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
God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him alone. That is the right
path. Yet different groups differed among themselves. How awful it
will be for those who have rejected the truth when a dreadful Day
arrives! How sharp of hearing, how sharp of sight they will be when
they come to Us. But today, these evil-doers are obviously lost in
error. (
The Messiah and all the other prophets called upon the people to tread
the same straight path, namely, that of taking God as their Lord and
worshipping Him alone. But it has always happened that, by willful
misinterpretations and false explanations, there have been deviations
from the straight path. Different people have emphasized different
points of the doctrine. These divergent views have led to such major
differences that a single religion has been divided into several religions.
The Truth is manifested in its entirety in this world too. But because
here man has been given freedom of choice so that he may be put to
the test, as the very purpose of his existence is trial, he may accept the
Truth or he may not. Due to this temporary freedom, he falls a prey
to misunderstanding and starts behaving arrogantly. He is shown the
right path of God but, in spite of arguments in its favour, he does not
accept it. Today his eyes and ears appear to be altogether devoid of the
powers of seeing and hearing, but, in the Hereafter, when his freedom
is snatched away from him, these very same eyes and very same ears
of his will become so powerful that he will have no choice but to see
and hear the Truth.
Warn them of [the coming of] the Day of Remorse, when everything
will have been decided, while they are heedless and do not believe. It
is We who will inherit the earth and all who dwell upon it: they shall
all return to Us. (
When a man meets with failure in this world, he has the opportunity
to start his life afresh, and he feels himself fortunate to have friends
and supporters who will offer him assistance. But, failure in the life
Hereafter allows of no chance of reversal. What keen regret a man
feels when he learns that he had the opportunity to do what was right
and proper, but did nothing until it was too late!
The root cause of all evil is that man takes himself to be his own master,
while the fact is that this life is only a transient period in his existence.
God was the Lord of everything in the beginning and He will be the Lord
of everything till the end. In truth, there is nobody but God who may
hold the position of a master.
Also recount the story of Abraham in the Book. He was a man of truth,
and a prophet. He said to his father, ‘Why do you worship something
that can neither hear nor see nor benefit you in any way? Father, I
have been given some knowledge which has not come to you, so follow
me: I shall guide you along a straight path. Father! Do not worship
Satan—for, truly, Satan is a rebel against the Most Gracious One!
Father, indeed I fear lest a punishment from the Gracious One afflict
you, and you become a friend of Satan.’ (
Abraham was born in Iraq. His father, Azar, was a polytheist. When
Abraham received prophethood, he advised his father to give up
polytheism and start worshipping God, or face God’s retribution.
Worship of Satan does not mean actually worshipping Satan himself,
but worshipping something indicated by Satan. Although it is an
inherent part of human nature to feel the need to glorify some being,
place it in an elevated position and then bow down and pay homage to
it, the real focus of such feelings should be and is God. But, Satan, by
various methods, influences people and diverts their minds from this
in order to make them worship things other than God, i.e. place them
on a par with those who associate others with God and offer only to
others what they should offer to God.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad).
The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above
saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of
curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society
by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their
knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of
knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding
answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished
with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey.
If there is a God, who created God?
The answer to this question is in what the French philosopher Rene
Descartes had said, ‘I think, therefore I am.’ To prove God’s existence,
I extend this logic to say, ‘If I am, therefore, God is.’ This is because a
human being is like a mini-god, one who possesses all divine qualities in
a smaller magnitude. If a mini-god’s existence is possible, the Almighty
God’s existence is possible too. The choice before us is not between ‘a
universe with God’ and ‘a universe without God’, the real choice instead
is between ‘a universe with God’ and ‘no universe at all’. The rationale
is that when there is no option for you, the available option becomes
the only choice.
Creation cannot be traced back endlessly. At some point, we will have to
agree that there is someone who has brought creation into existence. If
we do not accept this, the phenomenon of creation would be rendered
endless and hence non-workable. Somewhere, we will have to put a
full-stop, and agree that there is one all-powerful Creator.
If there is a probability that God exists, isn’t there also an equal
probability that God does not exist?
Probability means the likelihood of the occurrence of an event—that
is, either the event is probable or it is not. For example, if there is
probability that the universe is intelligent, it implies that the notion that
the universe is not intelligent is not probable. So, when the proposition
of the existence of a God is probable, then the probability that God
does not exist is rejected.
Does God want us to have the spirit of enquiry so that we discover
Him?
God wants that people should stand on self-discovered faith and does
not want faith to be imposed upon them. He has given intelligence to
human beings so that they can evaluate and make a self-discovery of
the truth. The spirit of enquiry is essential for this self-discovery.
How do we understand God’s Omnipresence, Omnipotence and
Omniscience?
God is omnipresent on the basis of His knowledge of things. It does
not mean that God is physically present everywhere but that nothing
escapes His knowledge. This also explains His omniscience. His being
omnipotent means that He has set the laws of nature and without any
exception, every human being is bound by it. No one can eliminate or
alter these laws; we can only discover them and work according to the
principles God has set for this world. His being omnipotent also implies
that it is only He who can truly reward, punish or forgive us for our
actions.
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 recognised 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.
SHIFT OF EMPHASIS
MUSLIMS vehemently claim to follow truth, yet perversion has
set in in Muslim society. They find themselves beset by all
problems conceivable. The reason for this phenomenon can
be attributed, according to the Quran, to deviation or shift of emphasis,
that is, turning the focus from one aspect to the other diametrically
opposite aspect.
One form this deviation has taken is the interpretation of commands
meant for individuals as if they were meant for people in general. That
is, those commands which are addressed specifically to individuals for
self-action are taken as being applicable not to the self but to others.
For instance, the Quran says: “Proclaim the glory of your Lord; purify
your garments; shun uncleanness” (
understood to mean 'cleanse the behaviour of others', its impact on
the reader will be entirely opposite. This verse, which aims at improving
personal behaviour will, if wrongly interpreted, lead us into launching
campaigns against others.
Whatever the
expression of the
Divine Will, it is
addressed first and
foremost to the
individual. But the
revolutionary clerics
of modern times have
diverted the focus of
all commands from
the individual to the
community.
The same is true of other commands.
Whatever the expression of the Divine Will,
it is addressed first and foremost to the
individual. But the revolutionary clerics of
modern times have diverted the focus of
all commands from the individual to the
community. This is why, in spite of vigorous
action being taken in the name of religion, no
improvement of character is in sight.
All kinds of reforms and all kinds of
perversions can be summed up in just two
short sentences:
1. God is great, so I am not great.
2. God is great, so you are not great.
The first sentence takes the meaning of Allah-u-Akbar in the right sense.
But not the second, which is a misrepresentation of Islamic thinking. If
you repeat the sentence, ‘God is great, therefore I am not great,’ this
will engender a feeling of responsibility within you, and pride will give
way to seriousness and a desire for personal improvement. Humility,
which is the root of all good, will then override all other feelings.
On the contrary, if you repeat the second sentence, i.e. ‘God is great,
therefore, you are not great’; this will beget a psychology of pride which
will lead to violent activism and the politics of destruction. It will mean
unlimited chaos and perversion in the name of Islam.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Follow Maulana at http://www.speakingtree.in (The Times of India)
HOLLOW SUCCESS
Feed the Body and the Soul
MEN of fortune become subjects of envy to the people around
them. They are considered fortunate for having succeeded in
achieving worldly power and position. But do those who have
managed to come to the top necessarily feel that this is so? Probably
not. Wealth is not all that man needs. It can at best serve the needs of
the body, leaving the soul to starve. The feeling of something missing
disturbs one. They feel as helpless as a common man does. Faced with
a vacuum inside—a yawning gap in the soul that has to be filled, one
turns to something or the other for a sense of plenitude.
To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its
pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it. —Charles Caleb Colton
This fact is borne out by an article published in The Times of India dated
January 1, 1985. In spite of all the luxuries at his command, Mr. Alfred
Ford, the owner of the famous Ford Motor Company in the USA felt
something missing in his life. His soul was not at rest, it was hankering
after something else. In this state, when he was introduced to the Hare
Krishna movement, he felt attracted to it as it seemed to answer and
satisfy the cravings of his soul. He joined the movement. Afterwards he
married a Hindu girl, Sharmila Battacharya who was associated with
the movement. The marriage ceremony took
place in one of its centres in Australia. On this
occasion, a photograph was published in the
newspapers where he was seen in seamless
clothes. Here is a part of the interview he gave
to the AP correspondent:
“I am not a car. I’m a spiritual soul, just like
anyone else.” he said. “I’m only a Ford by
name.” he further added.
Wealth is not all that
man needs. It can at
best serve the needs
of the body, leaving
the soul to starve.
No amount of wealth and fortune can supply the needs of the
human soul. Material things do not become part of one’s being. Soul
cannot rest in things beneath Itself. That is why, amidst plenty, one
is plagued by loneliness. One is always seeking for something which
can compensate this loss, which can fill the inner vacancy, which can
become a part of one’s being. Often man is unable to understand this,
and goes sadly astray. The only true answer to this quest for a sense
of spiritual fulfillment can be found in turning to God, the Lord and
Creator of everything.
REVERING THE DEAD REVILING THE LIVING
Recognize True Worth
TO accord due credit to the living is a sign of intellectual
dynamism in people. But the necessary sense of discernment
and the ability to evaluate the true value of a human being are
all too often lacking in even the most cultured of communities. It is
easier, and perhaps safer, to eulogize the dead, even to the point of
exalting them far and above their actual worth.
An example of failure to recognize the genuine worth of a living
individual is the rejection of Moses as a prophet in the court of
Pharaoh. Pharaoh was so against accepting any truth proclaimed
by Moses that he said, “Build for me a lofty
building so that I may gain access to the
heavens, so that I may look upon the God
of Moses: I am convinced that he is a liar!”
(
and an “imposter”. (
Tardy, and even
posthumous
acceptance of
true greatness is a
commonplace in the
annals of history.
Undue veneration
of the dead to the
total disregard of
the living is equally a
commonplace.
The people of Mecca behaved no differently in
the case of Muhammad. While they felt proud
to think of Abraham as the progenitor of their
people and used to extol his virtues and revel
in his greatness, they spurned Muhammad,
denying his prophethood and reviling him to
his face. They stopped at nothing to discredit
him.
Tardy, and even posthumous acceptance of true greatness is a
commonplace in the annals of history. Undue veneration of the dead
to the total disregard of the living is equally a commonplace. It is a
sad reflection on the powers of discernment of even highly educated
societies that this state of affairs should persist.
A society can be labelled as healthy if it recognizes the true potential
and worth of its member without reservation and delay.
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.
THE PEACE TREATY OF HUDAIBIYA
IN the sixth year of the Hijrah, or AD 628, the Prophet, acting on
the word of God, set out on a pilgrimage to Makkah along with
1400 Companions. But the Quraysh stopped them at a place called
Hudaibiya, some eleven kilometres from Makkah. Here the Prophet
signed a peace treaty with the Quraysh, which was called by the Quran
“a clear victory.” The Treaty provided for ten years of peace between
the Quraysh and the Muslims. There was to be no war or treachery
between them. The Treaty was concluded with the agreement that
the Muslims would not make the pilgrimage that year, but that the
following year the Prophet Muhammad and his followers would be free
to go to Makkah and stay there for three days.
The terms of the Hudaibiya Peace Treaty were as follows:
• that the Muslims would return to Madinah that year without
performing the Umrah (minor pilgrimage);
• that the pagans would, however, allow them to do so the next year,
provided their stay in Makkah did not exceed three days;
• that the Muslims would not bring any arms with them;
• that no Muslim residing in Makkah would migrate to Madinah, but
if any migrant in Madinah wished to return to Makkah, he would
not be prevented;
• that pagans visiting Madinah would be permitted to return to Makkah but Muslims visiting Makkah would not be allowed to
return;
• that tribes were at liberty to join any of the two contracting parties.
According to this treaty, the Prophet and his Companions left Hudaibiya
for Madinah. The following year they came again and performed Umrah
as stipulated by the treaty of Hudaibiya.
This incident of Hudaibiya embodies a special Sunnah of the Prophet,
that is, not clashing with others unnecessarily; refraining scrupulously
from turning any difficult situation into a prestige issue; rather, taking
the problem as it is and keeping oneself free from any complexes
which could distort matters; attempting to understand matters by
rising above sentiments and emotions, and solving problems wisely by
giving concessions to the other party.
Hudaibiya Peace
Treaty embodies a
special Sunnah of
the Prophet, that
is, not clashing with
others unnecessarily;
refraining
scrupulously from
turning any difficult
situation into a
prestige issue.
When the individual refrains from making
a controversial matter into one of prestige,
this gives rise to serious thinking. This nonemotional thinking helps him to understand
that if he were to walk away from the point
of controversy, he would find all other paths
open to him. The same was the case in
Hudaibiya. The Prophet of Islam wanted to
enter Makkah, but the Quraysh did not allow
him to do so. Yet the Prophet did not let the
obstructiveness of the Quraysh become a
matter of prestige. His own positive approach
enabled him to lead Muslims away from
the field of war to the field of dawah (the
propagation of Islam), a far vaster arena for their struggle in the cause
of Islam.
By unilaterally accepting all the conditions of the opponents of Islam,
the Prophet of Islam made a no-war pact called the Hudaibiya Peace
Treaty. On account of his unconditional acceptance of the opponents’
terms, some Muslims held it to be a humiliating pact (Seerah ibn
Hisham,
called ‘Victory’ (Al-Fath) was revealed, in which this peace treaty was
hailed as ‘a clear victory.’ (
The reason for this difference in assessment was that human beings
looked at it from the angle of the present, while God looked at it from the angle of the future. It is this reality which has been pointed out in
the Quran in these words:
‘God knew what you did not know.’ (
At the outset, the Hudaibiya peace treaty appeared to mean nothing
but surrender and humiliation. But God saw it from the point of view
of its practical result in the future. That is why the Quran called it a
clear victory. The well known-disciple of the Companions, Ibn Shihab
Az Zuhri, says: “Never before in Islam had there been such a great
victory before Hudaibiya. Whenever Muslims and non-Muslims met
one another before Hudaibiya, they came to the point of confrontation.
But when peace prevailed and war was stopped under the treaty,
people became safe from one another. In this peaceful atmosphere,
they interacted with one another and began
exchanging their thoughts. After the peace
treaty, within a period of two years, many
people got attracted towards Islam as had
happened before, only over a much longer
period of time.”
The reason for
failure in life is
often traceable to
the fact that people
become embroiled
in controversy. They
think that unless
all obstacles and
hurdles are removed,
the onward journey
can never be made.
The Hudaibiya Sunnah is the sum total of the
actions of the Prophet of Islam, resulting in
the ‘clear victory’ as recorded in the Quran,
which led the Islamic movement to the age
of revolution and ultimate ascendancy.
Consequently, such opportunities were
opened up for Islam as had never hitherto
presented themselves. The implementation
of the Sunnah Hudaibiya is, to put it briefly, that problems should be
ignored in order to buy time in which to avail of the opportunities.
God has made this world in such a way that, here, according to the
Quran, difficulty is always accompanied by ease (Chapter 103). By
the law of nature itself, it happens that in this world there are always
favourable opportunities alongside problems. By availing of these
opportunities, great progress can be made. The reason for failure
in life is often traceable to the fact that people become embroiled
in controversy. They think that unless all obstacles and hurdles are
removed, the onward journey can never be made.
But the Sunnah of the Prophet of Islam is totally different. It guides us to
refrain from tackling difficulties by confrontational methods. Instead,
we must find ways and means of availing of the existing opportunities by
avoiding the problems. If necessary, this principle should be observed to the extent of our being willing to accept the unilateral conditions of
opponents, treating them as representing a temporary phase.
The incident that took place in Hudaibiya is a specific instance.
Apparently, it is regarded as only one of the many such incidents
recorded in the Prophet’s biography. But, in reality, it is not just one
such incident. In fact, the spirit of Hudaibiya pervades the entire life
of the Prophet. It would not be wrong to say that this was a very wellconsidered policy of the Prophet, which he adopted throughout his life.
The Hudaibiya policy, in fact, is that in any set of circumstances, problems
have to be ignored and opportunities, despite
all difficulties, have to be availed of. We find
a number of examples of this policy in the
life of the Prophet. The Prophet followed this
same principle in his Makkan as well as the
Madinan period. The only difference between
Hudaibiya and other similar incidents is that
on the occasion of Hudaibiya, this policy was
adopted following a bilateral declaration,
while at other times it was followed by a
unilateral decision.
The essence of the
Hudaibiya spirit is to
completely refrain
from entering into
any controversy with
the other party and
to concentrate one’s
efforts on achieving
one’s goal in noncontroversial fields.
The method of the Prophet was to study
the prevailing sets of circumstances
dispassionately and objectively and then
follow an appropriate course on his own, without any external pressure.
This is what we have called the Hudaibiya policy. For instance, in the
early phase in Makkah before the Hijrah, the Prophet communicated
his dawah message secretly. It did not mean that the Prophet had a
meeting with the idolaters of Makkah, and then as a matter of bilateral
decision-making decided not to propagate his message publicly but in
secret. It was rather that by making concessions to circumstances, he
on his own adopted the method of secret propagation, without waiting
for any social compulsion.
The essence of the Hudaibiya spirit is to completely refrain from
entering into any controversy with the other party and to concentrate
one’s efforts on achieving one’s goal in non-controversial fields. This
policy can be followed only when the dayee is willing to give concessions
to the other party unilaterally—such concessions as the other party at
that time considers its right. The Hudaibiya policy cannot be followed
without such unilateral concession-making. A study of the Prophet’s
biography shows that the Prophet always followed the same policy.
That is why it became possible for him to minimize his losses and
maximize benefits.
The incident of Hudaibiya provides a historic example of conduct
appropriate to the situation. The believers on that occasion, in taking
up a godly attitude, entitled themselves to victory, while the Quraysh
who took up an ungodly attitude had consequently to suffer defeat and
failure.
The incident of Hudaibiya is not simply a chapter of history. It is a living
historical proof. It tells believers in every age as to which course in
controversial situations is a sure guarantee of success. This involves
refraining from making a controversial matter into one of prestige,
but rather trying to seek a solution in the spirit of taqwa (God-fearing
spirit).
THE SPIRIT OF ISLAM
Religion of Nature
ISLAM is the answer to the demands of nature. It is in fact a
complement of human nature. This is why Islam has been called a
religion of nature in the Quran and Hadith.
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad and asked him what he should
do in a certain matter. The Prophet replied, ‘Consult your heart about
it.’ By the heart, the Prophet meant common sense. That is, what one’s
common sense tells would likewise be the demand of Islam.
What does human nature desire more than anything? It desires, above
all, peace and love. Every human being wants to live in peace and
to receive love from the people around him. Peace and love are the
religion of human nature as well as the demand of Islam. The Quran
tells us, “God calls to the home of peace.” (
In Islam, there is
no need for any
intermediary to
establish contact
between God and
man. At any time
and place man can
contact God directly.
One of the teachings of Islam is that when two
or more people meet, they must greet one
another with the words, Assalamu-Alaikum
(Peace be upon you). Similarly, Salat, or
prayer, five times daily is the highest form of
worship in Islam. At the close of each prayer
all worshippers have to turn their faces to
either side and utter the words AssalamuAlaikum wa rahmatullah (May peace and God’s
blessing be upon you). This is like a pledge
given to people: ‘O people you are safe from
me. Your life, your property, your honour is secure with me.’
This sums up the spirit of true religion, the goal of which is spiritual
upliftment. It is the ultimate state of this spiritual uplift which is referred
to in the Quran as the “soul at peace”. (87: 27)
Thus a true and perfect man, from the religious point of view, is one
who has reached that level of spiritual development where nothing but
peace prevails. When a person has attained that peaceful state, others
will receive from him nothing but peace. He may be likened to a flower
which can send out only its fragrance to man, it being impossible for it
to emit a foul smell.
A story relating to a saint very aptly illustrates the spirit of religion.
The story goes that once a Sufi was travelling along with his disciples.
During the journey he encamped near a large grove of trees upon
which doves used to perch.
During this halt one of the Sufi’s disciples aimed at one of the doves,
killed it, cooked it and then ate it. Afterwards something strange
happened. A flock of doves came to the tree under which the Sufi was
resting and began hovering over it and making a noise.
The Sufi, communicating with the leader of the birds, asked what the
matter with them was and why they were protesting. The leader replied,
‘We have a complaint to make against you, that is, one of your disciples
has killed one of us.’ Then the Sufi called the disciple in question and
asked him about it. He said that he had not done anything wrong, as
the birds were their foodstuff. He was hungry, so he killed one for food.
He thought that in so doing he had not done anything wrong. The Sufi
then conveyed this reply to the leader of the doves.
The latter replied: ‘Perhaps you have failed to understand our point.
Actually what we are complaining about is that all of you came here
in the garb of Sufis yet acted as hunters. Had
you came here in hunter’s garb; we would
certainly have remained alert. When we saw
you in the guise of Sufis, we thought that we
were safe with you and remained perched
on the top of the tree without being properly
vigilant.’
What does human
nature desire more
than anything? It
desires, above all,
peace and love.
This parable illustrates well the reality of a
truly religious or spiritual person. One who
has reached the stage of spiritual upliftment
and has found the true essence of religion no longer has the will or
capacity to do harm. He gives life not death, to others. He benefits
others, doing no injury to anyone. In short, he lives among the people
like flowers and not like thorns. He has nothing but love in his heart to
bestow upon others.
Some verses from the Quran about prayer and meditation in Islam are
now discussed here:
“When My servants ask you about Me, say that I am near. I respond
to the call of one who calls, whenever he calls to Me: let them,
then, respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly
guided.” (
This verse of the Quran tells us that in Islam there is no need for any
intermediary to establish contact between God and man. At any time
and place man can contact God directly. The only condition is that man
should turn to God with sincere devotion.
Meditation in Islam aims at bringing man closer to God. When man
worships God, when he remembers Him, when his heart is turned
towards Him in full concentration, when he makes a request or a
plea, then he establishes a rapport with his Maker. In the words of the
Hadith, at that particular moment he comes to whisper with his Lord.
He has the tangible feeling that he is pouring his heart out to God and
that God in turn is answering his call.
When this communion is established between God and man, man can
feel himself becoming imbued with a special kind of peace. His eyes
are moist with tears. He starts receiving inspiration from God. It is in
moments such as these that man can rest assured of his prayers being
granted by God.
According to a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said the highest form
of worship is to pray as if you were seeing God. We learn from this
Hadith the true sign of a superior form of worship. For man, the true
sign is to sense the presence of God during worship, and feel that he
has come close to God. That is when he can experience the refreshing,
invigorating effect of God’s love and blessings for man. It is this feeling
of closeness to God which is the highest form of spiritual experience.
FROM THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET
Peaceful Coexistence with People of other Faiths
The Prophet’s Treaties with Christians and Jews
The migration, or Hijrah, of the Muslims of Makkah to Yathrib in AD
community. Till then those who had accepted Islam were themselves
persecuted by the inhabitants of Makkah and its surroundings, but
once the decision to migrate to Yathrib was taken, the Muslims found
themselves in a position of strength. They further strengthened their
position by entering into treaties with non-Muslims. Of these treaties
the most important was the treaty signed by the Prophet Muhammad
himself soon after the Muslims arrived in Yathrib, which later came
to be known as Madinatul-Nabi, the Prophet’s city. The main parties
to these treaties were the Muslim emigrants and the inhabitants of
Madinah.
There were many tribes then in the Arabian Peninsula, some of
which were Jewish or Christian. They used to follow their own laws
and customs, and worshipped God according to the tenets of their
respective religions. There was no pressure on the part of the Prophet
to convert them to Islam. Rather, he recognised them as People of the
Book, that is, people to whom God’s messages were sent in earlier
times and were enshrined in their scriptures. The Prophet let them
lead a peaceful life, treated their religion with respect and entered into
a number of treaties with them to ensure mutual cooperation.
In Madinah itself, the Jews were a part of the local community and the
Prophet made a treaty with them, keeping peaceful coexistence in
mind. He never acted against them until they opened direct hostilities
against him. But after the Battle of Badr, which took place in AD 624
the Prophet had to deal with the Jewish tribe of the Banu Qainuqa most
sternly, for they had sided with the disbelievers, aided the Makkans
and broken their treaties with the Prophet. Consequently, they were
expelled from Madinah. However, it is important to remember that
the decision to expel them from Madinah was not dictated by religious
prejudice but by the fact that they had broken the treaty. As the trust is
one of the very important social obligations enjoined in the Quran and
the breaking of treaties is labelled as a sin, it was the behaviour of the
tribe and not their religion, which dictated the decision of the Prophet,
in which God guided him through a revelation. (
After that, the Prophet entered into many treaties with the Jews and
the Christians of Arabia. In AD 632, the Christians of Najran sent a
deputation to the Prophet. The Prophet lodged the members of the
deputation in his mosque and permitted them to say their prayers
there according to their own faith. He conveyed to them the message
of Islam. They entered into a treaty with
the Muslims and were given a pledge that
they would be free to practice their religion
and have the protection of the state on the
payment of a poll tax.
Islam has been
remarkably unique
in legislating laws
with compassion and
sympathy in matters
relating to the nonMuslim citizens of a
Islamic state.
The text of the treaty signed by the Prophet
with the Christians of Najran is a historical
document giving evidence of a guarantee of
the right to religious freedom under Islam. It
runs as follows:
‘The Najran and those living therein are
placed under the protection of God and the
responsibility of Muhammad, the Prophet and Messenger of God, so
far as their lives, their religion, their lands, their property, the individual
members both present and absent, their places of worship and their
right of prayers are concerned. Similarly, neither any priest nor monk
shall be removed from his position, nor a person making a religious
endowment shall be deprived of his bequeathed state. And all that
they legally own, small and big, shall belong to them, so long it has
nothing to do with usury or the blood vengeance prevalent during the
days of ignorance.
And in case a person claims something from them by right, it will be
settled on the basis of equity and justice and without discrimination
to either of the parties. Whoever has taken usury before signing this
covenant, I do not hold any obligation for that. Nobody shall be held
liable for the acts of oppression committed by any other member of
his community. God and His Messenger shall remain bound for all time
by the contents of this treaty, unless decreed by God, provided they
(the Christians of Najran) remain sincere and continue dealing with
fairness among themselves and without resorting to injustice or acts of
oppression against each other.’
A careful study of the life of the Prophet, through the Quran and
traditions, confirms that he never tired of calling people to the path of
God, or of exhorting them to maintain peace. He was firm in his stand
that peace was better than war. Peaceful coexistence, established through a network of peace treaties and divine guidance, especially
pertinent in the treatment of non-Muslims and even the Muslims’
opponents, was more pleasing to God than direct hostilities. The
Quran says: ‘Permission to fight is granted to those who are attacked,
because they have been wronged—God indeed has the power to help
them.’ (
against you, but do not commit aggression—for surely, God does not
love aggressors.’ (
To emulate the Prophet is considered Sunnah in Islam and his treatment
of other communities should serve as a guideline to be emulated also
in today’s world. If he considered the treaties as a framework for
working out differences and ensuring peaceful living conditions, the
same should be done in the contemporary world.
Policy Towards People of other Faiths
The attitude of Islam towards non-Muslims is summed up in the Quranic
verses: “There should be no compulsion in religion” (
(Prophet’s) duty is only to convey the Message” (
thus ruled out for the purpose of the propagation of Islam. The duty
of the Prophet is merely to communicate and propagate the Message.
It can be said of the period of the Prophet
and the regime of his Rightly Guided Caliphs
that no one ever embraced Islam through
compulsion.
The Quran lays down a unique principle in
regard to the treatment of non-Muslims. It
grants complete autonomy to every religious
community, which not only then enjoys
freedom of faith and worship in its own way,
but is also free to follow its own laws and
cases decided by its own judges. The concept
of complete internal autonomy has been
advocated in a number of Quranic verses, one of which is very clear:
“And let the People of the Gospel judge according to what God has
revealed therein”. (
Prophet’s life
confirms that he
never tired of calling
people to the path of
God, or of exhorting
them to maintain
peace. He was firm in
his stand that peace
was better than war.
This means Christians should judge according to the laws given by God
in the Bible. In deference to this principle, every religious community
was granted complete autonomy during the time of the Prophet. They
enjoyed as much freedom in respect of their religion, worship and
legal matters as did any Muslim. A little later a new development took place. It was made incumbent on every Muslim to participate in war but
non-Muslims were exempted from this duty for the simple reason that
they could not be compelled to help the cause of Muslims. Muslims
defended the frontiers of the state and laid down their lives for it, but
non-Muslim citizens of the state enjoyed the fruits of peace, safety
and security. They only paid a small price for this enviable privilege,
by way of a tax called jizyah. This was not an innovation of Islam. Islam
inherited this institution from Iran, where those who did not discharge
military duty had to pay this tax. The tax on non-Muslim citizens was
very light. It was equivalent to ten days’ food in a year—a small price to
pay for being guaranteed full protection as a citizen and an exemption
from military duties.
No discrimination was exercised against non-Muslims on the basis
of religion. In AD 624, after the Muslim victory at the Battle of Badr,
Makkans sent yet another delegation to the Negus (King of Abyssinia)
with a view to seek the repatriation of Muslims from Abyssinia so that
they could be persecuted at home. To counter the move, the Prophet
sent a non-Muslim, Amr ibn Umayyah al-Qumri, as his ambassador to
the court of the Negus.
The attitude of the Prophet towards his Jewish neighbours was kind
and cordial. He always visited their homes to enquire after the health
of their sick children. There was a Jewish tribe by the name of Banu
Arid in Madinah. The Prophet had been pleased with them for some
reason and had fixed an annual stipend for them. When the funeral
procession of a Jew passed by in the street, the Prophet always stood
up as a mark of deference.
The attitude of the Muslims towards their non-Muslim compatriots was
one of kindness, consideration and extreme tolerance. This generous
treatment was reciprocated by their trust and loyalty. A civil war started
in the Muslim state during the Caliphate of Uthman and continued down
the ages, but never once did non-Muslim subjects raise the standard
of revolt. They sided neither with one nor the other party. They always
remained neutral and never took advantage of the situation. The ruler
of Byzantium strongly urged the Christian citizens of Islamic empire to
rise in revolt while a civil war was raging between Ali and Mu’awiyah.
He promised to liberate them by attacking the Muslims, but he did not
succeed in inciting a rebellion. Such efforts continued down the ages
until the time of the Crusades, but the Christians responded by saying
that they preferred the Muslim rulers to their co-religionists.
The reason for this loyalty was the fact that the Muslims never
compelled the Christians to renounce their religion and gave them
complete religious freedom. Their religious institutions received aid
and assistance from Muslims. An authentic original document exists
belonging to the period of Umar in which a Christian gives the good
news to his co-religionists in another city, saying that a new nation
had taken over as their ruler, but it did not indulge in tyranny. On the
contrary, it protected their churches and gave financial aid to their
converts.
There are no priests or missionaries in Islam. It is the duty of all
Muslims, men and women both, to convey the message of Islam to
humankind. This duty cannot be performed by ignorant and illiterate
persons who can neither read the Quran nor understand its meaning.
So, to convey the message the Muslims should
know the beliefs of Islam and they should be
helpful and kind to the non-Muslims. If they
keep away from the non-Muslims, if they
hate them or do not respect them, they will
not be able to convey the message. That is
why the Quran says: ‘Do not abuse the gods
of other religions or their prophets and
religious men’. The Prophet always showed
great respect for the non-Muslims, treating
them kindly, and never doing anything that
injured their feelings. Therefore, friendship
and cooperation with people of other faiths is a religious duty of all
Muslims. War is allowed only as an act of defense. For friendly nonMuslims, Islam offers friendship and goodwill. There is not a single
instance in history where the Muslims stabbed a friendly non-Muslim
power in the back. Islam stands for justice and fair-play for all, whether
Muslims or non-Muslims.
The rights and
privileges awarded
to the non-Muslim
minority in an
Islamic state have
no precedent in the
entire history of
humankind.
The Rights of Non-Muslims in Islam
Islam as a religion possesses very clear guidelines for the treatment
of non-Muslims and gives them the right to live according to their own
faith. The Jews and the Christians are called the People of the Book and
considered to believe, like the Muslims, in the One and Only God. On the
authority of Abu Da’ud (a noted compiler of Prophetic traditions), it has
been reported that Messenger of God said: “On the day of resurrection
I shall stand as the defender of anyone whose covenants are broken
by others, whose rights are usurped; who has burdens imposed upon him which are beyond his physical capacities, and from whom things
are taken without his consent."
Another tradition recorded by Abu Yusuf in his book, ‘Al-Kharaj,’
mentions Caliph Umar as saying:
‘I advise whosoever is going to be my successor to be kind and just
to ‘the people of dhimmah’ (non-Muslim citizens living under the
protection of an Islamic state), to fulfill all their obligations towards
them, to defend them against any external threats and not to compel
them to do what is beyond their physical powers.’
It can therefore be said with great truthfulness that Islam has been
remarkably unique in legislating laws with compassion and sympathy
in matters relating to the non-Muslim citizens of a Islamic state.
It is the duty of the Islamic state to provide internal and external
security and religious freedom to its non-Muslim citizens. To offset
this protection and exemption from defence service granted to them,
Islam imposes a small tax, known as jizyah, which is to be paid only by
those who are financially solvent. The rights and privileges awarded to
the non-Muslim minority in an Islamic state have no precedent in the
entire history of humankind.
Here are some of the teachings of Islam that underline the need for
justice and equality to the non-Muslims living in an Islamic state.
It is stated in the Quran: ‘God does not forbid you to deal kindly and
justly with anyone who has not fought you on account of your faith or
driven you out of your homes.’ (
God also calls upon Muslims to strictly adhere to the principle of justice
and equity while dealing with those who do not share their convictions.
He says: ‘Do not let your enmity for others turn you away from justice.
Deal justly; that is nearer to being God-fearing. Fear God. God is aware
of all that you do.’ (
The teachings of the Prophet abound in similar injunctions. He has
repeatedly commanded his followers to be kind and fair to their nonMuslim fellow-citizens and prohibited them from subjecting them to
oppression or injustice and denying them their basic human rights and
freedom. Non-Muslims were allowed to be ruled by their own laws, and
to follow the tenets of their own faith. Muslims were prohibited from
coercing them into acceptance of Islam.
The Islamic state was bound to provide the People of the Book with full
protection in old age, physical weakness, poverty and hunger. It is well-reported that Caliph Umar used to show great personal concern for the
welfare and well-being of the non-Muslim minority living under his care
by keeping himself well informed of their conditions and suffering. He
came to their rescue whenever the need arose. While patrolling the
neighbourhoods, he once came upon an old man belonging to the nonMuslim community begging from door to door. Feeling grieved and
perturbed, he commented: ‘How can I have the courage to face my
Lord (on the day of Judgement) when one of my subjects is compelled
to beg in order to earn his livelihood. Certainly, this is not the justice
and equity that the Islamic Shariah intends to achieve in dealing with
the non-Muslim subjects living in an Islamic State.’
As its name signifies, Islam is a religion of peace and security, therefore,
non-Muslims should be free of any fear of being treated in a way
displeasing to God. The Quran states:
‘The believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabaeans—all
those who believe in God and the Last Day and do good deeds—
will be rewarded by their Lord; they shall have no fear, nor shall
they grieve.’ (
The rights conceded to non-Muslims by Islam cover a wide range of
what today might be classified as basic human rights, such as the right
to freedom of expression, the right to belief and worship, the right to
security and privacy, and the right to protection by the state and the
authorities. In no way, as mentioned in the verse of the Quran quoted
above, should a dislike or hatred of a nation influence Muslims in
their dealings with it, or cause them to abandon the code of justice
prescribed by 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
GRATITUDE EVEN FOR LESSER THINGS
ONE of the teachings of the Prophet of Islam is: “One who is not
thankful for getting lesser things will not be thankful for getting
greater things.”
This saying enshrines a law of nature. The law of nature is that by
remembering a lesser event, events of greater importance are recalled.
Psychological studies tell us that there are many separate files in the
human mind. For instance, the file of love, the file of hate, the file of
acknowledgement, the file of oppression, etc. Data about all those
things which are part of one’s experience are constantly being filed
away separately in the mind. When a person is affected by some event,
his mind is stimulated and the file on that subject is then immediately
opened up and all the events of that nature get classified anew in the
human mind.
One who is not
thankful for getting
lesser things will
not be thankful
for getting greater
things.
This law of nature is of great importance in the matter of thankfulness
and acknowledgement. For instance, you received a mobile phone
today, you spoke to someone some distance away, then you thought that
earlier I was faced with such difficulty in making contact with someone
who was far away, then with deep emotion, you thank God. At that point, your mind will be jogged. Then the file in the
mind will be opened up in which all the items
warranting thankfulness become reminders
of greater events when thankfulness was
appropriate. In this way smaller incidents of
thankfulness become pointers to a greater
degree of thankfulness, to the point where
finally a spring of thankfulness overflows in
a person’s heart. This feeling of gratitude
increases our attachment with God and
ultimately causes us to reach the highest
levels of realization.
THE MAKERS OF HISTORY
Sacrifice for Greater Good
WHEN it comes to getting rewards for human effort, people
fall into two distinct categories. The first are those who
expect more than their due for whatever they have done,
and the second group of people simply do a job and then forget about
it. The second class of people do not complain even if they are not paid.
They derive their satisfaction from leading a purposeful life, and not
from immediate dividends.
Both of these types appear on the surface to be the same kind of human
beings, but they differ radically in that the first category only knows
how to conduct business, while the second actually makes history. It is
the latter who are the real assets to humanity.
Any great work
requires the
combined efforts of
many. But in such
a joint venture, the
rewards are never
evenly divided.
Any great work requires the combined
efforts of many. But in such a joint venture,
the rewards are never evenly divided. It is
inevitable that some receive more, others
less. Some are given credit, while others
are passed over. Some are welcomed, while
others are ignored. This is a natural state of
affairs and is bound to prevail whether the
movement is a popular one, or one launched
by a Prophet or other great leaders. Once this
has been accepted it should be clear that the
continuance and success of a joint venture
depends upon its supporters’ willingness to forget their rights and
remember their responsibilities. Such an attitude is necessary in a joint
venture. People should not bother if they go completely unrewarded or
they only feel that they have received less than their due.
Those alone can perform great tasks and attain to greatness, for whom
the accomplishment of the task itself is the real reward. The fulfillment
of their responsibilities brings them such satisfaction that they desire
no further recompense.
THE WONDERS OF CREATION
Look through the Eyes of a Child
IN order to enjoy God’s creation to the full, man must shed his
indifference. He must look at the sunrise with the eyes of the very
young, and listen to the glad outpourings of the birds as if they
sang for the first time in creation.
“When opened it was like a small tent, and when shut, it was all curiously
jointed and would fold up to the length of a man’s hand.” Nowadays
we would have some difficulty in recognizing the ubiquitous umbrella
from this description, but that is how it appeared to an early observer
when it was invented in London in 1749. When a hand pump was first
installed in an Indian village at the beginning of the century, it was an
object of great astonishment and curiosity.
One old woman, on seeing it, exclaimed:
“Only death has defeated man!”
In order to enjoy
God’s creation to
the full, man must
shed his indifference.
He must look at the
sunrise with the eyes
of the very young
and listen to the glad
outpourings of the
birds as if they sang
for the first time in
creation.
Thus, a long time ago, newly invented
umbrella and the handpump appeared quite
extraordinary. Nowadays, however, they have
become so commonplace, that people do not
even give them a second glance. Regrettably,
our attitude to the objects of God’s creation is
very similar. They had lost their novelty for us
even before the handpump and the umbrella
had come on the scene. Yet, everything that
exists in this world, be it the budding trees
or the birds on the wing, is quite wonderful
beyond words. Because man sees these
lovely things every day, he ceases to have any regard for their beauty
and he loses his sense of wonder at their very creation. But, were he to
see them for the first time, like a blind man who has suddenly regained
his sight, his amazement would be unbounded. He would marvel at
every leaf and every petal, and at every little feather on the wings of
the birds.
FACING MISFORTUNE
The Road to Success
Whatever misfortune befalls you is of your
own doing—God forgives much. (
THIS verse of the Quran informs us that whenever a man is
afflicted by some misfortune, it is necessarily the result of one
or more of his own actions. Complaining against others in this
world is meaningless. Everyone must suffer the consequences of his
own actions. Protests and complaints against others are only a waste
of time. It will in no way solve the problem.
This system is devised by nature itself. It offers great hope for us; in
that it has placed our problems in our own hands. It has not left us to
be dependent on the charity and compassion of others.
If the problems we face are caused by others,
we would be dependent upon others for their
solution. We would have to wait for others’
kindness. But God has devised the system
of the world in such a way that He has made
everyone’s concerns his own personal affair.
That is, everyone can construct his life by dint
of his own efforts. Everyone’s future is in his
own hands.
One has to incur loss due to one’s own
imprudence. Much harm can be avoided by
adopting wise ways. An initiative goes awry
for lack of planning. But there will always be other chances to work in
future in a planned way so that the mistake may be rectified. Acting
hastily, a man invites trouble, but then he always has the possibility of
turning the situation to good account by adopting the ways of patience
and resilience. Sometimes people bring ruin upon themselves by being
too emotional, but they too have the chance to reach their goal by
remaining unruffled and rational in their approach on subsequent
occasions.
EACH CREATION IS A MIRACLE
Window to God-realization
BEFORE the commencement of his prophetic mission, Moses,
together with his wife and family, was traveling from Midian.
When he arrived at Mount Sinai, a storm was blowing, and they
had lost their way. Then, on the mountainside, Moses saw a fire, and
said to his wife:
Wait here. I can see a fire. Perhaps I can bring you a brand
from it, or find some guidance at the fire. (
But when he came near, he found that there was much more in the
‘Burning Bush’ than met the eye:
...A voice called out to him: ‘Moses, I am your Lord...’ (
The Lord then asked him, ‘What do you have in your right hand,
Moses?’ He replied, ‘It is my staff. I lean on it, and with it, I beat down
the leaves for my flock; I also have other uses for it.’ But when Moses,
at God’s command, cast it down, it turned into a fast-moving serpent.
Similarly, Moses’ hand, when he put it under
his armpit, came out shining white—another
sign from God.
In ancient times the miracles were given to
Prophets in order to convince people of their
being true prophets. But in modern times,
science can be used as substitute to miracles.
Miracles provide a
powerful incentive
for faith; they are a
living proof of the
truth of the prophets’
message.
The revelation of the Quran, being the final
book of God, marked the end of the prophetic
era. After the Prophet Muhammad, unto
whom the Quran was revealed, no other
prophet would come to the world. That meant the end of miracles as
the world had known them. But miracles provide a powerful incentive
for faith; they are a living proof of the truth of the prophets’ message;
without them, many would miss the opportunity to get to know God.
What would then compensate their absence? It was decided that human
learning itself should encompass the miraculous properties invested in
all things; knowledge of the inner significance of matter, which had
hitherto been revealed unto prophets alone, should be made available
to the whole of the human race.
The Quran made this advance in human learning possible by opening
the way for human investigation into natural phenomena. The sun,
moon, stars and other things that had previously been considered
gods in themselves were clearly stated to be the work of God, and
signs of His singular power. When they were considered divine, these
natural phenomena could not be investigated, for who can delve into
the nature of “god”; but in their new context they became accessible to
critical and objective study: that which had been an object of worship
became an object of investigation.
This process was started by the Quran which stressed that everything in
the universe was a sign of God. It culminated in the scientific revolution
of recent times—the knowledge explosion which has thrown open the
inner significance of things. It is now possible for man, without the aid
of prophetic miracles, to perceive the miraculous nature of all things,
and conclude that such feats of creation can only be the work of a
masterful creator.
If one observes the
universe in depth, as
science allows one
to do, and draws
conclusions in the
light of Quranic
teachings, one will
see that everything is
a miracle.
To take an example, a traveller visited the Red
Sea, where Moses performed his most famous
miracle—the parting of the sea. Armed with
modern scientific equipment, he was able
to observe the mass of colourful coral reefs,
the dazzling array of glistening fish, and the
elaborate marine growth that lay beneath its
waters. Struck by the wondrous beauty, he
wrote:
At the Red Sea, it isn’t necessary to behold
the face of the Lord in the burning bush of
Sinai or have the waves part for escape from
the Pharaoh’s chariots. One can prove the existence of God even by
means of face-mask and a snorkel. For just below the surface is a
seething, kaleidoscopic universe that could only be the creation of an
omnipotent artist, an all-knowing scientist, a Supreme practical-joker.
(Jeff Davidson in Readers Digest, May, 1984.)
Such observations have only been made possible by the advances of
science, and science only advanced because the Quran made it possible
for it to do so. If one observes the universe in depth, as science allows
one to do, and draws conclusions in the light of Quranic teachings, one
will see that everything is a miracle; one will see the face of God shining
in His creation.
BELIEF IN ANGELS
True Fulfilment
Belief in Malaika or the angels is a fundamental article of
faith in Islam. A Muslim should believe in the existence of
angels, although they may be unseen to us in this world.
OF the many beings created by God, the angels are of special
importance. They have been invested by God with the
supernatural power to keep order in the functioning of the
universe. They do not, however, deviate in the slightest from the path
of God, for all their actions are in complete obedience to His will. This
is because they have not been invested with free will by God Almighty.
Diverse and numerous events are taking place at every moment in the
universe, for instance, the movement of the stars, the shining of the sun
and moon, the falling of the rain, the alternation of the seasons, and
many more. All of these, and many other continually recurring events
are attended to by the angels. Working in the
universe as extremely faithful and obedient
servants of God, they ensure the continued
existence of the human and animal species
on earth.
As well as running the world’s systems, these
angels, a numerous band, take charge of all
matters in Heaven and Hell.
Angels are
continuously present
on earth, particularly
at prayer times. Man
may not be able
to see the angels,
but the angels can
certainly see man
and are in constant
touch with human
beings.
The role of the angels can be understood by
the example of a large factory. In any such
factory, there are many big and complex
machines, which produce the goods for which
the factory has been established. But these
machines do not run on their own. To facilitate their smooth running,
many human hands are required. Therefore, in every factory there are
always a number of people whose duty it is to attend constantly to
their proper and efficient functioning. Similarly, countless angels are
appointed to ensure the proper functioning of the great factory of the
universe.
The difference between the two factories is simply that in the material
one, the human hands are visible, while in the metaphorical one—the
great mechanism of the universe—the angels remain invisible.
Angels (malaika, literally meaning ‘messenger’) serve as intermediaries
between God and man. They transmit messages to His envoys,
worthy individuals who are specially chosen by God for the task of
being His messengers. These messengers are called prophets, and
it is the prophets alone who receive the divine revelations, through
an angel, who is the celestial messenger. According to the Quran, the
angel Gabriel (Jibrail), meaning the ‘power of God,’—also alluded to
in the Quran as a “trustworthy spirit” (al-ruh-al-amin)—brought divine
revelations to the Prophet of Islam.
Most important among the angels are Jibrail, Mikail, Izrail and Israfil.
Jibrail, as mentioned, is the ‘holy spirit’, who brings revelations from
God to His prophets.
Izrail is called the angel of death, for he takes
away the souls of the dying.
Israfil will blow the trumpet when the time
comes for the world to end and on the Day of
Judgement.
Of the many beings
created by God, the
angels are of special
importance. They
have been invested
by God with the
supernatural power
to keep order in the
functioning of the
universe.
The angels, who continuously praise and
glorify the Lord, have been given the necessary
qualities and powers to perform specific
functions. They have no free will. They always
obey God and never displease Him. Man, on
the other hand, has been given free will and
can choose between right and wrong.
Angels are creatures of light who pervade the whole universe. Although
in the kingdom of God there are many millions of them, they belong
to the realm of the invisible, so that the only way we can see them is
if they appear in human form. Jibrail used to appear to the Prophet in
various forms. Sometimes he hung suspended in the air, sometimes
he appeared in the shape of a man, and sometimes he sprouted
wings, etc. The angel Jibrail once appeared before a gathering of the
Companions of the Prophet in order to teach them about Islam. On
that occasion, he took the form of a Companion of the Prophet. Angels
can take any suitable form in order to perform their duties, and are
constantly occupied in carrying out God’s orders.
Angels are continuously present on earth, particularly at prayer times.
Man may not be able to see the angels, but the angels can certainly
see man and are in constant touch with human beings. They keep a
watch on them on behalf of God and many of them are eternally busy recording all of our thoughts, words and deeds. They are called the
‘respected recorders’ (kiraman katibin). Not a single word we say goes
unrecorded. (
They are the friends and protectors (
God’s most obedient and loyal servants.
Man may not be able to see the angels, but the angels can certainly see
man, and keep a watch on him on behalf of God. It is these very angels
who take man’s soul away at death.
LAIDBACK ATTITUDE LEADS TO FAILURE
Take Stock of Every Moment
IT is hard to believe that any animal could be more dangerous
or terrifying than the man-eating tiger. But it is not the tiger or
the bear who is the most dangerous enemy of man. In truth, the
most dangerous of our enemies are the bacteria which are so tiny that
they remain invisible to the naked eye. Small they may be, but these
bacteria breed at such a furious rate that, given favourable conditions,
one of their number can reproduce itself 10,000 times over within a
mere matter of ten hours. While a bear or a lion only occasionally eats
a man alive, man is the constant target of deadly bacteria.
Their species run into thousands. We are fortunate, however, in that
is harmful, its deadliness can claim the life of a man within a matter of
seconds. All fatal diseases, according to medical science, are produced
by such micro-organisms. Their very lack of
bulk makes it possible for them to enter the
human system in ways against which man has
no natural system of defence.
People are usually aware of seemingly big
and obvious dangers, and imagine they must
be responsible for all their misfortunes. But,
if the truth be told, the harm done to us by
these tiny living organisms far surpasses any
havoc our bigger enemies can wreak.
Laid-back negligence
can creep into our
souls, like bacteria
into the body, and, if
not pulled up short,
can become an
ingrained attitude,
leading to moral
corrosion.
When we come to think of it, the greatest
damage of all is done by those seemingly
insignificant and often short-lived moments of neglect—moments
when timely action was our duty, when approval needed to be given
or withheld, when advice or help or self-appraisal was needed, and
we let the occasion slip by, heedless of the consequences. Laid-back
negligence can creep into our souls, like bacteria into the body, and,
if not pulled up short, can become an ingrained attitude, leading to
moral corrosion.
A negligent attitude
allows people to
fritter away their
time, day after day,
with no thought for
the future.
A negligent attitude allows people to fritter away their time, day
after day, with no thought for the future. Similarly, they squander
substantial portions of their income. This wasted time and pointless expenditure may seem a trivial matter, if it is
just a question of one day—a few hours and
a few rupees don’t seem to add up much. But
if one were to calculate the time and money
thus wasted in one year and then in a whole
lifetime, it would become clear that fully
fifty percent of one’s life and earnings had
been squandered in vain pursuits. Take the
total wastage of a whole nation and the loss
assumes such enormous proportions that it
quite goes beyond the imagination.
THE MISSION OF THE PROPHETS
The Right Criterion to Judge
THE view that most of the messengers of God did not succeed
in achieving their goal is mistaken. It is often stated that only a
minority of the messengers of God actually established a system
based on their Message while most of them could not go beyond the
mere proclamation of the truth. This is taken to mean that they failed
to establish truth on earth.
But such views are far from the truth. How was it possible for the
messengers of God to have failed in the task assigned to them while
God was at their side? The question of their failure just does not arise.
The reason being that such a conception is misguided.
The real fault lies in choosing the wrong criterion in judging the
mission of the Prophets, which is, the degree to which they brought
about a social and political revolution. This is the criterion by which
mortals judge the success or failure of a man
or group. By this token, those prophets who
brought about political revolution would be
considered successful and those who did not
would be considered failures.
The prophets were
sent to convey to the
people the word of
God in its pure form
and it was to be
presented in the best
possible way
This is not, however, the right way to judge
the mission of the prophets. Their mission
was simply proclamation of the truth. In no
sense were they meant to establish a system.
The prophets were sent to convey to the
people the word of God in its pure form and it
was to be presented in the best possible way.
They had to convey it in such a way that the congregation would fully
understand the message and would bear witness to having been shown
the true path—whether or not the message was accepted by them.
When a prophet fulfilled these two conditions, he had fully discharged
his responsibility.
When this standard of judgement is adopted, we find that all of the
Prophets fully succeeded in achieving their goal, since each of them did
his utmost to carry out the duty assigned to him—that of proclamation
of truth. The prophets spared no effort in conveying the will of God to
their nations. So much that their congregations were never left with
the excuse that they had not been shown the way. They could never
come before God, pleading their ignorance.
THE MIRAGE OF THE GOOD EGG
The Ungentlemanly Gentleman
LOOK at an egg from the outside. It appears to be wholesome and
good. This may be so, but it is not until we break the shell that we
find out whether it is really good.
The same is true of many human beings today. It is not until their outer
shell is pierced that we come to know the truth about them. Their
bodies swaddled in elegant clothes, their ideas
couched in eloquent words, they strike us as
being fine creatures indeed. But under the
finest veneer there can lurk an ugly, repulsive
character. It is not until one gets close and
has dealings with such a person that one
discovers—particularly when there is a clash
of interest—how uninspiring is the reality.
Behind the gentlemanly facade lies a bundle
of selfishness, cheapness, affectation, pride,
prejudice, exploitative nature and arrogance.
Challenge such a person’s interests, and we
see him in his true colours. He is not a good
egg.
It is not until one
gets close and
has dealings with
a person that
one discovers—
particularly when
there is a clash
of interest—how
uninspiring is the
reality
In the vast morass of conflict which exists in the world today, it often
seems that it is the hypocrite who remains supreme, the one who
manages to project himself as the “good egg” to the rest of the world.
But this state of affairs can never last. The time is fast approaching
when man will be ushered into another world where all hypocrisy will
fall away, and all power will rest, not in the hand of man, but of God.
APPEARANCE AND REALITY
Superficial Knowledge is Misleading
ONE of the fiercest battles in Islamic history was waged against
the Iranians in AD 636, during the Caliphate of Umar Faruq. The
Iranian emperor’s greatness had so impressed itself upon the
peoples of the neighbouring countries that the Caliph Umar himself had
been ready to lead this military campaign. He was advised against this,
however, by his companions, and another Companion of the Prophet,
Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas, was appointed instead as the commander of the
Muslim forces.
It was an extremely difficult undertaking and the final encounter took
place in a field near Qadisiyya. There was an ancient royal building
near the battlefield, Saad climbed up to an upper storey and sat there,
reclining against a wall. He showed no signs of personally taking part
in the battle. Instead, he appointed Khalid ibn Arfata to lead his men
into the fray. Saad then kept watching the battle from high up on the
building and sent instructions whenever necessary to his proxy.
Whenever something
malevolent is said
about other, it should
not necessarily be
believed without
further investigation.
The Arabs were baffled at first by the enormous
array of elephants which the Iranians had
brought, for they had no experience of
fighting against such huge beasts. At one
point, the Muslims were forced to retreat by
this horde of animals to avoid being crushed
to death. Saad became anguished at the
spectacle of their defeat and began to toss
himself from side to side. Saad’s wife Salma
who had accompanied him cried out, “If only
Musanna (a certain warrior) were here!” Saad
was angry at this and exclaimed hotly, “What could Musanna have
done? Salma retorted, “What a fine thing that your cowardice should
be accompanied by anger and not shame!” She spoke sarcastically
because her husband was not participating in the battle.
The Muslims nevertheless won the battle finally, and the details of how
they did so are recorded in history.
The Muslim army took strong exception to Saad’s not having physically
participated in the hostilities. After the fall of the Iranians, a Muslim
soldier composed a short poem which translated is:
I fought till God sent down His succour
And Saad clung to the door of the Qadisiyya.
Then we returned and many women had been widowed,
Yet not one of Saad’s wives was widowed,
Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas had been one of the early converts, and was with
the Prophet in all battles. He was, in fact, reckoned to be one of the
greatest and bravest Companions of the Prophet. But when we think
of him holding himself aloof from the battle, we receive the impression
that he must indeed have been a coward, allowing other women to be
widowed while he himself preferred to remain in safety at the fort with
his wife.
We feel that he cuts a sorry figure if the
story so far is all that we have to judge him
by. But when we have the complete picture,
we realize that there were extenuating
circumstances. It seems that he suffered
from sciatica (a disease of the nerve, causing
severe pain above the knee) and succumbed
periodically to long bouts which almost totally
incapacitated him. At the beginning of the
campaign he was in perfect health and had
participated in the initial skirmishes, but at the
outset of the final decisive encounter at Qadisiyya, he again fell prey to
this recurring malady. Unable even to move, he found it impossible to
launch himself into the fray. But thanks to his military experience and
superior intellect, he was not relieved of his post by Caliph Umar, and
it is an undeniable fact that if the battle was finally won it was because
of his masterly planning and direction.
Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas
cuts a sorry figure if
the story so far is all
that we have to judge
him by.
One obvious proof of his military acumen is that he found the solution
to the menace of the elephants before the entire Muslim army was
crushed. When everyone else was at his wits’ end to find a means of
averting this catastrophe, Saad sent for two Iranian converts, Zakhm
and Salm, and found out from them that the only way to arrest the
onslaught was to aim at the eyes and trunks of the elephants. Once
injured in these places, the elephants would become uncontrollable.
Saad then sent for a group of young stalwarts and entrusted them with
this difficult and hazardous task. They then picked out the two largest
and strongest elephants, who were the leaders, Abyaz (The White) and
Ajrab, and, at the risk of their own lives, injured their eyes and slashed
off their trunks. Crazed and in agony, the two elephants turned back upon their own army and the other elephants followed suit. It was now
the turn of the Iranians to be crushed by their own elephants.
There are two great lessons to be learned from this event. One is
that whenever something malevolent is said about other, it should
not necessarily be believed without further investigation. Often, after
enquiries have been made, the true state of
affairs emerges as being quite other than one
at first imagined. Believing in something which
denigrates others without taking the trouble
to ascertain the validity of the allegation runs
counter to the spirit of Islam.
It is only
magnanimity, loyalty
and obedience which
can shore up the
prospects of life’s
major initiatives.
Another lesson is that of the obedience
demonstrated by the Arab warriors at
Qadisiyya. In spite of the fact that their leader
was far from perfect, they did not turn against
him or refuse to do their utmost to win the
battle. They had major grudges against him but they still fought as
dauntlessly as ever.
Such are the people who make history. Those who are lacking in this
spirit will inevitably turn success into failure, victory into defeat. It
is only magnanimity, loyalty and obedience which can shore up the
prospects of life’s major initiatives.
NUCLEAR FISSION
Unbounded Reservoir of Energy
A LOCOMOTIVE consumes two tons of coal for every seventy
miles it travels. A motor car uses up a gallon of petrol every
twenty to forty miles. But when just twelve pounds of uranium is
converted into atomic energy, it can send a high-speed rocket soaring
40,000 miles into space. Whatever the performance, each type of fuel
must undergo a drastic change to produce the energy required. Coal
and petrol are burnt to produce energy. But to obtain atomic energy,
the atom—the smallest portion of an element which can take part in
a chemical reaction—has to be smashed. Far
from being destroyed, it is transformed into
the most powerful form of energy ever known
to humankind.
Defeat has a
galvanizing rather
than a destructive
effect on man,
resulting in greater
activity, greater
resolve and a
heightened sense of
purpose.
What the atom is to matter, man is to society,
in terms of his being its basic structural unit.
When his destruction, or ruination takes
place, it is like matter being converted into
energy. Dormant forces are released in him,
just as nuclear energy is generated when the
atom is smashed. Defeat has a galvanizing
rather than a destructive effect, resulting in
greater activity, greater resolve and a heightened sense of purpose.
Man, now draws upon latent energy to win back what he has lost and to
rise to even greater heights. His hidden potential manifests itself with
tremendous vigour just as nuclear energy is released when an atomic
explosion takes place. The spirit which rises within him is invincible,
and nothing can arrest his advance. Like a river flowing to the sea, he
surmounts every obstacle in the tireless pursuit of his goal.
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE
Death is Not the End
OF all moments that lie within the realm of human imagination,
death is the most savage. All the other calamities that cause
man distress are nothing compared to that which he encounters
in the form of death.
With death, we enter the most difficult stage of our lives. We become
totally powerless, destitute, and helpless. All worldly suffering has
a limit, but in the world that we will enter after death suffering and
torment will be unlimited.
In reality, this is the state of man in the present
world. So inherently weak is man that he
cannot bear even the slightest inconvenience.
Just the prick of a needle, a day’s hunger and
thirst, or a few nights’ insomnia are enough to
rock his entire being. In this world, however,
he has everything he needs. That is why he
forgets his indigence, and remains blind to his
true nature.
The worldly affliction
which causes man
distress on earth is
trivial compared to
the affliction of the
Hereafter.
In this world man is provided with food and
water, air and light; he is able to tame the
forces of nature and bring civilization into existence. But if this world
were taken away from him, he would not be able to fashion another
world of this kind anywhere in the universe. It would be his lot to
wander around in darkness.
The worldly affliction which causes man distress on earth is trivial
compared to the affliction of the Hereafter. Worldly honour and ease
make him proud and complacent, but they are of no consequence if
they do not support his next, eternal life. If man were to be conscious
of what would become of him after death, he would forget about his
worldly state, and concentrate on consolidating his position in the
world where both repose and torment are infinite.
Death is not the end of life; it is the beginning of a new stage of life.
It will lead some into a den of unmitigated hardship, and others to a
world of infinite happiness.
THE MAKING AND BREAKING OF HISTORY
Divine Design
ACCORDING to the historian Barbara W. Tuchman, “History is the
unfolding of miscalculations”. In other words, history usually
develops in a manner quite contrary to people’s expectations.
While events are unfolding, observers may pass judgement on the
course they are taking; but the course of history defies all prediction. In
the end, things turn out quite differently from what people had initially
expected.
To cite an example from Islamic history, in the year AD 628, the Treaty
of Hudaibiya was signed between the Prophet Muhammad and the
Quraysh of Makkah. At that time, the Quraysh were one in thinking that
the Muslims had signed their own writ of destruction, for they accepted
peace on terms which were clearly favourable to the Quraysh. Yet
afterwards it transpired that this apparent defeat contained the seeds
of a great victory for the Muslims. This is an oft-repeated phenomenon
in history. In 1945, when atom bombs were dropped on the cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, it seemed to the Americans as if
Japan would lie in ruins forever. Yet this was not to be. Within forty
years after the catastrophe, Japan stood at the pinnacle of economic
strength, and now it is a leading industrial power in the world.
This goes to show that it is not man who fashions his history. In truth, it
is God who fashions human history in accordance with His own will. It
is not people or events who control history, it is God. History may take
place before our eyes, in the material world, but the course it takes is
determined from the supernatural world which lies beyond our vision
and perception.
Those who have been written off as spent forces can take solace from
this fact of history. Experience shows that sparks erupt from volcanoes
that have lain inactive for years. In this world the very annihilation and
destruction of something means that it is ready to arise and take its
place as a new power on earth. A force which is spent turns into a living
force.
One should never lose hope because of the dismal course events
appear to be taking. When the pages of history turn, events may
turn out to have been leading in a direction quite contrary to all our
expectations.
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 )
