of God. Their thinking, activities, feelings, behaviour and dealings must all pass the ethical criterion which is required to become God’s neighbour. It is only people such as these who will be selected

of man’s deeds. The good fortune of finding a place in God’s neighbourhood in the eternal life of the Hereafter will be based totally on merit. God’s neighbourhood is like a universal garden. In this universal

made God their supreme concern in the life of this world.Their thinking and feelings have all been devoted to God.Their mornings as well as their evenings have been filled with the remembrance of God. These

pillars of Islam. Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God for all who can make the Journey. (3: 97) The first House ever to be built for men (to worship God) was that at Makkah, a blessed place, a beacon for

basic pillars of Islam,” said the Prophet Muhammad: “To bear testimony that there is no deity save God, and that Muhammad is His Prophet; to establish prayer and pay the poor-due; to make pilgrimage to

constitute Hajj—the act of pilgrimage. The journey to Hajj is a journey to God. It represents the ultimate closeness to God one can achieve while living in this world Hajj is a comprehensive act of

state of mind that constitutes remembrance of God, whether it is expressed in the form of words of praise or silent thoughts. Sometimes one looks at outer space in all its infinite vastness, and ponders

meaningfulness of their existence. If one has discovered God, everything around one reminds one of Him, sparking off a never-ending litany of remembrance in one’s mind and heart. Then one will look critically

to take refuge.” And in one’s own helplessness and impotence, one will see the power and majesty of God. “Lord, assuage my fears with Your Almighty power!” one will cry out. When feelings of the Lord’s

THE WORD OF GODFrom 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 AD 610 and 632. It is a book that brings glad

Translated from Arabic and commentary by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan Who speaks better than one who calls to God and does good works and says, ‘I am surely of those who submit’? Good and evil deeds are not equal

prompting from Satan should stir you, seek refuge with God: He is the All Hearing and the All Knowing. (41: 33-36) The call of the Quran is to invite people to God. Bringing man closer to his Lord and Sustainer;

kingdom belong that Day? It shall belong to God, the One, the All Powerful.” (40:16) When the Alim recited this verse, Sultan Nasr ibn Ahmad trembled with fear of God. He came down from his throne, took off

and prostrated himself before God. He said: “O my Lord, undoubtedly the kingdom is Yours, not mine.” The superior qualities of prayer or the high quality of remembrance of God has nothing to do with mere

humbles himself is the one who is held by God to be deserving of honour.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2588) He is the person who is able, by the grace of God, to remember God and pray to Him in such a way as to

THE MOSQUETHE MOSQUE House of the God-fearing WHAT is the role of the mosque in Islam? ‘Masjid’, or mosque, literally means ‘A place for self-prostration’, that is, a place formally designated for offering

offering prayers. According to a hadith, the Prophet of Islam observed: “The masjid is a house of God-fearing people.” This means, in effect, that it is a centre for the inculcation of reverence, where individuals

life of devotion to the Almighty. The Masjid is built so that people may visit it to read the Book of God, to remember their Creator, silently in prayer, and to hear His commandments on how they should lead

begin our work by remembering God and seeking His help. When a man has found God, he becomes immersed in His greatness. He knows that all power belongs to God, and that it is God alone who can give and take

the name of God, the most merciful the most beneficent” is, in actual fact, an expression of this feeling of the believer. It is an acknowledgment of God’s godhead. It is remembrance of God in one’s inner

the help of God, the Almighty. The man who starts work without taking the name of God acts safely on the basis of his own strength, whereas one who begins his work after taking the name of God has the support

grant him the light of guidance. At that time he calls out, ‘‘O God of guidance, grant me guidance by Your special mercy.” In this present world, man repeatedly faces such situations, in which he feels

relates to that particular situation in which he finds himself and with that in mind, he calls out: “O God, You alone are my helper, help me in all ways possible.” A human being cannot think in an abstract

requires words, by which he may bring concepts to mind. The same is true of God’s names. These names do not denote the name of God in the absolute sense. They say only those names which we require as human

grant him the light of guidance. At that time he calls out, ‘‘O God of guidance, grant me guidance by Your special mercy.” In this present world, man repeatedly faces such situations, in which he feels

relates to that particular situation in which he finds himself and with that in mind, he calls out: “O God, You alone are my helper, help me in all ways possible.” A human being cannot think in an abstract

requires words, by which he may bring concepts to mind. The same is true of God’s names. These names do not denote the name of God in the absolute sense. They say only those names which we require as human

GODORIENTED LIFEDiscover God through Creation THE earth is the sun’s satellite. It constantly orbits around the sun, taking one year to complete such a rotation. This movement of the earth around the

demonstration that shows how man must indeed revolve around God, just as the earth revolves around the sun. It means that all of man’s activities should be God-centric. The earth rotates as compelled to by the laws

laws of nature. But man, of his own free will, should surrender to God. He should build a life, which is based on the concept of God. This consciousness is the real ascension of man. In this consciousness