appreciate it. The truth is that the inner spirit is of the utmost importance in the building of the Islamic personality. Once the inner spirit is developed, correct form will naturally ensue. But form on its

stresses the importance of man’s discovery of truth at the level of realization. True faith in God is what one achieves at such a level. Where there is no realization, there is no faith.

the need for people to distinguish between Islam, on the one hand, and Muslims, on the other. They must not label the actions or behaviour of Muslims as ‘Islamic’. The fact is that the behavior of Muslims

Muslims must be judged on the basis of Islam. Islam should not be sought to be understood on the basis of the Muslims’ behaviour. Islam is an

155)Religion Without RevelationWhen the majority of the members of a society come to accept the Islamic concept of God in their lives, a tremendous change takes place in social matters. This awareness

watching puts an end to double standards and hypocritical stance that inside a man is different from what he is outside. Believers do not exploit others as they know that they will have to account for their

most proper way, but if he lacks these qualities, he will mar everything that he undertakes. The Islamic concept of God produces this sincerity and realism in man.

gatherings by going there every day and reading out to them passages from the Quran. In this way Islam began to spread gradually in the country. 2. Avoidance of Protest Gradually Changes the Status Quo:

thirteen years after he received his prophethood. During this period, a group of people embraced Islam, but the majority continued to be diametrically opposed to it. At that time in Makkah, Dar-al-Nadwa

even commence hostilities against these Makkan leaders. There was no fight to the finish. Instead what he did once again was to accept the status quo and quietly leave that place for Madinah, which became

155)Religion Without RevelationWhen the majority of the members of a society come to accept the Islamic concept of God in their lives, a tremendous change takes place in social matters. This awareness

watching puts an end to double standards and hypocritical stance that inside a man is different from what he is outside. Believers do not exploit others as they know that they will have to account for their

most proper way, but if he lacks these qualities, he will mar everything that he undertakes. The Islamic concept of God produces this sincerity and realism in man.

JESUS IN THE ISLAMIC SCRIPTUREThe Messiah A MAJOR portion of the Quran is dedicated to the exemplary lives of the prophets. Jesus—one such prophet—is frequently mentioned in the Quran as “The Messiah,”

to the blind; healing a leper and raising the dead to life; he also had the wisdom to inform people what they ate and stored up in their houses. The Quran also mentions the day when his disciples demanded

How could I ever say that to which I have no right?” (5: 116) And he will add: “I told them only what You commanded me to, ‘Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.’” (5: 117) The Quran mentions: “Of the People

Islamic action. It begins from the point where there is hope of continuing the movement along peaceful lines, and not from that point where there are chances of its being marred by violence. When the

purify the Kabah of the 360 idols installed in it. But, by pursuing such a course, in such a case the Islamic movement would certainly have had to face a violent reaction from the Quraysh. An alternative starting

peaceful lines: no violent reaction would ensue from engaging in such an activity. The Prophet of Islam followed this principle throughout his life. His policy was that of adopting non-violent methods in

understandings about nation and territorial nationalism were what nationalism was actually about, and so they declared nationalism to be un-Islamic. For instance, the famous Indian Muslim poet Muhammad Iqbal

and Muslim intellectuals were making out issues of political import to be supposedly so vital to Islam as to appear to be a question of life and death for it. The fact of the matter, however, is that no

upheavals—no political successes or downfalls—can ever become a challenge to the eternal nature of Islam. But this fact escaped many Muslim leaders. For instance, when, in the early 20th century, the Ottoman

JANUARY 20 Internal DevelopmentHow does the Islamic way of life set off inner activities in man? In this, the mainspring is the concept of accountability. Islam brings man to the realization that God Almighty

glade, your blood stream will turn into a blood storm. This is what happens when we stand in the presence of a tiger. At every moment Islam brings man to the realization not only of the Creator of the lion

countries like Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt. After the advent of Islam when the requirement to offer congregational namaz (form of worship in Islam) emerged in many places, Muslims made mosques wherever there

the ulema (Islamic scholars) for discussion and the renowned Arab cleric, Sheikh Abdullah bin Baaz issued a fatwa (unanimously accepted) to relocate these mosques. And this is exactly what followed. For