of ethics as
a human being, so that he should come up to the highest standard
of conduct in all matters. Had he been cast
in some superhuman mould, his exemplary
character could not have served as a model
for human beings.
The greatness of the
Prophet of Islam
lay in adopting a
superior code of
ethics as a human
being, so that he
should come up to
the highest standard
of conduct in all
matters.
What were the tasks which were assigned
to the Prophet towards his Companions? In
chapter 74 of the Quran, God says: ‘O, you
wrapped in your cloak, arise and give warning!
Proclaim the glory of your Lord, purify your
garments; shun uncleanness, do not bestow a
favour in the expectation of receiving more in
return, and for the sake of your Lord be patient.’
(
According to the above verses the actual task of the Prophet consists
of warning the people of the serious consequences in the life to come
regarding their actions in the world. This duty can be performed only
by one whose heart is filled with the greatness of God; who possesses
a high moral character; who keeps away from all evil; who does good without any hope of return and who suffers patiently all the hardships
inflicted by others.
The first task of the Prophet was to receive God’s revelations and to
communicate them to man, i.e. he had to recite the verses of the Quran
and explain them to his hearers. Innumerable signs within human
nature and the outside world have been placed by God so that man
may realize Him through them. Therefore, the next task of the Prophet
was to reveal these signs and give man the insight to enable him to
experience his Lord.
Insight implies wisdom, so that when man has developed the insight to
see God’s signs; when he has moulded his mind to the teachings of the
Quran, a kind of intellectual light begins to shine within him. His cerebral
level is raised to a point from which he is able to experience higher
realities. In all matters he is able to arrive at the right conclusions as
desired by God. This task was about purifying
the soul of unfavourable elements in order
that a man may, in a favourable atmosphere,
elevate himself to the culminating point of
spiritual development.
After the Prophet,
his followers have
to work along the
same lines as were
followed by the
Prophet on the basis
of divine guidance.
Finally, the Prophet strove to prepare
people whose souls should be free from all
preoccupations except their devotion to God;
who should be free also from psychological
complexities, so that they might be capable
of finding the spiritual sustenance placed by
God in the universe for His devoted servants.
These were the basic tasks of the mission of the Prophet of Islam.
All his activities were directed solely to achieving these objectives
enumerated above. After the Prophet, his followers have to work along
the same lines as were followed by the Prophet on the basis of divine
guidance.
Making mistakes is not
irremediable. And often all
it takes to save the day is a
reversal of policy.
QURAN
The Book of God
WHEN the Prophet Muhammad claimed that the Quran was a
divine book revealed to him by God for the guidance of man,
there were many who did not believe him. The scriptures to
them were human rather than a divine composition. The Quran then
gave a challenge to these sceptics asking them to produce “a scripture
similar to it”, if what they said was true. (
in no uncertain terms that, even if all the human beings and the jinns
made collective and concerted efforts to produce a book like the Quran,
they would all fail miserably in their attempt. (
The Prophet’s Miracle
Every Prophet is given a miracle—a sign. The miracle of the Prophet of
Islam is the Quran. The prophethood of Muhammad, was to be valid
until the Last Day. It was imperative, therefore, that his miracle also be
one which would last for all time. The Quran was therefore, assigned to
the Prophet as his everlasting miracle.
The Prophet’s opponents demanded miracles, such as those performed
by previous prophets, but the Quran stated clearly that such miracles
would not be forthcoming (
made into the Prophet’s miracle:
They say, ‘Why has no sign been given to him
by his Lord?’ Say, ‘The signs are in the hands
of God. I am but a plain warner.’ Is it not
sufficient for them that we have sent you
down the Book to be recited to them? In this
surely there is a blessing and an admonition
for a people who believe. (
Every Prophet is
given a miracle—a
sign. The miracle of
the Prophet of Islam
is the Quran. The
Quran was assigned
to the Prophet as his
everlasting miracle.
There are many different aspects of the
Quran’s miraculous nature. For further
discussion, three aspects are highlighted.
The Language of the Quran
The language of the Quran is Arabic. Unlike other international
languages, Arabic has remained a living form of communication
over the ages. The languages in which all the ancient scriptures were
revealed have been locked in the archives of history. The only exception is Arabic, the language of the Quran, which is still current in the world
today. Millions of people still speak and write the language in which the
Quran was revealed nearly 1500 years ago.
Ernest Renan (1823-1894), a French orientalist, carried out extensive
research on Semitic languages. He wrote a book on their vocabularies,
in which he had this to say about the Arabic language:
“The Arabic language is the most astonishing event of human
history. Unknown during the classical period, it suddenly
emerged as a complete language. After this it did not undergo
any noticeable changes, so one cannot define for it an early
or a late stage. It is just the same today as it was when it first
appeared”.
In acknowledging this ‘astonishing event of
human history, Renan is in fact acknowledging
the miraculous nature of the Quran. It was
the Quran’s phenomenal literary style which
preserved the Arabic language from alteration,
such as other languages have undergone.
Jurgi Zaydan (1861-1914) is one of the scholars
to have recognized this fact. In a book on
Arabic literature he writes:
“No religious book has had such an impact
on the language in which it was written as
the Quran has had on Arabic literature.”
There is no other
book in history which
has been able to
make such an impact
on its language;
no other book has
moulded a whole
language according
to its own style, and
maintained it in
that form over the
centuries.
This provides proof of the miraculous nature
of the Quran, for there is no other book in
history which has been able to make such an impact on its language;
no other book has moulded a whole language according to its own
style, and maintained it in that form over the centuries.
World languages have changed so much throughout the ages that no
expert in any modern language is able to understand its ancient form
without the aid of a dictionary. There have been two main causes of
language alteration—upheavals in the social order of a nation and
the development of a language’s literature. Over the centuries these
factors have been at work in Arabic, just as in other languages. The
difference being they have not been able to change the structure of
the Arabic language. The Arabic that is spoken today is the same as
that which was current in Makkah when the Quran was revealed. No change in the Arab social order has been able to alter in any way the
Arabic tongue. This fact is an indication that the Quran came from a
supernatural source.
Preserved Scripture
The Quran is unique among divine scriptures in that its text has
remained intact in the original form.
Consider the following news from the Daily Mail (UK),
the Times of India,
fact:
Fragments of the world’s oldest Quran, dating back almost to
the time of the Prophet Muhammad, have been found bound
within the pages of another copy of the Islamic holy book in the
library of the University of Birmingham.
The two pages from the Islamic holy book manuscript are
thought to be between 1448 and 1371 years old, making it the
earliest copy of the Quran in existence.
Experts say the text contained on the pages is remarkably
similar to modern copies of the Quran and suggests many
parts of the holy book have not changed since the time of the
Prophet Muhammad. The discovery is thought to be particularly
significant as in the early years of Islam, the Quran was thought
to have been memorized and passed down orally rather than
written.
Professor David Thomas said: ‘the parts
of the Koran that are contained in those
fragments are very similar indeed to the
Koran as we have it today, and so this tends
to support the view that the Koran that we
now have is more or less very close indeed
to the Koran as it was brought together in
the early years of Islam.’
This characteristic
of the Quran—its
perfect state of
preservation—
singles it out from
its predecessors as
a unique vehicle for
divine guidance and
salvation, one which
will retain its validity
until the end of time.
This is proof that the text of the Quran
has never been tampered with and is a
distinguishing feature of the Quran. This
characteristic of the Quran—its perfect
state of preservation—singles it out from its predecessors as a unique vehicle for divine guidance and salvation,
one which will retain its validity until the end of time.
There are no additions to the Quranic text by human beings and
therefore there is no question of revising it as far as the original text
is concerned. The only need could be in re-application of the verses
in the present context. For example; today, in the age of democracy,
there is no religious persecution so the commandments pertaining to
the behaviour of the believers in the face of persecution will find no
application in the present democratic situations.
Quranic Challenge
The Quran challenged its doubters to produce
a book like it. No one has been able to take
up this challenge, and produce anything
comparable to the Book of God.
The greatest substantiation of the Quran’s
claim that no one would be able to write a
work like it (
Renan has called the ‘linguistic miracle’ of
the Arabic language. As with every other
language, masters of Arabic—great poets and
writers—have appeared over the ages. But, in
the 1500 years since the Quran was revealed, no one has been able to
produce a work that excelled it. Its standard has never been improved
upon and Arabic has remained on the course set for it by the Quran.
The Quran challenged
its doubters to
produce a book
like it. No one has
been able to take up
this challenge, and
produce anything
comparable to the
Book of God.
The impact that the Quran has had on Arabic is like that of a writer
who produces a work of unsurpassable literary excellence at the very
beginning of a language’s history. After such a figure has made his
mark, no lesser writer can change the face of the language. Anyone
who knows Arabic can appreciate the unique quality of the Quran’s
style as compared to that of any other work of Arabic literature. The
Quran is written in a divine style vastly superior to anything humans
can aspire to.
Thus with all the above points to prove that it is word of God, one
should read it with the understanding that God is directly addressing
man. The objective of the Quran is to make man aware of the creation
plan of God. That is, to tell man why God created this world; what is the
purpose of settling man on earth; what is required from man in his life
on earth and what he is going to confront after death. The purpose of
the Quran is to make man aware of this reality, thus serving to guide
man on his entire journey through life into the afterlife.
THE EMOTION OF ANGER
Convert Your Weakness to Strength
The angry man always thinks he can do more than he can.
—Albetano, ancient Roman philosopher
WHEN a man is intoxicated with alcohol, he is not in control
of himself. He may even go so far as to bang his head on
a stone, unmindful of the fact that it may not be the stone
that breaks but his own head. This is because, in his besotted state, he
wrongly gauges his own abilities and proceeds to do things which can
have unfavourable consequences.
The same is true of the angry man. In a towering rage, a man is not in
control of himself. He overestimates his own capabilities, as a result of
which he involves himself in activities which are beyond his powers of
control. He realizes his foolishness only when his temper has cooled.
But, by that time, the wrong step has been taken and destruction has
followed in its wake. It is now too late for regrets: he is unable to save
himself from his own wrong action.
Anger is one of the major things that could
cause a relationship to go sour. Anger
stokes a quarrel, which if pursued, leads to
personal dislike, and finally, to full-fledged
hatred. Hatred eventually leads to evil. In any
relationship, trouble is exacerbated by anger.
Anger is a natural phenomenon, and the only
solution is to control it.
Anger in itself is not
an evil. It becomes
evil when it is
allowed to spin out
of control and affect
people’s lives.
Anger in itself is not an evil. It becomes evil
when it is allowed to spin out of control and
affect people’s lives. Rage is an undesirable
reaction to a temporary provocation. It is
much like a fire that flares up for a short while and then dies down for
lack of fuel. If we understand this, anger will not result in any serious
disharmony.
An unpleasant word or experience can make the fire in our mind
suddenly flare up, but it only lasts for a short while. When we are angry,
we should remain quiet, and try to calm ourselves before returning to
dealing with the issue. It would not be wise to confront any adverse
situation in anger.
Once a person came to the Prophet of Islam. He asked, “O Prophet, give
me a master advice by which I may be able to manage all the affairs
of my life.” The Prophet replied, “Do not be angry.” It means, don’t
get angry even when provoked. Respond positively even in negative
situations. Always adopt positive thinking.
In the face of problems, anger further deteriorates the situation. On
the other hand, by controlling anger we can develop the capability
of responding positively in negative situations; of taking the right
decisions under difficult conditions; of discovering practical solutions
to all problems. The moment of anger is a high moment in the life of a
person.
Anger is not just anger, it also creates brainstorming. Anger releases
high energy in the angry person. It is a 'high' moment for the individual
concerned. If at this moment, he is able to divert this “anger energy” to
the positive side, it will lead him towards healthy activities from negative
activities. Anger is energy, and anger energy cannot be released in
normal situations. An abnormal situation is
required for unleashing it, for example when
one becomes angry due to provocation.
Silence is a positive response when dealing
with anger. The Prophet’s teachings contain
the importance of silence. Here are the exact
words of a Hadith: ‘When you are angry, keep
silence.’ (Musnad Ahmad)
By controlling anger
we can develop
the capability
of responding
positively in negative
situations; of taking
the right decisions
under difficult
conditions; of
discovering practical
solutions to all
problems.
How does silence help? When you become
angry due to some provocation, you should
remain silent. Maintaining this silence will
help in bringing about a change in the thinking
process of the mind. This can be understood
with the following analogy. There is a term
used in driving called “shift time”. It refers to
the time interval between gear changes. Shift time changes the speed
and direction of your car. So is the role of silence. Silence at the time of
anger shifts the direction of your thinking from negativity to positivity.
At the time of anger, keeping silence is like changing gears of the mind.
When a person is angry and he instantly becomes silent, the mind
then takes a new pace. Instead of running to the negative side, it starts
running in the positive direction and the result will be a well thought
out action instead of a rash harmful reaction.
Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve. There was some
disagreement between the two and Cain became so angry that he could
not forgive his brother. In this rage he killed his younger brother. This
was the first murder in human history. It is a reminder for humankind
that everyone must control their anger. If they fail in the test of anger
control, they will go astray and commit blunders and consequently, will
lose Paradise forever.
As recorded in the scriptures, this is an eye opener in human history. It
gives a great lesson to all human beings. They must be much cautious
regarding the weakness of anger. The principle of success in regard to
anger is to suppress it. Those who develop their minds sufficiently to
save themselves from the evil of anger will achieve eternal success.
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.
GREATER THAN POLITICAL VICTORY
PEOPLE are generally obsessed with politics. They believe that
acquiring a territory and establishing political rule over it is
the greatest success. But, according to the Quran, peace is the
summum bonum. While political victory is limited in its scope, the ambit
of peace is unlimited. Peace is therefore a greater success than political
rule.
In the chapter Al Fath (Victory), the Quran refers to the Hudaybiyyah
Agreement—a peace treaty drawn up between the Prophet and his
opponents, which was finalized in March 628 AD. The Quran mentions
it as fat’han mubeen or a ‘clear victory’ (
any doubt.
Then in the chapter Al Nasr (Help), the Quran refers to political victory
over Makkah in 630 AD. Here the Quran uses the word fath (victory).
This difference of terminology proves that,
according to the Quran, political victory
is simply the superseding of opponents
in control of a particular area, whereas
establishing peace—a ‘clear’ victory—is the
greater victory. It means that establishing
peace has more importance than a political
victory.
In an atmosphere
of peace, all the
members of a society
feel that they are
living in a state of
equality. All are equal
members of a large
family.
Why is there this difference? The reason is that
political victory gives you only one thing and that is administrative control over a piece of land. But peace has much
greater potential. Peace opens the door to multiple opportunities and
by availing of these opportunities, you can achieve all kinds of success,
including political rule.
The early history of Islam is a clear proof of this fact. Before the peace
agreement of Hudaybiyyah was signed, Islam seemed to be trapped in a
blind alley. But after the Hudaybiyyah Agreement, the Prophet of Islam
and his Companions endeavoured to avail of all those opportunities
that had been opened up to them and within two years, Islam had
spread all over the Arabian peninsula.
This principle covers all of human life—family life, social life, as well as
international life; everywhere you can see the miracle of this master
principle. The whole of history testifies to the fact that no one has ever
been able to achieve any meaningful target through political victory.
On the contrary, all great achievements have
been the result of peaceful activities.
Political rule has many negative aspects.
It leads to reaction, jealousy, enmity, even
fighting and ultimately war. Political rule
means one’s domination over others, so every
political regime—every political rule results
in permanent rivalry, sometimes in the heart
and sometimes on the battlefield.
Political rule is good only for rulers and it is
bad for all those who are ruled. In contrast,
peace has no such negative aspect. Peace
creates normalcy; peace promotes healthy
activities; peace results in the culture of
friendship. In an atmosphere of peace, all the members of a society
feel that they are living in a state of equality. All men and women are
equal members of a large family.
People living under political rule feel that they are subservient and
under someone else or under some dominating group. They are like
subjects. But those who live in a peaceful atmosphere feel, consciously
or unconsciously, that they are living under the universal laws of
nature. No one is superior and no one is inferior. Everyone’s dignity is
acknowledged and maintained.
BROADER OUTLOOK
For Better Solutions
LIFE is full of problems. Most personal problems are the result
of a limited outlook on life. If people were to broaden their
perspectives, they would soon realize that there are many
different ways of approaching the same problem. It would above all,
become clear to them that things which are impossible to obtain by
direct confrontation can be achieved by the patient fostering of mutual
goodwill. Where provocation and retaliation have failed, patience and
human concern will succeed.
For further clarity, consider the following situations: If someone with
whom you have a business dealing or personal relations turns hostile,
pursuing a policy of open confrontation seldom reaps rewards. It is
always fruitful to be more polite, to extend
courtesy, love and sympathy. That is the way
to a person’s heart. It is only by pursuing
such a course that a formidable foe may be
transformed into a faithful friend.
Through sheer
diligence, you can
succeed in achieving
all those things you
wanted others to give
you as a matter of
right.
Suppose you work in an office and for
reasons which you fail to comprehend, you
are dismissed. In such a situation, if initial
attempts to clear your name and have yourself
honourably reinstated come to naught, it is
seldom worthwhile persisting in your efforts.
It is far better to wash your hands off the whole situation and try to
break new ground elsewhere. That way you can sometimes do even
better than before. Often when someone does not pay you your dues,
your first inclination is to enter into legal battles with him or wage a
relentless psychological war on him. Either course should be eschewed,
for the net result is generally wasted time and money. Years can go by
without receiving anything in return for a great deal of energy spent.
It is better to ignore the injustice done to you, and to put your trust in
hard work to get what you want out of life. It is perfectly possible that,
through sheer diligence, you will succeed in achieving all those things
you wanted others to give you as a matter of right.
INDECISEVENESS
Critical Weakness
Indecisiveness: [n] not able to make decisions quickly;
lack of firmness of character or purpose
CERTAIN matters in life are so critical that they require the
appropriate step to be taken without delaying. But the decisions
must also be correct ones otherwise consequences could be
drastic and could mean a lifetime of repentance.
Our moments of decision-making in certain matters are often very
similar to our attempts to board a train. Catching a train requires
preparation. We have to pack up our luggage, making sure we take
the right things with us, buy a ticket, arrange
transport to take us to the station and we
must, of course already be on the platform at
the appointed time, otherwise we are surely
going to be left behind. For the train is no
respecter of persons. It arrives on time and
departs on time, and pays no heed whatsoever
to tardy passengers.
The train is no
respecter of persons.
It arrives on time
and departs on time,
and pays no heed
whatsoever to tardy
passengers.
In the same way we will miss the train of
life and be left standing if we fail to get on
board by taking timely and right decisions. It
is therefore, necessary to be prepared for all eventualities in life. This
refers to assiduously acquiring a good education and losing no time in
gaining useful experience relevant to our chosen occupations. Above
all, it requires a mental and physical readiness to seize opportunities
when they come our way, and to be firm of purpose, never permitting
one’s energy to be frittered away in pointless vacillation.
Mutual non-interference
ensures that every person
has an equal opportunity
to make progress.
A CONTINUOUS NEED FOR SPIRITUALITY
Personality Development
SPIRITUALITY is a subject which we need to keep pondering upon
continuously. The reason being that the materialistic culture
keeps beckoning the human being constantly from all quarters.
If one fails in the task of keeping the spiritual nature polished, the
materialistic attitude and negativity will make room in one’s thinking
resulting in an underdeveloped personality.
First we need to expound the reasons why we need spirituality? Can
we not be satisfied with the materialistic things and feel a sense of
fulfilment in them? Let us answer this question taking into consideration
human nature and the scheme of things devised by the Creator.
According to the creation plan, the scope for material fulfilment in this
world is limited, while the scope for spiritual fulfilment or intellectual
development is so vast that only the word ‘unbounded’ can describe it.
If your aim is to achieve a state of fulfilment in
the material world, you will soon discover that
here the scope for this is very limited. Food,
clothes, fame, married life, entertainment—
all these things are all too often eventually
marred by boredom. Even going on a holiday
does not necessarily give you any sense of
fulfilment. A person may go on holiday with
high hopes of enjoyment, yet return with a
feeling of “holiday stress”. This sense of a lack
of fulfilment pertains to your physical being,
whereas your spiritual being is untrammelled
by all such constraints.
It is only spiritual
achievement that can
give you a sense of
fulfilment. Material
fulfilment is seldom
achievable, but
spiritual fulfilment
is achievable to the
ultimate extent.
Man has a dual personality—physical and spiritual. In physical terms,
a person’s body most often has its limitations in terms of height,
girth, health, muscularity, athleticism, etc. Due to these limitations, a
person frequently becomes dissatisfied as far as his physical prowess
is concerned. On the contrary, his spiritual or intellectual being has
no limits to it. The realm in which the mind travels is vast and eternal,
like the space stretching throughout the cosmos. The mind travels
by thinking, and there are no boundaries to the thinking process.
Traversing all kinds of frontiers, it continues unhindered on its journey.
Therefore it is only spiritual achievement that can give you a sense
of fulfilment. Material fulfilment is seldom achievable, but spiritual
fulfilment is achievable to the ultimate extent.
When one takes a conscious decision to live as a spiritual person, one
must train oneself to this end. Tokens of spirituality are scattered all
over the world. In fact, every part of nature, great or small, is invested
with spiritual content. People see the signs, but pass them by without
detecting them. One who has a prepared mind, however, is able to
recognize them and then turn them into objects of contemplation. It is
‘discovery plus contemplation’ that adds up to spirituality.
One who has neglected to prepare himself will never be able to draw
spiritual nourishment from life’s experiences. In the midst of spiritual
abundance, he will continue to remain spiritually starved. What is
preparation? Preparation cannot be achieved by means of taking
some external course. It is an exercise in selftraining through contemplation. Only those
who are ready to engage in self-training can
enjoy spirituality. Those who do not, can never
develop themselves as spiritual persons. There
are many aspects of self-preparation, for
instance, the capacity to discern the relevant
and the irrelevant aspects of any event, so
that an appropriate course of action may be
taken; an acute sense of what is significant
and what is not is essential, for, without it,
man can never experience spirituality.
High thinking is
the result of simple
living. This is an
essential ingredient
in our endeavour to
be spiritual.
To train oneself spiritually, in the arena of materialism one should live
as per needs and not as per desires. The simple principle to adopt is
‘simple living and high thinking’. One of the teachings of the Prophet
is “Simplicity is a part of faith”. On a close examination of this Hadith,
one can question the wisdom behind considering simplicity as a part of
faith itself; that is a part of the belief in God. Let us first consider, what
is the absence of simplicity? Absence of simplicity is characterized by
the complex methods which require greater resources, time and effort
that we adopt in conducting our daily lives to satiate our superficial
pursuits. Such complex methods require the use of our intellectual
faculties only for material benefit, while they could have been rightly
used instead in the pursuit of knowledge, personality development,
spiritual growth and the promotion of global peace.
Man is considered the ‘crown of creation’ by virtue of being endowed
with the power of thinking. This blessing of God can be used either for the most mundane things or for the higher things of life. It does not
befit us to use this blessing for the sole achievement of our worldly
or material needs, which in any case will be fulfilled with lesser effort.
However, this is possible only when one makes a conscious endeavour
to keep life simple. If we do not take a conscious decision, things will
get complicated and we will create a web of frivolous goals that will
ensnare us in the bonds of materialism. Our focus will shift from a
spiritual life to a materialistic existence.
The Prophet had predicted that material wealth will be the cause of
much evil amongst his followers. The only way of saving ourselves from
such evil will be to adopt simplicity in everything. If we adopt simplicity
in our lives, we will save ourselves from many distractions. Only then
will it be possible for us to use our faculties for higher thinking. High
thinking is the result of simple living. This is an essential ingredient in
our endeavour to be spiritual.
With reference to spirituality in one’s thinking,
we should understand that spirituality is
not a state of ecstasy. It is not a trance-like
state. It is rather marked by a high level of
acute intellectual development. It is a form of
intellectual awakening. It is associated with
contemplation. It encompasses the qualitative
aspects of nature so that, within its scope,
the things of a spiritual nature are brought
to light, just as the honey bee extracts honey
from flowers.
Spirituality is not
a state of ecstasy.
It is not a trancelike state. It is
rather marked
by a high level of
acute intellectual
development. It is a
form of intellectual
awakening
associated with
contemplation.
Flowers are the greatest concern of the honey
bee. For a honey bee, its whole world is a
world of flowers. It never wastes its time on
other things. It concentrates on flowers, takes
the nectar from them and returns to its hive. The same is true of an
awakened mind. For an awakened mind, the whole world is a world of
spirituality. It extracts spiritual content from everything. The awakened
person thus enhances his spirituality until he grows to be a spiritual
giant.
Spirituality in the area of one’s interaction with people does not refer
to seclusion from society. Spirituality being an inner quality has to be
applied, if its external actualization is to take place. Practically, there is
a vast difference between the spiritual person who lives within society
and shares his spiritual experience with his fellow men and the one
who dies in solitude without ever having benefited others.
Spirituality fosters the development of all kinds of constructive qualities
and in so doing, makes one a complete person. An individual endowed
with such qualities is one who is desired and needed by his society and
his nation. He will be wasting his spiritual treasure if he leaves his society
and goes away to live alone in peace and tranquillity. This is of course
a manifestation of spirituality, but in a very narrow form, and living like
a hermit means a serious under-utilization
of the gifts of a spiritualized person. In fact,
the spiritualized person is a most desirable
individual when it comes to establishing a
better society; a better society being nothing
but a collection of better persons. And, it is
true that spirituality turns one into a better
person. It makes one more mature in terms
of character and honesty; duty-consciousness
and mental preparedness. As such, the
guidance the spiritual person can give is of
a superior nature and he is, therefore, the
best qualified to steer the engine of social
existence along the right lines.
Man is considered
the ‘crown of
creation’ by virtue
of being endowed
with the power of
thinking. It does not
befit us to use this
blessing for the sole
achievement of our
worldly or material
needs, which in any
case will be fulfilled
with lesser effort
It is such spirituality that is referred to as
‘applied spirituality’. In the basic sense, it is a
personal asset, but in its expanded sense, it
has many applications. It is not only others who benefit from applied
spirituality, the spiritual person also benefits. When such a person
devotes himself to sharing his spiritual training with others, he adds
a whole new dimension to his own spirituality. Without wisdom,
spirituality is incomplete. Spirituality plus wisdom gives rise to the
emergence of a superior state of being. This superior state makes one
a true well-wisher of humankind. It results in adopting the highest
values in conjunction with one’s fellowmen in society.
QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR GREAT ACHIEVEMENT
Secrets of Success
PEOPLE generally tend to think that great achievers are superhuman
or singularly talented people. However, those who have made
a thorough study have a different perspective. One such study
brings out five major qualities which the achievers have. First and
foremost, they have a great sense of mission and a strong desire to
turn everything that comes their way to good account. Secondly, they
concentrate on being result-oriented, so that one is not just preoccupied
with unceasing activities, but with a definite outcome of their efforts.
Thirdly, they take stock of whatever knowledge and skills they have and
bring out whatever is latent and waiting to be used, so that it can be
turned up to a peak of perfection.
Very often people make the mistake of
thinking that achievement is about adding to
one’s knowledge and skills, while in reality it
is about the skill of developing what is already
there—capacities of which we are sometimes
barely aware. Frequently, it is one’s initial
sense of mission which taps these hidden
resources.
No one sails through
life without bumping
into obstacles and
suffering a variety
of setbacks. This
is when one must
beware of lapsing
into passivity.
Sometimes it is impossible to achieve distant
goals without the aid of one’s fellowmen, in
which case, one has to develop the capacity to
inspire the team spirit in others. Particularly
in highly competitive situations, it is essential to be able to encourage
other competent people to make a significant contribution to one’s
own performance.
But no one sails through life without bumping into obstacles and
suffering a variety of setbacks. This is when one must beware of lapsing
into passivity. Then one has to take oneself firmly in hand and decide
to look upon such things not as great gulfs from which one will never
emerge, but simply as hurdles which have to be surmounted if one is
to finish the race. One’s initial feeling of disappointment should quickly
transform itself into a great determination to try harder, to alter one’s
approach, to seek different and better ways of achieving one’s goal,
and to channel one’s energies more effectively towards the ultimate
target.
TREAD CAUTIOUSLY
Keeping Your Goal in Sight
MAN is endowed with great brain power. He is intelligent enough
to know the dangers of lighting a fire near fuel. He knows
the many dangers and avoids them cleverly. He carefully
takes into consideration safety and security aspects in his financial
planning, in his travel trips, purchase of material things, etc. He avoids
the pits while walking. But unfortunately tends to forget that this is
a principle to be followed in social life too. Every society is comprised
of a variety of people who create different
types of environment. In every society there
are ‘marshy places’, there is ‘fuel’, there are
‘thorns’ and there are ‘pits’. The wise are those
who try to avoid such difficult, even explosive
situations, thus saving themselves from the
trammels of confrontation.
A purposeful man
always looks ahead
to the future—
straight forward and
not towards the right
or left. He always
thinks of long-lasting
consequences rather
than momentary
considerations.
Those who have some goal or the other before
them never allow themselves to become
enmeshed in such things because that would
mean being diverted from their objective. A
purposeful man always looks ahead to the
future—straight forward and not towards the
right or left. He always thinks of long-lasting
consequences rather than momentary considerations. He looks at
things not from the point of view of personal desires and whims, but
from the point of view of reality.
LESSONS FROM NATURE
Lurking Danger
WE all are aware of the fact that there are disease causing
bacteria and viruses. These bacteria and viruses can be
fatal for a human being. Small they may be, invisible to the
naked eye but they breed at such a furious rate that, given favourable
conditions, one of their number can reproduce itself 10,000 times over
within a mere matter of ten hours.
Their species run into thousands. We are fortunate, however, in that 99
percent are either beneficial or harmless. Though only one percent is
harmful, its deadliness is such that it can claim the life of a man within
a matter of seconds. Many fatal diseases, according to medical science,
are produced by such micro-organisms. Their very lack of bulk makes
it possible for them to enter the human system in ways against which
man has no natural system of defence.
People are usually aware of big and obvious dangers, and imagine they
must be responsible for all their misfortunes. But, if the truth were
told, the harm done to us by these tiny living organisms far surpasses
any havoc our bigger enemies can wreak on our physical health.
In the same way in matters of our intellectual health there is great
harm from those seemingly insignificant and often short-lived
moments of neglect—moments when timely action was our duty,
when approval needed to be given or withheld, when advice or help
or self-appraisal was needed, and we let the occasion slip by, heedless
of the consequences. Easy going negligence can creep into our souls,
like bacteria into the body, and if not pulled up short, can become an
ingrained attitude, leading to moral corrosion.
A negligent attitude permits people to fritter away their time, day after
day, with no thought for the future. Similarly, they squander substantial
portions of their income. This wasted time and pointless expenditure
may seem a trivial matter, if it is just a question of one day—a few
hours and a few rupees don’t seem to add up to much. But if one were
to calculate the time and money thus wasted in one year and then
in a whole lifetime, it would become clear that a large percentage of
one’s life and earnings had been squandered in vain pursuits. Take the
total wastage of a whole nation and the loss assumes such enormous
proportions that it goes quite beyond the imagination. Should we not
take this into consideration seriously?
BEING IDLE
Gross Waste
The Devil finds work for idle hands.
An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.
WHICHEVER way you look at idleness, there is no gainsaying
the fact that it is a great evil, causing one to fritter away
one’s best talents and leaving one disqualified to face life. A
student who is too lazy to study cannot ever hope to acquire knowledge,
or have his critical faculties sharpened in any way, and his failure in
examinations will leave him without any qualifications. Without the
necessary qualifications he will not be able to find good employment
leading to a vacant existence, simply whiling away his time.
Even those people who have managed to qualify themselves suitably
cannot afford to rest on their laurels. When the period of education is
over, it is equally necessary to be consistently hard-working. Between
the receipt of a degree and entry into a profession, many make the
excuse that they are waiting for the right job to come along. But one
cannot go on waiting forever, simply idling away one’s time.
Sometimes one inadvertently slips into idle ways because there are no
economic pressures in one’s life. Those who inherit legacies, or have
property or investments which bring them some return are an easy
prey to idleness. But this is no existence for a human being. Anyone
who allows the poison of idleness to creep into their system might as
well be dead.
Either, one must opt for a regular job, which brings one a suitable
income and keeps one mentally healthy, so that one never becomes
a financial or emotional burden on others or, if one is financially
independent, one should turn one’s attention to higher things, pursue
noble ends, serve worthy causes and keep oneself fruitfully occupied
day in and day out. A person with no sense of commitment is only living
on the fringes of existence. He is out of touch with reality and will soon
lapse into utter degeneracy. No really successful person has ever been
found among the ranks of the idle.
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
MOUNT SINAI
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
By the Mount Sinai, and by the Scripture penned on unrolled parchment,
by the much-visited House, and by the lofty vault of the sky, and by
the swelling sea, the punishment of your Lord shall certainly come to
pass—there is no one who could avert it—on the Day when the skies
are convulsed, and the mountains shudder and shake. (
Mount Tur is that mountain in the desert of Sinai where Moses was
awarded prophethood. The Scripture penned on unrolled parchment
or the written Book (kitabun mastur) here means the Torah. The
frequented house (al-bayt al-ma‘mur) means the Kabah. The lofty vaults
of the sky or high roof (as-saqf al-marfu) means the sky. The swelling
sea (al-bahr al-masjur) means a sea with waves. All these things bear
testimony that the Day of seizure by God is certain to come. Almighty
God has repeatedly given these very tidings through the prophets. This
has also been mentioned in ancient Holy Scriptures. Heaven and earth
announce this in their silent language. The waves of the sea relate this
story to every listener.
Woe on that Day to those who deny the truth, who divert themselves
with idle chatter: on that Day they shall be ruthlessly thrust into
the Fire of Hell. This is the fire which you used to deny. Is this magic
or do you not see? Now enter it. Whether you behave patiently or
impatiently will make no difference: you are only being repaid for
what you have done. (
Man will have to face the result of his actions. He is being forewarned
of the consequences. Those who show negligence and arrogance
towards the forewarning will ultimately suffer grievous punishment.
When they try to run away from this, they will find no refuge
anywhere.
Truly, the God-fearing will dwell [on that Day] in gardens and in bliss,
rejoicing in whatever their Lord has given them. Their Lord has saved
them from the torment of the Fire, ‘Eat and drink with good cheer as
a reward for your good deeds,’ reclining on couches arranged in rows.
And We shall wed them to fair maidens with large beautiful eyes.
(
The worst crime on the part of man is denial of Truth. And this is
a crime which gives birth to other crimes. Similarly, the greatest
virtue of man is his acceptance of Truth. All other virtues come into
existence as a result of this.
By accepting the truth, man’s sense of his own greatness or prestige
is impaired. So such acceptance is the most difficult task for a man.
Only those who have become truly serious out of extreme fear of
God can undertake it. Those who prove to have this very great virtue
deserve to have the doors to the eternal blessings of Paradise thrown
open to them.
To those who have attained to faith We shall unite their offspring
who have also followed them in faith, and We shall not let any of
their good deeds go unrewarded; every human being is in pledge for
whatever he has earned. We shall provide them in abundance with
such fruit and meat as they desire.
There, they shall pass from hand to hand a cup which does not lead
to any idle talk or sin. They will be waited upon by immortal youths,
like pearls hidden in their shells. They will converse with one another,
putting questions to each other, ‘Before this, when we were among
our families, we were full of fear of God’s displeasure—God has been
gracious to us and has saved us from the torment of Hell’s intense
heat—before this, we used to pray to Him. Surely, He is the Beneficent,
the Merciful.’ (
In the Hereafter, it will not happen that one man’s sins are attributed to
another, and nobody will be able to enter Paradise except on the basis
of his faith and his own righteous deeds. But, the occupants of Paradise
will be given one special privilege: if parents are in a high stratum of
Paradise and their children in some other stratum, the children will be united with their parents so that their happiness should increase.
Only one who, in spite of being among his wife and children, has always
been moved by the fear of God and who linked his hopes and fears
with the one and only God, will be entitled to enter the sublime world
of Paradise.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
A Muslim neighbour of mine cut a beautiful tree from his compound
citing the reason that the fallen leaves were a source of annoyance
for him. Please tell us what Islam has to say about trees.
Vegetation, plants and trees have been described in the Quran as
special blessings of God. According to the Quran, Paradise is a world
of highest quality, where the God’s chosen people, will be settled.
Paradise, meaning a garden, the Quran also refers to it as “the Garden
of Eternity”—gardens being a special feature of this abode.
In the Quran, a believer has been likened to a tree (
very meaningful simile. As we all know man receives shade, fruits and
flowers from the tree. The sight of a green tree serves to cool the eyes.
All such qualities should be found in human beings too. This is the
spiritual lesson a tree gives us. So, having a tree in one’s own compound
or in the vicinity is a source of spiritual food.
Coming to other benefits of vegetation, the Quran mentions farming
and gardening as means of human existence. The Prophet of Islam
once observed: “When a person plants a tree and the tree grows and
yields fruit which human beings and birds eat, then this will be an act
of charity on the part of the planter of the tree.”
In a similar vein there is another Hadith. The Prophet once observed:
“If you have a plant in your hand and you can see the Doomsday
approaching, even then, without any further delay, you should sow the
plant in the earth".
Such teachings show how great importance is attached to planting and
vegetation in Islam. In this way Islam inculcates the spirit in a person
to strive to make the earth green and verdant. Even if there is the fear
that after planting a tree an earthquake was to come and destroy the
earth, one should not hesitate to plant the tree. This is the lesson of
planting for the sake of planting alone.
Is there a special day or event for thanksgiving in Islam?
Thanksgiving for man is to acknowledge the blessings of God. This
acknowledgement first arises in the heart, then taking the form of
words, it comes to the lips of the grateful person.
From birth, man has been superbly endowed in body and mind by his
Creator. All his requirements have been amply catered for, every object in the heavens and on earth having been pressed into his service. All the
things necessary for his leading a good life on earth and the building of
a civilization have been provided in abundance.
Man experiences these blessings at every moment. It is, therefore,
incumbent on man to thank God for His blessings at all times. His heart
should be eternally brimming with gratitude for these divine blessings.
Thanksgiving is the most comprehensive term for worship: gratefulness
is the essence of the godly life. The best expression of gratefulness is
the expenditure of time and money in the way of God. It is God, after all
who has given man the reason to worship Him and the means to do so.
What are the teachings of Islam regarding living in a multi-religious
society?
In chapter 109 of the Quran the Prophet is enjoined to address the
adherents of other religions in these words: “To you your religion, to
me mine”. This verse of the Quran coupled with other of its teachings
amounts to an easily applicable formula for mutual respect. It simply
means that all believers, whatever their elected religion, must have due
reverence for the religions adhered to by others.
What established the need for such a formula, is the edifice of religion
being founded on the total conviction that it is the whole truth. To have
any followers at all, a religion must carry that conviction. It is in the nature
of things. But religious conviction alone is not a broad enough base on
which to form a just society, particularly if that conviction is publicly
expressed by different groups through the widely differing practices
of different faiths. In the multi-religious context, it also takes broad
mindedness, compassion and fellow feeling. Only when in possession
of these virtues can members of society display that tolerance in their
dealings with others which will ensure a lasting peace.
The principle of mutual respect is a natural one and is to be found in
all areas of civilized living. One of the major demands made by Islam is
that this natural principle be upheld and acted upon by adherents of
different religions, so that societal structures may be strengthened by
stable and enduring human relationships. For the greater part of his
life, the Prophet of Islam lived in a society where adherents of other
religions existed side by side with believers in Islam. The Prophet’s
behaviour towards the former was invariably that of respect and
tolerance. The Prophet’s conduct with them consistently conveyed his
high moral character. On the one hand, he communicated to them the
message with love and kindness and on the other, fulfilled all of their
human rights.
Islam recognizes no difference between Muslims and others from the
ethical standpoint. The rights granted to a Muslim are exactly the same
as those granted to followers of other religions. The Prophet observed
that every human being is worthy of respect as all are creatures of one
and the same God. All are descendants of Adam and Eve.
Everyone certainly has the right to adopt one religion according to his
beliefs. But with that choice comes the ineluctable responsibility of
giving respect in full measure to adherents of other faiths and in the
light of those faiths, giving them what is ethically their due.
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 )
