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!
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 Muslims1 . 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.
A REALISTIC APPROACH
OF ALL THE PROBLEMS faced by the Muslims, the first and
foremost, which requires an immediate solution, is their
inability to be realistic in their approach. The remedy still eludes
the Muslims.
When it comes to the state of Muslims in India, it has been my firm
opinion that India is thriving with opportunities for Muslims to progress.
There is no dearth of possibilities for Muslims to live as an honourable,
prosperous and advanced community. Yet a certain deficiency in them
has unnecessarily created all manner of problems for them. That
deficiency is nothing more or less than their own lack of realism. If
Muslims could just become realistic in their approach, nothing could
stand in the way of their betterment.
Whatever the events, I am convinced of the aptness here of this verse
of the Quran: “You may hate a thing although it is good for you.”
(
disturbing situation, a great fortune lies hidden.
What is this great fortune? It is the necessity it creates for adopting a very
realistic approach. The greatest secret of success in the world of today is
the ability to think and act realistically. Human nature itself inclines man
to realism. The so-called Muslim leaders, however, have misled Muslims
by their emotionalism and superficiality. Now the outcome has made
their incompetence as clear as daylight. Nevertheless, I am optimistic
that now Muslims will free themselves from
the unhealthy influence of their misguided
leaders, and will chart a course of action in
accordance with nature, the Quran and the
example set by the Prophet.
The greatest secret of
success in the world
of today is the ability
to think and act
realistically
The Prophet of Islam was the most realistic
person in history. That is why his success
was the greatest ever achieved by anyone.
The present situation, which is very much
on a parallel with the adversity faced by the
Prophet, has brought Muslims to a point
where they will of themselves become realistic. And this new turn to
their lives is certainly the greatest guarantee of success and progress.
The whole system of the earth and the heavens is based on reality.
Man too can succeed in this world simply by conceding to this reality.
It would be a matter of great satisfaction if Muslims could now discover
this secret, which is the sure ladder to success.
‘Many a small group, by God’s command has prevailed against
a large group. God is indeed with the steadfast.’ (
This verse of the Quran shows that if a minority group is suffering at
the hands of a powerful majority, there is nothing in this for them to
feel depressed or frustrated about. This should be looked upon as one
of the God-given opportunities for the weaker group. This challenge
provides impetus to the minority to re-plan, work even harder and
achieve its goals.
How can such a reversal of the present order take place? The secret,
according to this verse, lies in patience. Those who are faced with
challenges require more alertness and need to make more efforts just
to survive; the patience and endurance which they learn in the process
are what enable such a group to dominate and conquer their fears and
come out with flying colours.
Patience for a human being or a human group is just like the heat applied
to water. When water is heated up to hundred degrees centigrade, it
starts boiling. The molecules of water change their state from liquid
to gas, and scatter outward in the form of vapour. In this way, heat
converts water into gas. Water taking the form of gas becomes so
powerful that it can move mighty machines.
In a similar way, when a group is continually faced with adverse
circumstances, when its very identity is challenged, it reaches the point
of explosion. Its latent capabilities are so aroused that it rises from the
state of “water” and turns into “vapour”.
History shows that whenever a group has faced persecution, its
potential has been awakened. It has emerged in the form of an
unconquerable force. Arnold Toynbee, a historian, has termed this
process as Challenge-Response Mechanism. It is patience coupled with
wise strategy that converts this ordinary group into an extraordinary
group.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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Follow Maulana at speakingtree.in (Times of India)
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 INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC
JURISPRUDENCE
Understanding the Basics
ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE or fiqh literally means an understanding
and knowledge of something. The Quran has used the word fiqh
in its general sense of ‘understanding’ on more than one occasion.
In the early days of Islam, the terms ilm (knowledge) and fiqh were
frequently used interchangeably to denote an understanding of Islam
in general. This shows that in the Prophet’s time, the term fiqh was
not understood in the legal sense alone, i.e. synonymous with law. The
Prophet once blessed Ibn Abbas (d.
faqqih ho fiddin’, that is, ‘O God, bestow upon him understanding
in religion’. By these words the Prophet did not mean exclusively
knowledge of law. He meant a deeper understanding of religion.
Technically, fiqh refers to the science of deducing Islamic laws from
evidence found in the sources of Islamic jurisprudence. The sources of
law are four and are explained in detail below; the Quran, the Sunnah,
Consensus (Ijma) and Inference (Qiyas). But by extension of meaning,
fiqh also means the body of Islamic law deduced in this way.
Shariah literally means a ‘route to the watering place’ or a ‘visible
and well marked-out rail’. Hence in Islam it means a ‘clear path’ or a
‘highway’ to be followed by all the believers. The Quran uses the term
Shariah with the meaning of ‘religion’, that is a way, ordained by God
for man to travel on in the course of his life. The word shariah was used in the Prophet’s time for the essentials of Islam, that is, the sum total
of Islamic laws that were revealed to the Prophet of Islam in the form
of the Quran.
The Prophet, besides conveying the revelation, gave commandments as
well. These orders and exhortations of the Prophet were firmly based
on revelation, but did not form part of the Quran. They are called the
Sunnah, which is the second source of Islamic law, the first being the
Quran.
Fiqh is thus the name given to jurisprudence in Islam. In other words,
fiqh or the science of Islamic law, is the study of one’s rights and
obligations, derived from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet,
the consensus of opinion among the learned and analogical inference.
THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF FIQH
Fiqh, in its widest sense, covers all aspects of religious, political, and civil
life. In addition to the laws regulating ritual and religious observances
(stipulated prayers), it includes also the whole field of family law, the
law of inheritance of property and of contract. In other words, it makes
provisions for all the legal questions that arise in social life as well as
for religious practices. It also includes criminal law and its procedure as
well as constitutional law and laws regulating the administration of the
state and matters pertaining to security issues.
During the time of the Prophet, there was
no such-well defined science as that which
later came to be known as fiqh. The only
ideal for the early Muslims was the conduct
of the Prophet. They learnt ablutions, saying
prayers, performing Hajj, etc., under the
instructions of the Prophet and by observing
his actions. On certain occasions, cases were
brought to the Prophet for arbitration. The
Prophet’s decisions were taken as models for
other similar cases.
Fiqh refers to the
science of deducing
Islamic laws from
evidence found in the
sources of Islamic
jurisprudence.
The Companions occasionally asked him questions relating to certain
serious problems and the Prophet gave them suitable replies. People
in his lifetime were not interested in unnecessary philosophical
discussions or in hair-splitting details. The Companions generally asked
the Prophet very few questions. On one occasion, when someone put
unnecessary questions to him, the Quran asked the Companions to desist from doing so. The result was that the Sunnah remained mostly
a general directive interpreted by the early Muslims in different ways.
What the Prophet had done was to lay down certain regulations, but
the jurists elaborated them with many more details. The reason for
these further additions 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.
People in Prophet’s
lifetime were
not interested
in unnecessary
philosophical
discussions or in
hair-splitting details.
In the early days of Islam, the law was neither
inflexible nor very rigidly applied. Different
and even contradictory laws relating to many
problems could be found acceptable on the
basis of argument. It seems that the Prophet
provided a wide scope for differences by
giving instructions of a general nature, or by
validating two diverse actions for the same
issue depending on the circumstances. The
Prophet aimed at providing opportunities for the application of his
guidelines in a variety of circumstances in the future. Had the Prophet
laid down specific and rigid rules for each problem, the coming
generations would have been prevented from exercising reason and
framing laws according to the need of the hour.
After the demise of the Prophet, the Companions spread out in different
parts of the Muslim world. Most of them came to occupy positions
of intellectual and religious leadership. The people of their regions
approached them for decisions regarding various problems. They gave
their decisions sometimes according to what they understood from the
Quran and the Sunnah.
The interpretation of the Quran also caused differences of opinion
among the Companions. The points on which the Quranic injunctions
were silent or those points not dealt with in detail in the Quran were
to be explained. The result was that these verses were sometimes
interpreted in the light of the traditions of the Prophet, and sometimes
on the basis of the jurists’ opinions. Moreover, since the traditions
themselves were diverse, it was natural that there were differences.
In some cases, a Companion did not know a particular Hadith; hence
he decided the problem on the basis of his own opinion. When the
relevant Hadith was brought to his notice, he withdrew his personal
judgement. On this account, Umar, the second Caliph, changed his
opinion several times.
On certain occasions, it so happened that the relevant Hadith was
available but the reporter himself could not understand its real
meaning. Ibn Umar is reported to have narrated a Hadith from the
Prophet that a deceased person is punished on account of the mourning
of his relatives. When this tradition came to the attention of Aisha, she
rejected it saying that Ibn Umar might have been mistaken, or might
have forgotten some relevant part of the tradition. She also observed
that the Hadith reported by Ibn Umar goes against the Quranic verse:
‘No soul bears the burden of another.’
The Companions, however, tried their best to establish their decisions
on the Quran and Sunnah. They aspired to keep their decisions and
personal judgements close to those of the Prophet. Despite their
differences, they did not deviate from the
spirit of the Quran and Hadith.
In the early days of
Islam, the law was
neither inflexible nor
very rigidly applied.
Different and even
contradictory laws
relating to many
problems could be
found acceptable
on the basis of
argument.
The people who followed took their stand on
the opinions expressed by the Companions.
They retained in their memory the Hadith of the
Prophet and the opinions of the Companions
and made attempts to reconcile opposite
opinions. They exercised independent
reasoning (ijtihad) in two ways. First of all,
they were not afraid to give preference to the
opinions of one Companion over another, and
sometimes, even to the opinions of a person
who came after over those of a Companion.
Secondly, they engaged in original thinking
themselves. In fact, the real formation of
Islamic law starts in a more or less professional manner with the people
who came after the Companions (now known as Successors).
With the Successors, Islamic law began to take its formal shape and
develop into an independent subject of study. In this age, the principles
that governed fiqh were the Quran, Sunnah and deductive reasoning.
The Prophet himself introduced these principles.
As mentioned above, the practice of Islamic jurisprudence came into
existence with the advent of Islam, but it developed into a regular
discipline in the second century AH. Abu Hanifa played the leading role
in this gigantic task of compilation and systematization of Islamic law.
By Abu Hanifa’s time, the accepted rules of fiqh had not been collected
and had not yet been systematized into a regular discipline, if they were
perpetuated, it was by being passed on verbally. There were no strict
methods of reasoning, no rules for derivation of orders, no grading of Traditions, and no principles of analogical deduction. Fiqh had a long
way to go before becoming a system.
Finally, four orthodox schools of legal thought emerged. These are
called madhhab in Arabic. These madhhabs were named after the
famous jurists of the time: Abu Hanifa (AD 699-767), Malik ibn Anas
(AD 711-795 ), Al-Shafi (AD 767-819), and ibn Hanbal (AD 780-855).
THE SOURCES OF FIQH
There are four sources of fiqh or Islamic law:
a) Quran b) Hadith c) Consensus (Ijma) d) Inference (Qiyas)
a) The Quran
The Quran is the fundamental and main source of Islamic jurisprudence
from which all other sources derive their authority. It consists of the
very word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of
twenty-three years (AD 610-632). That is why the law in Islam is divine
in origin.
The texts of the Quran which are concerned mainly with the rules of
Islamic law occur in the following chapters: Al Baqarah, An-Nisa, AlImran, Al-Maidah, An-Nur, and Bani Israil.
The rules pertain to:
Reform in unlawful heathen customs, such as gambling, drinking of
intoxicants, usury, etc.
Social reforms dealing with matters such as marriage, the position of
women, divorce, the chastity of men and women, slavery, etc.
Criminal laws relating to punishment for theft, slander, murder, etc.
International laws pertaining to defence and peace, and directions
relating to people of other faiths and protection of their rights, etc.
b) The Hadith
Next in importance after Quran is Hadith. The Hadith itself derives its
authority and legal validity from the Quran.
Hadith means narration of the sayings, deeds and approvals of the
Prophet. The Quran generally deals with the broad principles or
essentials of religion, going into details in rare cases. The Prophet
himself usually supplied the details, either by showing in his conduct
how an injunction should be carried out, or by giving verbal explanation.
The Quran says,
“Obey God and obey the Messenger.” (
“Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids
you, abstain from it.” (
“You have indeed in the Prophet of God a good example for those of
you who look to God and the Last Day, and remember God always.”
(
In the light of these verses, one can infer that following of the Hadith is
binding on a believer. The Hadith collection provides us with guidance
in matters of legislation. It does not deviate from the Quran. It is in
compliance with it.
The Quran and the Hadith are the main sources, to which all other
sources are secondary. The Book, however, is the first source. The
authority of Hadith is increased by the fact that the Prophet Muhammad
not only theorized, but also had the opportunity to put the Quranic
teachings into practice in all affairs of life, both spiritual and temporal.
c) Ijma (Consensus of jurists)
Ijma is the third source of Islamic jurisprudence. It is derived from
the Arabic word jama (to add) and in Islamic legal terminology, ijma
signifies consensus of opinion among the jurists of a particular age
on a question of law. Jurists have defined ijma as an ‘agreement of the
Muslim jurists of a particular period on any matter or point of Islamic
law.”
Ijma derives its authority or legal validity from the Quran and Hadith.
The Quran says: “Obey God and obey the Prophet and those amongst
you who have authority” (
you do not know. (
will never agree upon what is wrong.”
Ijma may be based on the Quran, Hadith or analogy. This is the view
of all the Sunni schools. That ijma is an essential principle of Sunni
jurisprudence, was proven by its use immediately after the death of
the Prophet. The Muslim community acted upon it as soon as they
were called upon to solve the first and most important constitutional
problem that arose on the Prophet’s death. That is, the selection of the
head of the community. The election of Abu Bakr to the Caliphate by
the votes of the people was based, as is well known, on the principle of
ijma. All the Sunnis accept it as a source of Islamic jurisprudence.
Consensus is responsible for the further development of Islamic law
after the completion of the Prophet’s mission. Islam is a preserved
religion and its Prophet is the last one. In the Quran, only fundamental
principles of legislation are given and in the matters on which there is
no explicit order, God has permitted the exercise of individual opinion.
But a consensus of opinions of jurists is superior to individual opinions
of experts on Islamic legal science as it is a collective opinion of a
number of jurists. In the absence of any relevant order of the Quran or
Hadith, consensus assumes the status of law.
d) Inference/Analogical Deduction (Qiyas)
Qiyas is an important source of Islamic jurisprudence and is regarded
as an instrument in solving legal issues on the basis of reasoning based
on original texts. All four schools of Sunni jurisprudence accept that in
matters which have not been provided for by the Quran or precepts of
the Prophet and Ijma, the law might be deduced from what has been
laid down by any of these three authorities through the use of qiyas,
which is generally translated as ‘analogy’.
Qiyas literally means ‘to weigh’ or ‘to measure’ but, as a term of Islamic
jurisprudence, it denotes the process by which a rule of law is deduced
from the original text in view of a common cause. As a source of law,
qiyas is defined as “an extension of law from the original text. It is a
process of deduction by which the law of a text is applied to cases,
which, though not covered by the literal language of the text, are
governed by the reasoning given in the text. This process is applied in
such cases with legal effect which are not directly covered by the text.
Qiyas may be used only in the light of the Quran and Hadith, otherwise
it will be invalid. More than one example can be cited from the Prophet
regarding his approval of qiyas as a source of fiqh.
One basic consideration that underlies every Islamic decree is that the
believer, at all times and while doing any activity should be mindful of
God. He should not forget that he is going to answer for his every deed
before God.
Dr. Farida Khanam
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ISLAMIC SOCIETY
The Rights of the Orphan
THE QURAN says: ‘Do not oppress the orphan.' (
commanded all believers to treat the orphan with love and
affection. Orphans need our special care and attention. We
need to give them our best help and support so that they may not end
up being exploited. Prophet of Islam said ‘Even passing a hand over the
head of an orphan with love and affection is an act of charity’.
The Quran is full of injunctions on the fair treatment of the orphan.
On innumerable occasions the Quran has exhorted Muslims to take
great care of the orphans in society, and especially if an orphan is one
of their own relatives. Then it becomes the moral and religious duty
of every member of the family in question to take care of the orphan.
The following verse of the Quran equates those who deny the Day of
Judgement with those who reject orphans. “Have you seen one who
denies the Day of Judgement? Who turns away the orphan".
It can be inferred from the above verse that God abhors those who
repel orphans as much as He abhors those who deny the Day of
Judgement—one of the fundamentals of Muslim faith. Denying the Day
of Judgement amounts to unbelief and God has likened the oppressor
of the orphan to an unbeliever.
Exploitation of the orphan can lead to serious evils in the society.
In more than one place in the Quran, God has mentioned general
commandments regarding orphans. For instance, (
to parents, and to near kindred, and orphans, and the needy.’ The
virtuous are those who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth
to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor. (
The rights of an orphan are considered sacrosanct in Islam. Those
who do not honour the rights of the orphan will bring down upon
themselves the wrath of God both in this world and in the Hereafter.
“Those who devour the wealth of orphans wrongfully, do but swallow
fire into their bellies’ is the warning mentioned in Quran (
of the verse asks the believers to ‘Restore the property of the orphans
to them (when they reach maturity) and do not devour their wealth by
mixing it up with your own. For this indeed is a great sin’.
A EUREKA MOMENT
Discover Your Religion
SIR ISAAC NEWTON (1642-1727) was born into a Christian family. A
regular church-goer, he can be said to have been a religious man
in every sense of the word. But he is known to the world as a
scientist not as a man of religion. He spent his whole life setting down
the results of his research into the solar system, and it is in this capacity
that the world has come to know him.
The same is true of most scientists. Most of them have, in their personal
lives, been religious men. They were generally born into Christian or
Jewish families, and remained associated with their ancestral religion
until the end of their lives.
But the thing that these scientists presented
to the world was science, not their ancestral
religion. They spent their whole lives delving
into the mysteries of science and devoted
their energies to handing the results of their
endeavours on to the world.
Something one
discovers, becomes
one’s greatest
treasure. One feels
one cannot survive
without presenting it
to the world.
Why is it that these people became famous as
scientists, rather than as men of religion? The
reason is that religion was something that they
had inherited from their ancestors, whereas
science came to them as a discovery. One
can never develop ardent enthusiasm for one’s ancestral inheritance.
Something one discovers, on the other hand, becomes one’s greatest
treasure. One feels one cannot survive without presenting it to the
world.
Today, there are millions of people in the world who regard themselves
as religious. In spite of this, we find that religion does not play an active
part in their lives. It does not become the focal point of their thinking
and concentration. Therefore, it has not been possible for such people
to become enthusiastic proponents of religion.
If they themselves had discovered the religion they adhered to, they
could not but have proclaimed it to the rest of the world. They would
have staked their lives for it. But those who receive religion as a legacy,
and do not make it a conscious finding of their own, will not be moved
by their faith in this manner. They will be like so many other “Newtons”
who believe in one religion or the other, while their energies and
enthusiasm are directed towards other fields besides religion.
EARTHQUAKE
A Glimpse of the Doomsday
ON June 21,1990 the northwestern part of Iran was hit by an
earthquake so severe in its intensity that it left 80,000 dead and
200,000 injured in its wake. A comment frequently heard at that
time was that this was God’s punishment for the Iranians.
Such remarks are absurd. Any tragedy befalling this world is designed
to make God’s servants tremble in fear of their Maker. It is not an
occasion for the castigation of supposed wrongdoers by the selfproclaimed righteous people. The truth is this earthquake was linked
neither to Iran’s iniquity nor to God’s chastisement. An earthquake is a
geophysical event; it is meant as a lesson for everyone, and not just for
the people of Iran, or any other country for that matter.
Every severe earthquake causes a similar amount of devastation.
According to The Times of India of June 23, 1990, not a single house
in the affected area had been left standing.
In reality, an earthquake’s true significance
lies in its being a reminder of Doomsday.
What happens before, during, and after an
earthquake is simply a miniature version of
what will actually transpire on a horrendous
scale on the Day of Reckoning.
What happens
before, during, and
after an earthquake
is simply a miniature
version of what will
actually transpire
on a horrendous
scale on the Day of
Reckoning.
God has built this world as a temporary
testing ground. When this period of trial is
over, God will cause a severe earthquake to
take place. Its impact will cause all structures
to collapse, all bastions of human greatness
will simply vanish from the face of the earth,
and civilization as we know it will cease to exist. Then God, in His
omnipotence, will create a new world in which He will reward each of
His creatures according to their deeds.
The correct attitude to natural calamities is that one should learn a
lesson from them. Attributing them to the misdeeds of others will only
bring down God’s wrath upon one’s own head.
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.
DESIST FROM INTOLERANCE
THE QURAN (
God’s promise is true; let not those who will not be convinced
make you discouraged.
Consider a new tree. Based on the law of nature, this tree will start
bearing fruit after a few years. But if some impatient people start
demanding that the tree start yielding fruit after just a few months, they
will destroy the tree with their impatience. Because of their behaviour,
the tree will not be able to manifest its natural potentiality.
Similar is the case with developments that manifest themselves in the
social sphere. Those on the path of truth will be repeatedly faced by
provocations from people who are opposed to them. They will have
to encounter numerous challenges, both mental and physical, that
threaten to provoke them. This is a very delicate period for them. In
such a situation, if they lose their patience and peace of mind and get
entangled in the controversies that their opponents are bent on raking
up, their real task will remain unfinished and they will start quarrelling
with their opponents about unnecessary issues. By turning intolerant,
they disobey God; and people who disobey God can never receive
God’s help.
There are many different ways in which one can lose one’s patience
and become intolerant. For instance, by not willing to tolerate a minor
damage or inconvenience for the sake of a higher purpose or goal and
to start quarrelling about this. Or, for instance, by not ignoring issues that might hurt one’s sentiments and by getting worked up because
of them. Another way in which people might express this lack of
tolerance is, if instead of working for their own social and economic
development, they start making demands on others and take to
protesting, demonstrating and engaging in other such forms of negative
political action. Or, they may zealously rush ahead and take seemingly
very daring steps without having developed their own character. Or,
they may give inordinate importance to the challenges that they will
necessarily have to face in society and then get provoked and start
fighting with others. They may develop unrealistic expectations from
others, and when these expectations are not met, they may get angry
with them. They may not take into account human weaknesses, and so
when they see a weakness in someone, they may create a big hue and
cry about it. They may refuse to negotiate with the political authorities,
and, instead, involve themselves in conflicts with them.
The principle of not allowing yourself to lose your patience and
tolerance is based on great wisdom. If you violate this principle in the
desire for obtaining the opportunities that you do not possess, you
will only lose the opportunities that you presently enjoy. If you launch
an agitation to topple the political authorities who allow you to work
in the non-political field, the latter will perceive you as their enemy,
and, using the power at their disposal, can easily suppress you. If your
opponent is strong and commits some excesses against you and you
fail to tolerate this, deadly violence will break
out, which will play havoc with your entire life.
Such are the perils of allowing yourself to lose
your patience and tolerance.
The best way to
respond to an
opponent is to
clear your own way
ahead by exercising
patience and
wisdom.
Whenever you want to start some work, you
will almost inevitably have to face complaints
from others. You will have to contend with
stiff opposition. Now, if you give importance
to every complaint and every sort of hurt or
damage caused to you by your opponents,
you will inevitably start fighting with them.
You will leave aside your real task, being so taken up in opposing them.
Suppose those who are on the path of truth do not abide by patience
and tolerance and somehow still manage to acquire dominance in
society. In such a situation, because of their lack of preparation, they
will not be able to maintain this position for long. They will start fighting
among themselves. If they had not focused on the task of purifying and developing their character, after grabbing political power they will
promote strife and conflict, not peace and progress.
If people on the path of truth have not developed the firm conviction
that the only thing of importance for them is truth and that all other
matters are secondary, they will become engrossed in other issues
if they acquire dominance in society. In this way, they will give birth
to new social problems. If they have not risen above the psyche of
revenge, after acquiring political power they will start avenging their
former enemies, causing their societies and countries to become so
weak that it will become impossible to manage them. If they have not
developed the power of tolerance, they will unleash war against every
person or group who might hurt their egos.
If, stirred by their emotions, they lose control
of themselves, in the name of ending one
evil they will only succeed in producing many
more.
To exercise tolerance
means to wait for
the manifestations of
human possibilities
that emerge from the
ever-changing nature
of human beings.
Whenever you face an unpleasant situation
at the hands of someone, you generally think
just one thing: “This man is my enemy! I must
suppress or fight him!” But this is a very wrong
way to estimate a person. God has placed
great flexibility in the human psyche. It is a proven fact that human
beings do not remain in one state all the time. Rather, they keep on
changing. To exercise tolerance means to wait for the manifestations
of human possibilities that emerge from this ever-changing nature of
human beings.
Islam stresses the importance of patience precisely because one should
wait for a future period to come to pass when the latent potentials
hidden inside people can manifest themselves. Some people go to
extremes in their opposition to others by turning aggressive. But in
this world that God has made to test human beings, your opponents
too, have the freedom to act, just like you do. The best way to respond
to them is to clear your own way ahead by exercising patience and
wisdom, instead of becoming agitated by others and reacting angrily. A
person’s lack of patience and wisdom is his enemy’s deadliest weapon.
The most foolish person is one who hands over this weapon to his
adversary himself. The same holds true for entire communities.
PERSEVERANCE
Prerequisite of Success
IT HAS BEEN very aptly observed that success lies in perseverance.
The entire gamut of human history testifies to the truth of this
saying. Life’s journey, frequently directed along uneven paths, is one
in which one faces many unfavourable situations. Yet the wayfarer has
to continue his journey whatever the odds. This is called perseverance.
One who possesses this quality reaches the destination of success in
this world. The greater the perseverance, the greater the success.
This is a law of nature. Just open your eyes and you will find clear
indications of this reality.
Life’s journey,
frequently directed
along uneven
paths, is one in
which one faces
many unfavourable
situations.
A man, standing by the side of a rock, looked
down and found that, due to the continuous
lashing of the waves, the rock had worn
away. He exclaimed, “Look, the rock is a hard
object, while water is so soft. But even if as
soft a thing as water acts with perseverance,
it can crush as hard an object as a rock into
pieces. All the huge quantities of sand found
on the sea shores have been produced by this
lashing of water against the rocks.”
The career of Dr. Subramanian Chandrasekhar (1910-1995), an eminent
mathematician, provides a worthwhile human parallel. From his
childhood, he showed keen interest in mathematics and astronomy.
Later, he took up as the subject for his research the birth and death
of the stars. In this connection, he presented his initial conclusion in
the form of a research paper at a meeting of Astrophysical Society
held on January 11,1935. Scientists of repute, including Sir Arthur
Eddington, were present at the meeting. Sir Arthur Eddington ridiculed
Chandrasekhar and tore his papers to pieces.
Afterwards, Chandrasekhar wanted this paper to be published in
the Astrophysical Journal published from London. But his paper was
rejected. Disheartened by this discouraging experience, he left Britain
for India. Here he applied to different universities for a job but failed to
find one. He was rejected both at home and abroad.
Yet this was not enough to dishearten Chandrasekhar. He now left
India for Chicago, USA, where he found the circumstances more
favourable. He devoted himself once again to his research. Gradually his theory became so popular that his papers were regularly published
in important scientific journals and magazines. Ultimately his theory
came to be accepted as Chandrasekhar Limit in the world of science.
At the age of 73, in 1983, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
Human history is replete with such exemplary lives. Anyone who has
achieved any real success in this world has done so through continuous
effort and perseverance. There is no other path to success in this world.
Anyone who has
achieved any real
success in this world
has done so through
continuous effort and
perseverance.
It has been observed that if you want to achieve
success for yourself, you should cultivate
the virtue of patience, for success is always
dependent upon exercising patience. This is
necessary because in a period of struggle,
such obstacles come in the way as apparently
remove one further from one’s destination.
That is why man must never allow himself to
become discouraged. Equipped with patience
and perseverance, he should persist in his
efforts.
This is so great a certainty that it leaves no choice as to our course of
action. We have to abide by this verdict of nature, for we can survive
only by living in accordance with it. It is not possible for us to change
the system of nature.
Given this state of affairs, wisdom demands that we refrain from wasting
our time in complaints and protests, and instead we should take steps
to banish despair and discouragement. Adopting the path of realism,
one must continue one’s efforts. Thus, success will become as certain
as the setting of the sun in the evening and of its rising again the next
morning. Unflagging effort inevitably leads one to one’s desired goal.
Nature requires only a few months to grow a crop of cucumber. But
this is not the case with the oak tree. Nature here requires a period
of a hundred years. Then how can man be exempt from this universal
principle?
If you are not willing to accept the reality of a long, very long struggle,
you shall have to be content with very minor success. The indispensable
price of great success is long-term endeavour. One who is not willing to
pay this price should not expect any great success.
INDIAA POTENTIALLY SPIRITUAL COUNTRY
Power of Spirituality
TOLERANCE is an integral part of India’s tradition. One can say
that tolerance is India’s national identity. India has a long history
of the culture of tolerance. India is a multi-religious society.
Followers of almost all the major religions live in India with total
harmony. One can say that India has proved to be a peaceful haven for
different religions and cultures. In this sense, one can say that India is
like a peaceful garden in which all kinds of plants and trees flourish.
This is the identity of India. India is a composite society. According to
the 2011 census, the demographics of India’s population according
to religion are: 79.80% Hindus,
1.
religions.
This composite nature of the Indian society
is not by accident. It is attributed directly to
the Indian way of thinking. According to the
traditional way of thinking, India believes in
plurality, or in the words of the great Indian
leader Mahatma Gandhi, “the manyness
of reality.” Hindus comprise the majority
in Indian population. The Hindu religion is
based on advaitvad, that is, monism. Monism
means that divine reality is one, manifested
in different ways. According to this religious
philosophy, the Hindus believe that everything in the cosmos is an
ansh, or part, of divinity. They believe in the concept of an indwelling
god, that is, every human being has a content of divinity. Due to this
concept, the Hindu mind accords equal position to every man and
woman. This is the genesis of the culture of tolerance in India.
The Indian
Constitution accords
Muslims equal rights
of citizenship in every
aspect and there is
no discrimination at
all on the basis of
religion.
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the holy books of Hinduism. It maintains
that all paths lead to the same destination. It was this concept that was
declared by the well-known Hindu thinker Swami Vivekananda (1863-
1902) at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in these words: “We
believe not only in universal toleration but we accept all religions as
true.” (Chicago, September 11, 1893). It is a fact that Hinduism believes
in religious pluralism. Almost all scholars of Hinduism, for example,
Sri Aurobindo Ghose, Rabindranath Tagore, C. Rajagopalachari, and
S. Radhakrishnan, have confirmed this concept of Hindu philosophy.
A practical example of this culture is narrated by Jawaharlal Nehru
(1889-1964) in his famous book The Discovery of India, in these
words: “In Kashmir, a long-continued process of conversion to Islam
had resulted in 95 per cent of the population becoming Moslems,
though they retained many of their old Hindu customs. In the middle
nineteenth century the Hindu raja (ruler) of the state found that very
large numbers of these people were anxious or willing to return en
bloc to Hinduism. He sent a deputation to the pundits of Benares, the
religious centre of India, inquiring if this could be done. The pundits
refused to countenance any such change of faith and there the matter
ended.” According to the Hindu pundits, this kind of conversion was
not objectionable.
Due to this mindset, the authorities of Hindu religion have accorded
Islam a very honourable status. For example, Dr Bhagavan Das (1869-
1958) was a well-known scholar of Hindu religion. He authored a large
number of learned works on philosophy
and religion. He writes in his magnum opus,
The Essential Unity of All Religions: “The word
Islam has a profound and noble meaning
which is, indeed, by itself, the very essence
of religion. Derived from salm, peace, shanti,
it means ‘peaceful acceptance’ of God; calm
resignation, submission, surrender.”
If there are some
problems faced
by the Muslim
community in India,
they are due to the
law of nature and
not on account
of any kind of
discrimination.
The different religions of India have their own
distinct history of how they reached this land.
As far as the religion of Islam is concerned,
it first reached India toward the end of the
seventh century AD, that is, in the same
period that is regarded among the three golden periods of Islam. This
first group of Muslim Arabs came from Iraq by sea-route and settled
in Kerala, a coastal state of India. Due to the above-mentioned Indian
spirit, this group was hailed with respect. The Indians conferred on
them the title of Mappila, which means a highly respectable person.
Jawaharlal Nehru, in The Discovery of India, observes that when the
Arabs came to India, they brought with them a brilliant culture.
Due to this reason, Islam found a very favourable atmosphere in India. In
the beginning, Muslims were just a small group, but now they comprise
about 14.
scholar of ancient history and culture, Tara Chand, has documented the
advent and influence of Islam in India. His major contribution to IndoIslamic culture and philosophy is his worthy book Influence of Islam on Indian Culture. The book, which was first published in 1922, has become
a classic on this subject for researchers and historians.
According to the Indian Constitution, which came into effect in
January 1950, Muslims have equal rights of citizenship in every
aspect and there is no discrimination at all on the basis of religion.
There are about one million Muslim masjids, madrasas (seminaries)
and various Islamic organizations in India at present. All these
institutions are flourishing and working smoothly. There are numerous
schools, colleges and universities freely run by Muslims. Muslims
have a distinctive presence in every field of Indian society such as the
government, administration, business, industry, education and social
institutions. The President of India holds the highest office in the
country. He is the head of the state and the first citizen of India. In
the history of independent India, four Muslims have, to this date, held
the office of the president. These were: Dr Zakir Hussain (1967-1969),
Mohammad Hidayatullah (July-August 1969), Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
(1974-1977) and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (2002-2007). Mohammad Hamid
Ansari served as 12th Vice-President of India. (2007-2017)
If there are some problems faced by the
Muslim community in India, they are due to
the law of nature and not on account of any
kind of discrimination. Differences are a part
of the law of nature. Thus, it is but natural that
there are problems in every society, including
a Muslim society. These kind of problems are
normal and not worthy of any consideration.
According to the law of nature, it is impossible
to have a country which is totally problemfree, and certainly India is not an exception in
this regard.
A nation armed with
the spiritual power
of its individuals
is in a position to
inculcate spirituality
in international life.
Swami Vivekananda is one of the most admired religious leaders of
India. He was a great believer in Hindu-Muslim unity. Once he stated
his concept in these words: “I see in my mind’s eye the future perfect
India rising out of this chaos and strife, glorious and invincible, with
Vedanta brain and Islam body.” (Letter dated June 10, 1898, Letters of
Swami Vivekananda)
Due to this spirit of tolerance and mutual acceptance, Islam and
Muslims found a very favourable soil in India. For example, the Sufis
generally came from Central Asia and settled in various Indian cities.
They established khanqahs (a place for spiritual retreat) and tried to peacefully disseminate the message of Islam. The above historical
references explain how it was possible that the different groups of
religion and culture have been living in harmony in India since long.
How the people of a nation had so many religious beliefs and how they
could live together from the past to the present with this diversity,
without conflict? It was not due to any coincidence. But, it was due
to the deep-rooted traditions of the Indian culture. The theoretical
explanations of this phenomenon can be different, but, it is a fact that
this kind of tolerance is a great strength of India. It gives India a special
place on the world map. The well-known Indian leader Mahatma
Gandhi is the greatest name in pacifism. In its article on pacifism, the
fifteenth edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica has this to say about
Gandhi: “The most massive, comprehensive, and historically effective
example of nonviolent activism is that of the movements unchained
and organized by Mahatma Gandhi.” The case of Mahatma Gandhi is
not an individual case, in fact, he was only a manifestation of India’s
spirit of peace and tolerance.
In the pre-WWII era, certain countries adopted a social model that
was based on uniculturalism. Some examples of these countries are
Canada, the USA and Australia. However, this model completely failed
to work. Then in the post-WWII period, they adopted a new model
which was based on multiculturalism. It is interesting to note that India
had adopted the model of multiculturalism since the beginning of its
history and up to the present day. It is this model that provides the
pace of development to both the Muslim community as well as the
non-Muslim communities.
Another wonderful aspect of India is that it is a potential spiritual
superpower. A case in point is of Mother Teresa who was born in
Europe but upon her visit to India she was so fascinated with this
land of spirituality that she decided to settle here. She dedicated her
entire life to social upliftment. In recognition of her services, she was
awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize. On this occasion, she was invited
to the USA to address an American audience there. She began her
address with these historic words: “I have come from a rich country
to a poor country.” She was indeed referring to the spiritual wealth of
this country. It is a fact that India has a long tradition of spirituality and
moral values. In other words, potentially, India is a spiritual hub. This is
the true spirit of India. We only need to revive ancient Indian traditions
in our lives, for India to emerge as a spiritual superpower in the world.
It will be able to conquer the world with its spirituality. But turning this
Indian potential into reality would need a long and sincere effort. It is a
struggle involving many phases, consisting of purely peaceful methods.
First of all, we have to re-build good traditions in individual minds.
We have to bring about a change in people’s thinking, so that we may
build a society based on sound ethical principles. This again requires a
nonviolent struggle, in the complete sense of the phrase.
Then, we need to build a nation reinforced by these principles—a
nation, which knows the difference between peace and violence, a
nation that knows the difference between the spiritual and the nonspiritual. Individuals are the social constituents that make a nation. And
a nation armed with the spiritual power of its individuals, is in a position
to inculcate spirituality in international life. India, by revitalizing, can
change the whole world. Let us work for this noble cause.
Why is India a spiritual power? This is traceable to its long spiritual
tradition. Where the western world was engaged in technical activities
in previous centuries; India, throughout those same centuries was
engaged in spiritual activities. While the western world was producing
material experts in the form of physical scientists, India was producing
spiritual scientists, in the form of Swamis and Sufis. It is this factor,
which has been mainly responsible for the difference between India
and the western world. India might be a developing country, in the
material sense, but it is a developed country,
in the spiritual sense.
In an age wrecked by violence, the entire world
craves peace. It is here that India has a chance
to play an important role. India can show the
world the path to peace and spirituality and
thus emerge as a spiritual superpower.
India can show the
world the path to
peace and spirituality
and thus emerge as a
spiritual superpower.
Swami Vivekanand was a great soul of
India. He was quite right in predicting that,
after independence, India would emerge as
spiritual leader of the world. In spite of all the material progress that has
been made, the world is in search of spirituality. Indeed, spirituality—a
national asset of India—is the real identity of our country. For centuries,
the lofty Himalayas have served as an abode of spirituality. Its message
flows eternally in the water of the Ganges and the Jamuna, while tall
green trees provide spiritual solace, and beautiful birds warble the
songs of peace. This rare combination of spiritual greatness is to be
found only in India. This is what makes it a spiritual superpower. It is
in this sense India is potentially a superpower. It should be our aim to
bring about a spiritual renaissance in the second decade of the 21st
century.
PLAY YOUR PART IN CONSERVING WATER
IN HIS POETIC masterpiece, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, English
poet and theologian Samuel Taylor Coleridge, described the agony
of a sailor who is surrounded by water but cannot drink it. Deeply
distressed by the irony, he exclaims, “Water, water everywhere, Nor
any drop to drink!”
This expression of Coleridge is an illustration of human limitations.
Though water is vital for man’s survival, he cannot create water to
sustain himself; yet he mindlessly wastes this essential natural resource.
There are vast reservoirs of fresh water in the polar ice-caps but they
are melting at an alarming rate and draining off into the oceans. While
increasing sea levels, this situation is also
causing significant shortage of potable water.
Experts predict that the shortage of water will
become so acute that a Third World War might
break out over this issue. Scientists across
the world have repeatedly emphasised that
global warming accelerated by human action
is the greatest danger of our times.
Water is not just a
source of physical
existence: it is an
equally important
source from which
to derive spiritual
nourishment. It
teaches us to be
a giver and fulfil
our responsibility
towards others.
The creation of water is a marvel: two distinct
gases with special properties come together
to take the liquid form of water. If nature
had not been endowed with this potential,
the creation of water would not have been
possible.
Water is indispensable but global shortages are increasing at such an
alarming rate, that it is making the wastage of water a grave cause of
concern. While governments try to find ways of resolving the water
issues of their nations, it is also pertinent that, as responsible citizens,
each one of us should become involved in the initiative to conserve
water.
According to United Nations reports, water scarcity already affects
every continent in the world. If each individual were to awaken to the
responsibility of mindfully using water resources, he could contribute
greatly to addressing the issue of water shortage. Charity begins at
home, so each one of us should resolve to rise to the occasion and do our bit by finding out how we can do something to reduce our own
water footprint and help manage the need for water.
Water is not just a source of physical existence: it is an equally important
source from which to derive spiritual nourishment. It teaches us to be
a giver and fulfil our responsibility towards others. The flow of water
in a mountain stream, for instance, is repeatedly obstructed by stones
in its path. But the spring does not attempt to remove the stones to
continue on its journey. Instead, it moves ahead by flowing around and
alongside the stones, as if telling us not to collide with obstacles, but to
continue on our way regardless. Everything in this world continuously
conveys the message that we should give, without taking anything in
return, and discharge our duty in a selfless manner.
According to the Quran, water is a bountiful creation of the Creator.
The Quran says, ‘We have made every living thing out of water.’(
We have to conserve water as an act of worship; we have to regard it
as a sacred duty imposed on each one of us to continue to preserve life
for future generations. We should adopt this culture, and live as givers,
rather than as takers.
A DAY FOR JUSTICE
A Lesson from History
THROUGHOUT 1984, Iraq kept stepping up its attempt to ruin the
Iranian economy by cutting off export of oil through the Kharg
Island terminal. Hoping to force Iran to negotiate an end to the
four-year-old Gulf War, the Iraqi authorities conducted systematic
attacks on international shipping using the Iranian oil terminal. Their
efforts were considerably assisted by their acquirement of sophisticated
Exocet missiles from France. So successful have these missiles been that
Aerospatiale—the French manufacturers of the Exocet—considered fit
to bring out an advertisement in the London Economist, announcing
that their product had hit and disabled many vessels in the Gulf War.
The advertisement, quite conveniently does not mention the dozens
of crewmen on these vessels who were killed or injured. The Exocet,
as the advertisement omits to say, has disabled and wrecked not only
ships but human life as well.
It is inconceivable
and unacceptable
to think that some
people should
indulge in games
of death and
destruction and are
allowed to go without
paying for their
crimes.
The fact that Aerospatiale, like the
manufacturers and distributors of so many
other weapons of destruction, consider it fit
to advertise the devastating nay life-taking
qualities of their products, is due to the reason
that they feel there is none to bring them to
account for their actions. Everyone knows
that killing innocent people, and giving others
weapons to kill them is a crime against God
and humanity. Yet those who wield political
and economic power in this world continue to
kill, and even take pride in their action, when
it serves their interests. They think that their
power gives them a license to kill.
The human conscience demands that such people be brought to
justice; it cries out, “Who is going to take away their license to kill?” Yet
in this world, they are never brought to justice. Those who perpetrate
these crimes against humanity are accorded state funerals and buried
as ‘heroes’. They are condemned and punished only if they happen to
be on the losing side.
In a world where the human conscience, and the order of the whole
universe, demands justice, it is inconceivable and unacceptable to think that some people should indulge in games of death and destruction
and are allowed to go without paying for their crimes.
There must come a day when the powerful are made powerless, and
made to answer for their actions; when those who innocently died at
their hands are invited to bear witness against their persecutors. That
will be the Day of Judgement, the day when the Owner of all true power
brings justice to the world, and punishes those to whom He gave power
as a test, and who mercilessly misused it.
WISHFUL THINKING
Living in Wonderland
FIFTY YEARS ago on July 21, 1969, the American astronaut Neil
Armstrong, became the first man to set foot on the moon.
Armstrong continued working for NASA until 1971. Afterwards, he
took up a job as a university professor at the University of Cincinnati.
When Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, he famously said:
‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’. Another story
about Armstrong was printed in the Malaysian newspaper Star (January
10, 1983), and the Sri Lankan Daily News (January 29, 1983).
The story spread like wildfire throughout the Muslim world. “The worldfamous astronaut Neil Armstrong,” read the Star caption, “was the First
Man to set foot on the moon. He has since become a Muslim and the
reason given was that when he first stepped on the moon, he heard a
clear sound which was very clear to him and his companions. At that
time, he thought his ears were playing tricks on him as he was rather
excited and over-awed by his first experience on the moon. When he
was sent on a lecture tour to various countries, one of the first places
he visited was Cairo, Egypt, and he heard the same sound again. So, he
asked the Egyptian companion nearest to him what the sound was. He
was told that it was Azan, the call to prayer and the glorification of God.
He was astounded for that was the same sound and the same words
to the best of his memory that he heard on the moon. It was then that
he decided to learn something about the religion and finally embraced
Islam. As a result of that, he lost his coveted job. But, according to him,
he had found God, and nothing else mattered.”
On reading these reports, the founder and President of the Centre for
Peace and Spirituality, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, wrote a letter to
Mr. Armstrong, seeking his verification. In his reply, dated May 5, 1983,
Mr. Armstrong categorically denied the truth of the reports. “Dear
Mr. Khan,” he wrote. “Thank you for the courtesy of your letter.
The reports of my conversion to Islam, of hearing the voice of Azan
on the moon, and later in Cairo (I have never been in Egypt) are all
untrue. Several magazines and newspapers in Malaysia, Indonesia
and elsewhere have published these reports without verification. I
apologize for any inconvenience that this incompetent journalism may
have caused you. Sincerely, Neil A. Armstrong.”
The report had also implicated the American government, for it had
been stated that on accepting Islam, Armstrong was promptly fired by the US Space Agency. American government took extensive measures
to counter the report. American posts all over the world were told that
there was nothing in the story. On May 12, 1983, a televised press
conference was held in the American Centre, New Delhi, in which
journalists were linked by telephone directly to Neil Armstrong’s office
in Ohio so that they could hear his direct denial that he was a Muslim
or had been sacked. He further made clear, according to the Hindustan
Times report (May 13, 1983) that “he had never been exposed to Islamic
teachings, nor had he read the Quran.”
How strange it is that Muslims have not discharged their responsibility
to communicate the creation plan of God to Armstrong and others yet
they are only too willing to concoct stories about their religion having
conquered, not only the world, but the moon as well. Explaining the
extra efforts made to ensure that the rumour was quashed, an official
of the U.S. Information Ministry said: “A story like this is self-generating.
It is intriguing to a Muslim. It can have a long shelf life.”
The reason that Muslims are so “intrigued” by stories of this nature is
that they make them feel happy in the thought that Islam has conquered
the world, and relieve them of any responsibility of conveying God's
message to others. What will a people, who have nothing but wishful
thinking and shunned responsibilities to offer, when they come before
God?
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
PARADISE: A KNOWN ENTITY
THE QURAN states that the joys which God’s true servants will
experience in Paradise will be a materialization of the joys they
experienced in their worship in the world. In this world, God
does not come out into the open; the joy that comes from realization
of His existence and faith in Him is, accordingly, an abstract one. But
in the next world, God will manifest Himself in all His glory; the joy that
will come from beholding Him will become apparent for all to see.
It is this realization that is the true aim of the Islamic life. All the actions
of Islam are just a means towards conscious discovery of God; they are
ways of establishing contact with the Creator.
There is more to our relationship with God
than performing some good deeds and God
in Heaven being pleased with us in return. It
is not a superficial and supposed relationship
of this nature; it is a deep and direct one. The
actions of God’s servant are, in their outward
form, obedience to His commandments; but
in reality, they are a means of conveyance to a
place of communion with the Lord. There, one calls upon Him in secret; one implores and beseeches Him for help; one
attaches oneself to Him with arduous devotion; one really feels as if
one has thrown oneself at God’s feet. Discovery of God in this manner
is the supreme objective of religion, and all its commandments and
injunctions are aimed at achieving this discovery. Whoever discovers
God in this world will discover Him in the next world also; but whoever
fails to discover God in this world will also fail to discover Him in the
next world. This experience of communion with God is indeed a wealth
unrivalled.
This wealth is God’s provision to His believing servants (
fulfilling God’s commandments is in one’s own power; one can do so
or not as one feels inclined. But the inner states that one experiences
while performing the will of God are not in one’s own power; one
cannot create them. Where, then, do they come from? They are the
provisions of God without which one’s believing personality cannot
survive. When the Prophet Zakaria saw this
provision in the person of Virgin Mary, which
enabled her to realize God and do His will, he
exclaimed: “Where is this from?” “It is from
God,” she answered (
Discovery of God
is the supreme
objective of
religion, and all its
commandments and
injunctions are aimed
at achieving this
discovery
One’s actions are the result of one’s own
efforts, and these states are God’s reward for
good deeds. God does not keep His supreme
blessings in reserve; He grants them to us
unstintingly here and now. They descend
upon us as soon as we show ourselves to be
worthy of them. The sublime spiritual experiences one feels when God
accepts some action are an introduction to the Heaven that God has
promised those who believe in Him and do good deeds. They are a
fragrance of the garden of Paradise which one scents in this world.
Though they cause one to tremble, they are the greatest joy that one
can feel. No worldly enjoyment can be compared to them. This in itself
is intuitive proof of the fact that these states are a reflection of that
supreme divine gift known as Paradise. That is why the Quran says
that the Paradise which believers will enter in the next world will be
for them a “known provision” (
will be something familiar with which they had become acquainted in
the world. “God will admit them to the Paradise He has made known
to them,” or, as the Prophet put it: “The people of Paradise will know
their dwellings even better than anyone of you knows his dwelling in
the world.”
NINETEEN EIGHTYFOUR
JUNE 8, 2019 marked the 70th anniversary of the publication of
1984, George Orwell’s famous novel of life in the future. The novel
was written in 1948 and became an instant success. Since then it
has sold more than 30 million copies and has also been translated into
many languages.
The year 1984 had also become, in the words of Peter Jenkins of The
Guardian, “an almost mythical date in human history”. When the year
1984 arrived, people took to comparing the situation postulated by
Orwell, with that which existed in the real world. Mrs. Thatcher, for
instance, was reported as saying that “Orwell was wrong”. We do not,
she asserted, have a totalitarian state of the kind that Orwell predicted.
But the picture that Orwell depicted for 1984 was not meant to be taken
literally. It is a symbolic expression of the course that evil in the world
of man might take. George Orwell saw ominous trends in the political
system of 1948; he projected those trends to 1984, and described the
society that might result. 70 years later the
novel still resonates with modern society and
political consciousness and human freedom.
1984, the novel has become an essential part
of the modern consciousness.
The world of nature,
in all its beauty,
proclaims that
there is a path to
perfection that man
too can follow.
Orwell saw that man is in the middle of a
perfect world. Everything in nature is exactly
as it ought to be. There is no exploitation,
prejudice, tyranny or corruption in the world
around man. His own world, however, is
fraught with evil. The world of nature, in all its
beauty, proclaims that there is a path to perfection that man too can
follow. The world of man, in all its corruption, cries out that man has
failed to follow that path. The purpose of 1984 is to warn man off from
cultivating his potential for evil, and cultivate instead the good that is
latent in him.
But the pessimistic tone of 1984 shows that Orwell did not see human
society reaching a state of perfection in this world. “It is quite possible
that man’s major problems will never be solved,” he wrote in 1944, “but
it is also unthinkable who is there who dares to look at the world of
today and say to himself, ‘It will always be like this’.”
Indeed, if one looks at the world of man, there seems to be no end to
the evil that he perpetrates. Yet if one looks at the world around man,
its perfection tells one that there must come a time when man also
merges with the perfect world around him.
The only way out of this paradox is to accept the coming of another
world when reality will be enforced on man, as it is already enforced on
the world of nature; when God’s Will shall prevail in the world of man,
as is already the case in the rest of the world. The only ones who will
be fit to inhabit that perfect world will be those who had consciously
become a part of it in this world; those who bowed to the Will of God
when they had the power to rebel.
RESPONSIBILITY NOT PRIDE
The True Lesson of Religion
A RENOWNED Muslim leader delivered a speech in an international
conference. In his own words, he was speaking on behalf of the
1.8 billion Muslims living in the world today. Here is an excerpt
of his speech:
As they enter the 21st century, the Islamic peoples, who have
rediscovered their pride in their religion, their great culture and
their unique social and economic institutions, are confident
that the advent of this century would mark the beginning of a
new epoch, when their high ideals of peace, justice, equality of
man, and their unique understanding of the universe, would
once again enable them to make a worthy contribution to the
betterment of mankind.
This example distinctly shows that more than
anything else, Muslims seek to derive pride
from their religion. It is this attitude that
has nullified all their efforts in the present
age. Tremendous efforts are under way in
the name of Islam in the world today, but all
these efforts emanate from a sense of pride
rather than a sense of responsibility. The
Quran mentions that only worldly activities
can emanate from a feeling of pride (
Activities which are focused on the life after
death emanate from a feeling of servitude towards God (
leads to egoism and selfishness, whereas a feeling of servitude results
in humility and responsibility.
A truly Islamic movement is one which seeks to warn man of God’s
punishment. But the aim of present-day Islamic movements is world
supremacy. These movements have come into being as a result of a
feeling of national superiority. Islam is something in which Muslims
today take pride; it has ceased for them to be the true path to
eternal success. This in itself is proof enough that these movements
are nationalistic rather than truly Islamic. The Islam that Muslims
are striving for today is a national version of Islam, not the true
religion of God. For a feeling of pride is the foundation of national
religion, whereas divine religion can only be based on a sense of
responsibility.
TWO METHODS
AS THE LEGEND goes, the wind and the sun once challenged one
another as to which one was more powerful than the other. The
argument went on and on indefinitely. Then both decided to
demonstrate their respective powers on an object, and whoever won
was to be acknowledged the more powerful.
It was early in the morning, and a person covered with a blanket was
seen walking in a field. Both the sun and the wind said, “Let us test our
strength on this person. The one who manages to remove his blanket
from his body will be held the more powerful.”
The wind, first in the field, blew harder and
harder until a gale was let loose. But when the
man saw the storm approaching, he became
afraid of his blanket flying away in the wind,
so as the wind started blowing, he went on
tightening his blanket around him more
and more. Thus the wind failed to separate
the blanket from the man’s body. Next, the
sun came on the scene to show its strength.
Instead of a rapid action, it opted for a slow
and steady one. It gradually began spreading
its rays in the atmosphere. The man started feeling somewhat hot,
so he loosened his blanket. Then, when he became very hot with the
sun’s rays, he removed the blanket from his body, folded it and hung it
around his neck.
God’s blessings
come to the one
who behaves gently
instead of harshly
This allegory tells us the difference between gentle and harsh action.
The way of gentleness in dealings leads to success while the harsh way
leads to failure.
By gentleness one can win peoples’ hearts. Harshness only drives
people further away. By forgiving someone for his ill-treatment, one
awakens in him a sense of shame. Whereas by returning evil for evil, a
reaction of revenge and retaliation is produced. As the Hadith tells us,
God rewards gentleness and not harshness. That is, God’s blessings
come to the one who behaves gently instead of harshly.
GROWING IN FAITH
Work in Progress
A SCIENTIST once reflected, “Observing nature is my religion, if
any day I don’t discover something new in nature, I feel that
the day has been wasted.” If this is the state of one who is
absorbed in God’s creation, how can the state of one who is absorbed
in the Creator Himself be any different? Just as the scientist discovers
something new in the world of creation every day, so a believer should
always be making new discoveries about his Creator—discoveries that
increase him in faith. Any day that he does not find something new is
like a day that has been wasted; it is as if he has not established contact
with God on that day.
Faith is another word for the discovery of God. God is a never-ending
reality; He has no limit. So, discovering Him is also a never-ending event.
Faith that does not grow is not really faith at all; it is just a manner of
neglecting God.
If one’s mind is constantly directed towards
God, one will repeatedly experience novel
manifestations of His glory; time and again
a new divine light will shine on him. Just as
God’s virtues are interminable, so a believer’s
search for knowledge of God is a journey that
never comes to an end.
If one’s mind is
constantly directed
towards God, one
will repeatedly
experience novel
manifestations of His
glory; time and again
a new divine light will
shine on him.
This fresh knowledge is sometimes expressed
in the form of divine states with which one
was so far unacquainted. Sometimes it
surges to one’s lips in the form of words of
supplication which one had never conceived
before. Sometimes a previously concealed
secret of God’s wisdom becomes apparent to one. Sometimes one
attains hitherto unknown degrees of proximity to God. Sometimes
profound new understanding of truths is inspired within one, which all
the words one knows are inadequate to express.
A concise way of describing the Islamic way of life is to say
that it is a life of self-control. The various controls and the
code of discipline that one is expected to observe during Hajj
can be seen as a training for such a way of life.
TWO ATTITUDES
Submit to the Truth Before Death
THE QURAN says that on Judgement Day, when humankind is
gathered before God, man will look upon his deeds. Those who
denied God, and rebelled against Him, will behold the doom that
awaits them. In anguish they will cry out:
“Would that I were dust!” (
When Umar, the second Caliph of Islam, lay on his death-bed, after
being mortally wounded by the dagger of Abu Lulu Firoz, his son,
Abdullah ibn Umar was resting his father’s head in his lap. “Rub my
cheek in the dust, Abdullah,” Umar said to him. Abdullah ibn Umar did
so. Then, with his head resting on the ground, Umar addressed these
words to himself:
“Woe betide you, Umar, and woe betide the
one who gave birth to you, if God does not
forgive you.” (Tabaqat lbn Saad)
The only creditable
submission of God
is that which comes
before He makes
Himself manifest
If one compares both these events, one will
find that the very words uttered by those who
do not believe in the next world, are those
uttered by believers in this world.
Who dare rebel against God when He appears
before man? Everyone will submit to Him
then. But the only creditable submission of
God is that which comes before He makes Himself manifest. God wants
us to bow to Him before He reveals Himself. He wants us to discover
Him through His signs in the universe.
The only reason that people rebel against God is that He has not
physically manifested Himself before them. But how can one rebel
against Him when He manifests Himself in all His might? Man is cowed
into submission before a lion. How then can he dare otherwise when
he comes face to face with God, the creator of the lion?
A believer is one who experiences in this world and humbles himself
without seeing God what others are going to experience in the next
world.
WHAT IS DEATH
Towards the Hereafter
OF ALL THE STAGES through which a person will have to pass,
death is the most certain. Everyone who is alive now will be
dead sometime in the future. One day the eyes of those who
see will fade and their tongues freeze into silence. Every human being
will one day be leaving this world, never to return, and entering a world
which he will never leave.
No one can be sure when death will come; it might strike at any instant.
The gravity of the situation lies in death not being the end of life, but
rather the beginning of a new, eternal life, a world of everlasting reward
or retribution.
Everyone is on a journey from life to death.
Some have set their sights on the world, others
on the Hereafter. Some strive to satisfy their
own desires and egos, others are restless in
love and fear of God.
Every human being
will one day be
leaving this world,
never to return, and
entering a world
which he will never
leave.
Both types of people appear the same in this
world. But in relation to the life after death,
there is a world of difference between the
two: those who live in God and the Hereafter
are redeeming themselves, while those who
live in worldly pleasures and selfish desires
are condemning themselves to doom.
The world beyond death is, as Arthur Koestler, a Hungarian-British
author put it, an “unknown country”. We are all traveling towards that
unknown country. The strangest and most mysterious event of our
lives is death. Everyone is anxious to know what will become of them
after death.
The American evangelist, Billy Graham, has written a book called The
Secret of Happiness. He writes in this book that he once received an
urgent message from a famous political leader, who wanted to meet
him at the earliest opportunity.
When Billy Graham reached the politician’s residence, he was ushered
into a separate room. There the politician addressed him in a heartrending tone. “I am an old man,” he said, “Life has lost all meaning. I am ready to take a fateful leap into the unknown. Young man, can you
give me a ray of hope?”
It was, indeed, only a man of religion who could give him an answer.
Death is lying in wait for everyone. In one’s youth one tends to forget
death, but in the end the hand of fate holds
sway. In old age, when one’s strength is on the
wane, one realizes the imminence of death;
one is moved to wonder what lies in store for
one in the Hereafter; one searches for a ray of
hope which can illuminate the world one will
have to face after death.
The strangest and
most mysterious
event of our lives
is death. Everyone
is anxious to know
what will become of
them after death.
It is this ray of hope that God’s prophets have
come to the world to provide. The prophets
have taught man that there is another
world—one that is both eternal and ideal—
after death. Those who will be admitted to this perfect world in the
afterlife are those who, in this life on earth, prove themselves worthy
of it by their righteous actions.
This message has been summed up in these words of the Quran: “And
God calls unto the home of peace.” (
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 AD 610 and 632. 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
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise be to God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, who made
the angels His messengers, with wings—two, or three, or four pairs.
He adds to His creation whatever He wills; for God has the power to
will anything. No one can withhold the blessings God bestows upon
people, nor can anyone apart from Him bestow whatever He withholds:
He is the Almighty, the Wise One. (
God created angels to carry messages and execute orders. But, Satan
misled people to believe that the angels had a distinct identity of their
own and that they could be the source of bringing blessings in this
world and salvation in the Hereafter. So, some communities drew
imaginary pictures of them, giving them names ‘Lat’ and ‘Manat’ and
started worshipping them. Some communities treated them with the
reverence which rightfully was due to God. In the present age, reverence
for the ‘law of nature’ is the modern version of a similar misconception.
But the fact is that both the angels and the law of nature are subject to
the will of One God alone.
People, remember God’s favour to you. Is there any creator other than
God who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? There is no
God save Him. How then are you turned away from the truth? If they
reject you, other messengers have been rejected before you. To God
all affairs will be returned. (
Man is in need of innumerable things to sustain his life, for example,
light, water, air, food, minerals, etc. Each of these elements require
the combined and concerted actions of universal forces to come into existence. Who else except the one God is capable of bringing about
such a big event? When the Creator and Organizer of all these things
is the One God, then how could it be reasonable for people to worship
any entity other than Him?
It is a peculiar historical experience that those who accord a position
of greatness to things other than God are intractable when it comes to
re-assigning that greatness to God, even though the call for this may
be made by a prophet in person. The reason for this is people find it
easy to continue with previously accepted notions; whereas accepting
a new prophet would mean putting one’s faith in something different.
For the individual to acquire this type of ‘iman’ (faith), he must activate
his own thinking powers; he should discover the Truth through his own
insight. Undoubtedly, this has always been the most difficult task for a
man to perform.
O Men! The promise of God is true. Let not the life of this world deceive
you, nor let the Deceiver deceive you about God. Surely Satan is your
enemy: so, treat him as an enemy: he calls on his followers only so
that they should become inmates of the burning Fire. Those who are
bent on denying the truth will have a severe punishment, while those
who believe and do good deeds will have forgiveness and a great
reward. (
On the face of it, the facts of life (and Hereafter), though conveyed
to us by God through His prophets, appear to be figments of human
imagination, because they are not immediately encountered.
Conversely, the things of the present world appear to be real, because
man encounters them today itself.
Sudden death, the upheaval of earthquakes and other such incidents
shake a man’s composure. These, in fact, remind one of Doomsday,
before its actual occurrence. But Satan immediately diverts the
attention of the people by saying that these events have natural
causes and are not a result of divine intervention. That day is bound to
come when a distinction will be drawn between the true and the false;
righteous people will be rewarded for their virtue and wrongdoers will
be punished for their evil deeds.
Is he whose evil deeds are made alluring to him so that he looks upon
them as good, [equal to the man who is rightly guided]? God leaves to
stray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. Do not destroy yourself
with grief for them. God has full knowledge of all their actions. (
Almighty God has blessed every man with the capability to think and
distinguish between truth and untruth. One who utilizes this innate
talent, receives proper guidance and one who does not is left to go
astray.
When Truth appears before a man, he has two options before him.
If he accepts the Truth, his mind starts off in the right direction and
he becomes a wayfarer journeying towards the Truth. But if some
extraneous consideration or some psychological complication comes
in his way and, under its influence, he refuses to accept the Truth, he
then starts devising ways and means of justifying his rejection of it and
tries to prove that his bad deeds are actually good deeds. Those who
suffer from such psychological barriers never admit the Truth. It is only
when, after death, they come face to face with God that they reap what
they have sown.
It is God who sends forth the winds so that they raise up the clouds.
We drive them to a dead land, and by them bring the earth to life
after its death. Such is the Resurrection. If anyone seeks glory, let him
know that glory belongs to God alone. Good words ascend to Him and
righteous deeds are exalted by Him. Those who plot evil deeds shall be
sternly punished and their plotting will come to nothing. (
The present world gives us an introduction to the Hereafter. Rain, a
common phenomenon, indicates that a force is at work which is beyond
our ken. Rain results from the action of universal forces. The sun, the
air, the sea, gravitational force and many other factors combine with
each other in perfect coordination to produce the rain which makes dry
land come alive.
This process of rain-making proves that the Organizer of the universe
has full powers over it. He brings about an event according to His plan.
Revitalizing a barren piece of land and resurrecting a dead man are
both feats of the same calibre. If the possibility of the first event is
proved, by analogy, the possibility of the second event automatically
stands proved.
The present world is a testing ground. Therefore, here even an
undeserving person may temporarily receive honour, but in the
Hereafter all the honours will fall to the lot of those who are really
deserving of them. The criteria for judging worthiness will be righteous
words (al-kalim at-tayyib) and pious deeds (al-‘amal as-salih), that is,
man’s expression—in thought, word and deed—of his discovery of
God and the devotion of all his strength to the service of the Almighty.
Those who build their lives in piety are bound to secure God’s help.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
What is the significance and message of Hajj?
Man should turn towards God, making God the central focus of his life,
this is the significance and message of the pilgrimage. Although hajj
lasts for just a few days, the lessons it provides have a much broader
significance. Hajj is a comprehensive guide for the entirety of one’s life.
When we take leave of our homes and families and set off for hajj,
we feel that we are journeying towards God. It is as if we have left
our world and are entering the world of God. We feel we are heading
towards the House of God, to the abode and place of action of God’s
Prophet and his Companions—to the historically significant places of
people who had devoted their entire lives for the sake of God, and who
gave their lives in God’s path.
With this, the pilgrim also realizes the fact that he is setting off for
that place which God specially chose to reveal his final guidance to
humankind. In this manner, hajj leads the pilgrim towards becoming
a God-oriented person. He recalls and remembers God. His mind is
filled with thoughts of God. If earlier he used to think principally about
himself, now he thinks mainly of God.
What is the meaning and importance of the words which a pilgrim
utters repeatedly during the journey?
During the journey, the pilgrim calls out the following words:
God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! There is none worthy of
worship other than Him! And God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest!
And all praise is for Him!
Repeating these words constantly, a consciousness develops in a
hajj pilgrim that all greatness is for God alone. In comparison to God,
everything else pales into insignificance. This is the real secret of social
consciousness. You cannot have unity and harmonious collective living
where every person thinks that they are greater than the others. On
the other hand, when everyone surrenders their sense of individual
greatness, they will find unity and harmony. Disunity is a result of the
dispersal of greatness and unity is a result of the acknowledgement of
a single greatness. People can live harmoniously together only when
everyone surrenders their sense of greatness before a single being.
What is the spirit behind the words ‘Labbaik! Allahuma Labbaik! (Here
I am at Your service! O God, Here I am at Your service!)
When the pilgrim utters the above-mentioned words, he does not
mean to say that he has come to settle in Makkah. It is not a declaration
of his having left his homeland and arriving in Makkah. It is actually a
declaration of having left his previous conduct or behaviour. It is an
announcement to say that, ‘I am here with complete willingness to
obey You (God), and do whatever You (God) command. To submit my
life and soul to Your command.’ Although the pilgrim declares, Labbaik,
‘Here I am at Your service!’ at the place of hajj, he must stand by this
declaration in practice in his personal life on his return from hajj.
Is the square structure around which the pilgrims circumambulate
like an Idol for the Muslims and what is the meaning of going around
it?
The square structure is a historical structure originally built by Prophet
Abraham in the centre of a large courtyard also called the House of
God. It is not an idol for the Muslims. It is known as the Kabah. The
pilgrims go around the Kabah seven times, symbolizing their willingness
to have God as the centre of their lives. They affirm that they will
consider God as the focus around which their lives will revolve. It is
as if scattered bits of iron are being pulled towards a divine magnet.
The circumambulation (tawaf) is symbolic of making all one’s efforts
constrained around a single focus.
Believers all over the world turn towards the Kabah every day, offering
their five daily prayers. When they pray together facing the direction of
the Kabah, they experience an amazing sense of unity. The tawaf during
hajj provides the pilgrims an invaluable lesson—of working together,
of doing things together in harmony. Differences between rulers and
subjects are eliminated completely, as are ethnic differences. It is as if
every single person has just one status; as a servant of the one God.
What kind of personality should emerge after one performs Hajj?
The personality that should emerge after performing hajj is one in
which a two-fold activity is set in motion, one form being external; and
the other internal.
External activity refers to conveying the word of God peacefully.
Pilgrimage inspires a devotee to continue the prophetic mission of
calling people towards a God-oriented life. Internal activity refers to a
heightened sensitivity and awareness towards piety, self-control, the
avoidance of violence and aggression and the need to lead a life which
is devoted to God, instead of one devoted to self-glorification.
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 )
