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 Muslims . His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are part of university curricula in six countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality based in New Delhi.

EMBRACING ISLAM ‘IN TOTALITY’

WHAT is Islam? To put it quite simply, Islam is the way to

become a good and upright person. When one becomes

good in the real sense of the word, one is good to oneself, to

one’s family, to one’s society, and to all humankind.

The world around us is a perfect world. From atoms to galaxies,

everything acts so perfectly that we can predict their behaviour. This

is because everything in nature obeys the law of God. Likewise, when

man obeys the law of God, he becomes as perfect as he ought to be. He

develops a predictable nature, like everything else in the world.

Islam means submission to God. The Quran tells us that submission to

God is the only religion for both man and the universe:

“Do they seek a religion other than the religion of God, when

everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him,

willingly or unwillingly? To Him they shall all return.” ( 3: 83 )

Thus, Islam means living in harmony with nature, as one ought to, face

to face with reality. Man has not created himself; he has been created by God. To live in accordance with reality, then, is to acknowledge the

greatness of God and show appreciation of His favours. The emotions

of love and fear are inherent in man. He wants something to rely upon,

something to focus his efforts on. If he leads his life in accordance with

reality, he will focus all his attention on God alone. For besides Him, all

things are creatures; nothing besides Him has any real power.

The entire human race, past and present, is progeny of Adam. A life in

accordance with reality then will be one of kindness to others, as if one

were dealing with one’s own brothers and sisters.

Everyone has been endowed with a conscience which favours justice

and despises injustice and cruelty. Life in accordance with reality, then,

is one of kindness and justice.

Death is bound to strike one day. It will deprive everyone of their worldly

possessions. One who lives in accordance with reality will look at the

ups and downs of life as transitory and insignificant. He will regard

everybody as God’s servants, irrespective of worldly status.

When one comes upon the truth, one might be disposed to reject it.

But one should remember that one day everyone will have to accept

truth and falsehood for what they are. One should willingly accept

today what one will be forced to accept tomorrow.

The position Islam occupies in relation to our lives should be an integral,

not a supplementary one:

“We take on God’s own dye. Who has a better dye than God’s?

We worship Him alone.” ( 2: 138 )

Here is an example to illustrate this point. When a stone is dropped

in water, it descends to the bottom and settles there. It is in the water

but separate from it. On the other hand, if a dye is put into the same

glass, the dye and water combine. The water is not separate from the

dye. Both have intermingled in such a way that no one can detect any

difference between the two.

The relationship between Islam and a true believer should be like that

of dye and water, not of stone and water. Islam should not be just an

accessory to a Muslim’s life; it should merge with his whole being; as

the Quran says, Islam should be entered into ‘in its totality’. ( 2: 208 )

When a person adopts Islam in this manner, it becomes the throb of

his heart as it permeates his emotions. It enters his thoughts, moulding

his intellect in its own fashion. It becomes the eye with which he sees, the tongue with which he speaks, the hands and feet with which he

performs his daily functions. It takes possession of a person, to the

exclusion of everything else. His every statement bears the stamp of

Islam and his every action becomes dyed in Islamic colours.

If Islam is like a stone in water in a person’s life, it is not Islam at all.

Faith should be absorbed in a person like dye is dissolved in water.

Just as the emotions of love and hate are felt by the whole body, so,

when one adopts Islam in the real sense of the word, it becomes an

issue affecting one’s whole existence. The Muslim and Islam become

inseparably attached to one another.

By way of introduction to the Islamic way of life, some sayings of the

Prophet Muhammad are mentioned here:

“Let him who believes in God and the Last Day either speak good

or keep silent; and let him who believes in God and the Last Day

honour his neighbour; and let him who believes in God and the

Last Day be generous to his guest.”

“Fear God wherever you are, and follow up a bad deed with a

good one and it will wipe it out, and behave well towards people.”

“Righteousness is good-naturedness, and evil is what wavers in

your soul that you would not like people to find out about you.”

“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what

he wishes for himself.”

A man came to the Prophet and said: “Messenger of God, tell me

something which, if I do it, will win me the love of both God and men.”

The Prophet said, “If you renounce the world, God will love you; and if

you renounce what people possess, they will love you.”

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

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Follow Maulana at http://www.speakingtree.in (The Times of India)

FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Dr Farida Khanam is an author, editor, translator, public speaker and former

professor of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Among her books are

‘A Simple Guide to Sufism’ and ‘A Study of World’s Major Religions’. She has translated

into English many books authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently the

chairperson of CPS International, she is a regular contributor of articles to various

publications. Dr Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran

and has also translated his Urdu commentary of the Quran into English. She can be

reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES

LIFE: According to Islam life is a creation of God. God desired to

create life and there was life. Creation falls into four categories—

inanimate matter, plants, animals, and human beings. No

category has evolved from any other.

Islam states that all four have been produced as a separate creation.

Similarly, of living things, there are a great number of species, right from

amoeba to human beings. Again, none of these living species has been

produced from any other through the process of evolution. Rather they

have all been created separately. There is no doubt that there is some

similarity in their physical system, but each has a permanent, separate

existence. There is no concept of a missing link in Islam.

MAN:

The Prophet Muhammad said: “God created man in His own image.”

This does not mean that life in the form of man is a part of God. Islam

believes in dualism. As per the Islamic concept, God and human beings

are two separate entities. It simply means that man is endowed with

certain special qualities. We know that mountains cannot walk, but

humans can. The ocean cannot hear, but humans can. The moon

cannot see, but man can. No two trees can enter into a dialogue, but

two persons can. No planet can organize a seminar, but human beings

can. No stars can invent a machine, but life in the form of man can.

These are the unique qualities of the human being.

PURPOSE OF MAN'S CREATION:

According to a Hadith (saying of the Prophet Muhammad), God said:

“I was a hidden treasure. Then I wanted to be known and I created

human beings.” It is a fact that the capacity for conceptual thinking

is the special quality of human beings. So God created man for this

purpose. It is required that human beings discover God’s existence and

realize His presence. Once man realizes God, he is showered with divine

blessings. Then he offers thanks to his Sustainer. In Islam, thanksgiving

is the greatest form of worship.

THE RELIGION OF ISLAM & SCIENCE:

As far as the relationship between science and religion is concerned, it

could be referred to as a very well-established principle of Islam which

is known as al-Maruf (the good). It means that

anything proved to be good for humankind

would also be regarded as good in Islam.

It is required that

human beings

discover God’s

existence and realize

His presence. Once

man realizes God,

he is showered with

divine blessings.

Here is a very relevant Hadith which throws

light on this matter. The Prophet of Islam

was born in Makkah, a desert city where he

lived for fifty-three years. Then he migrated to

Madinah which was built on fertile land, with

soil especially suitable for date plantation.

There were many date orchards in the city.

As a matter of ancient custom, the Madinans

used to pollinate the date plants artificially.

Prophet was not familiar with this custom. One day when he passed by

some people who had climbed up to the top of date palms, he enquired

as to what they were doing. He was told that they were pollinating the

trees in order to fertilize them. The Prophet said, ‘I don’t think this will

benefit them.’ When people learned of the Prophet’s comment, they

stopped the practice of pollination. This led to a very low yield that

year.

When the Prophet came to know of this, he said, “If they benefit from

pollination, they should continue with this practice. It was only an

opinion.” Then the Prophet told the date growers to adhere to their own

methods, and said, “You know better about your worldly affairs” (Sahih

Muslim). According to this teaching, worldly affairs like horticulture,

agriculture, engineering, architecture, and irrigation and, of course, all

the disciplines dealing with life sciences fall into the category of alMaruf. In terms of scientific research and experience, whatever proves

to be good for humankind will also be regarded as good in Islam. So there is no possibility of contradiction between Islam and facts proved

by any branch of science, including the biological sciences.

ORGAN DONATION:

Although the Quran and Hadith provide principles covering this area,

we do not find details of these basic injunctions. For instance, the

development that has taken place in the science of surgery has shown

that some parts of the human body can be transplanted in another

human body. If the eye of a dead person is taken out immediately after

his death, it can be transplanted in the eye socket of a blind person and

he may gain his sight.

Basic guidelines, not details, regarding these matters are given in the

Quran and Hadith. Islam gives us a principle that applies to this subject

as well. That is, “everything is lawful unless it is declared unlawful.”

In the light of this Islamic principle, we can safely say that the donation

of any organ is permissible in Islam, for the Shariah has not held it

unlawful.

Then there is another principle in Islam known as sadaqa-jaria, i.e. the

perpetuation of a charitable deed. The benefits of this kind of charity

are long-lasting. The good effect of a transplanted eye will endure long

after the donor’s death. Such acts, far from incurring God’s displeasure,

will bring the donor divine rewards.

Dr. Farida Khanam

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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.

IDEAL PEACE IS UNACHIEVABLE

PEACE is a must for the survival of our civilization. Peace is a must

for all kinds of constructive work. As such, it is of the greatest

concern to everyone. Everyone wants a peaceful society, a

peaceful world. Yet, for the greater part of humanity, peace remains

a distant dream. Why so? Why this sad state of affairs? Why this

contradiction between ideal and practical? It is high time to go deeper

into the matter. It is the duty of all sincere people to inquire into the

real cause of this contradiction so that a viable peace formula may be

evolved.

An in-depth study of this problem from the historical as well as the

Islamic point of view presents two viewpoints in this matter: the

concept of peace as defined by social scientists and the concept of

peace as defined by the ideologists. The scientists’ concept of peace

is based on realities while the idealists’ concept of peace is based on

utopianism or wishful thinking. It is mainly the ideologists’ concept of

peace which has created the present crisis of peace throughout the

world. The scientists’ formula for peace is the only practicable one, for

the idealists’ formula is merely a formulation of people’s own wishes.

Academicians define peace as an absence of war. But the idealists

differ with this notion saying that the mere absence of war cannot be

called peace. They hold that peace and justice should go hand in hand.

To them the only acceptable formula is that which restores justice

in its ideal sense. But the building of such a utopian world is simply

impossible.

This concept of peace is seemingly beautiful. Because of this apparent

beauty, it has gained general popularity. The masses everywhere

are obsessed with the idealistic concept of peace. But one has to

differentiate between what is possible and what is impossible. There

is no other alternative. One has to be practical rather than idealistic if

one wants to achieve a positive result. The object of peace is only to

normalize the situation between two warring sides.

Peace is not aimed at satisfying the concerned parties in terms of rights

and justice. Rights and justice are totally different issues. Linking them

with peace is unnatural as well as impractical. These are goals to be

worked for separately and independently.

Furthermore, in this world of competition, no

one can receive peace and justice in terms

of his own personal criteria. It is situations

and circumstances which will dictate to what

extent we can achieve these goals.

The masses

everywhere are

obsessed with the

idealistic concept of

peace. But one has to

differentiate between

what is possible and

what is impossible.

Also, in this world of competition, it is not

possible for anyone to receive perfect justice,

so one has to be content with practical justice.

People who seek peace with justice fail to

achieve anything positive and during this

futile exercise, they lose what they already

had in their hands. Conversely, those who delink justice from peace

are always successful in life.

To illustrate this point, two examples from history are cited here. One

from the early period of Islam and one from the modern history of

Japan. It is a well-known fact that the Prophet of Islam was repeatedly

challenged by his opponents in ancient Arabia. There were several

instances of wars and violence. Then the Prophet managed to finalize

a peace treaty between the Muslims and their opponents, known as

Hudaibiya Peace Treaty. Historical records show that this peace treaty

was finalized, apparently giving no justice to the Prophet of Islam, but

the Prophet concluded this treaty by delinking the question of justice

from the question of peace. This delinking of the two issues gave him

the success which is described in the Quran as a clear victory ( 48: 1 ). The

Quran called this a victory because, although the peace treaty itself was

devoid of justice, it instantly normalized the situation, thus enabling

the Prophet to avail of the opportunities present at the time. What the

Prophet lost in Hudaibiya, he gained on a far larger scale throughout

the whole of Arabia.

Now let us look at the example of Japan. In

World War II, Japan was defeated by the USA.

Okinawa Island was occupied by the American

army after the conclusion of a peace treaty,

the terms of which were dictated by America.

Japan, willingly or unwillingly, accepted a treaty

in which justice was delinked from peace. But

what was the result? Within a period of few

decades, the entire scenario changed. Japan

did lose the Okinawa Island, but it gained the

entire USA (North American continent) as

its industrial market. And now it enjoys the

status of a world economic superpower.

Peace is not meant to

establish justice. The

purpose of peace is

only to normalize the

situation so that one

may uninterruptedly

avail of the

opportunities present

at that time.

This detailed study leads to the conclusion that the scientific concept

of peace is the only correct and practicable concept. Thus, peace is not

meant to establish justice. The purpose of peace is only to normalize

the situation so that one may uninterruptedly avail of the opportunities

present at that time.

LESSONS FROM THE UNIVERSE

An Islamic Perspective

OUR universe is a beautiful work of the Creator and many of

the beautiful names of God point to this phenomenon. God is

called: Al-Khaliq (the Creator), Al-Bari (The Maker), Al-Musawwir

(the Shaper), al-Muhiyy (The Giver of Life) and Al-Badi (The Innovative

Creator). The universe was fashioned by God according to a wellconceived plan. When God decided to create something, He gave the

divine command ‘Be’ and the thing was created.

The Quran states:

‘Do they seek a religion other than the religion of God, when

everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him,

willingly or unwillingly? To Him they shall all return’. ( 3: 83 )

The entire cosmos,

from the particles of

dust to the gigantic

galaxies, is under the

direct domination

of the One God Who

alone, is the Master

of all beings.

According to the above verse, the universe has

been subjected to the code of monotheism—

that God is the Creator and Sustainer of the

universe, and that in Him alone are vested

all powers. None besides Him has any sway

over the universe. The entire cosmos, from

the particles of dust to the gigantic galaxies, is

under the direct domination of the One God

Who alone, is the Master of all beings. This is

the reason that the entire universe, with all its

vast expanse, is exactly as it should be. No flaw

in its functioning has ever been detected and

its speed has not faltered even by a second

during the innumerable of millions of years of its existence. This is the

model that man is asked to follow, for it is a practical demonstration of

the creed of monotheism.

Total Submission

The greatest and most salient characteristic of the universe is that it is

fully obedient to its Creator ( 41: 12 ). Even after the elapsing of hundreds of

millions of years, the sun, the earth and, the stars, moving at incredible

speeds in their orbits, have not wavered even by a fraction of a second

in their course, each one faithfully carrying out the duty assigned to it.

Man is likewise required to demonstrate that same total submission.

Man is called upon to make even his most fervent personal desires subservient to the will of God. At all times, he must unfailingly do as

the Lord desires. His hands and feet, his eyes and tongue, his heart

and mind, all must bow in supplication to God, so that no part of him,

whether mental or physical, should in any way flout His will.

Worship of God

The Quran tells us that all things in the universe worship and glorify

God ( 24: 41 ). The very birds chirping in the green boughs of the trees

seem to sing songs in praise of their Creator and Sustainer. The trees,

when they cast their shadows on the earth, seem to have lain prostrate

themselves before their Creator. The sun, when it sends down its

beautiful rays to earth after the darkness of night, seems to express

the thought: ‘Glorified be the One Who is the source of all light. Should

He choose to extinguish it, darkness would

engulf the entire universe.’ It is this very

same formula which man is called upon to

follow. Overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s

munificence, he must also give expression

to his devotion by singing the glories of his

Lord. Remembrance of God should become

the richest treasure of his life, and devotion

to Him should become a lifelong vocation.

The very birds

chirping in the

green boughs of the

trees seem to sing

songs in praise of

their Creator and

Sustainer. The trees,

when they cast

their shadows on

the earth, seem to

have lain prostrate

themselves before

their Creator.

Stability of Character

One important characteristic of the universe

is that it moves on its course with such

exactitude that coming events can be forecast

with one hundred percent certainty ( 10: 5 ). The

same kind of predictability is essential in man.

So methodical and so responsible should his

conduct be that his probable reaction in any given situation should

be plainly foreseeable. Even at the most preliminary stage of any

transaction with him, we should feel that we know for certain what

his attitude and plan of action will be. His word should indeed be as

dependable as the rising and the setting of the sun.

Harmony

Another compelling aspect of the universe is that all its parts work in

complete harmony with each other ( 36: 40 ). It has never been the case

that the sun and moon have worked at cross purposes. The stars never

collide. Air and water, sun and soil, all work in unison with each other.

More than one hundred elements, the components of all the known

matter in the universe, work in perfect accord, and no clash of purpose

has ever been detected in them. It behoves man also to emulate their

example and, in the carrying out of whatever his tasks may be, avoid

any confrontations with others.

Result-oriented Approach

An inestimable virtue of the universe is that all its activities bear fruit

( 13: 17 ). As far as our world is concerned, the rotation of the earth,

the alternation between day and night, the rains, the changes of the

seasons, etc., are all, as it were, result-oriented. Natural activity, if

allowed to go on unhindered, will never cause chaos and man would

do well to adapt himself to this principle.

The purpose and

wisdom, which

manifest themselves

in the wider universe

under the direct

control of God,

have to be adopted

by man of his

own accord in his

personal life.

Divine Morals As Reflected in the Universe

The purpose and wisdom, which manifest themselves in the wider

universe under the direct control of God, have to be adopted by man

of his own accord in his personal life. What God has established on a

physical plane, man has to establish on a moral plane. With the same

strength as is possessed by the iron which is found everywhere in

the cosmos, man must have real staunchness of character. But kindheartedness must spring from him too, in

the way that the springs gush forth from the

rocks. Just as fragrance and colour are to be

found in abundance in the cosmos, so should

man’s life be enhanced by the fairness and

honesty of his dealings. He should be like

the tree which breathes out oxygen in return

for the carbon dioxide which it breathes in:

that is, he should return good for evil; he

should be kind to those who wrong him. He

should learn too, from the fact that nothing

in the cosmos ever encroaches upon anything

else. Each physical entity concentrates solely

upon playing its own part in the order of the

universe. Man must also engage in the same positive action, avoiding all

negative activities. Innumerable activities are going on throughout the

cosmos on the grandest of scales, but without any recompense. In like

manner, man should keep on discharging his responsibilities without

thinking of reward. He should reflect upon how the lofty mountains

and the trees cast their shadows upon the earth, with no thought for

what anyone can do for them in return, and should emulate this act in all humility, for, as the Prophet has enjoined, no one should be proud;

no one should consider himself superior to others.

The activities going on in the world at every moment proclaim who are

worthy and who are unworthy. Those who are motivated solely by the

superficial interests of money, honour or fame are little better than

miserable misfits in this selfless world of God.

They are not true to the standards set in in

this universe, which is a living manifestation

of divine ethics. Only those who can be

motivated by the truth, pure and simple, who

can rise above personal interests, freeing

themselves from complexes and obsessions,

shall be deserving of honour and glory from

God. In the heavenly world to come, all those

who have been activated solely by their

immediate worldly interests will be marked

down as unworthy, and cast out from it. This

beautiful and blissful world will be inherited

only by those who, motivated by unworldly interests, lifted their eyes

from the immediate, material things in order to be able to see things

distant and ‘unseen’.

Those who are

motivated solely

by the superficial

interests of money,

honour or fame are

little better than

miserable misfits in

this selfless world of

God.

The universe demonstrates at all points in time and on a vast scale

what kind of citizens are required by God to inherit the ideal world of

tomorrow—Paradise. God desires men who will be true to His morals,

and who will practice the religion that is enshrined in theory, in His Book

and, in practice, in His universe. Those who refuse to learn their lesson

and persist in following the path of selfish passion are wrongdoers of

the worst kind. Those who refuse to see God’s signs, although they

have eyes, and refuse to hear God’s voice, although they have ears, are,

in the eyes of God, ‘the worst creatures’. ( 8: 22 )

CREATION OF MAN

As Described in the Quran

MAN is God’s servant. Man has been created by God with a plan,

that is, to place him temporarily on earth in order to test him.

Then those who pass this test will be rewarded, while those

who fail will be rejected.

For the purposes of this test, man has been granted freedom in this

world. Whatever man receives in this world is not as a matter of right

but only as a matter of trial. Every situation here is a test, and in all

situations, man must give a proper performance as is required of him

by God.

The proper attitude for man is not to take to the paths of his desires,

but to try to understand the divine plan of creation and then after being

convinced of its ineluctability, he should build his life accordingly.

Man may deviate from the divine plan by misusing the freedom given

to him by God, but he cannot save himself from the consequences of

this deviation.

In such a state of affairs, it is in the interest of man himself that he

remain extremely cautious in determining the course of his life. Instead

of being guided by his own will and desires, he should make God’s will

his guide. Instead of pursuing his own ambitions, he should lead a life

in conformance with the commands of God.

Man may be a masterpiece of divine creation, but he must nevertheless

remain subservient to the plan of God. Making a full acknowledgement

of these two aspects of the existence of humankind is the key to human

progress.

Man succeeded in building a modern industrial civilization by discovering

and exploiting the laws of nature. Similarly, in the next world man will

achieve lasting success on a much vaster scale, but only after striving

earnestly to comprehend God’s creation plan for humanity and then

adhering unflinchingly to its edicts.

Man’s True Purpose in Life

Man attains his highest distinction only when he leads a purposeful

life. Such a life characterizes the most advanced stage of human

development. This does not mean that, by taking up just any task which

is ostensibly significant, man’s life becomes truly purposeful. A really purposeful life is one in which man discovers his supreme status as

a moral being. It is a life in which his personality makes manifest the

unique and distinctive ability to make moral choices. An animal strives

to obtain food; a bird flies in search of a better country when the season

changes; a wasp busies itself building up its home from tiny particles of

earth; a herd of deer takes measures to protect itself from wild beasts

of prey. All of these appear to be purposeful actions. But when the

phrase ‘a purposeful life’ is applied to man, it does not refer to practical

efforts of this nature. Without doubt arranging for food, clothes and

shelter are some of the tasks that man has to perform in this world;

but this is a level of purposefulness at which men and animals, being

concerned only with bare survival, are equal.

Its true application in relation to man can only

be that in which he appears in all his dignity:

when it goes beyond common animalism and

takes the form of superior humanism.

God’s creations in this world fall into two

categories: animate and inanimate. Obviously,

animate objects enjoy a certain superiority

over inanimate objects. The former can be

divided into three classes: the vegetable, the

animal and the human. Modern scientific

research has shown that plants also possess

life, in that they nourish themselves, they

grow and they have feelings.

Modern biologists

have come to the

conclusion that it is

man’s capacity for

conceptual thought,

which distinguishes

him from other life

forms. Animals lack

this quality, whereas

man is conscious of

the fact that he is

thinking

But animals and men surely represent a

higher form of life. In what way does man excel animals? Many theories

have been advanced in answer to this question over the ages, and

great minds are still studying it. But modern biologists have come to

the conclusion that it is man’s capacity for conceptual thought, which

distinguishes him from other life forms. Animals lack this quality,

whereas man is conscious of the fact that he is thinking. He consciously

forms all plans of action in his mind. In his everyday life, his actions are

determined by him. Whereas this is not the case with animals. Though

many of their actions appear to be like those of men, these actions are

not the result of thought; they all stem from pure instinct. Animals are

simply led intuitively in a certain direction by their desires and their

needs. Their actions are governed by environmental stresses from

without and physical pressures from within.

It is from this unique capacity of man to conceptualize that we can

conceive of what his higher purpose in life should be: one which in no way results from the pressures of desire or of immediate exigencies. It

must emanate from his own urge to worship God.

Man’s true purpose in life can only be one which reflects the nobler

side of his character; one which represents him as the superior being

that he is.

If one pauses at this stage to take note of what the Quran has to say,

one will find that it gives us clear guidance in this matter. Man’s purpose

in life has been explained in the Quran in the following words:

I created the jinn and humankind only so that they might worship

Me: I seek no sustenance from them, nor do I want them to feed

Me—it is God who is the great Sustainer, the Mighty One, the

Invincible. ( 51: 56-58 )

These verses specify man’s purpose in life as worship. This is a purpose

that highlights man’s uniqueness in its ultimate form. It raises man to

a much higher plane than that of the animals. Not a trace of animalism

contributes to the achievement of such a goal. God does not, as the verse

states, demand of you a livelihood, rather He himself is responsible

for your livelihood. This means worship of God is a purpose, which is

motivated neither by inward desires nor outward influences but comes

into being through conscious thought alone. Only when a person goes

beyond self and his environment can he

understand that there is a higher purpose on

which he should focus his life. The motivating

force towards the fulfillment of this purpose

is not the urge to satisfy one’s needs or those

of others. The worshipper seeks neither to

gratify his own desires nor those of the Being

he worships. It is a purpose which sets before

man a goal far above all these things—a

goal which does not follow internal needs or

external pressures, but results purely from

conceptual thought.

Only when a person

goes beyond self

and his environment

can he understand

that there is a higher

purpose on which he

should focus his life.

When a person works, makes money, builds a house, and makes an

effort to improve his standard of living, he appears to be engaged in

efforts towards some worthy end. But a life of this nature cannot be

called a purposeful life, for these activities do not demonstrate man’s

unique status. It might seem as if they are the result of deliberation,

but if one looks at the matter in-depth, one will see that in actuality the

motivating force behind these actions is the same urge that motivates an animal in various ways, i.e. its concern for its own survival. It is the

driving force of one’s desires, the pressure of one’s needs, and the wish

to fulfill the demands of one’s self that underlie such a life. These are

the considerations which, in fact, guide a person in his search for his

livelihood.

When man grows up, he realizes that there are certain material

necessities without which he cannot live. He requires food, clothes, a

place to live; he requires a reliable source of income to sustain him

throughout his life. He is forced by these considerations to obtain

these things. Then he sees that those who have an abundance of these

material things enjoy respect and apparently possess every form of

happiness and luxury in this world. Thus, he is driven on to do more

than just seek a livelihood; he desires to earn to a degree greatly in

excess of his actual requirements.

In bustling markets, grandiose offices, and

opulent buildings, he is not really guided

by deliberate thought. Rather, he is being

guided by inflated ideas of his own needs,

desires, longings, and ambitions to achieve

fame and high status in this world. For this

reason, these activities cannot be considered

as being directed towards the purpose, which

sets man apart from the animals and lends

him a higher distinction.

When man seeks the

pleasure of his Lord,

his human qualities

are fully realized.

This is a purpose

loftier than the one

towards which an

animal directs its

energies.

Man’s greater dignity cannot be based only on

a purpose which emanates from inner desires

and pressures of the environment. Man’s true

purpose in life can only be to seek the pleasure of God. When man

seeks the pleasure of his Lord, his human qualities are fully realized.

This is a purpose loftier than the one towards which an animal directs

its energies. It distinguishes man from the animals. It is the ultimate

station of human dignity.

To determine the purpose of life is, in short, to strive to make life

meaningful. It must surely, therefore, be one which is in accordance

with man’s unique status; it must be one which leads man on the path

to success and progress in terms of his true nature.

Man as a Finite Being

Man is placed on earth only for a very short time. There, he will be

trained, tested, and then passed over to the Hereafter where he will stay forever. The possessions and blessings of this world, although

created in a way similar to their originals in Heaven, actually possess

many defects and weaknesses. For they are only intended to make

man remember the Hereafter.

God describes how the world is a temporary

place full of deception: “Never forget that the

life of this world is only a game and a passing

delight, a show, and mutual boasting and

trying to outrival each other in riches and

children. It is like the growth of vegetation

after the rain, which delights the planter,

but which then withers away, turns yellow

and becomes worthless stubble. In the life to

come there will be a terrible punishment, or

God’s forgiveness and approval: the life of this

world is nothing but a means of deception.”

( 57: 20 )

Death is not the end

of a person’s life. It is

only the beginning of

the next stage of life.

Death is that interim

stage when man

leaves this temporary

world of today for

the eternal world of

tomorrow.

Just as it is stated in the Quran, all of the ignorant people live only for a

few objectives such as riches and children and other things about which

they can boast. In another verse, the goods and chattels of deception

in the world are described thus:

The satisfaction of worldly desires through women, and children,

and heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, and pedigreed

horses, and cattle and lands is attractive to people. All this is

the provision of the worldly life; but the most excellent abode

is with God. Say, ‘Shall I tell you of something better than all

of these? For the God-fearing, there are Gardens in nearness

to their God with rivers flowing through them where they shall

live forever with pure spouses and the goodwill of God. God is

watching His servants. ( 3: 14-15 )

The life of this world is extremely rudimentary and lacking in worth

when compared to the eternal life in the Hereafter. To express this, the

original Arabic word for the “world” has the connotation of a “scanty,

crowded, dirty place”. People consider that their 60-70 year long life

on this earth will be a long and satisfying one. Yet, in a very short time

death comes and all are buried in their graves. As a matter of fact, as

death comes closer, one realizes how short a time he has stayed in this

world. On the Day of Resurrection, God will question the people.

He will ask, ‘How many years did you stay on earth?’ They will say, ‘We

stayed a day or part of a day. Ask those who have kept count.’ He will say, ‘You only stayed for a little while, if only you knew. ‘Do you imagine

that We created you without any purpose and that you would not be

brought back to Us?’ ( 23: 112-115 )

Denying God and disregarding the Hereafter in the lifelong pursuit

of worldly attainments will result in eternal punishment in Hell-fire.

Those who conduct themselves in this way are described in the Quran

as “people who buy the life of this world for the price of the Hereafter”.

For them God decrees: “Their penalty shall not be lightened, nor shall

they be helped.” ( 2: 86 )

Another verse states:

Those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, but are

pleased and satisfied with the life of the present and those who

heed not Our Signs; their abode is the Fire, because of the evil

they earned. ( 10: 7-8 )

Those who forget that this world is only a temporary place of trial and

who are not mindful of God’s signs, but are quite satisfied with worldly

play and the amusements of this life, assuming them to be their own,

and even deifying them, will surely deserve the most grievous penalty.

The Quran describes the status of such people:

Anyone who has acted arrogantly, and prefers the life of this

world, will find himself in Hell. ( 79: 37-39 )

God has made His Heaven full of all kinds of blessings in the world of

the Hereafter. Those who prove to be God-fearing and pious in this

world will enter that world to find the gates of Heaven eternally open

for them. But those who are oblivious of God in this present world will

be deprived of the blessings of the Hereafter.

God is invisible in this present world, and will appear in all His power

and majesty only in the world of the Hereafter. Then all human beings

will bow low before Him. But at that time, surrendering will be of no

avail. Surrendering before God after seeing Him in the Hereafter will

not benefit anyone.

Death is not the end of a person’s life. It is only the beginning of the

next stage of life. Death is that interim stage when man leaves this

temporary world of today for the eternal world of tomorrow. He goes

out of the temporary accommodation of the world to enter the eternal

resting place of the Hereafter. The coming of this stage in the Hereafter

is the greatest certainty in one’s life. No one can save himself from this

fate in the Hereafter.

HUMANKIND AND PARADISE

Designed for Each Other

HUMANKIND and Paradise are counterparts of each other.

They hold a complementary nature towards each other.

Paradise has been made for man and man has been made for

Paradise. The truth is that Paradise yearns for man and man aspires for

Paradise. Without man Paradise is incomplete and without Paradise,

man is incomplete. This fact is an essential part of the creation plan of

God—that this world is the ground for the development of heavenly

personalities who can qualify to reside in eternal Paradise.

According to the Quran:

Why should God punish you, if you render thanks to Him and

believe in Him? God is appreciative and aware. ( 4: 147 )

This implies that the requirements of the creation plan of God cannot

be fulfilled if man makes himself deserving of Hell by his misconduct.

The creation plan of God demands that man makes himself deserving

of Heaven so that in the Hereafter he can

reside eternally in the gardens of Paradise.

Man has been

created to inhabit

Paradise, but by

the misuse of the

freedom granted

by God, he makes

himself deserving

only to be fuel for

Hell-fire.

The truth is that man has been created to

inhabit Paradise, but by the misuse of the

freedom granted by God, he makes himself

deserving only to be fuel for Hell-fire. He

fails to acknowledge the freedom granted

to him by God; the freedom that was given

so that he may creatively revere and adore

God; profess his gratitude for the blessings

endowed throughout his life and declare and

discover his benefactor. This is the objective

with which man was created and this is the man about which it may be

said that he was made for Paradise and Paradise made for him.

THE PRICE OF ANGER

Counterproductive and Disastrous

ALBETANO, an ancient Roman philosopher, is recorded as having

said: ‘The angry man always thinks he can do more than he can.’

When a man is intoxicated with alcohol, he is not in control

of himself. He may even go so far as to bang his head on a stone,

unmindful of the fact that it may not be the stone that breaks but his

own head. This is because, in his inebriated state, he wrongly gauges

his abilities and proceeds to do things which may have unfavourable

consequences.

The same is true of the angry man. In a

towering rage, a man is not in control of

himself. He overestimates his capabilities.

Consequently, he involves himself in activities

which are beyond his control. He realizes

his foolishness only when his temper has

abated. But, by that time, the wrong step has

been taken and destruction has followed in

its wake. It is now too late for regrets. He is

unable to save himself from his wrong action.

While angry, a

man is not in

control of himself.

He overestimates

his capabilities,

consequently he

involves himself in

activities which are

beyond his control.

In India, one glaring example of such

misjudgement is evident in the unending

conflict between the Muslims and the police, most notably in Jammu

and Kashmir. For some reason or the other, Muslims become enraged

with the police, and then they clash with them. This invariably results

in the Muslims coming to grief. The reason that the clash takes place

at all is that, because the Muslims became so irate, they do not stop

to compare their strength with that of the armed constabulary. If they

were to think about the situation dispassionately, they would make a

true estimate of their strength, and that in itself would be enough to

prevent them from clashing with the police. Anger blinds them to the

reality of their weakness. They start fighting with forces superior to

their own, and the result is that they—the Muslims—are the sufferers.

The moral of this is that one should never do anything of any importance

when in an angry mood. Steps to counter supposed adversaries should

be taken only after all anger has subsided. This will mean fewer setbacks

and more successes in life.

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

DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER

IT is a human tendency to attribute the accumulation of riches to

one's own efforts and to hold others responsible for failure to

achieve or obtain something desired. As a consequence of this

tendency, we fall prey to false pride in our abilities on the one hand,

and to false complaints against others, on the other.

Actually, we should consider the good things that we possess as gifts

from God, and should attribute the lack of the things that we do not

yet possess to our own shortcomings. In this way, we can really help

ourselves in character-development. It can make us positive-thinking

people. It must be remembered that there is nothing in the world

worse than a negative-thinking character.

To help us become positive-thinking people, we need to work on

increasing our awareness of ourselves through study, reflection, and

contemplation. A Hadith quotes the Prophet as asking God: “O God,

grant me the ability to see things as they are.”

A major problem with us is that we do not see things as they really are.

And so, typically, we overestimate ourselves and, at the same time,

underestimate others. This unrealistic way of thinking is really very dangerous. People who fall prey to this mentality will possibly fail in

this world as well as in the next.

How, then, should we think of ourselves and of others?

The proper way is to be modest in our estimation of ourselves, and,

along with this, to acknowledge the goodness of others.

BELIEF IN PROPHETHOOD

Window to God-realization

PROPHETHOOD or Risalah is a fundamental article of faith in Islam.

A Muslim should believe in Prophethood and in all the prophets

sent by God and make no distinction between them.

Man has been placed on this earth by God in order that his obedience

to his Maker may be put to test. For this purpose, he has been given

complete freedom to tread the paths of either good or evil. He has a

choice. But to follow the path desired for him by God, man is in need

of guiding principles. The true source of guidance, according to Islam,

is to be found in prophethood. Throughout human history, God in His

infinite mercy selected certain individuals to communicate His message

to humankind, so that all human beings might be given an opportunity

to follow the right path. These chosen people are called prophets, or

messengers.

A prophet is a person chosen by God as His

representative. When God appoints someone

as His Messenger, He sends His angel to him

to inform him of his new status. In that way,

the individual can have no doubts about his

appointment as God’s apostle. Later, God

reveals His message to him through His

angels, so that he may communicate the

divine teachings to all his fellow men.

Man has been placed

on this earth by

God in order that

his obedience to his

Maker may be put to

test. For this purpose,

he has been given

complete freedom

to tread the paths of

either good or evil.

God has given man a mind so that he may be

endowed with understanding. But this mind

can only grasp things that are apparent. It

cannot go below the surface, and there are

many things to be apprehended, for which a superficial knowledge is

insufficient. The deeper realities of this world are beyond the scope of

the human mind, and so far as God and the next world are concerned,

they must remain forever invisible—beyond the reach of human

perception.

What the Prophet does is to enlighten people so that they may

overcome this human inadequacy. He tells of the reality of things here

and now, and also gives tidings of the next world. He thereby enables

the individual to formulate a plan for his entire existence in the full light

of knowledge and awareness so that he may carve out a successful life

for himself.

Since the settlement of human beings on earth, the prophets have been

coming one after another. In every age they have been the conveyors of

God’s messages to human beings. However, whatever records of these

ancient prophets that have survived, have been rendered historically

unreliable by interpolations. The same is true of the books they brought

to humankind. The sole exception was the

case of the Prophet Muhammad, who was

chosen by God as His Final Messenger. The

Prophet was born in an age when the history

of the world was already being extensively

chronicled. This in itself made circumstances

conducive to authentic records being kept of

God’s messages and the Prophet’s exemplary

life. The relevant facts were passed on from

one generation to the next by both oral and

written tradition, and with the advent of the

printing press came the modern guarantee

that no changes would ever be made in the

divine scriptures. This renders unassailable

the position of the Prophet Muhammad

as God’s Final Messenger and His sole

representative on earth till Doomsday.

All the prophets

brought the same

basic truth: that

there is only one

God and that all

human beings are

accountable to God

for their actions:

when Doomsday

finally comes, they

will be judged by Him

according to their

good and bad deeds.

All the prophets, according to Islam, brought the same basic truth: that

there is only one God and that all human beings are accountable to God

for their actions: when Doomsday finally comes, they will be judged by

Him according to their good and bad deeds. Those who believe in God

and His Prophet shall be rewarded by God in the next world, while

those who disbelieve shall be punished by God in the next world as

befits the deeds they have performed on earth.

God chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides to Himself

those who turn to Him in repentance. ( 42: 13 )

God’s messengers came in every age and to every region. According to

a Hadith, starting with Adam and ending with the Prophet Muhammad,

1, 24 ,000 messengers were sent in succession to guide the people to

the right path. The prophets mentioned by name in the Quran are

two-dozen in number. The five major Prophets who came before

Muhammad were Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses),

and Isa (Jesus). The Prophet Muhammad, the last in this long line of

prophets, was called the ‘Seal of the Prophets’. ( 33: 40 )

In the past, the need for new prophets had arisen because God’s

religion, having been distorted in a number of different ways, was no

longer in its pristine form. New prophets had to come to the world

periodically in order to revive the true spirit of religion, and thus restore

it to its original form. After the Prophet Muhammad, there was no need

for another prophet, for the Book—the Quran—which he gave to the

world, has been preserved intact, in its original form.

The Islamic concept of prophethood is different from that of other

religions. Some religions would have it that God Himself becomes

incarnate in human shape, and that His prophets are in some way

superhuman or other-worldly. But a prophet in the Islamic sense is no

different from any other human being. His uniqueness lies simply in his

being the chosen messenger of God.

God’s Apostles were born into this world just like any other human

beings. They led their lives just as others did, thus demonstrating to

their people how God’s servants should conduct themselves on earth,

and showing them clearly what path they must tread in order to avert

God’s displeasure and make themselves worthy of His blessings.

The prophets who brought books were called rasul, while those who

did not were called nabi.

THE UNERASABLE PAST

No Escape from the Consequences

TONY BENN (1925-2014), a British Labour MP, was once

dissatisfied with the way an interview for a BBC radio programme

was developing and, determined that no part of the dialogue

between himself and the reporter should be broadcast. He took steps

to erase it from the tape which had been recording it. To the reporter’s

astonishment, he reached into a cupboard and produced a powerful

electromagnet which he duly plugged in and waved over the tape,

thereby completely removing all traces of the conversation which had

just taken place.

When one is caught in a difficult situation in this world, there is

generally some way or other which allows one to escape from it. One

can, for example, have ‘a clean record’ simply by erasing embarrassing

or incriminating statements from a tape. It is just as if, originally, one

had never uttered a word. Similarly, one can find loopholes in the law

that permit one to escape justice and to proceed in life as if one had

never erred in any material or moral sense. All kinds of evasive tactics

can, indeed, be practised so that a life of sin, immorality, and crime can

be completely whitewashed; that all the ugliness of corruption is thus

effectively hidden from the public eye.

In the next world, however, there is no question of erasures, evasion,

whitewashing and all the other tactics resorted to by wrongdoers. No

novel hi-tech gadgetry will be available to assist in the concealment of

the truth. Neither technology nor a clever lawyer, nor the intervention

of friends and relatives will be of any avail in the afterlife, where it is

impossible either to practise deception or to wipe out the events of the

past. Everything that has happened is already there on God’s cosmic

tape recorder. Search as one may, one will never find any instrument

which will erase what is indelibly recorded on God’s tape.

Because, in many cases, our evasive tactics are successful in this world,

we tend to imagine that the same will hold true of the next world. But

the next world is one which is concerned only with realities.

KEEPING OUT OF HARMS WAY

A Leaf out of Nature’s Book

TEAK is a tropical hardwood tree used for exterior construction

and furniture making, etc. It is produced mainly in Burma, but is

also grown in India, Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In India,

it has been in use for over two thousand years.

The most important property of teak is its extraordinary durability.

In ancient times, boats and bridges were built of this wood and in

constructions as old as thousand years, teak beams are still found to

be in excellent condition.

The main cause of the durability of teak wood

is that it is not eaten away by white ants.

Wood serves as a food for white ants, and,

once they have made inroads, wood quickly

disintegrates. Yet, foes as they are of wood in

general, they pose no threat to teak.

Man should strive to

produce in himself

such qualities as will

keep his enemies

away from him, make

them refrain from

indulging in injurious

courses of action.

Which property keeps teak safe from the

menace of white ants? The answer is quite

simple. Teak has a bitter taste, which is not to

the liking of the white ant.

This example of an inherent quality acting as

a life-preserver shows us the way of nature. Nature desired to preserve

teak from the depredations of the white ant. To achieve this end, it did

not formulate demands or utter protests. It simply endowed teak with

such a property as would keep its insect attackers at bay.

Just as wood has an enemy in the white ant, so do men have their

human enemies in this world. Now what should a man do to save

himself from them? Taking a leaf out of nature’s book, he should strive

to produce in himself such qualities as will keep his enemies away from

him, make them refrain from indulging in injurious courses of action.

ISLAM AND THE CHALLENGES OF THE WORLD

Emulating the Prophetic Model

MAN faces a number of challenges—intellectual, political,

economic, etc.—which are universal in the modern world.

A major issue confronting man is whether humankind can

continue to live in peace on this planet. This is a matter of great

importance because man’s very existence is in peril. It is the future of

humankind which is at stake.

Various sets of adverse circumstances have together produced a state

of unrest throughout the world. At different places, groups of people

are engaged in violent clashes with other groups. This state of affairs

is such as to render our scientific progress meaningless, and it must

be acknowledged that our very civilization is

in jeopardy.

Unfortunately, in this baneful sequence of

events, the name of Islam has come to be

linked with violence. Due to the foolish and

imprudent acts of certain Muslims, Islam

and violence have come to be regarded as

interchangeable terms.

Due to the foolish

and imprudent

acts of certain

Muslims, Islam and

violence have come

to be regarded as

interchangeable

terms

An Indian now living in Europe, was called

for an interview by some company there.

The interview started like this: “Are you a

Muslim?” “Yes”, he replied. “Then you must be

a terrorist”, came the verdict.

As you can imagine, the interview could hardly

proceed beyond this point.

But the truth about Islam is the very opposite. The word Islam itself

means peace, having been derived from the Arabic root silm meaning

peace. And the Prophet of Islam is described in the scriptures as a

“Mercy to the world.” The Quran has this to say: “And God calls you to

the home of peace”. The lesson that is imparted through Hajj, a course

of training for a Muslim for the whole of his life, is not to harm a single

human being, not even an animal. To call such a religion as one of

violence is therefore highly inappropriate.

Islam came to humankind in an age when violence was an integral

part of every nation’s culture and, as such, was prevalent all over the

world. Violence, it was thought, was the most dependable means for

the achievement of all ends.

It was at this point that Islam brought to the world the message of

peaceful co-existence, not only in theory, but also in practice. The truth

is that Islam is a peaceful way of life. It was so for the man of the past,

and it is so for the man of today.

But mere casual talk about peace will not, of itself, produce peace for

humanity. It is essential rather to formulate a concept of peace in such

a manner as to explain and underline its importance. Furthermore,

such a concept must be accompanied by a methodology which will

facilitate its practical realization.

Simplifying One’s Difficulties

The concept presented by Islam for peaceful living is based on the idea

that, in this world, adversity is always accompanied by some positive,

simplifying factor. That is to say that disadvantages will always be

accompanied by advantages. The common man is nevertheless of the

view that whenever any difficulty presents

itself, the only solution is to fight. And it is this

mentality which breeds violence. If, however,

he could be convinced that whenever the

path to success seemed barred to him, there

would always be something inherent in the

situation to ease his difficulties, his whole

manner of thinking would change.

Mere casual talk

about peace will not,

of itself, produce

peace for humanity.

It is essential rather

to formulate a

concept of peace in

such a manner as to

explain and underline

its importance.

This is not a concept which is immediately

acceptable, the main reason being that

most people have never formed the habit of

identifying the positive factors in a seemingly

negative situation. But once this concept has

taken root in a man’s mind, he will no longer clash head-on with anything

unfavourable that comes in his way. He will, on the contrary, direct his

efforts towards seeking whatever advantages lie in store for him. Only

after securing these advantages will he start his struggle anew. In this

way, on the ideological plane, this concept strikes at the very roots of

violence. In addition to this conceptual approach, Islam offers a new

methodology based on non-violence rather than on violence. This topic

is dealt with briefly here:

Willingness to Accept the Possible

The first principle of the non-violent method is to show willingness to

accept what is possible. A fine, practical example of this principle was

personally demonstrated by the Prophet of Islam at the outset of his

missionary career in Makkah. At that time, in Makkah, the most sacred

house of worship, the Kaaba, many deities were being worshipped. The

ritual of Hajj had been distorted. For instance, the solar instead of the

lunar calendar was being used for its observance. Drinking and other

evils were rife.

Had the Prophet of Islam directly launched a violent struggle against

these he would at once have set off a violent confrontation in Makkah,

and the armed conflict would have overshadowed his message of

peace.

The Prophet had, at that juncture, formulated

an important principle of peace. Presenting it

to the world, he put it into practice himself.

The principle he followed was to make one’s

starting point from what was possible. That is

to say, to confine one’s activity to the field in

which opportunities are available under the

prevailing system. The rest had to be left for

the future.

Hijrah means that

if the other party

comes to the point of

aggression in order

to stop whatever

peaceful work is

being undertaken,

one must move away

from that place

rather than take to

fighting.

This was the principle which he followed

for thirteen years while working in Makkah.

Any attempt to bring about a change in the

system in Makkah would only have resulted

in clash and confrontation. He, therefore, set before himself the target

of bringing about a change in the individual, and continued to work on

those same lines for the whole of the Makkan period.

Moving Away from the Point of Confrontation

Another principle formed by the Prophet in this regard was to move

away from the point of conflict. This principle took practical shape in

the Hijrah (emigration). It was in adherence to this principle that the

Prophet emigrated to Madinah, leaving his hometown, Makkah, in the

thirteenth year of his prophethood.

Hijrah literally means ‘to leave’. It means that if the other party comes

to the point of aggression in order to stop whatever peaceful work is

being undertaken, one must move away from that place rather than

take to fighting.

Indeed, Hijrah is just one of the strategies employed to avoid

confrontation, but if it proves the best method, it must be resorted to,

even if it entails leaving one’s homeland, property, and relatives.

The Hudaibiya Principle

When the Prophet of Islam emigrated to Madinah, he did not launch any

military campaign from there. His adversaries, the Quraysh, however,

made military preparations and launched an onslaught without any

provocation from the other side. It was due

to this aggression that some defensive battles

had to be fought. At this juncture, in order

to avoid further bloodshed, the Prophet

followed an excellent principle which can be

termed the Hudaibiya principle.

The superior strategy

employed on the

occasion of the

conquest of Makkah

was, quite simply,

to achieve one’s

end, not by the use

of force, but by the

demonstration of

strength.

What the Prophet of Islam did with regard

to the Hudaibiya treaty was to accept all the

demands of the other party in return for their

agreeing to his demand that no battle be

fought between them, directly or indirectly,

for a period of ten years. The Hudaibiya treaty

was, in fact a no-war pact. The Hudaibiya

principle can thus be summed up in these words: unilateral acceptance

of all the demands of the opposite party in order to obviate any risks of

further clash and confrontation.

The Demonstration Rather Than the Use of Force

In spite of this no-war pact, the Prophet’s opponents reopened

hostilities—thus committing a breach of their agreement. This time the

Prophet adopted a different strategy, with the result that Makkah was

ultimately conquered. Very few lives were lost, however, for, beyond

minor skirmishes, no armed struggle between the opposing forces

took place.

The superior strategy employed on the occasion of the conquest of

Makkah was, quite simply, to achieve one’s end, not by the use of force,

but by the demonstration of strength.

Refraining from Vengeance

The initial strategy adopted by the Prophet after the conquest of

Makkah was one of remarkable leniency. After the victory, men who

had been his deadliest enemies were now brought before him. Today, we would call them war criminals of the worst kind. The only possible

fate for such criminals in those days was summary execution. But the

Prophet granted them all an unconditional amnesty.

The greatest advantage of this general amnesty was that the country

was spared a counter-revolution and all the bloodshed that would

have ensued. Had the Prophet punished these men, the fire of revenge

would most certainly have been ignited in the tribes all over Arabia.

The shedding of Arab blood would then have reached a new peak.

Rising Above the Psychology of Reaction

If a peaceful atmosphere is to be maintained in society while one goes

about achieving one’s ends, albeit in a peaceable manner, a great

sacrifice is required. The Prophet himself set such perfect examples

for the building of the nation on the basis of non-violence.

One example of such a sacrifice can be seen in the Battle of Badr. In

this battle, 70 Makkans were taken as prisoners of war. All of them

belonged to the nobility of Makkah and all were well educated by the

standards of the time. Considering that in Madinah, where the Prophet

was staying, the people lacked such an education, the Prophet did

not order the execution of the Makkans, but

instead set a ‘ransom’ for each of them. That

is, each one had to teach ten children of the

Ansar (Madinan inhabitants) how to read and

write. After that they were to be set free.

At that time, one great risk was involved in

setting these prisoners of war free. They

being leaders of hostile tribes, there was the

genuine fear that, once back in Makkah, they

would use their freedom to incite the citizenry

to prepare for another war. This fear became

a reality when they succeeded in provoking

their fellow Makkans to fight the Battle of Uhud.

The history of

Islam shows that

its message of

peace is not just a

utopian dream, but

is a fully practicable

programme.

Fully aware of the risk involved, the Prophet had, nevertheless, set

these Makkans free. This instance not only demonstrates his love of

peace, but also underlines the importance he attached to education.

He felt that its importance was so great that it had to be acquired—

even at the risk of a future war.

Conclusion

These few points, though brief, show that Islam has a great role to

play in countering the deadly challenges, namely violence and conflict,

which haunt the world today. This scheme of Islam is not based on mere

ideology, but has a genuine history of practical success to back it. The

history of Islam shows that its message of peace is not just a utopian

dream, but is a fully practicable programme. It is a historical fact that

the Prophet of Islam adopted such a well-considered strategy that all

his successes were achieved with surprisingly little bloodshed. The toll

of casualties in the revolution he brought about in Arabia amounted

to only about a thousand on both sides. This number is comparatively

so low that this revolution can rightly be termed bloodless. Thus Islam

teaches conflict resolution in a peaceful manner.

SALVATION IN THE HEREAFTER

Through God’s Mercy Alone

THERE is a saying of the Prophet of Islam that appears in many

books of Hadith. In Sahih-al-Bukhari, the words of the Prophet

are translated as:

It is not your deeds that will grant you Paradise or save you from

the fire of Hell, nor will it be for me, except when it is through

the mercy of God.

From this and many other similar sayings of the Prophet, we learn

that Paradise is not a recompense or reward for the deeds of man.

This is not like the situation where you can purchase something from

the shopping centre with the necessary amount of money in your

pocket. Paradise cannot be gained by means of a “negotiated deal” or

compared at any level to a matter of “buying and selling”. It is true that

Paradise will not be granted to anyone without the requisite deeds, but

in its ultimate sense, Paradise is not granted solely on the strength of a

person’s deeds, it is granted by the compassion of God.

The worth of any number of deeds—however

great they may be—can never be equivalent

to the value of eternal Paradise. In this matter,

the deeds of man are only a provisional

requirement for Paradise, not a final selection

criterion.

The worth of any

number of deeds—

however great

they may be—can

never be equivalent

to the value of

eternal Paradise.

In this matter, the

deeds of man are

only a provisional

requirement for

Paradise, not a final

selection criterion.

This does not mean that one should not

bother with good deeds and rely on the

mercy of God for salvation. Doing so would

only be similar to seeking justification for our

misdeeds and this is the wrongdoing referred

to in the Quran as ‘wishful thinking’.

Admission to Paradise is not a gift coupon

or reward ticket granted for certain deeds

performed; it is based on the entire life of man.

For man, the guidance towards faith, the consistency of good deeds,

true repentance after transgression, persistence on the “straight path”

without excuse, remaining free of negativity in every situation—there

are many such circumstances where man cannot by his own effort

consistently maintain good conduct. In such instances, the continued

guidance and support from God is indispensable. From this point of view, the matter is not just one of entry to Paradise, but it is about the

continuous succour of God throughout the life of man—from guidance

towards faith till death.

A true believer continually seeks to do good

deeds as all his actions are governed by

the fear of God. His soul is stirred with the

responsibility of being accountable to God

for his deeds, so much that he begins to think

even his good deeds may be deficient or

inadequate. Thus, who would dare to consider

his deeds as a “ticket to Paradise”? Instead, a

true believer is one who considers Paradise

as the benefaction of God and not himself as

deserving of it.

POTENT ENERGY

Releasing the Inner Forces

THE atom is the fundamental unit of matter, just as the individual

is the fundamental unit of society. If one succeeds in breaking

an atom, one does not destroy it; rather, one converts it into a

greater force, known as atomic energy. Matter is energy in a physical

form and energy is matter in a dispersed form. When the atoms of matter

are broken and converted into atomic energy, they are transformed

into a force much more potent than in their material form.

So it is with that unit of society known as man. When man is ‘broken’,

his horizons expand vastly. Just as breakage does not destroy matter,

so defeat does not ruin man. Matter increases in strength when broken

up. So, man, when defeated, gains new, increased strength.

When man is beset by defeat, his inner forces are released. His senses

are aroused. His concealed strength comes to the fore and he sets

about redressing his setback. Spurred on with new resolve, he devotes

himself to the task of regaining what has been lost. An irresistible spirit

arises within him. Nothing can arrest his advance. Like a river flowing

into the sea, he surmounts every obstacle in relentless pursuit of his

goal.

The occurrence of an atomic explosion in matter turns it into a vastly

more powerful substance. The human personality, too, contains huge,

latent potential. This potential bursts out into the open when there

is an eruption within one’s soul. It breaks free when some shattering

disaster afflicts one. The strings that have held one down are torn apart

and begin to vibrate to the tune of life.

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

Utmost Care Needed

EVERY day in our life, we perhaps have some kind of bad experience,

big or small. There is no escape from such experiences. One has

two options: either to ignore them or to react. The first option is

a form of forgiveness, while the other amounts to engagement and in

some cases, even revenge.

Which is the better option? We have to decide by looking at the result,

for that is the determining factor.

Forgiveness is a better option for it is based on a proven formula:

‘Save yourself’. Forgiveness saves you from distraction, it saves your

time, and it saves you from creating more problems. Forgiveness could

amount to an instant solution to the problem.

In contrast, reaction and emotional revenge means turning the bad

into worse, for revenge tends to worsen the problem. If forgiveness

is buying time, revenge is just wasting time

without hope of any positive result.

In such a situation people generally tend

to give in to negative thinking but such a

reaction would be unwise. The better formula

is following a self-oriented course of action.

In other words, if you are having a sad

experience, don’t think about the other party

who you feel has wronged you. Think about

your own self and adopt a course of action

that is better for you.

If you follow the

path of vindication,

it fans the ego of the

other party, whereas

if you follow the

policy of forgiveness,

it will activate the

conscience of the

other person.

At all times in our life, we are torn between

two choices—anti-other-thinking and pro-self-thinking. Anti-otherthinking makes you descend to the lowest level, whereas pro-selfthinking elevates you to a higher plane of consciousness.

If forgiveness is a full stop, revenge is full of commas. Forgiveness means

ending an unwanted situation, while revenge means extending it to

infinity. Forgiveness maintains your positive thinking uninterruptedly,

while revenge creates negativity. And negativity creates all kinds of

undesirable behaviour, in terms of both thought and action.

Some would argue that forgiveness does not always work, and that

it is better to adopt the tit-for-tat policy. They argue that forgiveness only encourages others to take further negative steps against us.

To assume so would be unfair, and also, it is against the law of nature.

A tit-for-tat policy is not a real solution; it does not end the problem, it

only leads to a chain reaction that aggravates the problem.

Psychological studies show that every human being is born with two

different faculties—the ego and the conscience. If you follow the path

of vindication, it fans the ego of the other party, whereas if you follow

the policy of forgiveness, it will activate the conscience of the other

person. And it is a fact that conscience always plays a positive role in

controversial matters.

The culture of forgiveness helps in

the building of a better society, where

positive values flourish, where the spirit of

cooperation prevails, where disparate groups

come together and form a peaceful society.

Revenge, on the other hand, creates an

environment of mistrust, in which everyone

takes others to be rivals. The revenge culture

rules out the growth of a healthy society.

The culture of

forgiveness helps

in the building of

a better society,

where positive values

flourish, where the

spirit of cooperation

prevails, where

disparate groups

come together and

form a peaceful

society.

To err is human; everyone is bound to do

something wrong at one time or other. But, in

such a situation, revenge means committing

not just one mistake, but making mistake

after mistake. On the contrary, forgiveness

means undoing wrongs with rights.

ISLAMIC CULTURE

Embodiment of Peace

THE Quran addresses God as “Lord of the universe.” It does not

mention Him as “Lord of the nation.” This shows that Islam

believes in unbounded universality and not in limitation. It is

the same Quran which hails the Prophet as a “Blessing for the world”

and not as “trouble for the world.” This demonstrates that Islam is the

religion not of hatred but of love. Again the Quran proclaims: “Peace is

good.” It does not say, “War is good.” This means that Islam wishes to

create an atmosphere of peace and conciliation and does not condone

war and confrontation.

The Quran commands “Read!” It does not say “Shoot!” This reveals

that Islam is the culture of knowledge and not the culture of the gun.

The Quran stresses tolerance; it does not preach intolerance. This

signifies that Islam implores us to endure the

pains inflicted by others instead of reacting

impulsively and entering into conflict. The

Quran praises a magnanimous outlook, not

the attitude of tit-for-tat. This implies that

Islam expects a sublime disposition toward

others, which overlooks and ignores their

faults.

The real Islam is that

which inculcates the

fear of God in the

people, which diverts

their attention from

this world to the

Hereafter, which

fills the people’s

hearts with love for

humankind.

These few references give an idea of what

Islam is and what Islamic culture stands for.

Islam is the exposure of the divine existence

of God. It is the religion of the whole universe.

It represents an exalted humanity. A correct

interpretation of Islam is that which agrees with these precepts.

Anything contradicting these values can never stand for Islam.

The real Islam is that which inculcates the fear of God in the people,

which diverts their attention from this world to the Hereafter, which

fills the people’s hearts with love for humankind, which generates the

feeling of being well-disposed towards all without any discrimination

and which, in its fold, teaches one to become more particular about his

duties than his rights.

Those whose hearts are enlightened by Islam become the embodiment

of compassion, seeking the welfare only of others. Hatred and hostility

cannot be fused with Islam and Islamic culture.

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

Ta Seen. These are verses from the Quran, a book that makes things

clear; it is guidance and good news for the believers who pray regularly

and pay obligatory alms and have firm faith in the Hereafter. We have

made those who do not believe in the Hereafter feel their actions

appear good to them, so they wander blindly: they are the ones who

will have the worst of punishment, and in the Hereafter they will be

the greatest losers. You have received this Quran from One who is allWise, all-Knowing. ( 27: 1-6 )

When Truth appears before a man and he accepts it without any

reservation, he immediately finds himself on the right path. His life

becomes righteous in every respect. But, one who is not prepared to

mould himself in accordance with the Truth, is forced to twist reality

to suit himself. From this develops an attitude of perverseness which

is expressed here as ‘their actions appear beautiful to them’ (zayyanna

lahum a‘malahum). One with such an attitude seeks self-made arguments

to justify his behaviour. These so-called arguments gradually take hold

of his mind in such a way that he believes them to be perfectly correct.

In the light of his false reasoning, his misdeeds appear virtuous to him.

Those to whom God has made their misdeeds appear beautiful are

those who are not serious about the call to accept the Truth. As a result

of this thinking, they become completely unmindful of self-reformation.

They have to pay a heavy price for this tendency of theirs to consider

their wrong as right: the path they tread leads straight to Hell.

Tell of Moses who said to his family, ‘I have seen a fire. I will bring

you news from there, or a burning brand for you to warm yourselves.

’When he came up to it, a voice called out, ‘Blessed be whoever is near this fire, and whoever is around it! Glory be to God, Lord of the

universe! ( 27: 7-8 )

Moses left Egypt and went to Midian (or Madyan), which was situated on

the eastern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. He spent eight years there. Then

he left along with his wife for Egypt. During this journey, he reached the

foot of a mountain which was situated on a peninsula projecting into

the Red Sea. This mountain was called Tur in ancient days and is now

known as Gebel Moses.

It was probably a winter night. Moses saw something, which to him

looked like a fire far away on the mountain side. He went towards it.

But on drawing near, he found that it was God’s light and not a fire lit

by human beings.

There is an ancient tree at the place on the mountain where Moses saw

the light. It is said that this is the very same tree from which God’s voice

was heard by Moses. The Christians subsequently constructed a church

and a monastery at this place which till today is a place of pilgrimage.

'O Moses, I am God, the Powerful, the Wise. Throw down your staff.’

But when he saw it moving like a snake, he turned and fled. ‘Moses,

do not be afraid! The messengers need have no fear in My presence;

as for those who do wrong and then do good after evil, I am most

forgiving, most merciful. Now put your hand inside your cloak next to

your bosom and it will come out [shining] white, without any blemish.

This will be one of the nine signs for Pharaoh and his people: for truly

they are a rebellious people. ’But when Our signs came to them in all

their clarity they said, ‘This is clearly sorcery!’ And they persisted in

rejecting them wrongfully and arrogantly, while in their hearts they

were convinced of their truth. Observe, then, how evil was the fate of

the evil-doers. ( 27: 9-14 )

Moses had gone to the mountain to obtain a burning brand. But after

reaching it, he came to know that he had been called there to have

prophethood bestowed upon him. When Almighty God blesses any

subject of His with a special gift, He gives it suddenly and unexpectedly,

so that the recipient may attribute it directly to God and develop in

himself the most profound feelings of gratitude towards Him.

On the one hand, the community of Moses (the Children of Israel),

though a believing community, had degenerated. On the other, Moses

had to proclaim the message of God to a tyrant king like Pharaoh.

Therefore, Almighty God blessed him with the miracle of the stick at

the very beginning of his mission. This stick was an enduring divine power for Moses, by means of which nine miracles were performed to

awe the Pharaoh, apart from the miracles which were meant for the

Children of Israel.

The miracles of Moses finally established his truthfulness. In spite

of this, Pharaoh and his companions did not accept him. The reasons

for this were their proneness to transgression, their false pride, and

their unwillingness to curtail their freedom. Moreover, they knew

that accepting Moses’s preaching would amount to negating their

own greatness. And who accepts Truth at the expense of his own

greatness?

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.

Why does God not send His angels to stop evil in this world?

This question hinges on a fundamental issue in which ‘problem’ is

termed as ‘evil’. In reality, evil has no existence in this world. It is only

problems that exist and a ‘problem’ is another name for a ‘challenge’.

God has placed us in a world of challenge so that we develop. I found

the answer to this through Arnold Toynbee’s 12-volume book, A

Study of History, in which he studied and analyzed for thirty years, 26

civilizations of the world. In his words, the development and evolution

of civilizations have challenges at the root. When a group faces a

challenge, it begins to work to respond to it and thus a ‘challengeresponse mechanism’ unfolds.

I came to Delhi in 1967 and became the editor of a fortnightly magazine

Al-Jamiat. The magazine became very successful, but due to some

difference of opinion the magazine’s secretary developed complaints

against me and ceased the publication of the magazine. It was

apparently an instance of ‘evil’. But because of this incident I gained

the incentive to start my own magazine Al-Risala (a monthly being

published since 1976). This became a huge success and enjoyed great

popularity among readers both in the Indian subcontinent and abroad.

So, I did not consider my experience with the secretary of Al-Jamiat as

an occasion of evil, rather I took whatever happened as a challenge. My

response to this challenge has brought me where I am today. I learnt

the lesson that when others do not give you a chance, this becomes an

opportunity for you to create a chance for yourself.

Why did God allow Satan to tempt us when He knew Satan could tempt

us into Hell?

This is a negative approach to the subject. In reality, Satan is a source of

struggle. There would be no development at all if there is no struggle.

The development of a person’s mind is a result of his response to

challenging situations. If there were no Satan, there would be no field

of struggle left for an individual, his mind would not unfold and he

would not be able to tap into his potential. Satanic temptations give

a person the opportunity to develop resilience and patience by not

succumbing to them. According to a verse of the Quran, man is asked

to seek refuge from the temptation caused by both Satan and man’s

own soul. The verse is as follows:

Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of people, the King of people, the God of

people, from the mischief of every sneaking whisperer, who whispers

into the hearts of people from jinn and men.’ ( 114: 1-6 )