beginning of the Quran, the first invocation reads: “In the name of God, the most Merciful, the most Beneficent". Throughout the Quran, God’s name is thus invoked no less than 113 times. Moreover, the Quran

the exercise of patience. Yet today, the Muslim Mujahideen under favourable conditions have equated ‘God is Great’ with ‘War is Great’. For them, the greatest reward is to be able to wield a rifle. In the

Mujahideen have been exhorting their coreligionists to do battle all over the world. But the Quran says, "God calls to the home of peace" (10: 25). It is up to right-thinking people everywhere to reject the militant

the basis of mere allegations. Such a temperament is a sign of their having received their share of God’s mercy. The faith they declare with their tongues is actually resonating in their lives.THE SPIRIT

many benefits. The most important of them is that it instils piety, or the fear of God in a man. What is fear of God? It is the feeling that accompanies the belief that everything is the gift

HOW THE QURAN WAS COMPILEDTHE Quran, according to Muslim belief, is a book of revelations from God. Today, it exists in the form of a book, but all the 114 chapters of the Quran were not revealed at one

has been proved from authentic traditions that the angel Gabriel, who conveyed the revelations of God to the Prophet, himself arranged these verses. Each year during the month of Ramzan, the angel Gabriel

according to their deeds in this world. It states that all men and women are answerable equally to God: To whoever does good deeds, man or woman, and is a believer, We shall assuredly give a good life;

them their reward according to the best of their works. (16: 97) Even while seeking the blessings of God, both men and women are promised full returns of their labour, apart from the excessive bounties showered

their deeds, and women shall be rewarded according to their deeds. You should rather ask God for His bounty. God has knowledge of all things.” (4: 32) Islam does not have any concept of dowry or dehej

Christ says in this regard: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. (LUKE 20: 25) This is not simply a Christian formula of peace. Rather, it is a common

expressed the same principle in these words. Render what is due to the rulers and ask for your dues from God. (Sahih al-Bukhari) Similar is the case with other religions. Hinduism preaches nishkam karma or selfless

with an ideology, not with guns. Religious ideology is based on the relationship between man and God. On the other hand, the ideology behind present terrorist movements is based on what can be called

himself deserving of divine succour. Whatever good he has done to others, he will receive from God on a large scale. This teaching produces an extraordinary willingness to serve others. When a person

precious moment has come when by removing that person’s difficulties he can make himself deserving of God’s mercy. Similarly, when he sees that someone is in trouble, he rushes to solve his problem, for he

keeps it secret. In this way he makes himself deserving of having his flaws or failings kept secret by God. The system of the world is such that sometimes someone is in need of something and another person

calls people to God) has to perform his task of dawah, that is, to tell man that the ideal for which he has been searching for is none other than Almighty God and His Paradise. It is God alone who can enable

enable him to find his ideal and it is only by his finding God that this can happen. It is only after reaching Paradise that man will be filled with bliss, as he will find there the world for which he

been striving all along. In this way, every man is the target of a da‘i (the one who calls people to God). A da‘i has to reach out to every individual. He has to remove the veil from every eye. In other

the desire for revenge. Thus, war can never lead to a solution to any problem. Hence, in line with God’s guidance, the Prophet of Islam adopted a new method to solve the problem. This method could be called

Companions, some of them expressed their misgivings. Umar Farooq exclaimed in surprise, ‘O Prophet of God, is this a victory?’ The Prophet responded saying, ‘Yes, I swear by the Lord who has power over my

doors are open to every possible opportunity required for the global mission of calling people to God. For example, religious freedom, a climate of openness, global communications, international travel

respect, the Prophet replied, ‘To believe in God and His Messenger.’ When asked what ranked next in order of merit, he said, ‘To perform jihad for the sake of God.’ Asked what came after that, he replied hajj

Islam desires that private wealth should be considered as belonging to God, and therefore should be spent in the way as ordained by God. In doing so, no one should consider that he is conferring a great

he should do so with the knowledge that they have a rightful share in his wealth, for this is as God has ordained. He is doing no more than giving others their due. But when he gives, he can feel reassured

that he will not be denied by God at the Last Reckoning.ZAKAT: AN ANNUAL REMINDER OF GOD’S GIFTSZakat brings the realization that all of one’s possessions are gifts from God and makes one keenly aware of