taking planned action. Similarly, success in the Hereafter, finding a place in the neighbourhood of God—Paradise, will also be possible only if one undertakes Akhirat-oriented planning, while living in this

while it is dark and one who starts his journey early reaches his destination. Listen, the bargain of God is Paradise.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2450) In ancient Arabia, it was customary for travellers

the West, while addressing a Muslim conference, declared: Rebellion against a tyrant is obedience to God! THIS phrase portrays the mindset formed by a political interpretation of Islam. The modern generation

that when God created Adam, there were two other creatures present — the angels and the jinn. God ordered the angels and the jinn to bow down before Adam. The angels obeyed this commandment of God, but Satan

Satan, who was the head of the jinn, refused to obey this order. And so he became a rebel against God. This was the first incident of revolt against authority in human history. This political revolt or

When a handsome child is born to a couple, their joy knows no bounds. Then what of our experience of God, who is the source of all beauty, joy and virtue? On discovering Him, can one remain unmoved? This

dazzling radiance—must surely leave its mark on one. Having endowed things with their unique qualities, God Himself must have qualities that His discoverers may savour. To discover Him, therefore, is to experience

jungle of doubts, he stands on certainty. He has made God his sole concern. Overcoming the love for oneself, he has adopted the path of devotion to God. Surrounded by negative conditions, he is able to maintain

maintain his positive thinking. Instead of becoming a desire-oriented person, he has become a God-centred person. He follows the path of principle, instead of opportunism. He saves himself from hate and

welfare of all beings. Such a person, despite having freewill, has adopted the path of surrender to God. Learning a Lesson from History At its zenith, the Roman Empire extended over most of Europe and

of the Jews of ancient times with regard to the responsibility of witnessing to the Truth. God had appointed the Jews as the witnesses of His religion. This is mentioned in the Bible (Isaiah 43:10) as

I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me.” When, in later times, degeneration set in among the Jews, they abandoned this task of calling people to God’s religion. This was because

the Quran, “The only additional source of inspiration was the true understanding of the Quran which God bestows upon a person.” (Tafseer Ibn Kathir) Ali’s answer shows that it is one thing to understand

understand the written words of the Quran, and another to penetrate into the deeper meanings of the Book of God. To understand the words of the Quran all one has to do is read it. But true understanding of Quranic

surface. These meanings can only be understood by one who has illuminated his vision with the light of God. All one has to do to ascertain the words of the Quran is open its pages. But to discover the Quran’s

But gold is only real when it is shown to be such on the goldsmith’s touchstone. In the next world, God will judge everybody’s actions on His own touchstone. Next day Ms. D’Silva took the necklace to a

the next world, God will judge everybody’s actions on His own touchstone. The value of gold will only be attached to those actions which are proved to be made of gold when put on God’s touchstone. If one’s

they were proud of in the world will cause them only disgrace and humiliation when they come before God.

Conceit takes one far from God Aishah tells of how one day she put on a new garment and, as she looked at it in delight, her father Abu Bakr said, “What are you looking at? God is not looking at you.” At

this reminder, Aishah asked her father why he rebuked her. “Why, don’t you know that when one of God’s servants becomes conceited over some worldly adornment, he brings down upon himself the displeasure

support system of nature set in place in order to bring about plant life is mind-boggling. No one except God could make this system function seamlessly. Many studies have found that just being in nature—such

entire system of nature set in place in order to bring about plant life is mind-boggling. No one except God could make this system function seamlessly. This is mentioned in the Quran thus: Who created the heavens

such trees grow in them—is it another deity besides God? (27: 60) The life-giving world of plants is a proof of the existence and benevolence of God. Man would do well if he emulates the plant world and

for doubt that this indeed is the gravest concern of humankind now. The Quran, the revealed book of God, directly addresses this issue. It says: Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of the evil

The entire universe follows the will of God. It never transgresses the bounds set by God. The Quran says: All who dwell in heavens and on the earth submit to God alone, willingly or unwillingly. (13: 15)

beings to mend their ways and live according to the divine plan. According to the creation plan of God, man has been created with a free will. It means he is granted freedom to live on earth as he pleases