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.

THE QUESTION OF INTELLECT

WHAT is intellect? Intellect is the ability of the mind to reach

correct conclusions about what is true and what is false.

The intellect is a precious gift from the Creator. It has been

narrated in a Hadith that the best thing God has created is the intellect.

The fact is that all human progress and accomplishments depend on

the use of the intellect.

Without intellect, man will be like a lifeless statue. He will not be able

to understand and differentiate between truth and falsehood. The

intellect by itself is not a criterion. It is the ability to understand and

comprehend. The status of intellect is as an instrument or faculty and

not that of a judge by itself.

Reason is the intellectual faculty by which conclusions are drawn from

premises. Revelation is guidance or communication directly from God.

It is incorrect to hold reason and revelation as rivals. The fact is that

revelation is a permanent source of knowledge, while the intellect itself

is not a source of knowledge. When a person believes in revelation,

he does so by using his God-given intellect to contemplate on it, and after reaching the level of conviction, he discovers the authenticity of

the revelation. From this point of view, it would be correct to say that

intellect, or reason, reinforces revelation and does not contradict it.

The intellect is a natural gift bestowed upon man by the Creator. It is

not a personal invention or commodity. The conflict between religion

and reason began with a misunderstanding when an extreme version

of reason was proposed. Some proclaimed that the intellect itself is

the standard of acquiring knowledge. The religious class accepted this

concept and unnecessarily considered reason or rational thinking as

anti-religionist. To counter their differences, they held that the realm of

reason was different from the realm of revelation, and that the realm

of intellect ends where revelation begins.

The root of the word ‘intellect’ (aql in Arabic) is used about fifty times in

the Quran. The Quran repeatedly refers to the intellect and asks man

to seek the truth of revelation through intellect. For example, this verse

is mentioned in chapter Joseph of the Quran, “We have sent down the

Quran in Arabic, so that you may understand (by applying reason)”.

( 12: 2 ) Similarly, the Quran advises people to use their intellect to discover

the truth of prophethood ( 10: 16 ), etc.

Man is naturally endowed with various abilities. For example, the

ability of the feet to walk, of the hand to hold, of the eyes to see, of the

ears to hear, and so on. In the same way, man has been endowed with

intellect which is capability of thinking and analyzing. Together with the

intellect, man has been given complete freedom. Man has the right to

properly use or misuse this freedom. It is a known fact that the ear and

the eye can be put to proper as well as improper use. Likewise is the

case with the intellectual faculty of man.

The function of human intellect is to collect information and

observation, and then through analysis of the information attain

correct knowledge and truth. The intellect by itself is not a source of

knowledge. So, it is possible for the intellect to reach the right and

even the wrong conclusions. Those who see the intellect as a source

of knowledge in itself, are in fact extremists in the rational school of

thought. Such extremists are found everywhere, even in the realm of

religion and faith.

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)

FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Prof. 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. Prof. 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.

SUICIDE—AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

MAN’S physical existence and his life are not, in reality, his

personal property. These are a trust bestowed by God

Almighty. Life is a great boon that acts as foundation for all of

the other blessings and boons that accompany life. Therefore, Islam

has commanded human beings to protect life and promote the welfare

of human body. Islam binds every member of the society to protect life

at all costs, and to make it beneficial to oneself as well as to society at

large.

God is the Lord of life and death. Islam states that murdering an

individual is akin to murdering the entire humanity.

(…) Whoever killed a human being—except as a punishment for murder

or for spreading corruption in the land—shall be regarded as having

killed all humankind. ( 5: 32 )

Similarly, taking one’s own life and putting it in jeopardy is likewise an

act disliked by God.

Do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands. ( 2: 195 )

Commentators say that this verse also includes those who commit

suicide.

In another verse, the Quran says:

Do not kill one another, for God is most merciful to you. If anyone does

these things through transgression and injustice, We shall cast him into

the Fire; and that is easy for God. ( 4: 29-30 )

Noted Islamic scholar and acclaimed commentator of the Quran, Fakhr

al-Din al-Razi (d. AD 1210) writes under these verses:

The verse addresses those who kill someone wrongfully and those

who commit suicide. This verse is proof that people are commanded to

refrain from committing suicide.

The corpus of Hadith (record of sayings and deeds of the Prophet

Muhammad) contains many examples where the Prophet of God

unambiguously instructed the people to refrain from committing

suicide:

'Your body has a right over you and your eyes

too have a right over you'.

Islam has

commanded human

beings to protect

life and promote the

welfare of human

body. Islam binds

every member of the

society to protect life

at all costs, and to

make it beneficial to

oneself as well as to

society at large.

This saying quite clearly directs people to

protect their body, life and all organs of the

body, and it also exhorts one to fulfill their

rights, namely to take care of them. Reading

such directives, how could it be possible that

Islam would make allowance for committing

violent acts such as bomb blasts and suicide

attacks? How could Islam, the religion of

peace and universal brotherhood, sanction

taking the precious lives of citizens through

heinous acts of violence?

Quite the contrary, the Prophet of Islam says

about those who commit suicide that they will

enter the raging fire of Hell and abide there

forever. Thus, they would incur unrelenting and unending painful

punishment. Many Hadith narrations are cited here to bring home this

point:

“If a person jumps from a mountain so as to kill himself, he will enter

Hell and abide there forever, and he will keep tumbling down in it. If a

person consumes poison to kill himself, Hell will be his eternal abode,

and the poison he consumed will be constantly with him which he will

consume. If a person kills himself with a metal weapon, he will be given

the same weapon in Hell with which he will keep stabbing himself in

the stomach, and he will abide there forever.”

A Companion of the Prophet, Abu Hurairah, reports that the Prophet

of Islam said, “If a person chews something in order to kill himself, he

shall be forced in Hell to keep chewing the same substance. Similarly, if a person kills himself by falling into a pit, he shall be compelled to

plunge into the pit forever. And if a person kills himself by hanging, he

shall be punished to continuously hang himself in Hell.”

Another Companion of the Prophet, Thabit bin Dhahak, reports that the

Prophet of Islam said, “Whoever commits suicide through something,

he will be punished by the same thing in the blazing fire of Hell, and

there will be no end to it.

Prof. Farida Khanam

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

Wise planning is one in which

considerations other than

your emotions have been

taken into account.

IN SEARCH OF HEAVEN

A Scientific Stand

RENOWNED English theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, in an

interview with The Guardian in 2011 said, “There is no heaven or

afterlife…; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” It

is unfortunate that Mr Hawking, a scientist, chose to make such an

unscientific statement.

A person who does not believe in Heaven can only say that according

to known physical laws, Heaven does not exist. But the matter cannot

be said to end here. The currently accepted theory of the composition

of the universe states that only 4% of the universe consists of matter

as we know it. The remaining 96% of the universe is thought to consist

of dark matter and dark energy, which are poorly understood, if at

all. Only the 4% of the universe that we do

understand—the observable universe—is

subject to scientific study. Science is defined

as the systematic study of the physical and

natural world through observation and

experiment.

Matter, either microscopic or macroscopic,

which can be observed directly or indirectly

and then put through scientific study is the

object of investigation. Since the greater part

of the universe cannot be observed, it clearly

cannot be studied.

A statement is

considered valid only

if it has been made

via the established

scientific method.

This method has

to be adopted by

scientists and nonscientists alike.

In earlier times, there was no scientific method. In the present day, a

statement is considered valid only if it has been made via the established

scientific method. This method has to be adopted by scientists and nonscientists alike. The only scientifically valid statement on this subject

that Mr Hawking could have made was that—according to known

physical laws, in the 4% of the universe subject to scientific study, there

is probably no Heaven.

PREDICTING THE AFTERLIFE

A Natural Corollary of the Present Life

THE physicist Paul Dirac predicted the existence of “antimatter”

before it was observed. What Dirac did on a scientific level, the

preacher of God’s word does on a spiritual level: he predicts the

afterlife.

Perhaps one of the main reasons why people fail to attach themselves

to true religion in the modern age is that the teachings of religion

cannot be observed or experienced in the normal scientific sense.

Belief in the afterlife, which is the very crux of true religion, appears to

most people as particularly hypothetical and far-fetched: if something

cannot be seen, how can it be believed?

Scientific discoveries made in the 20th century, however, should have

made it much easier for people to believe in the afterlife. In their initial

stages most scientific discoveries have been no more than conclusions

reached from theoretical, abstract data; they have constituted an

inference of scientific “truths” from scientific “facts”. Will Durant wrote

in his The Story of Philosophy: Every science begins as philosophy…;

(science) arises in hypothesis.

In several cases it has been many years before discoveries were made

in the laboratory. Yet even before these discoveries had reached

the experimental stage, they were accepted as facts: they were not

denied on the basis of the theoretical and abstract method of their

presentation.

The prediction by the Cambridge physicist Paul Dirac (1902-1984)

of the existence of antimatter was one such discovery. The first

antiparticle to be discovered was the positron—the antiparticle of the

electron. Its existence was first effectively predicted by Dirac in 1928. It

was not until 1932, however, that the particle was detected in cosmic

rays by C.D. Anderson. By that time Dirac was making new and farreaching predictions on the basis of facts already at his disposal. As J.G.

Crowther wrote in his obituary of the famed physicist, “Dirac was quick

to perceive the general implications of his discovery.” In 1933 Dirac

shared the Nobel Prize for physics with Erwin Schrodinger.

In his address on receiving the reward he gave a virtually complete

outline of antiparticles, antimatter and even hinted at the anti-universe.

He specially forecast the existence of a negative proton, which was not

observed until 1955.

Clearly, Dirac’s prediction of everything from antiparticles to an antiuniverse was based entirely on abstract theories. He had not observed

antiparticles, nor had he experienced an anti-world; but he knew that

the theoretical data at his disposal implied their existence. He started

off with the laws of quantum theory and relativity, and conceived an

equation to describe the motion of electrons in accordance with these

laws. His equation made the spin of the electron a logical consequence

of the union of relativity and quantum theory. The inference he then

made was that the equation for the electron implied the existence of

another particle having the same mass and

spin as an electron, but with a positive instead

of a negative electric charge. This is electron’s

antiparticle, now known as a positron.

This world is finite:

there must be an

infinite world as

well, for otherwise

this world will be

incomplete. Injustice

prevails in this world:

there must be a

world of absolute

justice, for otherwise,

in a world founded

on principles of

justice, injustice will

persist.

What Dirac did on a scientific level, the preacher

of God’s word, one who calls humankind to

belief in the afterlife, does on a spiritual level.

He takes the “equation” of this world and sees

that it implies, with absolute certainty, the

existence of an anti-world—the Hereafter—to

balance it out. This world is finite: there must

be an infinite world as well, for otherwise this

world will be incomplete. Injustice prevails in

this world: there must be a world of absolute

justice, for otherwise, in a world founded

on principles of justice, injustice will persist,

and that is inconceivable. Certain limitations

are inherent to this world; opportunities and

potentialities, on the other hand, are unlimited. There must be another

world where our unlimited potentialities can find unlimited fulfillment.

Without an “anti-world”, this world is incomplete. The very existence

of a finite, imperfect world implies the existence of another infinite,

perfect one.

Dirac’s “discoveries” had not been observed when, in 1933, he

expounded on them at length in his address on receiving the Nobel

Prize. He was, however, so certain of the accuracy of his predictions

that he was compelled to communicate them to others. So it is with the

one who calls humankind to faith in the afterlife. He is so certain of his

“discovery” of the life after death that he feels an obligation to convey

the news to others.

And the latter, spiritual discovery, is no less certain than the former,

scientific one. Indeed, it is one of the puzzles of the modern age that a

world that has accepted Dirac’s “antimatter” and “anti-universe” as ‘the

leading physical ideas for explaining the character and contents of the

contemporary universe, its origin, and history’, has yet to accept the

concept of an anti-world in the spiritual sense of the word. Perhaps

the reason for this is that no one has, in recent times, conveyed the

concept of an anti-world—or Hereafter—with the conviction that Dirac

had when he put forward his idea of antimatter.

Patience gives the strength

to restrain one’s emotions in

delicate situations and use one’s

mind to find a course of action

along result-oriented lines.

LOVE FOR HUMANITY

Bigger Picture

IN general people give credit to their parents in the building of their

lives. In this respect they praise their parents. But such men and

women are hard to find who realize and acknowledge that the

whole of humanity has played a part in the building of their lives. In

this matter if parents play just one percent part, the general humanity

plays 99% part. But no one realizes this reality, no one acknowledges it.

For instance, when you eat bread, your parent’s role in this is less

then 1%, while the role of the humanity in general is more than 99%.

For, over a long civilizational process spanning thousands of years, it

has become possible that a person may discover bread, as we know

it today, and use it as his food. The same is the case of other things,

for instance, clothes, houses, transport,

machines, industries, etc.

The greatest form of

worship for a person

is to offer abundant

gratefulness

and abundant

acknowledgement.

The truth is that the things one possesses,

one part of it is the direct gift, while the other

part is the indirect gift. If the direct gift is akin

to the tip of the iceberg, then the indirect

gift is akin to the iceberg. The indirect gift,

apparently, is not visible but in its quantity,

it is much more than the direct gift. People

know only the direct gift, that is why they are

able to give very little thanks, they are not able

to acknowledge as is due. Had they known the benefit of the indirect

gift, their gratitude and acknowledgement will increase. They will start

loving the whole humanity just like they love their parents.

The greatest form of worship for a person is to offer abundant

gratefulness and abundant acknowledgement, but the person who is

unaware of this reality will remain deprived of the worship of abundant

thanksgiving and abundant acknowledgement.

QUEST FOR ANOTHER HABITABLE PLANET

Mars, or Paradise?

DEFENCE scientists from the US are planning to use genetically

engineered algae, bacteria and plants to radically transform

the climate of Mars and terraform it into an Earth-like

planet. Scientists from Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency

(DARPA) aim to warm up and potentially thicken Mars’ atmosphere

by growing green, photosynthesising plants, bacteria, and algae on

the barren surface of the red planet. “For the first time, we have the

technological toolkit to transform not just hostile places here on Earth,

but to go into space not just to visit, but to stay,” Alicia Jackson, deputy

director of DARPA’s new Biological Technologies Office said recently at

a DARPA-hosted biotech conference.

The above is from a PTI news report released on June 29, 2015 and

published in The Times of India under the title ‘Will tweaked microbes

make Mars Earth-like?’

This plan is undoubtedly utopian with little

scientific data for support. Both man and the

universe have some limitations that make it

impossible to bring this plan into effect. It lies

more in the realm of dreams than in reality.

The Quran is a book that speaks about the

Creator’s plan for this world. This world was

created only for a temporary period. At the

culmination of this period, the whole world

will undergo a great change and then a new

world will be formed. This new world will be

man’s future abode.

If it were possible

for science to

make a planet in

space habitable for

man through new

technology, then

the first application

of this technology

should be to reshape

the Earth and make it

once again habitable.

This has been spoken about in the Quran in

these words: ‘On the Day when the Earth shall

be changed into another Earth, as shall be the

heavens.’ ( 14: 48 )

In such a situation, man should devote himself to the task mentioned

in another verse as: ‘And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and

for a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the Earth, which has been

prepared for the God-fearing.’ ( 3: 133 )

It is a fact that this world is gradually becoming uninhabitable for

humans. This is why scientists are searching for an alternative for

planet Earth. Some people are in pursuit of a ‘space colony’, while

others are planning to develop Mars into another Earth. All these are

only romantic ideas and not scientific schemes. If it were possible for

science to make a planet in space habitable for man through new

technology, then the first application of this technology should be to

reshape the Earth and make it once again habitable as it was created.

The truth is that the time has come for man to transform his thinking

and work towards attaining Paradise, which according to the creation

plan of God will be man’s future abode.

Remembering death is

the greatest source of

wisdom. It guarantees

that one’s planning

will be realistic.

THE ETERNAL JOURNEY

Take Provision for the Next World

EVERY affair should be looked at in its eternal context. A “guard”

may give one temporary support in this world, but when one

reaches the next world, there will be no one to lend a helping

hand.

If one keeps in mind that one is on the way to the Hereafter, then

one will consider everything which will become worthless there as

worthless now, no matter how great a worldly price it may seem to

command. One will give weight only to those things which will be of

consequence in the next world, no matter how inconsequential they

may seem in the world.

In this world, one may have command of impressive words which one

uses to defy truth; but in the next world one will find oneself lost for

words.

One may wield one’s power unjustly, content

that one’s victims will never be able to avenge

one’s wrongs; but in the next world one will

be divested of all power.

Beguiled by wealth, one may become proud

in this world, but in the next world one will

have nothing to be proud of; one will have left

one’s wealth behind in the world.

This is the basic difference between a man of

true faith and one without faith. One without

faith lives on Earth as if he is going to stay

here forever, while the hallmark of true faith

is the belief that one is on the way to the next

world.

One should

constantly live

with a sense of

responsibility and

accountability of

one’s thoughts and

deeds. One will be

held accountable for

one’s actions in full in

the world Hereafter.

The distinction between belief and disbelief results into two entirely

different manifestations in the psychological and practical lives of

the concerned persons. One should constantly live with a sense of

responsibility of one’s thoughts and deeds. Whatever a person does

in this world will not be lost at his death, rather he will have to be

accountable to it in full in the world Hereafter.

THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING

Finding the True Cause

ONE of the arguments put forth to cast doubt on the existence

of God is what can be called the Problem of Evil or Suffering.

This objection is the result of a misunderstanding that evil and

suffering are created by God, while the truth is that they result from

the actions of man. The perception of evil and suffering in human life is

the result of such wrong attribution.

When people see an instance of evil or suffering in a person’s life, they

wish to explain it with reference to the person suffering. In most of the

examples there is no justification for this in the afflicted person. This

leads to the assumption that either there is no God in this world, or

that God is cruel and unjust. However, this is an incorrect conclusion.

The suffering that takes place in a person’s life is sometimes due to the

person’s own actions and sometimes due to the actions of the parents,

relatives, or society in general. Quite often the collective system, in

its broadest sense, is responsible. Suffering may be caused due to an

immediate reason and sometimes its causes go back many generations.

Whatever may be the cause, there is no basis in attributing it to God.

Analysis Using a Wrong Reference

The reason for this doubt is the analysis of the situation using a wrong

reference, that is, studying the state of affairs with respect to God,

whereas it should be seen in relation to man. For example, AIDS is

considered a serious problem. Medical research has established that

the risk of AIDS is a result of the misuse of human freedom. In medical

science, genetics has shown that many diseases are inherited from the

parents and passed down to future generations. These are referred to

as hereditary diseases. In the same way, thousands of people die, or

fall ill from various kinds of epidemics. These are also the result of the

actions of man.

The son of Indian economist and journalist Arun Shourie is confined to

a wheelchair. The cause of this ‘suffering’ is that he was given a wrong

injection in a hospital in the United States, the result of which made

him physically paralyzed. Countless people die or become disabled as

a result of violence and wars. All these are a result of human actions

and interactions.

Attributing human suffering to God or to nature is utterly unscientific.

A study of all the branches of science shows that nature is completely

free from defects. Nature is so well-established and well-regulated that

its functioning and performance are the reliable basis for the progress

of civilization. If there was no predictable character in nature, then all

the activities of science would come to an abrupt end.

A Comparative Study

The first principle towards an academic analysis of the problem of

evil is a comparative study. It is said that: it is in comparison that we

understand. Comparative study shows that the problem of evil and

suffering is limited to the human world. While man constitutes a very

small part of the universe, the rest of the universe, with all its gigantic

dimensions, is a completely flawless, zero-defect universe. There are

countless activities going on in the universe, but evil does not exist

anywhere else.

The suffering that

takes place in a

person's life is

sometimes due to the

person’s own actions

and sometimes due

to the actions of the

parents, relatives, or

society in general.

The human world is plagued by diseases,

accidents, violence, and oppression. There

is injustice, exploitation, wars, hatred and

enmity, rebellion, riots, and crime. There are

many such evils in the human world, however,

the rest of the universe is completely free of

evil. This difference proves that the problem

of evil is created by man himself and not by

nature. If evil was generated by nature, it

would undoubtedly be found in the rest of the

universe as well.

A Scientific Study

A scientific study of this matter shows that there is a clear difference

between the human world and the rest of the universe. The rest of

the universe is governed by the fixed laws of nature. On the contrary,

man is free. He maps out his life according to his own free will. This

difference is the root cause of the problem of evil.

An in-depth study of the issue reveals that all the evils of the human

world are the result of the misuse of human freedom. Medical science

shows that the cause of many diseases is not in nature, but is to be

found in the blunders committed by man. These errors are sometimes

committed by the sufferer and can also be inherited from the parents.

Often, corruption in the societal system leads to diseases. It must be

noted that linking disease to nature is the ideology of atheistic thinkers.

It is not based on any scientific principles. Similarly, terrorism, battles,

global warming, pollution, ecological problems, etc. are all the result of

the misuse of human freedom.

Attributing human

suffering to God or

to nature is utterly

unscientific. Nature

is completely free

from defects. Nature

is so well-established

and well-regulated

that its functioning

and performance

is the reliable basis

for the progress of

civilization.

The Correct Reference

Why did the Creator give man this freedom?

The Creator desires to give man an exceptional

reward. This great reward is Heaven, a place

of eternal bliss. Only those who use their

freedom responsibly will be entitled to an

abode in Heaven; those who―despite being

free―keep themselves in check and control

their desires. Where there is freedom,

there will also be the misuse of freedom,

but freedom entailing a great reward is so

precious that it cannot be taken away due to

apprehensions about its misuse.

The correct reference is to know the creation

plan of God. According to this plan, man has

been granted freedom in this world. God has

made this elaborate plan so as to create an environment of test. The

events of suffering that happen in human life arise directly or indirectly

out of the misuse of this God-granted freedom.

Being patient does

not mean inaction. It

means planning your

strategy, assessing your

resources and taking

into consideration the

relevant natural factors.

ARGUMENT FOR THE LIFE HEREAFTER

From Probability Theory

ONE of the most important tenets of religion is the existence

of the life Hereafter. After death, human beings will leave this

present ephemeral world, and, on the Day of Judgement, will

enter another world, which will be eternal. The present world is but a

place of trial where man, throughout his entire lifespan, is on probation.

When the time has come for the Last Reckoning, God will destroy this

world and replace it by another world created on an entirely different

pattern. All human beings will then be resurrected and will be brought

before the Almighty to be judged. It is then that they shall be rewarded,

or punished, according to the merits and demerits of their deeds on

this Earth.

We shall now examine this concept from different standpoints and

determine whether it is right or wrong to believe in this concept.

Probability Theory

The question that first arises concerns the possible advent of an afterlife

in the present system of the universe. Do any events or indications

substantiate our view?

This concept of the other world presupposes that man and the universe,

in their present form, are not eternal. From the entire array of human

knowledge up to the present, this fact stands out as indisputable. We

all know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that for both man and the

universe, death is an inescapable fate.

The greatest desire of those who do not believe in the other world

is to convert this world into a heaven of eternal bliss. Research into

the cause, or causes of death have even been carried out so that it

could be forestalled and prevented, thus rendering human beings

immortal. But the failure of such research has been abysmal, and with

each unsuccessful attempt, it has been borne in more and more upon

researchers just how ineluctable death is.

Why does death occur? About two hundred explanations have been

put forward as to its causes. Organic decay in the body; the exhaustion

of constituents; the atrophying of veins; the replacement of dynamic

albumens by less dynamic ones; the wearing out of the tissues; the

secretion of poison by intestinal bacteria, which spreads throughout

the body, and so on.

The concept of bodily decay would appear to be correct. Machines,

shoes, garments and all such material things do wear out with the

passage of time. There is, ostensibly, the possibility of our body

wearing out too, sooner or later, just as a garment does. But science

only partially supports this view of bodily decay, for the human body is

very different from a garment, a machine or a piece of rock. It should

be likened, rather to, a river which has been flowing for thousands and

thousands of years and continues to flow in the same fashion even

today. Can we really say that a river becomes old or stagnates?

An American chemist, Dr Carl Linus Pauling (d. 1994), recipient of two

Nobel Prizes, one of Chemistry in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize in

1962, has pointed out that, theoretically man is cast to a great extent

in an eternal mould, cells in the human body being just like machines

which automatically remove their own defects. In spite of this, man

does grow old, and does die.

But let us leave death for a moment and look

at life. Our bodies are constantly undergoing

a process of renewal. Molecules of albumen

present within our cells are continually

being produced, destroyed and reproduced.

Cells too (except the nerve cells) regularly

degenerate and are replaced by newly formed

cells. It has been estimated that the blood in a

human body is fully renewed within the short

span of about four months. And, within a few

years, all of the atoms in a human body are

replaced with new ones. This shows that man

is more like a river than a mere structure of

flesh and bones.

The concept of

the other world

presupposes that

man and the

universe, in their

present form, are

not eternal. From

the entire array of

human knowledge up

to the present, this

fact stands out as

indisputable.

In short, the human body is constantly

undergoing a process of change. This being so, all concepts of the body

becoming old and worn-out are seen to have no basis in fact. Consider

that in the normal course of events, the indirect causes of death,

such as injury, various types of deficiencies, the clogging of arteries

and the wasting away of muscle, tissue, etc., are generally dealt with,

bit by bit by the body’s own processes (sometimes with the help of

medical treatment) but, in any case are eliminated in the course of

time, without either singly or jointly having caused the onset of death.

It is normally much later in life that death occurs. How then can these

injuries, deficiencies, etc., be held responsible for the death of the body? This would appear to imply that the cause of death does not lie

in the intestines, veins or heart, but somewhere else.

Another explanation has it that nerve cells are the cause of death

because they remain unchanged throughout life and are never replaced.

The number of nerve cells in a human body thus decline year after

year, thereby weakening the nervous system as a whole. If it is correct

to say that the nervous system is the Achilles’ heel of the human body,

it should conversely, be correct to say that a body having no nervous

system at all should be able to survive for the longest period of time.

But observation does not support this view. A tree, which is devoid of

a nervous system does survive much longer than a man, and in fact,

survives the longest of all forms of plant-life. But wheat, which likewise,

has no nervous system, survives for only one year. And the amoeba,

with a minute nervous system, survives for only half an hour.

These examples would appear to imply the

reverse, i.e. animals belonging to the higher

species, with perfect nervous systems,

should live longer. But that is not the case

either. Creatures relatively lower down the

evolutionary scale, like crocodiles, turtles and

fish are the ones who survive the longest.

Anomalies in the

organization of the

present set-up of

the universe, which

periodically result in

minor calamities, are

indicative of what is

going to happen on a

large scale, at some

time in the future.

All the investigations so far carried out with the

objective of showing that death need not be a

certainty have met with total failure. The fact

still remains that, one day, all human beings

will have to die. There is no avoiding death.

Dr Alexis Carrel, a French Nobel prize-winner,

who has done advanced research in tissue culture, has discussed this

problem at length under the heading of Inward Time.

Man will never tire of seeking immortality. He will not attain it, because

he is bound by certain laws of his organic constitution.

He may succeed in retarding, perhaps even in reversing in some

measure, the inexorable advance of physiological time.

Never will he vanquish death.

Anomalies in the organization of the present set-up of the universe,

which periodically result in minor calamities, are indicative of what is

going to happen on a large scale, at some time in the future.

The earthquake is the terrestrial phenomenon which most obviously

forewarns us of the possible advent of Doomsday. The interior of

the Earth is, in fact, composed of red-hot semi-molten magma, which

is ejected periodically through volcanic activity in the form of lava.

Sometimes strong vibrations of the Earth’s crust can also be felt.

These are produced by the shrinking of the globe due to the cooling

process which has been going on for aeons. From time to time, the

wrinkling of the Earth’s surface assumes gigantic proportions and the

resulting earthquakes are like nature’s unilateral onslaught on man, in

which nature definitely has the upper hand.

When we remember that only a thin, rocky

crust, comparable to the skin of an apple,

separates us from the red-hot, semi-molten

interior of our planet, we do not wonder that

the inhabitants of its surface are so often

reminded of the “physical Hell” lying below

the peaceful woodlands and blue seas.

The Day of the

Resurrection will

come upon us all of

a sudden, just like

an earthquake. Such

natural catastrophes

demonstrate, most

awesomely, God’s

capacity to destroy

the Earth at any

moment.

Such earthquakes occur almost every day in

varying degrees of intensity, some regions

being more prone to earthquakes than

others. The earthquakes which struck Shensi,

a district in China, is the oldest of the highly

destructive earthquakes recorded in history.

It occurred in AD 1556 and took a heavy toll

of more than 800,000 lives. Similarly, on November 1, 1755, a volcano

erupted cataclysmically in Portugal, totally destroying the city of Lisbon.

In the course of this earthquake, within hardly six minutes, 30,000

people were killed and all the buildings were destroyed. It has been

calculated that this earthquake caused an area four times the size of

Europe to tremble.

Another earthquake of the same intensity rocked Assam in 1950. It is

reckoned to be one of the ten most violent and devastating earthquakes

on record. The whole of the northern part of Assam was catastrophically

shaken and the course of the river Brahmaputra was diverted.

An earthquake is, in fact, but a small reminder of the Day of Resurrection.

When the Earth is split asunder with a terrible rumbling; when buildings

come tumbling down like playing cards; when the upper layers of

the Earth are cracked open and the interior of the Earth is spewed

out, when cities bustling with life are reduced to ashes in a matter of

minutes; when the Earth is strewn with dead bodies, like shoals of fish

washed up on the sea coast, man realizes his utter helplessness in the face of nature. What is most tragic about earthquakes and volcanic

eruptions is the fact that no one can predict when or where they will

take place. And, when they do, everything happens in a flash leaving

little or no time for escape. The Day of Resurrection will come upon

us all of a sudden, just like an earthquake. Such natural catastrophes

demonstrate, most awesomely, God’s capacity to destroy the Earth at

any moment.

Believers in the

concept of the life

Hereafter contend

that a time is bound

to come when the

forces of destruction,

which are present

in the universe in

embryonic forms,

will one day assume

gigantic proportions.

Even more terrifying events take place in the

outer reaches of the universe. In the infinitude

of its space, innumerable, enormous celestial

bodies are in rapid and continuous motion

colliding and annihilating one another.

Asteroids and comets slam into planets, stars

explode and other stars and galaxies are

ripped apart by black holes. In terms of scale,

perhaps nothing is as violent as collisions

between huge clusters of galaxies. Studies in

astronomy having confirmed that this is an

actual possibility, it would not be surprising

if they did collide. Our Solar System may well

be the result of a smaller collision of this type.

If we can visualize such a collision taking place on a greatly enlarged

scale, the Day of Resurrection will no longer seem impossible, nor even

such a remote possibility as we had perhaps at first imagined.

Believers in the concept of the life Hereafter contend that a time is

bound to come when the forces of destruction, which are present in the

universe in embryonic forms, will one day assume gigantic proportions.

What is latent today will certainly manifest itself tomorrow, and the

coming of the Day of Resurrection will be a reality. Today we apprehend

it as a probability; tomorrow we shall witness it as a fact.

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

MARIFAH, OR GOD REALIZATION

MOST people talk frequently of marifah (God-realization) without

having attained it. The reason is that they want marifah, but

they are not willing to pay the price for it, and in this world,

nothing can be achieved without paying the price. What man ought

to do is that when he is not ready to pay the price for something, he

should not talk about it. For talking about something for which he is

not willing to pay the price will mean that he is only mouthing words

about marifah without understanding its significance.

There is an Arabic saying translated as: “Knowledge gives you a part of

it only when you give yourself to it completely.” This is true of marifah.

The price of marifah is that a person should give his all to it, that he

should make it the sole concern of his soul, that while going to bed

he should think of marifah, while getting out of bed he should think

of marifah. He should engross himself in it to the point of starting to

dream of it. The price of marifah is total surrender. One who does not

totally surrender to marifah, will find that the doors of marifah will

never be opened to him.

How does one achieve this marifah? This journey begins with the

acceptance that there is a God and finishes with one discovering the

true Creator. The individual must first of all become a seeker and

later become a finder. It is this order of the journey of marifah which

applies to common man as well as to a prophet. Another Arabic saying

brings out the above understanding with clarity, “I don’t know, is

half of knowledge”. First of all, an individual has to discover his own

ignorance, and then a spirit of enquiry is born within him. The greater

his acknowledgement of his own ignorance, the greater is his spiritual

and intellectual learning. It is a natural reality to which there is no

exception.

The discovery of God

is not something to

be inherited that

a father may give

to a son. It is of a

personal nature.

Whenever anyone

attains to Godrealization, it will

happen only as a

result of personal

effort.

Marifah or the discovery of God is not

something to be inherited that a father may

give to a son and the grandson may receive

from his forefathers. It is of a personal nature.

Whenever anyone attains to God-realization,

it will happen only as a result of personal

effort. Without personal effort, no one can

ever achieve marifah. Whatever one receives

without personal struggle will be just a kind of

traditional belief rather than a living marifah.

Marifah relates to the entire personality of

the human being. It is initially achieved at

an intellectual level. Subsequently through

a natural process, it pervades his whole

personality. The attainment of marifah for

anyone colours his whole personality in its

hue. No aspect of his life will remain unaffected by its influence.

The journey of marifah is indeed one of discovery. This discovery

continues during the whole of one’s life. One who thinks that he has

achieved complete marifah would in effect never have discovered

marifah at all.

TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is

a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is

deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is

a complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion

for both—man and the universe. It is the master-key

that opens the doors to every success. Peace creates a

favourable atmosphere for success in every endeavour.

Without peace, no positive action—small or big—is possible.

DESIST FROM INTOLERANCE

CONSIDER a new tree. Based on the law of nature, this tree will

start bearing fruit after a few years. But if some impatient people

start demanding that the tree start yielding fruit after just a few

months, they will destroy the tree with their impatience. Because

of their behaviour, the tree will not be able to manifest its natural

potential.

Similar is the case with developments that manifest themselves in the

social sphere. Those on the path of truth will be repeatedly faced by

provocations from people who are opposed to them. They will have

to encounter numerous challenges, both mental and physical, that

threaten to provoke them. This is a very delicate period for them. In

such a situation, if they lose their patience and peace of mind and get

entangled in the controversies that their opponents are bent on raking

up, their real task will remain unfinished and they will start quarrelling

with their opponents about unnecessary issues. By turning intolerant,

they disobey God; and people who disobey God can never receive

God’s help. The Quran ( 30: 60 ) states: So have patience [O Muhammad]!

God’s promise is true; let not those who will not be convinced make

you discouraged.

There are many different ways in which one can lose one’s patience and

become intolerant. For instance, by not being willing to tolerate even

a minor damage or inconvenience for the sake of a higher purpose or

goal and to start fighting about this. Or, for instance, by not ignoring

issues that might hurt one’s sentiments and by getting worked up because of them. Another way in which people might express this lack

of tolerance is if, instead of working for their own social and economic

development, they start making demands on others and take to

protesting, demonstrating and engaging in other such forms of negative

political action. Or, they may zealously rush ahead and take seemingly

very daring steps without having developed their own character. Or,

they may give inordinate importance to the challenges that they will

necessarily have to face in society and then get provoked and start

fighting with others. They may develop unrealistic expectations of

others, and when these expectations are not met, they may get angry

and start quarrelling with them. They may not take into account human

weaknesses, and so when they see a weakness in someone, they may

create a big hue and cry about it. They may refuse to negotiate with the

political authorities, and, instead, start fighting with them.

The principle of not allowing yourself to lose

your patience and tolerance is based on

great wisdom. If you violate this principle in

the desire for obtaining the opportunities

that you do not possess, you will only lose

the opportunities that you presently enjoy.

If you launch an agitation to topple the

political authorities who allow you to work in

the non-political field, the latter will perceive

you as their enemy, and, using the power

at their disposal, can easily suppress you. If

your opponent is strong and commits some

excesses against you and you fail to tolerate

this, deadly violence will break out, which will

play havoc with your entire life.

The principle

of not allowing

yourself to lose

your patience and

tolerance is based

on great wisdom.

If you violate this

principle in the desire

for obtaining the

opportunities that

you do not possess,

you will only lose the

opportunities that

you presently enjoy.

Such are the perils of allowing yourself to

lose your patience and tolerance. Whenever

you want to start some work, you will almost

inevitably have to face complaints from others. You will have to contend

with stiff opposition. Now, if you give importance to every complaint

and every sort of hurt or damage caused to you by your opponents,

you will inevitably start fighting with them. You will leave aside your

real task, being so engrossed in opposing them.

Suppose those who claim to be on the path of truth do not abide by

patience and tolerance and somehow still manage to acquire dominance

in society. In such a situation, because of their lack of preparation,

they will not be able to maintain this position for long. They will start fighting among themselves. If they had not focused on the task of

purifying and developing their character, after grabbing political power

they will promote strife and conflict, not peace and progress. If people

who claim to be on the path of truth have not developed the firm

conviction that the only thing of importance for them is truth and that

all other matters are secondary, they will become engrossed in other

issues if they acquire dominance in society. In this way, they will give

birth to new social problems. If they have not risen above the psyche

of revenge, after acquiring political power they will start killing off their

former enemies, causing their societies and countries to become so

weak that it will become impossible to manage them. If they have not

developed the power of tolerance, they will unleash war against every

person or group who might hurt their egos. If, stirred by their emotions,

they lose control of themselves, in the name of ending one evil they will

only succeed in producing many more.

Whenever you face an unpleasant situation at the hands of someone,

you generally think just one thing: “This man is my enemy! I must

suppress or fight him!” But this is a very wrong

way to estimate a person. God has placed

great flexibility in the human psyche. It is a

proven fact that human beings do not remain

in one state all the time. Rather, they keep on

changing. To exercise tolerance means to wait

for the manifestations of human possibilities

that emerge from this ever-changing nature of

human beings. Islam stresses the importance

of patience precisely because one should wait

for a future period to come to pass when the

latent potentials hidden inside people can

manifest themselves.

The best way

to respond to

provocation is to

clear your own way

ahead by exercising

patience and

wisdom, instead of

becoming agitated by

others and reacting

angrily.

Some people go to extremes in their opposition to others by turning

aggressive. But in this world that God has made to test human beings,

your opponents too, have the freedom to act, just like you do. The best

way to respond to them is to clear your own way ahead by exercising

patience and wisdom, instead of becoming agitated by others and

reacting angrily. A person’s lack of both patience and wisdom is his

enemy’s deadliest weapon. The most foolish person is one who hands

over this weapon to his adversary himself. The same holds true for

entire communities.

TOWARDS A LIFE OF COMFORT AND PEACE

Be a Realist

THE secret of a healthy, comfortable and easy life is only one—

one should become a realist. To attain peace and comfort, this is

the only workable formula. There is no other workable formula

at all. What man does is this: he sets up some hopes and expectations

in life, sometimes from the world, sometimes from his relatives, and

sometimes from society. These expectations are not fulfilled. When

these expectations are not met, he develops a mentality of complaining.

All problems arise as a result of ignorance of this fact.

An old man from my village used to say that

your own power is the true power. I think this

is the realistic formula of life of contentment.

It means man should rely on his own capacity

and power to achieve something. He should

sedulously refrain from building a wall of hope

on something that is beyond his personal

power. Man’s discovery of this fact is the

secret of a life of contentment and comfort.

The way to

contentment and

peace is that a

person should adopt

the principle that

he should either not

do any kindness to

anyone, or he should

do so in such a way

that he forgets it as

soon as he does it.

SECRET OF MENTAL PEACE

Pinning Your Hopes on the Eternal

CHARLES Moss Duke Jr. is an American astronaut. He was born

in 1935 in North Carolina, USA. He did his studies and research

in the space sciences. In 1966, he was selected by NASA for the

fifth manned mission to space. Journeying many times in space, he has

several missions to his credit. He travelled on the Apollo-16 mission to

the moon and stepped on the surface of the moon on 16th April 1972.

On 21st February 2008, two members of CPS International, Dr Rajat

Malhotra and Dr Sadia Khan met Dr Charles Duke at the Ashoka Hotel

in New Delhi for an interview that has been recorded. As a token of the

meeting, he presented the team with a signed photograph of himself in

a spacesuit standing on the surface of the moon. The subject matter of

the interview was ‘spirituality’. During the interview, Dr Duke was asked

if he was content and happy with his life.

Talking about his life, Dr Charles Duke said:

From the beginning, there was no peace in my life. I thought going

to the moon would give me peace. I thought this great career

as an astronaut, all these goals and these accomplishments

would give me peace, but they didn’t. So, I thought I’ll change

my career. I left my career with NASA as an astronaut and went

into business. I made a lot of money, but I still could not find any

peace. There was still something missing in my life.

This matter is not peculiar to Dr Charles Duke alone. It is the case with

almost everybody today. It is said that the present age is an age for

‘making it big’ or attaining great success. Today, there are multiple

opportunities to obtain wealth, fame and power. People are racing

against each other to acquire these things and many of them do

manage to obtain them. Such people are hailed as ‘super-achievers’.

But experience tells us that every such ‘big achievement’ has only

turned into a ‘super-failure’ in the end, when these ‘super-achievers’

get afflicted with some new illness or malaise. Despite acquiring every

material thing, these people failed to achieve inner joy. And, finally,

they died in a state of despair and frustration.

One such new malaise is tension or stress. People may have wealth

and fame and power and all other such things, but despite these

apparent successes, they are mired in tension and stress. Excessive

wealth has become a cause for more illness and disease. Major share of the scientific research today is in the medical sciences, seeking cures

for new types of diseases.

As a result of this state of affairs, a new business called ‘de-stressing’

is in demand. In ‘de-stressing’ centres, experts work on methods to

relieve people from stress. But facts show that tension and stress

are continuously on the rise. It is said that the biggest danger of the

present day is not the threat of World War III, rather it is the threat of

tension and stress.

The situation reminds us of this verse from the Quran: ‘Surely in the

remembrance of God, hearts can find comfort.’ ( 13: 28 )

This same idea was expressed by the Prophet in these words: “There is

no comfort, but the comfort of the Hereafter”. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

This means it is only by making God one’s

supreme concern, man can obtain peace. And

that the life that man desires is only possible

in the period of his life after death. In the life

of this world before death, no one will be able

to get the life they desire.

Only by making

God one’s supreme

concern, man can

obtain peace. The life

that man desires is

only possible in the

period of his life after

death. Before death,

no one will be able

to get the life they

desire.

This issue is directly related to the creation

plan of God. The Creator made the present

world as a testing ground. The present world

thus cannot become a place of fulfillment of

desires for anybody. For every person, the

present world is only a temporary stage in the

journey of life; it is the world of the Hereafter

that is man’s eternal destination.

While travelling in a bus or a train or a plane, if you want to enjoy the

facilities of home, you will not be able to do so. This is because the

vehicle is only a means of your journey, not a substitute for your home.

In the same way, the fulfillment of one’s desires is simply not possible

for anyone in this world. The person who seeks the fulfillment of his

desires must work for the world of the Hereafter. This fact is explained

in the Quran in these words:

‘It is for the like of this (Hereafter) that all should strive’. ( 37: 61 )

LEADING A GODLESS LIFE

Living for an Immediate Gain

A GOD-ORIENTED life is one in which a person discovers God, the

Lord of the universe, in such a way that God becomes a part of

his life. He starts sleeping with the remembrance of God, and

wakes up with the remembrance of God. In a world created by God,

he becomes a godly person. Everything in the world reminds him of

God. In contrast, a godless life is one in which a person is born into this

world, but he never used his intellect to discover his Creator. He is busy

with his today, but he does not discover the purpose of his life.

It is my experience that if we talk about Muslim empowerment,

everyone will listen with interest. This topic will soon garner public

support. Everyone would want to play their

part in the cause of Muslim empowerment.

On the contrary, if we talk about God and

the Hereafter, we will suddenly feel that

people’s interest has waned. People would

start behaving in such a manner as if it were

an irrelevant subject. People will listen to

the speeches of Muslim empowerment as if

it were their own case. On the other hand,

people will listen to the speeches centred on

God and the Hereafter as if they have nothing

to do with it.

People live in the

psychology of

multiplicity and

abundance, not in

the psychology of

contentment. This is

the real problem of

the present age.

The reason for this can be attributed to the fact that people in the

present age are running towards worldly attainments. In the case of

the world, they live in the psychology of multiplicity and abundance,

not in the psychology of contentment. This is the real problem of the

present age. This is the reason why there are a lot of gatherings and

processions in the name of Islam in the present times, but from the

point of view of real Islam, there is nothing really worthwhile. There is

a flurry of external forms among the people, but in terms of spirit, it

is missing everywhere. This is stated in a Hadith thus: Their mosques

are full of people, but devoid of guidance. (Shuab ul-Iman lil-Bayhaqi)

PARADISE A UNIVERSAL CONCEPT

In Search of the Ideal World

THE concept of Paradise can be found in all human societies.

Paradise is a universal dream of every human being. Every

human is born in this world with a concept of a beautiful world

that is named Paradise. It would be true to say that man is a Paradise seeking being.

Studies show that a concept of Paradise has always been found in every

society and in every culture. In this respect, Paradise is a universal word

used in every language with minor differences. The word firdaus in the

Quran ( 18: 107 ) is also an Arabicized form of the word Paradise. Below

are examples of the use of the word in a few languages to show the

universal nature of the word.

The concept of Paradise is so ingrained in human nature that one

cannot be separated from the other. Finding Paradise is a common

dream of all humankind, either consciously or unconsciously. It appears

that every man and woman has already seen this beautiful world in

the world of their imagination, and that now they want to practically

realize this dream. Because of this human desire there are now several

different models of Paradise, and everyone is busy in seeking the model

of Paradise they have visualized.

Among these models, the criterion that is used to ascertain the natural

and understandable model of Paradise is the same that is applied to

such matters in science, that is, the principle of corroboration. This

means in order to validate a theory it must be analyzed with respect

to all related observations and events. If the theory corroborates with

all the related aspects, then it can be held as valid. On the other hand,

if even a single aspect or event is not in accordance, it must stand

rejected.

One such model can be termed as civilizational model of Paradise.

Thanks to the progress of civilization, many new kinds of industrial and

technological developments are now at man’s disposal. It soon came to

be regarded that there was no need to wait for another world; Paradise

could be created by man in this world itself.

Man believed that he was now in a position to build a Paradise for

himself. But soon this dream was shattered. The end of the 20th century

showed that while the industry for building a Paradise on Earth had

reached its final stage, it brought a new kind of Hell into existence.

This Hell was in the form of pollution caused by green-house gases.

The Earth’s atmosphere was polluted from the industrial emissions of

harmful gases leading to global-warming and making the survival of

human race impossible.

This experience showed that to bring a Paradise into existence,

pollution-free industry was required which is not humanly possible

on Earth. The Paradise envisioned could not be brought into existence

and the concept of civilizational Paradise met with total failure.

Wishful Thinking or Ostrich Paradise

There is another popular concept of Paradise

which can be called Ostrich Paradise in a

metaphorical language. Those who believe in

this concept will declare that Paradise is ‘right

here, right now’ whenever they hear of it.

Their life is based on the concept―work hard,

party harder. Since nobody knows what is

going to happen in the future, grab whatever

you can right now.

The end of the 20th

century showed that

while the industry for

building a Paradise

on Earth had reached

its final stage, it

brought a new kind

of Hell into existence.

This Hell was in the

form of pollution

caused by greenhouse gases.

To examine the veracity of this concept we will

have to study it based on the results. Looking

at it from this point of view, we find that it is

just not feasible. Even those who speak such

fancy words have failed to find any positive

results from this idea. It appears that this concept has only caused

negative consequences for those who believe in it.

Such people quickly acquire wealth, but they waste it in pursuing a

lavish lifestyle and rich food habits resulting in poor health and disease

such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. To make more money

they work harder and to manage their stress from overwork they go on holidays. But when they return from the holiday, they find they have

another problem―holiday stress.

They squander their wealth acquiring commodities, but indulgence

in their possessions only deprives them of higher thinking. They

spend their money on love-affairs which only has the opposite effect

of creating hatred. Eventually, such people remain disillusioned and

deprived of the joys of family life.

Even if we suppose that one such person saves himself from all the

negative consequences of this concept, it is inevitable that before

reaching the age of a hundred, he grows old and weak, and is confined

to his bed. Then with no option left, he must get admission to a hospital

and leaving everything behind, depart from

this world one day.

One such example appeared in the news

reports of January 12, 2008. Sir Edmund

Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer, was a

very strong person. He was the first climber to

reach the peak of Mount Everest. When he set

foot on the summit of the highest mountain

of the world, news of his achievement broke

in headlines in the newspapers. He was called

the ‘conqueror of Everest’. Setting foot on

top of Everest he exclaimed with pride, “To

my great delight, I realized we were on top of

Mount Everest and the whole world spread

out below us.” (Times of India, January 12, 2008)

The present world

is like a selection

ground. Here man is

placed under various

circumstances to be

judged according

to his deeds to

determine if he

would qualify for

the ideal world of

Paradise.

But when he died at the age of eighty-eight on January 11, 2008, he was

lying on a hospital bed, weak and infirm. He was left with no option but

to accept the verdict of death and leave all his possessions and all his

desires to enter a world for which it appeared he had nothing with him.

Quranic Model

Now, let us take the Quranic model of Paradise. The Quranic model is

based on the creation plan of God. According to the Quran, the creation

plan of God and Paradise are associated with one another. Hence, to

understand Paradise as explained in the Quran, it is necessary to do so

in the light of the creation plan of the Creator of the universe.

The Quran is the book of God. It has been fully preserved in its original

form. According to the Quran, God created human beings and settled them on Earth. This settlement was for the purpose of a test, not as a

reward. That is, the settlement was meant to be a temporary abode

in this world so that man may prove himself worthy of Paradise. After

death, judged by his deeds on Earth, he would be granted an abode in

Paradise.

In this respect, the present world is like a selection ground. Here man

is placed under various circumstances to be judged according to his

deeds to determine if he would qualify for the ideal world of Paradise.

Those who succeed in this test will be selected and granted admission

into the eternal world of Paradise, while those who fail in the test will

be sent to the eternal trash can of the universe, i.e. Hell.

According to the Quran, Paradise would be eternal as well as ideal.

Here it would be possible that man may live free of all fear and sorrow.

This world of Paradise would have no limitations or disadvantages.

Man would find everything he desires.

In Paradise, all desires would be fulfilled to

complete satisfaction and in an ideal manner.

Though all the good things of Paradise are

available in the present world, this world in

itself is an imperfect world. Paradise, on the

other hand will be a perfect world in every

respect. There will be no pollution of any

kind. It will be free from all kinds of negative

things. The present world is an imperfect

world while Paradise will be perfect. Existence

of an imperfect version is a proof in itself that

a perfect version of this world can also come

into existence. This is the Quranic model

of Paradise. This model without doubt is fully consistent with the

demands of nature as it corroborates with all related observations and

experiences.

In the Quranic

model of Paradise,

man will have the

opportunity to live in

the ‘neighbourhood

of God’ where there

will be an abundance

of supreme goodness

and bliss.

An important feature of this Quranic model of Paradise is that man

will live with full consciousness at his highest level of intellectual

development. This Paradise will not be realized at any level lower than

the conscious nor will it be limited in any way.

The Quranic model of Paradise will not be a mysterious place; it will be

a place very much like this present world. The Quran says about the

righteous: “He will admit them into the Garden He has already made

known to them.” ( 47: 6 ) It has been clearly outlined in the Quran that

all the good things of this world will also be available in Paradise in their most excellent form. Similarly, the inhabitants of Paradise will

have every opportunity for all kinds of activities that will be fulfilling

from their beginning to their end. There would neither be any boredom

nor any tiredness. In this world, man’s power to enjoy something is

constrained. The people of Paradise will have the capacity of unlimited

enjoyment. More than anything else, in the Quranic model of Paradise,

man will have the opportunity to live in the ‘neighbourhood of God’

where there will be an abundance of supreme goodness and bliss.

WRATH MERCY

The Two Attributes of God

WRATH and mercy, both are attributes of God. If a person

assumes that God created man in order to make him

experience His wrath, then it will undoubtedly be an

underestimation of God, the Lord of the universe. It is more correct to

say that God created man so that He might make him experience His

mercy. This concept is in accordance with the glory of God. This fact is

stated in the Quran thus: My mercy encompasses all things. ( 7: 156 ) This

fact is again emphasized in a Hadith as follows: My mercy prevails over

my wrath. (Sahih al Bukhari)

The father has a noble and loving passion

for his son, which is called fatherliness. This

passion compels the father to take care of

his son’s mistake, not to let his son suffer the

consequences of his mistake. The Creator

undoubtedly possesses this attributes many

times greater than the father. Because of this

attribute, God’s mercy overcomes His wrath.

In the same way, when God’s servant thinks of

his Merciful Creator, his hope of mercy from

God prevails his fear of God’s retribution. He

hopes that his Merciful Creator will overlook

his wrongdoings; that He will save him from

the consequences of his misconduct. This

realization assures man of God’s mercy.

God’s mercy

overcomes His wrath.

When God’s servant

thinks of his Merciful

Creator, his hope of

receiving mercy from

God prevails the fear

of God’s retribution.

He hopes that his

Merciful Creator

will overlook his

wrongdoings.

This concept of life creates in man a temperament that on the one

hand, he is always afraid of the grip of the Hereafter, on the other

hand, this same feeling creates in him the mentality that he is always

hopeful of God’s mercy. God's attribute of mercy is the norm, while His

wrath is an exception.

TRYING TO DECEIVE GOD

Maximizing One’s Guilt

A CHARACTER is mentioned in the Quran in these words: They

seek to deceive God and the believers, but they only deceive

themselves, though they do not realize it. ( 2: 9 )

Who does the work of deceiving God? This is the same person who, in

order to create his positive image in the society, speaks in such a way

that the common people get misguided about him. They accept his

lies as true, and consider the fabrication as reality. To be cautious in

one’s worldly affairs, and to consider superficial expectations about the

Hereafter sufficient, is like lying before God. Those who do so are as

if they are deceiving God, the Lord of the universe. However, trying to

deceive God is to double one’s guilt. Man must save himself from such

an endeavour at all cost.

For example, why differences arise between

people? In fact, there is no real justification

for conflicts and differences. At the root of

differences is always some personal interest.

However, people justify their disagreement by

offering some lame excuses which apparently

legitimizes these conflicts. They give the name

of justified disagreements to their personal

grievance.

God knows under

which psyche one is

raising the flag of

disagreement. People

should know that in

the Hereafter their

case will be judged by

the facts, not by what

they utter.

This is what is called in the Quran as ‘seeking

to deceive God’. That is, their real purpose is

self-interest. But they use words that conceal

their true purpose, and show that they are doing so only for the sake of

truth. Such an approach is called deceiving God. God is the Knower of

the unseen world. He is aware of all the facts. He knows under which

psyche one is raising the flag of disagreement. People should know

that in the Hereafter their case will be judged by the facts, not by what

they utter.

ACCOMODATING ONES SHORTCOMINGS

The Key to Contentment and Progress

A CERTAIN individual reached old age and was still unmarried.

When asked his reason for remaining a bachelor, he said that

he had always been looking for a perfect spouse. “But in all this

time, did you not find one?” he was asked. “Once I did,” he replied, “but

unfortunately she was looking for a perfect spouse too, and I did not

come up to the required standard.”

Generally, people acquire expertise at detecting the faults of others.

That is why they become inept in getting along with others. If they

were to seek out their own faults instead of those of others, they would

realize that they were in the same position as they found others to be

in. Awareness of one’s shortcomings makes for a spirit of humility in

individuals and unity in society. On the other hand, if someone sees

only the faults of others, he will become arrogant, and at odds with

others.

It is a fact that no single person can be an amalgam of all good qualities.

As there are many shades of grey between black and white, so are there

many gradations of good and evil in ordinary human beings. While few

are saints, few also are the outright villains of

this life, and many people are combinations

of different qualities and defects than one

can find in any given individual. It is no simple

matter to label a person unequivocally good

or categorically bad. If there is to be harmony

within a community, the dark sides of its

members must be tolerated while their good

sides are appreciated. In this way, no talent

will be lost in society, and fellow feeling will

prevail. This principle should be remembered

in all relationships. Man and wife, employer

and employee, businessman and partner–all

need to bear it in mind. If we want to pluck “flowers”, we have also to

bear the “thorns” that come with them. One who cannot put up with

thorns will never be able to possess the flowers of life.

If we want to pluck

“flowers”, we have

also to bear the

“thorns” that come

with them. One who

cannot put up with

thorns will never be

able to possess the

flowers of life.

There are few great tasks which can be accomplished by individuals

single-handedly. Only the talents of several individuals combined can achieve any substantial work. Just as it is true in commercial and political

spheres, so is it true of religious work. But irrespective of whichever

field the work is going on in, people will be able to work together only

if they are patient and tender-hearted in their outlook.

They will have to bear with one another, putting ill-feeling behind them,

and not become alienated towards one another over petty issues. It

is good to be an idealist, but if someone eternally seeks the ideal in

people, he is bound to be disappointed. The only way to be able to

work with others, then, is to overlook the fact that they do not match

up to our ideal standard, and to extend moral support to those who

seem the most deficient.

Converting revenge

into forgiveness and

anger into equanimity

is the highest form of

spirituality

THE TWO COURSES

A Sincere Inclination towards Truth

IN the present world, there are two courses open to man. One is

the straight path. The other course has many deviations from the

straight one. The Quran ( 16: 9 ) explains: ‘The straight way leads to

God and there are ways which deviate from the right course.’

The straight path is that man should have a central place in his life for

his Creator. He should make the Creator his supreme concern. The

path that deviates from the right course is that man loses himself in

worldly beings and things. He plans his life only in relation to these

created things. In the universe, there are only two things: the Creator,

and the creation. The religious term for making the Creator one’s sole

concern is tawheed, while the religious term for making creation one’s

concern is shirk.

Starting with the birth of humankind, in every age God sent prophets,

who gave people guidance regarding right and wrong. The mission of

all the prophets was one and the same—to

invite people towards tawheed and exhort

them to save themselves from shirk. It is a fact

that just as in every age tawheed was one and

the same, in every age shirk too has been the

same.

Ancient shirk, or the ancient version of shirk,

was based on nature worship. Nature’s status

is that of a creation. It has been created by

God. But ancient man gave natural objects the

status of a deity. He adopted the evil of nature

worship. That is, instead of worshipping

the Creator, he worshipped the created.

This is referred to as the ‘worship of natural

phenomena’.

The straight path is

that man should hold

a central place in his

life for his Creator.

He should make the

Creator his supreme

concern. The path

that deviates from

the right course

is that man loses

himself in worldly

beings and thing

Today also, this shirk remains with its full strength. Man is doing the

same thing as before—instead of the Creator, the creatures have

become his supreme concern. The difference between ancient shirk

and modern shirk is only in terms of external appearances, not in terms

of their reality.

Ancient man had made nature an object of worship. Modern man has

made nature an object of entertainment. The centre of his devotion

earlier was in creation, and it is so now as well.

Modern man’s ideology is based on instant pleasure and gratification:

to find immediate pleasures, with no concern for the morrow. Man

seeks to derive these pleasures from the bounties of nature provided

to him by God. These blessings are a direct provision of God, none have

been made by man. It is the Creator who has created all these things.

But modern man has only taken these bounties of nature completely

neglecting the Giver. He uses these blessings of God, but he has left

the Creator of the blessings aside. Abandoning the Creator, man has

selectively appropriated only the creation. He has abandoned a Godoriented life, adopting a worldly life in its place.

It is in man’s nature to acknowledge his benefactor. Gratitude is an

innate sentiment that arises whenever man is given something. In the

present age, man has again directed this sense of gratitude towards

the created instead of the Creator. Instead of acknowledging God as

the Giver, his heartfelt feelings of gratitude are directed towards the

beings and things created by God.

Listen to what people have to say today or read about what they write―

you will find many such examples. Anyone can see these examples in

his daily life. Here is one such article published in The Times of India,

New Delhi, March 18, 2008. The author of the article is Donna Devane.

Be Happy Here and Now

"Gratitude fills my soul as I enjoy my

computer, more about my home, enjoy the

feeling of a hug from my daughter. There is

so much to be grateful for each moment of

each day. I find that where gratitude goes,

joy flows, spend a few moments throughout

the day with thought shifter statements. A

few of the thought shifter statements that I

use are―I am so happy and joyful to believe.

I am so happy and grateful for this wonderful

mind, and body that allows me to enjoy touch,

taste, sound, and movement. I am so happy and grateful for my family,

and friends, and the love we share. I am so happy and grateful for my

computer, my internet, my ability to type and share with friends all

over the world."

It is in man’s nature

to acknowledge his

benefactor. Gratitude

is an innate

sentiment that arises

whenever man is

given something

Today, a number of people are afflicted with tension and stress. What

is the reason behind this? It is because man fails to properly nourish

this natural urge of gratitude that he possesses. Making full use of the

bounties provided by the Creator, he fails to acknowledge the Creator.

This non-acknowledgement or ingratitude is against human nature.

This fundamental failure, consciously or unconsciously, is the root

cause of tension and stress. In the present-day, man has come up with

unnatural solutions for the problems of stress, i.e. expressing gratitude

to the things that he has been given, instead of to the Giver of these

things. So, people may be thankful to their family and friends, to their

computers and their jobs, to the trees and the rivers, but how many are

genuinely thankful to the Giver of all these things—God?

Just as the powerful feelings of hunger and thirst, man also possesses

the strong emotion of expressing gratitude to his benefactor. By his very

nature, man cannot accept something useful

without acknowledging the giver. Whenever

he is bestowed with generous gifts, his whole

personality wants to cry out in gratitude to

the giver. No person is bereft of this quality.

All that man has in this world is a gift from the

Creator, the Giver of all bounties. Be it man’s

own being or everything outside of him―

the ‘life-support system’; everything that

man has is a unilateral gift from God. This

being the case, man’s nature desires to fully

acknowledge the Giver of all these blessings.

Among these gifts are those that man receives directly—for instance,

oxygen, water and sunlight. And there are those that he gets indirectly.

These are things that man has produced through the use of intelligence

gifted to him by God, by using the discoveries and resources of nature

that God has created—for instance, all sorts of consumer goods.

Peace of mind

can be obtained

only through the

remembrance of

God. The Quran tells

us clearly: ‘Surely in

the remembrance of

God, hearts can find

comfort.’

All these gifts demand that man should acknowledge and thank their

Giver—God—with his full heart and mind. But in line with self-invented

philosophies, man willingly grabbed these gifts, but abandoned the

Giver of them all. This was an enormous blunder. The result is that a

basic demand of human nature—the need to acknowledge and express

gratitude to the Giver—remained unaddressed.

This is an issue of internal contradiction or conflict for a man. In the

present age, almost every person is living with this contradiction. The

present-day phenomenon of tension and stress is a direct result of this

same inner contradiction.

It is a fact that peace of mind can be obtained only through the

remembrance of God. The Quran tells us clearly: ‘Surely in the

remembrance of God, hearts can find comfort.’ ( 13: 28 )

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 CE 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

Believers! Fear God, and let every soul look to what it lays up for the

future. Fear God: God is aware of what you do. Do not be like those

who forgot God, so that He caused them to forget their own souls

[their own true interests]. It is they who are the rebellious ones. The

people of the Fire and the people of Paradise are not equal. The people

of Paradise are the victorious ones. ( 59: 18-20 )

Human life is divided into two parts: ‘today’ and ‘tomorrow’. The

present world is a man’s ‘today’ and the world of the Hereafter is man’s

‘tomorrow’. Whatever a man does in the present world, he has to face

the consequences in the ensuing longer life.

This is the truth and the other name for it is Islam. Man’s success

depends upon his always keeping this reality in mind. The whole life

of one who is forgetful of this, will go wrong. In this matter, there is

no difference between a believer and a non-believer. Believers will

have the advantage only if they acknowledge realities. If they become

forgetful of them, they will also meet the same fate as their precursors.

Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would certainly

have seen it falling down and splitting asunder, because of the fear

of God. We set forth these parables to men so that they may reflect.

He is God: there is no deity save Him. He knows the unseen and the

visible. He is the Compassionate, the Merciful. He is God, there is no

deity save Him, the Sovereign, the Most Pure, the Source of Peace,

the Granter of Security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the

Supreme, Glory be to God, who is far above what they associate with

Him. He is God—the Creator, the Originator, the Giver of Form. His are the most excellent names. Everything in the heavens and Earth

declares His glory. He is the Mighty, the Wise One. ( 59: 21-24 )

The Quran is a declaration of the vital fact that man is not free, but is

answerable for all his deeds to God who is all-powerful and who keeps

a close watch on the actions of all humankind. This fact is of such grave

import that it is enough to make even mountains tremble. But man

is so negligent, forgetful and insensitive that, even after knowing this

awesome fact, he is not perturbed.

The names of God mentioned here are, on the one hand, an introduction

to God’s Being. On the other hand, they show how Great is that Being

who is the Creator of human beings and who keeps a constant watch

over them. If an individual actually realizes this, he will be completely

engrossed in the remembrance and praises of God.

The universe, by virtue of its creative meaningfulness, mirrors the

attributes of God. It is itself wholly taken up with singing the praises of

God and urges human beings to follow suit

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

Does the world of the Hereafter exist?

We can subject the enquiry of the existence of the Hereafter to the

same scientific principles as we use to study the physical phenomenon

around us. We present here a few ideas in support of the argument

that the world of the Hereafter is a rational and scientific fact.

Sir James Jeans once observed that the Creator of the universe must

have possessed a mathematical mind. Here, we must add that the very

meaningfulness of the universe is a proof that its Creator must have

had a deep sense of purpose. Such a purposeful Creator could not have

created a world which was imperfect—and therefore meaningless—if

this objective was to be fulfilled.

Despite all its meaningfulness, our world in its present state is

incomplete. We can come to grips with this paradox by examining the

observable phenomenon of the principle of pairs, which is universally

operative. Everything in this world exists in pairs; everything becomes

complete only in a pair—the negative and positive particles in an atom,

the male and female in humans, animals and even in plants. Therefore,

it follows that along with this world there must exist another parallel

world, and in its existence lies the completion of our present world.

It is such a world that all the prophets have called the world of the

Hereafter. This world of the Hereafter is not just a matter of dogma. It is

an entirely scientific fact.

First of all, we must define what is scientific proof? Scientific proof

does not mean that there can be any degree of absolute certainty

about whatever is to be proved. This kind of undeniable certainty is not possible. When something is said to have been proved scientifically, this

statement only means that its probability has been established. And,

from the scientific viewpoint, we cannot refuse to apply to the case

of the world Hereafter a method that we hold valid in most scientific

matters. As we know, the steps to a scientific enquiry include—

hypothesis, observation and verification.

If we apply this three-point formula to the world Hereafter, we can

certainly arrive at an understanding of its probability. And as we know,

in the field of science, probability paves the way for certainty.

Can man fulfill all his desires?

A careful study of the human society shows that all men and women

have two contradictory themes running throughout their lives. On the

one hand, they are consumed by a limitless desire to establish a dream

world for themselves—a world that is in keeping with their ideals and

where they may lead their lives—with all the sought-after pleasures and

comforts. But, on the other hand, they are faced with this contradiction

that, despite surrounding themselves with all the material things

conceivable, they fail to build their desired world. Boredom, loss, illness,

accident, the infirmities of old age and finally death—within a period of

around a 100 years or less—that is the story of every individual born

into this world.

The following example is an apt illustration of the same.

Billy Graham, a well-known American missionary, writes that he once

received an urgent message from an American billionaire who wanted

to meet him without a moment’s delay. On receiving this message, Billy

Graham cancelled all his other appointments and immediately set out

to meet this man.

When he arrived at the billionaire’s palatial home, he was immediately

taken to a private room, where the two men sat on chairs facing

one another. Then, with great seriousness, the billionaire said to Billy

Graham, “You see, I am an old man and life has lost all meaning for me.

I am going to take a fateful leap into the unknown...Young man can you

give me a ray of hope?”

The American billionaire is not the only person to be faced with this kind

of desperation. Every individual, born into this world, is faced with this

question at one time or another.

Therefore, fulfillment of all desires in this world is not possible at all. It

goes against the creation plan of God.