is the book of God. It has been preserved in its entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam between 610 and 632 A.D. It is a book that brings glad tidings to mankind, along with divine admonition

come back to life after we have died and become dust? That is most improbable!’ We know very well what the earth takes away from them: We hold a book which records all things. But they denied the truth

saying the word God over and over. Here also the meaning of the word remembrance was to ‘think about’. What Omar wished was for Abu Musa to recite some verses of the Quran that would make him think about God

Arabic lexicon, dhikr means, to remember, to think about. This is the meaning that we must use in Islamic teachings. Dhikrullah, then, means simply to remember God. It is not a formalised act of worship

THE TREASURE OF KNOWLEDGEThe Prophet of Islam once said: “Wisdom is the lost property of a believer. Wherever he finds it, he should take it (as it belongs to him).” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2687)

Wahiduddin Khan, born in 1925, in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is an Islamic spiritual scholar who is well-versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern disciplines. The mission of his life has been

Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Peace award for promoting peace in Muslim societies. He has been called ’Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world’ and is recognized as one of its most influential Muslims1 . His

instance, I was recently invited to a seminar to speak in detail about the essence of the religion of Islam. The participants—adherents of all of the major religions—gave my discourse their full attention.

truth of Islam: “When the Ansar1 heard the teachings of the Prophet, they remained silent. Their hearts were satisfied that what he preached was true. They had heard from the People of the Book2 what the Final

went to the fair of ‘Ukaz and, entering the tent of the Banu Kanda, explained his teachings, this is what one youth had to say in reply: “My people, let us hurry and be the first to follow this man, for,

and his childhood friend Abu Bakr were the first converts to Islam. In the first stage, the Prophet was asked to spread the message of Islam quietly to avoid arousing any hostility. Abu Bakr, being an influential

influential merchant, was able to bring some of his friends, also rich merchants, into the fold of Islam. In the second stage the Prophet received the command from God to spread the message publicly. There

pilgrimage because of the Kabah, which housed 360 idols of the neighbouring tribes and nations. Since Islam believed in one God, the Quraysh feared that once the concept of one God became popular, the tribes

scholars free to produce that great treasure known as the library of Islam. It is a historical fact that almost the entire classical Islamic literature was prepared during this period. The development of the

of the second source in Islam, would not have been safely transferred to succeeding generations. The age of the press had not yet dawned, and the sole repositories of all Islam’s spiritual riches were the

these scholars engaged themselves in political confrontations with the rulers, all the treasures of Islamic thought and practice would have been buried along with them.

sign. This is making use of the religion of God for communal and political purposes. This is exactly what happened in the case of the Jews during their phase of degeneration. According to the Quran, this

November 28, 2011, a Kashmiri Muslim told me that some time before his death he had given my book, ‘Al-Islam’ to this leader. In a later meeting the leader admitted to him that he was in total agreement with

political field. Now they should take his advice in the matter of launching a different kind of Islamic movement. That is, the people of Kashmir should abandon the way of violence and opt for treading

than issuing strict commandments. That is why Islam has not totally forbidden any increase in the dowry, and it is left to tradition to carry on the principle of fixing smaller sums. There is a well-known

Himself has said, “If you have given much wealth to your women do not take anything from it.” On hearing what the woman had to say, ‘Umar withdrew his words, saying, “The woman is right, ‘Umar is wrong.”17 It

either for himself or for his daughters. THE COMPANIONS AND THEIR MARRIAGES In the first era of Islam, marriage was a simple affair, without pomp or ceremony. Any expenditure incurred in its performance

Prophet interlaced his fingers to illustrate this. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2446) The picture of Islamic Society which emerges from these sayings of the Prophet shows how a believer should live amongst

they were a part of himself. When the conduct of others makes him happy, he should realize from this what will make others happy, and act accordingly. Conversely, when he feels distressed by the behaviour

then be at peace with themselves until they had relieved their brother of his pain. The nature of Islamic society must be such that day- to-day dealings are marked with mutual kindness, esteem and consideration