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)”.
(
the truth of prophethood (
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
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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. (
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. (
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. (
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
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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.’ (
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.’ (
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 (
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.’ (
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’. (
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 (
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.” (
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. (
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. (
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 (
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.’ (
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. (
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. (
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.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (1925-2021) was an Islamic scholar, spiritual guide, and an Ambassador of Peace. He authored over 200 books and recorded thousands of lectures giving the rational interpretation of Islamic concepts, prophetic wisdom, and the spiritual meaning of the Quran in the contemporary style. His English translation, The Quran, is widely appreciated as simple, clear and in contemporary style. He founded Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS) International in 2001 to re-engineer minds towards God-oriented living and present Islam as it is, based on the principles of peace, spirituality, and co-existence. Maulana breathed his last on 21 April, 2021 in New Delhi, India. His legacy is being carried forward through the CPS International Network.
What God most earnestly desires from human beings is worship. The Quran says: “I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” ( 51:56 )
