ISLAMIC SOCIETYThe Rights of the Orphan THE QURAN says: ‘Do not oppress the orphan.' (93: 9). God has commanded all believers to treat the orphan with love and affection. Orphans need our special care

that God abhors those who repel orphans as much as He abhors those who deny the Day of Judgement—one of the fundamentals of Muslim faith. Denying the Day of Judgement amounts to unbelief and God has likened

Exploitation of the orphan can lead to serious evils in the society. In more than one place in the Quran, God has mentioned general commandments regarding orphans. For instance, (4: 36) ‘Show kindness to parents

God’s Special Blessingspower of God understandable to a formerly unimaginable extent. The hearts of those who think on such great matters will tremble at the concept of the majesty of God, and the hair

man of his extreme helplessness and of God’s extreme powerfulness. Perusal of them is, without doubt, a universal source for the acquisition of high realization of God. What is realization? It is, on the

discovery of God’s limitlessness. As a result of this discovery, the state produced within one is realization of God. For aperson who has attained to this, it is as if all the doors to God’s blessings, in

the signs of God could not be enumerated (31:27). These signs are, in fact, signs of realization. In this way, we find that the signs of God have yet to be written, that is, have yet to be discovered.

Why is this so? We find the answer to this in the Creation Plan of God. According to God’s Creation Plan, human life is divided into two stages. The temporary period that is, man’s stay in this present

Hereafter. Just as man has failed to utilize the potential of the human mind, the signs of the marvels of God, scattered throughout the whole universe, still remain undiscovered. When we reflect upon this, we

the signs of God could not be enumerated (31:27). These signs are, in fact, signs of realization. In this way, we find that the signs of God have yet to be written, that is, have yet to be discovered.

Why is this so? We find the answer to this in the Creation Plan of God. According to God’s Creation Plan, human life is divided into two stages. The temporary period that is, man’s stay in this present

Hereafter. Just as man has failed to utilize the potential of the human mind, the signs of the marvels of God, scattered throughout the whole universe, still remain undiscovered. When we reflect upon this, we

he met an outspoken person named Muhammad ibn Maslama. “How do you find me?” he asked Muhammad “By God, I find you just as I would like you to be and just as it would please any well-wisher to see you.

vice.” At these aggressively critical words, Umar, the second Muslim Caliph, exclaimed: Praise be to God, who has put me among a people who will straighten me when I become crooked. (Kanz al-Ummal) With

declared for the benefit of mankind that all greatness was the exclusive prerogative of God, and that in the eyes of God, all human beings were equal. In another example when Muslims at Madinah, with their

his teeth be broken. “My own teeth would be broken by God if I were to do such a thing, even though I am His Prophet,” was the rejoinder of God’s Messenger. The captives were looked after in the homes

down before God while retaining the freedom to disobey. Ignoring all incentives of becoming self-centred, he becomes God-centred in the complete sense. He becomes genuinely devoted to God and God alone. Turning

Turning his face from innumerable centres of glitter and attraction, he devotes his full attention to God. Admission to Paradise will be possible only for the person who, amid adverse conditions, always remains

is to recognize God in the unseen. That is, one is able to see God without actually seeing Him. Realization means, in fact, that man has psychological experiences of the presence of God. Everything has

has a price. And the attainment of realization of God also has its price. This price is basically for man to tear down the element of doubt and see the higher reality. Only those can succeed in doing so who

for man to open up his mind and to discover the divine reality. According to the Quran the words of God are immeasurable (31:27). There is no limit to them. Similarly, the potential in the human mind is

THANKFULNESS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTEverything man receives is from God. However, when man attributes these blessings to someone other than God, feelings of gratefulness and acknowledgment are not produced within

from man is that he should be grateful to his Creator and Sustainer, and that he should acknowledge God as the Giver of all blessings. But this thankfulness or acknowledgement is the rarest of rare things

What is the reason for this? The reason is that whatever man receives, he gives himself rather than God the credit for it. How did he come to this world? This was owing to his parents. How does he survive

world, they will have no share in the hereafter. God’s true servant on the other hand, seeks everlasting reward for his actions and concentrates on an eternal goal. While people are busy in worldly affairs

solely for God’s mercy and grace. Outwardly he belongs to this world, but mentally and emotionally he dwells in the next. People are absorbed in the world of forms, whereas he is lost in God’s hidden cosmos

unmindful of God, one will react in whatever manner one’s own desires and interests demand. If, however, one’s faith is strong, each and every event throughout one’s entire life reminds one of God; the entire