A MESSAGE FOR THE NEW YEARDear Readers, Greetings of Peace! They are not thankful to God, those who are not thankful to their fellow men. —Prophet Muhammad. BEING one of those to whom the spirit of Islamic

Spirit of Islam. The beginning of the 7th year of the publication calls for an enormous gratitude to God Almighty for seeing us through every challenge which one faces in an effort to continue any endeavour

recorded in different books of Hadith. According to Sahih al-Bukhari: The Prophet of Islam once observed: God has ninety-nine names, one less than a hundred. Those who have counted these words will enter Paradise

names of God. This realization must be at a conscious level rather than at the level of counting the beads on the rosary. These names of God are, in fact, different aspects of the attributes of God. When

When a person reflects on the existence of God and His creations, various aspects of God appear to him and he is able to understand these different aspects of God. Conscious realization of these aspects is

his own will and desires, he should make God’s will his guide. Instead of pursuing his own desires, he should lead a life in conformance with the commands of God. Man may be a masterpiece of divine creation

creation, but he must nevertheless remain subservient to the plan of God. Making a full acknowledgement of these two aspects of the existence of mankind is the key to human progress. Man succeeded in building

success on a much vaster scale, but only after striving earnestly to comprehend the creation plan of God for humanity and then adhering unflinchingly to its edicts.SEPTEMBER 20 Social WorkOne of the noble

creates problems constantly. We very well know that we cannot abolish the freedom given to man by God Himself. So, no human being has the power to abolish that situation which leads to competition and

differences. Sabr is thus the basic condition for success in this world. The Prophet of Islam said: “God’s help is for those who keep patience.” (Musnad Ahmed) Sabr is not a passive attitude. It is not cowardice

nature, and “there is no altering the creation of God.” (30: 30). One of the teachings of the Prophet talks about a believer (a person of deep faith in God) relying on patience. He makes patience or sabr

know, Pharoah had been drowned by God in the deep waters of the sea. At that moment God had decreed the preservation of Pharaoh’s body in order that it might be a sign of God for future generations. However

know, Pharoah had been drowned by God in the deep waters of the sea. At that moment God had decreed the preservation of Pharaoh’s body in order that it might be a sign of God for future generations. However

GIVING AS GOD WILLSEverything is from God MAN’S life and property are gifts of God. He owes everything he possesses to God alone. The only way to give thanks for these innumerable gifts is to dispose of

of them as God wishes. Such expenditure of one’s wealth is symbolic of one’s complete trust in God. Man owes whatever he earns in this world to the fact that God has given him hands and feet to use for

speak. He has blessed him with an intellect which enables him to think and plan. At the same time God has made the world subordinate to man. If the world and that which it contains had not been placed

a plane on which the mind is focused on the higher, non-material realities of a godly existence. The Prophet said: “God plants wisdom in the heart of one who shows disinclination for the world.” To be

PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM SERVICE TO MAN All the teachings of Islam are based on two basic principles—worship of God and service to man. Without putting both of these principles into practice, there can be no true fulfilment

the one hand they please their God, and on the other they achieve spiritual progress for themselves. According to a Hadith, you should be merciful to people on earth and God on high will be merciful to you

THE EXISTENCE OF GODThe Existence of Man is Proof of the Existence of God God created man in His Own image. (Prophet Muhammad, Sahih al-Bukhari) IF man discovers himself, at the same time he can discover

discover the existence of God. It may be said that if God is a great God, man is mini-god as compared to Him. When the French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) tried to prove his existence, he said, “I

but the same logic applies to the question about the existence of God as well. By using this logic one can say, “I am, therefore God is”. The British philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was an atheist

not believe in God, and fails to acknowledge God’s power and perfection, then it is he himself and not anyone else who is to blame. Finally, the Discovery of God One who has found God has found everything

everything. After the discovery of God, no further discovery remains to be made. Thus, when a man has discovered God, his entire attention is focussed upon Him. God, for him, becomes a treasure which he cherishes

for all his worldly and eternal needs. God’s world is a collection of atoms. In its elemental form, it all consists of one and the same type of inert matter; but God has moulded this matter into countless