Dear Readers,
Greetings of Peace!
This January 2020 issue of Spirit of Islam (SOI) marks the magazine’s entry into 8th year of its publication. We are thankful to Almighty God for according us the opportunity to contribute positively in the greater service of humanity to establish peace and spirituality in the world. The scientific age has thrown up unheard of challenges in the face of religion. Religion, as had been presented hitherto, lost its appeal to the educated masses as it promulgated rituals bereft of any meaning to modern man. With its focus on dos and don’ts, and belief in unverifiable creeds, religion lost its ground. The insistence of people occupying the pedestals of religion to follow the dictates of religion unquestioningly proved to be no help. Science and religion were considered to be at irreconcilable variance.

However, Islam being the religion of nature, there is no contradiction between Islam and science. Quran believed to be the preserved book of God is free from human interpolation. The personality of the Prophet of Islam, his life and teachings are historically established. SOI firmly believes that the age of science and technology has only strengthened the religion of Islam.

SOI presents Islam from the original sources, which are Quran and the model of the Prophet. SOI makes use of rational and contemporary idiom to bring home the message of peace and spirituality. Its arguments for the existence of God, the Hereafter, Hell and Paradise are based on well-established principles of science. Its rational, logical and scientific approach to religion is like a fresh and embalming air to the doubtful and questioning souls. It impresses upon conscious discovery and acceptance of verified truth.

SOI also tries to dispel the wrong notions that have unfortunately got associated with Islam. Islam, based on Quran and the prophetic model, is a religion of universal love and brotherhood as opposed to prevalent misconception of Islam being a religion of violence. SOI emphasizes that Muslims should be judged in the light of true Islamic principles. It is an academic fallacy to judge Islam in the light of the conduct of Muslims.

Spirit-based rather than form-based religion is the priority of SOI. It encourages one to live life with highest standards of morality. We take this occasion to express our gratitude to our readers for their love and support. Do share with us your views regarding this publication. We wish you a peaceful and spiritual New Year with the following supplication from the Quran:

‘Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us. Bestow upon us Your mercy. Surely You are a Munificent Giver. Our Lord, You will surely gather all humankind on the Day of whose coming there is no doubt. God never fails to fulfill His promise.’ (3: 8-9)

Professor Zaheeruddin
Editorial Committee
hub@thespiritofislam.org

Arguments for the Existence of God

THE Christian Mission of Kerala published a booklet titled Nature and Science Speak about God. In this 28-page book, scientific discoveries about the universe are mentioned to bring home the point that the existence of God is a fact that cannot be denied in any way.

The greatest evidence of God before us is His creation. Nature itself and our study of nature, both proclaim that there is one God who, in the infinity of His wisdom, has created and continues to sustain the universe.

Scorpions, fleas, and many other similar creatures of land and water combat and control their enemies by making use of their stings. At the tip of their sting is a very small aperture through which they inject a type of poison into their enemy’s body. If this aperture was at the very end of the sting, it would be closed when the sting was inserted into the body. Moreover, the sting would not efficiently pierce the skin of the target. That is the reason the aperture is always a bit slanted like the hole in the doctor’s syringe. This is to cite just one example of intelligent design. Whatever object you see in nature manifests such design. The universe is not a random pile of garbage, but rather it exhibits a tremendous purpose and discipline. Could this come about without a conscious plan?

Whatever object you see will manifest an intelligent design. The universe is not a random pile of garbage, but rather it exhibits a tremendous purpose and discipline. Could this happen without a conscious plan?

Termites build for themselves houses that are thousand times bigger than their size. If we try to build our homes in the same proportions, we will need to erect a milehigh wall. Termites can live in the woods and carve their homes inside. Studying their lives reveals many wonderful occurrences. To take just one example: Termites eat wood. After stone, wood is the most indigestible of all known materials, but it does not pose a problem for termites. They have specific jaws for the purpose, which not only serve as a saw but also function as grinder.

However, no matter how much the wood is ground, it will still remain wood, and will only induce indigestion rather than satisfy the need for food in the stomach. What is it, then, that helps termites? There are many microorganisms in the intestines of the termite to facilitate this function. These microorganisms make certain alterations to the swallowed wood so that they can be digested and provide nourishment to the body. Who brings about this amazing arrangement?

Consider the structure of eggs. Each egg has seven different characteristics, all of which are so important that even if one of them is missing, the egg would not survive as an egg. The outer-shell made of limestone, the pores inside the shell that provide passage to the air, the thin membrane that surrounds the insides of the egg, the yolk and egg white forming the food of the hatching chicks inside the shell, the germ of the baby, the ligament that keeps the germ fixed in the right direction. Remove any one of these, and the egg will never become a nourishing place for the chicks. Is this aggregation of seven different things simply a coincidence?

There are numerous things in the universe that would require an entire library just to name them, whereas in proportion, current human knowledge of the cosmos is minimal compared to the vastness of the universe. What we have yet to see, is much more than what we have seen.

“Coincidence” cannot explain the presence of these seven different things, which are found to be in precise and in perfect condition. What is even more baffling is why are only these things accumulated in the egg by “coincidence”. Why not a leaf of a plant, some form of wood, a piece of stone, and thousands of such things that could have been contained inside, enter the shell? If any of such things were inside the shell, they would have destroyed the egg. The most perplexing thing is that when the chick is ready to get out of the egg, a small hard horn appears on its beak with which this ‘lump of flesh’ is able to break through the walls of its shell. After fulfilling its purpose, the horn falls off automatically a few days after the chick is born. How did such precision come about in the egg?

Ponder upon your own existence. How wonderful the human body is! Look at the brain. A telephone exchange that connects all the men, women and children of the planet at every moment; that continuously exchanges messages with them. If you can conjure up such a telephone exchange, you have only estimated a tiny bit of the incredibly complex system of the brain.

There are about a hundred billion nerve cells inside your brain. There are very fine wires coming out of each nerve cell and they are spread all over the body. They are called nerve fibres and function to conduct information in the form of electrical impulses to other cells, muscles and glands in the body. A system of information transmission on these thin fibres runs at a speed of about hundred kilometres per hour.

Look at the heart, a small organ about the size of the fist. It weighs no more than 200 grams, but this little pump of the human body runs continuously day and night. It pumps 100,000 times a day and sends about six litres of blood to the entire body every minute. The heart has been endowed with extraordinary capability for achieving this amazing performance.

There are numerous things in the universe that would require an entire library just to list them. On the other hand, current human knowledge of the cosmos is miniscule compared to the vastness of the universe. What we have yet to see, is much more than what we have seen.

The term ‘law of nature’ simply expresses that things always come into existence under a certain principle and will always come into being in the same way. This does not indicate why something is happening?

Did this brilliant workmanship, this complete planning, and this perfect intelligence happen by chance? Of course, sometimes an incident does happen by chance. For example, a gust of wind sometimes blows up a pollen of a red rose and puts it on a white rose, resulting in a yellow flower. But this kind of coincidence can produce only partial and subtle changes.

It can only account for this particular colour of the rose, not for the entire existence of the rose. Coincidence does not always explain why a particular type of system continues to be consistent. It does not explain why there is regularity and organization in our world. The process of “coincidence” will not keep repeating itself. It is not possible for coincidence to bring into existence today what transpired yesterday. Then why do all things always appear in the same form with total uniformity? Why are natural systems and laws so methodical, mathematical and regulated?

If some pieces of metal are tossed into the air, what are the probabilities that they would fall to the ground in the form of moulded typeface letter and upon falling, form some meaningful text on a page? If this cannot happen simply by chance, then why is it assumed that such a large world with such amazing features has come into being by chance?

What academic argument could be put forth to prove a theory that could not be proven in a laboratory?

Another justification that materialist thinkers rely on is the term ‘the law of nature’. “Why do chicks come out of the hen’s egg in 21 days, whereas from the egg of the ostrich, the babies take 45 days to hatch?”

There are a number of questions of this nature which are answered by the materialist simply as: “It is a law of nature.” This does appear to be a justification, but in fact this answer only describes one incident. By using the words ‘law of nature’, we only acknowledge the order and function of the universe. These words do not explain why this discipline and performance is established in the first place. The term ‘law of nature’ simply expresses that things always come into existence under a certain principle and will always come into being in the same way. This does not indicate why something is happening? It does not state the cause of the incident, but only presents the picture of the event.

Science has furnished us with many new insights. But whatever it offers is only a detail of a few events. Science has no answer for why they are happening

If you ask a doctor why the blood is red, he will reply that the blood contains very small red particles (equivalent to one thousandths of an inch) called red blood cells.

“True, but why are these particles red?”

“These particles contain a special substance called haemoglobin, which turns red when it absorbs oxygen in the lungs.”

“Okay, but where do the red blood cells carrying haemoglobin come from?”

“They are prepared in your spleen.”

“That’s wonderful, doctor, but tell me how is it that blood, red blood cells, spleen and thousands of other things are organized in such a coherent way and act so unitedly that I can breathe, run, speak, and live.”

“Ah! That is the law of nature.”

“What is it that you call law of nature?”

“When I say ‘nature’, I mean the interplay of blind physical and chemical forces.”

“But doctor, what causes these blind forces in nature to always act in a direction that leads them to a definite end? How do they organize their activities in such a way that a bird can fly, a fish can swim and a human being comes into existence with his unique abilities?”

“Don’t ask me, my friend. A doctor can only tell what is happening. He does not have the answer for the question: Why something is happening?”

This conversation aptly illustrates the reality of current science. Indeed, science has furnished us with many new insights. But whatever it offers is only a detail of a few events. Science has no answer for why they are happening. How do the delicate organs of a fly work? Of course, science has told us a lot in this regard, but who is the one who thought that bees needed these delicate organs, and provided them with such fine skilfulness?

The law of nature is a phenomenon of the universe. It is not a justification of the universe. It seeks justification for its own existence.

To explain the order of the universe and its appropriateness, and to show why various kinds of blind forces act towards a particular end— what we need is something other than the presence of these powers. The description of a bed is not enough if we just throw a few words such as mattress, pillows and bedstead. A castle is the name given to a structure of millions of bricks and other things installed in their proper and ordered place. For any small organ of the human body to come into being, it is necessary that millions of atoms come together in a unique and special setting. Blind forces cannot always express this kind of purpose, they cannot create meaning and harmony within events.

Science does not tell us how or why the laws of nature came into being, how or why they continue to exist or why they cause the earth and the heavens to function with such unfailing precision that, simply by observing them, it was possible to establish immutable scientific laws. The fact is that the law of nature is a phenomenon of the universe. It is not a justification of the universe. It seeks justification for its own existence. As Cecil Boyce Hamann says,

Nature does not explain, she is herself in need of an explanation. In other words, the existence of meaningfulness in something is clear evidence that there is a mind behind it. The germ of life (sperm cells) that is nourished in a male’s body is very similar to the other cells in the body, but it has a unique and remarkable feature very different from other cells. By attaching itself with a special egg cell of a female, it has the ability to bring into existence a completely new human being. How is it possible that two cells, each of which are raised in two completely different bodies, are capable of acting so amazingly together? Can this event be explained without acknowledging the involvement of a creative mind?

Acknowledging the existence of a creative mind in the universe is not accepting a baseless tradition. In fact, many of the inevitable conclusions from the discoveries of science lead us to this belief. Numerous scientific facts compel us to accept the existence of a driving force behind the universe. Just like the sound from the radio compels us to recognize the presence of radio waves, even though we do not see them.

When sugar is added to the glass of water, it will dissolve in such a way that it will not be visible to the eyes. But by tasting it with your tongue, you can detect the presence of sugar in water. Similarly, God is not visible to the eyes, but when we study the world of our surroundings, our instinct and intuition cry out that there is God here, without whom the universe could not exist. The fact is that the stupendous increase of human knowledge has not distanced man from God, but has brought man closer to Him. To doubt God’s existence is merely to declare our ignorance. How definitive then are Pasteur’s words:

A smattering of science turns people away from God. Much of it brings them back to Him.

Much-needed Task

IN 1509, Michelangelo (1475-1564), painter, sculptor, architect, and poet, was commissioned by Pope Julian to design and paint the frescoes for the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. The project was completed in 1512. In the 450 years that have elapsed since then, the original colours used by Michelangelo have become considerably subdued and, therefore, distorted. One reason for this was a coating of animal glue which was spread over the surface of the fresco in the 17th century to keep the plaster from flaking. This glue then collected centuries of soot from the torches used to illuminate the chapel before the advent of electricity.

Under Pope John Paul II, the Vatican ordered restoration of the frescoes. At the beginning of 1986, the first results of the cleaning work were displayed to the public. Renovation revealed some startling things about Michelangelo’s original work. The master was previously believed to have used subdued, twilight colours, but it now appears that the colours he used were so vibrant, it was decided that softer lighting would be needed when the cleaning would finish in 1988. Art historians had to revise their whole concept of the Florentine school which Michelangelo represented, for the Florentines have been considered masters of design, but not of colour.

True faith, as painted by the prophets, springs from the heart, but religion in its corrupted form becomes a mere enactment of rites and ceremonies, devoid of any true spirit.

American journalist, George Armstrong writes in The Guardian Weekly (February 16, 1986) that the axiom of Tintoretto (1518-1594) ‘draw like Michelangelo, paint like Titian’— ‘has been thrown off balance by the Sistine’s restored colours.’ The renovation, Armstrong says, “has revealed Michelangelo in a new light.” Further restorations culminating in 1999 had a profound effect on art lovers and historians, as colours and details that had not been seen for centuries were revealed. It has been claimed that as a result “Every book on Michelangelo will have to be rewritten”.

Religion in its pristine form breeds humility in its followers, fostering human unity; but when religion becomes distorted, it becomes a source of pride, with one group using it to assert their superiority over another.

In very much the same way, the nature of true religion has become distorted over the centuries. Originally, religion is revealed by God and taught in its pure form by the prophets. Then, when it falls into the hands of ordinary men, they corrupt its true message, making it conform to their own desires. Whereas religion had originally been based on belief in the Hereafter, it later became an instrument for the acquisition of worldly wealth and power.

True faith, as painted by the prophets, springs from the heart, but religion in its corrupted form becomes a mere enactment of rites and ceremonies, devoid of any true spirit. Religion in its pristine form breeds humility in its followers, fostering human unity; but when religion becomes distorted, it becomes a source of pride, with one group using it to assert their superiority over another.

When this happens, it means that grime and dust have collected on the face of true religion. Its true colours have become distorted and it is in need of restoration to its original form. When the renovation is completed, it will be revealed that religion is something quite different from what men have made it out to be. Theologians will be exposed as misleading in their interpretations, just as the public has been misguided in its opinions.

Helplessness of Man

IN January 1975, French actress, Gina Lollobrigida, came to India. At a press conference, a newspaper reporter asked her a question about whether she believed in God. She replied, “I believe in God, I believe in God, more when I am on an aeroplane.” (The Times of India, January 3, 1975)

When one travels on an aeroplane, one is at the mercy of external forces, and if there is even a minor change in these forces, it could lead to certain death. One faces the same helplessness while travelling on a ship. The Quran says:

Have you not seen how the ships sail on the sea by God’s grace so that He may show you some of His signs? Surely therein are signs for every steadfast, thankful person. When the waves engulf them like shadows [of death], they call to God, sincere [at that moment] in their faith in Him alone: but as soon as He has brought them safe ashore, only some of them take the right course. And none denies Our signs save the perfidious and ungrateful person. (31: 31-32)

No matter how rebellious a man may be, no matter how much he may deny God, in times of extreme difficulty and in complete helplessness he cries out to God. This is evidence that God is the voice of human nature.

Russia witnessed a Communist takeover in 1917—the so-called ‘Russian Revolution’. The communist regime stayed in power for several decades, till it collapsed in 1991. In this long period, the communists tried every means to wipe out religion and make people atheists. They claimed that religion was a mere appendix of capitalism and that after the overthrow of capitalism, religion would naturally wither away in Russia. But this did not happen, and today religion is alive and thriving in Russia. In fact, there is a major revival of religion among many youths there. An interesting incident is related about the Soviet communist dictator Stalin (1879-1964). Stalin denied God, but his own life proved that in times of immense difficulty and in a state of utter helplessness, man remembers only God.

In 1942, during the Second World War, the British leader Winston Churchill (1874-1965) travelled to Moscow to talk with Russian leaders for opening a second front against Hitler. Churchill placed before Stalin the Allies’ military plan—it was given the secret name of ‘Torch’. Because Stalin was himself against Hitler’s growing influence, he took a deep interest in this plan. Churchill relates that when the plan was being explained to Stalin, the latter remarked, “May God prosper this undertaking!” (Winston S. Churchill, The Second World War (Abridgement), London, 1965)

Svetlana Alliluyeva (1926-2011) was the daughter of the atheist Soviet dictator Stalin. She later went on to adopt Christianity. Explaining her search for truth, in her book Only One Year, she talks about her dissatisfaction, her search for something to comfort her heart and how she found what she was searching for in the following words of the Bible:

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war breakout against me,
even then I will be confident. (PSALM 27: 1-3)

Professor Carl Troll was President of the International Geographical Union from 1960 to 1964. He remarked, “The fruit of my life as a scientist and geographer is to have become more and more deeply grateful to our Creator.”

No matter how rebellious a man may be, no matter how much he may deny God, in times of extreme difficulty and in complete helplessness he cries out to God. This is evidence that God is the voice of human nature.

A Formidable Task

The Quran describes the plight of humanity on the Day of Judgement:
‘On the Day when their faces are turned over in the Fire, they shall say: ‘Oh, would that we had obeyed God, and obeyed the Messenger!’ They shall say, ‘Our Lord, we paid heed to our leaders and our elders, but they led us away from the right path. Our Lord, give them double punishment and curse them with a mighty curse.’ (33: 66-68)

THESE verses of the Quran make the distinction between those who, having read the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Prophet, accepted their guidance and consistently followed their precepts, and those whose course of action was always determined by demagogues and contemporary religious guides. The former are deserving of God’s mercy, but the latter are not, as they have gone completely astray. Try as they may to justify their actions by bending the terms of the Quran and Hadith, they will incur only the wrath of God, for He cannot be deceived by fine words. If they have allowed themselves to be misguided, they have only themselves to blame for this, and can never know the blessings of their Creator’s mercy.

If Muslims have allowed themselves to be misguided, they have only themselves to blame for this.

Today, it is unfortunate that the majority of the Muslims fall into the category of the misguided. In multitudes, they are following in the footsteps of slogan-mongering leaders and are moving further away from the path of God and His Prophet. They are deaf to the injunctions from the Quran which would prove to them the error of their ways, and are frequently to be heard asserting that they have no intention of changing those ways no matter how impressive these Quran-based and Hadith-based arguments happen to be.

Necessary Traits

IN a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, the following words have been mentioned for the seeker of Paradise: I did not see anything like Paradise, whose seeker is asleep. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi) From this statement, we realize that Paradise is for one whose entire personality gets bathed in the intense desire for Paradise, who discovers the reality of Paradise to such an extent that Paradise is personified in his longings, who sleeps and wakes up in remembrance of Paradise. Paradise is for one who vexes himself with these questions: if God did not grant him Paradise, what would happen to him? If he is deprived of Paradise in the Hereafter, how much worse it will be for him? What a tragedy life will be for him?

The seeker of Paradise is one who begins to see Paradise without seeing it, one who becomes a real seeker of Paradise before entering it. The image of the seeker of Paradise is described in a verse of the Quran as follows:
He will admit them into the Garden He has already made known to them. (47: 6) In this verse, the knowledge of Paradise is attributed to God, but it is the attribute of a believer. The believer is the one who discovers Paradise in such a way that Paradise becomes his intense longing. This does not mean that people have been told in advance what Paradise is. Rather, it means that the believer increases his knowledge of Paradise to such an extent that Paradise becomes a known thing to him in advance.

Paradise is for one whose entire personality gets bathed in the intense desire for Paradise, who discovers the reality of Paradise to such an extent that Paradise is personified in his longings, who sleeps and wakes up in remembrance of Paradise.

The fact is that Paradise is a desirable target, which, by its very nature, is a counterpart to the seeker of Paradise. It is by nature a known abode of man as if Paradise is made for man, and man for Paradise. But the mere desire for Paradise is not enough to prove oneself worthy of entering Paradise; one is required to make the necessary preparations.

Looking Beyond the Veil

APPEARANCE veils reality. In this world, man is put to the test of recognizing appearance for what it is, and of penetrating it in order to reach the reality hidden beyond it. If he is to be successful, he must refrain from becoming obsessed with appearances. He must rise above the level of the seen, and pass beyond to that of the unseen. There, on this higher plane, the hidden realities of life will stand out clearly before his eyes.

How does one free oneself from obsession with appearances? It means, primarily, looking at things in an entirely different way. For example, it means recognizing that something which is ostensibly a purchasable item is actually a gift from God. It means having a grasp of the fact that the merchandises of the marketplace have come not just from the hands of the craftsman or the assembly line of a factory, but from the treasure house of the universe. Faith in the unseen means the realization that the things which we seem to receive from the hands of men, come in actuality, from the hands of God. It is only those who are at one with their Maker, who can attain this degree of finely-tuned perception.

In this world, we have the option of living like the blind, or of living with our eyes wide open. The test we are set in the present world forces us to make this choice. One who remains blind to the realities of this world of trial will—due to his blindness—be stranded in the world to come. On the other hand, one who lives with his eyes open to the divine truth will be blessed with heavenly vision in the life beyond the grave. There, all the blessings of the world—and even more—will be given to him for all eternity.

Faith in the unseen means the realization that the things which we seem to receive from the hands of men come, in actuality, from the hands of God.

The ‘blind’ man, sitting at the dining table, will look upon the milk, fruit, vegetables as items which have been bought from vendors, and then brought to him and prepared for him so that his palate and hunger may be satisfied. Content with this thought, or not even thinking about his food at all, he eats his fill, and then is off on his way to some other activity, without having acknowledged, even for a second, that the eatables he consumed were actually gifts from God. He simply cannot see that these are some of nature’s greatest masterpieces. He does not give a single thought to the long and infinitely complex development of the entire universe which made it possible for such things to come into existence.

In the Hereafter , that which we receive shall be in direct proportion to what we have discerned behind the veil of appearences. Those who have never torn that veil aside can expect to receive nothing.

The man who has his eyes open to the truth thinks in quite a different way, when the same set of eatables is set before him. He is intensely aware at all times that these are the products of nature’s ‘factory.’ He reflects upon how cows and buffaloes eat grass and then convert it into milk. He thinks of how the tree takes in water and nutrients from the soil and then converts them into flowers and fruit. When he ponders upon how such ‘factories’ could come into existence, the system of the entire universe begins to unfold itself before him. He considers how it was only after this limitless universe had evolved for millions and millions of years that the system of the present world could be established. The present world, vast and varied as it may seem, accord with it in every detail. This is so that the tree can yield fruit and the cow can give milk.

When he thinks of all these, he experiences a strange kind of thrill, and a sense of wonder and awe. Now, when he drinks milk, or puts a piece of fruit into his mouth, he feels that it is a unique blessing from God. It is obvious that eating, as a normal human activity, is not the same for the ‘blind’ as it is for the ‘seeing’. Neither can the consequences be the same for both, as is suggested by the analogy the Quran gives us of the man who eats stones and the man who eats fruits. Just as the effects of eating can never be the same for these two men, so can the consequences never be similar for one who eats ‘blindly’ and one who eats ‘with his eyes open’. In the Hereafter, that which we receive shall be in direct proportion to what we have discerned behind the veil of appearances. Those who have never torn that veil aside can expect to receive nothing.

From 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 tidings to humankind, along with divine admonition, and stresses the importance of man’s discovery of the Truth on a spiritual and intellectual level. Translated from Arabic and commentary by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

THE INEVITABLE HOUR
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful The Inevitable Hour! What is the Inevitable Hour? And what will make you realize what the Inevitable Hour is? The tribes of Thamud and ‘Ad denied that disaster would strike them: the Thamud were destroyed by a terrible storm of thunder and lightning; and the ‘Ad were destroyed by a furious wind which God let loose against them for seven nights and eight days unremittingly, so that you could have seen its people lying prostrate as though they were the hollow trunks of palm-trees which had fallen down. Do you see any vestige left of them now? Pharaoh and those before him and the inhabitants of the overthrown cities persistently committed grave sins. They defied their Lord’s messenger, so He seized them with an ever-tightening grip. But We bore you away in the Ark, when the waters rose high, so that We might make it a reminder for you and so that attentive ears might retain it. (69: 1-12)

Some deny the Hereafter openly, while there are others who may not explicitly deny the Hereafter, but who in their heart of hearts attach importance solely to worldly affairs. That is why there is no difference between the way of life of these people and that of those who make open denials. In essence, these two groups are the same. In the eyes of God, both of them are rejecters of the Hereafter—one group rejecting it by word of mouth and the other doing so in practice.

When a single blast is blown on the trumpet, and the earth and the mountains are lifted up and then crushed with a single blow, on that Day the Great Event will come to pass. And the sky will be rent asunder, for on that Day it will be so frail. The angels will appear by its sides and, on that Day, eight [angels] will bear your Lord’s throne above them. On that Day you will be brought to judgement and none of your secrets will remain hidden. (69: 13-18)

In accordance with the law of God, all such people are going to face destruction. In the days of the prophets, this destruction was made manifest in the present world, as for their successors it will become a reality in the Hereafter.

The present world has been made with a view to putting human beings to the test. When the period of testing is over, this world will be demolished and a new world fashioned to meet new requirements will be made. The majesty of God at present reveals itself indirectly, but at that time the Majesty of God will be directly manifested.

Your Questions Answered

The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad). The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey

What is the meaning of prayer? Why should I pray to God?

Prayer is the compensation for a person’s helplessness. An individual, again and again, experiences helplessness and prayer is his response to such occasions. He calls out to a Being that is above and beyond him. The Second World War was fought between the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers. During the war, there was a time when it was not sure who would win. The victor side became clear after the atom bomb was dropped. In the famous Yalta Conference, heads of three countries, Russia, Great Britain and the US had gathered to find a strategy to contain the Axis Powers. Joseph Stalin was representing Soviet Russia. He was given to read the draft of the strategy and after reading it, he exclaimed suddenly: ‘May God prosper this undertaking!’

At the point where man feels helpless, his nature is bound to call out to the One who is beyond human beings. It is undoubtedly the experience of every person to call out to the Supreme Being when he feels utterly helpless.

In the sea, when a ship is on voyage and a storm strikes, there is nothing that a person sees except huge waves of water ready to engulf the ship any moment. It is in such times of helplessness that one spontaneously calls out to God. I had read about a Russian pilot. In spite of being an atheist, he was heard saying, ‘Peter save us!’ when his plane got stuck in a thunderstorm.

What should be the right prayer that we should make to God?

In this world, every person is born to lead a different life, each with its own set of opportunities and challenges. Hence, one cannot follow a ‘one-prayer-fits-all’ policy in life.

A believer may pray to his Creator regarding anything, without any constraints. However, the manner in which the prayer is answered shall be governed by divine will. At times, prayer is answered instantly and at other times, there passes a long time before one’s request is fulfilled. A verse in the Quran gives us the prayer of the virtuous in these words:

Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire. (2: 201)

The essence of a true prayer is patience. A believer must submit to the divine will and entrust his matters to his Creator. He should pray to God for guidance and sustenance. Prayer is not mere repetition or usage of specific words, rather it is the expression of the believer’s deep sentiment, entreating divine succour. The Quran mentions several expressions of prayers through which divine guidance is sought.

Can one ask God for death?

No, this is completely forbidden according to Islamic teachings. This had been alluded to in the following Hadith: One of the Prophet’s Companion reported that the Prophet said, ‘None of you should long for death, for if he is a good man, he may increase his good deeds and if he is an evil doer, he may stop the evil deeds and repent.’ (Sahih alBukhari)

Hence the longer you live, the more opportunities you get to do good deeds, or repent if you have committed any bad ones. Keeping this wisdom in mind, one should always pray for well-being and happiness and not anything negative. According to the creation plan of God, the hour of death for every individual has been appointed by God Himself. We should accept our natural time of death, as God knows what is best for us.