Maulana 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 the establishment of worldwide peace. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the Demiurgus Peace International Award and 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 Muslims . His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are part of university curricula in six countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality based in New Delhi.

SETTING THE RIGHT PRIORITIES

IN view of the faith of the Muslims, their tradition, history and numbers in India, the Indian Muslims are in a position to make a major contribution in the development of this country. In any developed country no particular community remains backward. This is a law of nature.

The saying ‘in giving we receive‘ could well have come true for the Muslims. But for this to become a reality, they need a period of tranquillity, and this is possible only if they unilaterally withdraw all their grudges and complaints against other communities. They should now rise above the reactionary psychology of the times. Unfortunately, the Muslim leadership has failed to give the necessary guidance. As a result, the Muslims in general are reduced to being a group ‘with demands’ and as such have not become a giver group.

The religion of Islam as it is, gives them enough stature to play a constructive and effective part in tackling the grave problems that our country is facing. But, due to the intellectual bankruptcy on the part of the Muslim leadership, no such solutions are forthcoming.

If the Muslims fail to relate to their present situation, it is in large measure due to their emotional development having atrophied in memory of their glorious past. They had, after all, been rulers of South Asia for almost a millennium. This indeed, is the principal underlying factor in the lack of realism which marks a great deal of their own planning for the future. Adverse circumstances having led them to the point where the only feasible course is to take ‘a back seat’, they are still unwilling to face up to the reality of the situation. Worse, they are misled by their leaders, who keep harking back to the heyday of the Mughal reign. In the present context, the paths along which the Muslims are directed by popular leaders can only lead to destruction.

The realization has not yet come to them that from the position of the ‘back seat’, they are free to devote their time and energy to exploiting their own considerable potential. By putting aside notions of privilege and precedence, they can better educate and develop themselves in consonance with the present times. It is simply a question of their getting their priorities right.

In this world, it is only those can ultimately succeed who stop railing against defeat, and accept it with a view to doing something positive about the situation. Muslims should never lose sight of the fact that a strategic retreat makes it possible to return to the fray. Such a wise course was very well understood by the Muslims 1,400 years ago when they drew up the peace treaty of Hudaibiya which, although apparently over-conciliatory towards the opponent, ultimately permitted the Prophet of Islam’s mission to go forward unhindered.

Muslims must concede that ours is a highly competitive world, one in which success, and sometimes the very survival, is a question of outdistancing others. But, looked at positively, this spirit of competition is the ladder to human progress. Few advances have been made in history without this spirit having been predominant. The first step towards taking positive action is to admit defeat, and face the realities of the situation. Once that psychological hurdle has been cleared, there is nothing to stop an individual, community or nation from working towards regaining, or even bettering, its lost position. What must be avoided at all costs is sinking irrevocably into a morass of paranoid stagnation. While there is nothing to be gained from pessimism, there is everything to be gained from a positive approach.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
editor@thespiritofislam.org
Follow Maulana at http://www.speakingtree.in (The Times of India)

The Way to God-realization

SCIENCE is the study of nature. Nature comprises of everything we call the universe. The study of science began initially with very few discoveries, however, as research in the subject increased and advanced knowledge was gained, it became clear that the universe is extremely meaningful. Any explanation of the universe which does not take into account its meaningfulness contradicts the findings of science.

Consider, for instance, that scientific knowledge has revealed that our vast expanding universe is characterized by intelligent design in its every aspect. Now if it is not accepted that the universe has an intelligent designer behind it, then this extraordinarily meaningful universe and all of its phenomena become strange and inexplicable. Similarly, research on the universe has shown that it is custommade for human beings, or in other words, the universe is completely in accordance with the requirements of sustaining a creature like man.

If we do not believe in the existence of a Creator who created such remarkable consonance between the universe on the one hand and human beings on the other hand, then there would not be any other coherent explanation for this harmony between two distinct entities.

If we do not believe in the existence of a Creator who created such remarkable consonance between the universe on the one hand and human beings on the other hand, then there would not be any other coherent explanation for this harmony between two distinct entities. Moreover, discoveries in various scientific disciplines indicate that there is a meticulous coordination between the numerous components of the universe.

An attribute of the universe which has astonished scientists is the presence of fine-tuning in the constants of nature. For example, the cosmological constant is responsible for the acceleration of the universe at its current rate. This constant has a very precise value, a value it had to have for galaxies to form, for stars to form, and for us to be here. Such features of the universe are truly mind-boggling.

To quote an excerpt from a book review by physicist Alan Lightman on the book Why Science Does Not Disprove God? by mathematician Amir D. Aczel:

“There is plenty of good scientific evidence that our universe began about 14 billion years ago, in a Big Bang of enormously high density and temperature, long before planets, stars and even atoms existed. But what came before? Krauss in his book discusses the current thinking of physicists that our entire universe could have emerged from a jitter in the amorphous haze of the subatomic world called the quantum foam, in which energy and matter can materialize out of nothing. (On the level of single subatomic particles, physicists have verified in the lab that such creation from “nothing” can occur.) Krauss’s punch line is that we do not need God to create the universe. The quantum foam can do it quite nicely all on its own. Aczel asks the obvious question: But where did the quantum foam come from? Where did the quantum laws come from? Hasn’t Krauss simply passed the buck? Legitimate questions. But ones we will probably never be able to answer…[the finetuning problem].

The test of an individual is to utilize this mental ability granted to him, develop his thinking power and discover God through a process of study, observation and contemplation.

For the past 50 years or so, physicists have become more and more aware that various fundamental parameters of our universe appear to be fine-tuned to allow the emergence of life—not only life as we know it but life of any kind. For example, if the nuclear force were slightly stronger than it is, then all of the hydrogen atoms in the infant universe would have fused with other hydrogen atoms to make helium, and there would be no hydrogen left. No hydrogen means no water. On the other hand, if the nuclear force were substantially weaker than it is, then the complex atoms needed for biology could not hold together. In another, even more striking example, if the cosmic “dark energy” discovered 15 years ago were a little denser than it actually is, our universe would have expanded so rapidly that matter could never have pulled itself together to form stars. And if the dark energy were a little smaller, the universe would have collapsed long before stars had time to form. Atoms are made in stars. Without stars there would be no atoms and no life. So, the question is: Why? Why do these parameters lie in the narrow range that allows life?”

Science is not a religious subject, and its concern is certainly not the discovery of God. The subject of science is simply the objective study of creation. However, the study of creation naturally includes the study of the Creator as well. This is why scientific research into creation has become a means of unraveling aspects of the Creator. The findings of study on nature are, in other words, discoveries of the signs of God (51: 20). From this perspective, it would be right to say that the discovery of the meaningfulness of creation is essentially the discovery of an intelligent Creator.

The purpose of human life has been stated in the Quran in these words: “I created the jinn and humankind only so that they might worship Me” (51: 56). Noted scholars of Quran such as Ibn Kathir and Mujahid interpret the words ‘so that they might worship Me’ as ‘so that they might discover Me’.

A human being has been created with independent thinking and free will. This is why a human being is defined as a creature who possesses the capacity for conceptual thought. The test of an individual is to utilize this mental ability granted to him, develop his thinking power and discover God through a process of study, observation and contemplation.

There are two levels of this discovery of God. The first is to discover God at the level of common sense and, the second is to discover one’s Creator at the level of scientific knowledge and understanding. Since past thousands of years it was required of man to discover God by putting to use his basic level of reasoning and awakening his inherent nature. If a person is truly sincere, his common sense alone would be instrumental in making him reach God.

God gave human beings a rational way of thinking so that they could themselves discover the hidden wisdom of the Creator in His creation. Modern science is the other name for unfolding of the hidden wisdom and truths of the universe.

The second level of discovery of God is through study of science. This involves gaining knowledge about the signs of God hidden in the universe and arriving at a rational discovery of God by increasing one’s learning of natural phenomena. For such kind of comprehension the supporting data provided by scientific research is crucial for study and reflection.

Merely logical thinking is not enough to arrive at a scientific realization of God—for this scientific findings on nature are a prerequisite. The knowledge of the laws of nature therefore play a very important part in discovering God at a rational level. This knowledge was not available to ancient man, which is why he could not reach the second higher level of discovery of God.

An attribute of God is that He manages human history. That is, while keeping human freedom intact, God makes human history arrive at a stage necessary according to the divine scheme of things. God thus develops a plan for human beings and achieves it without abrogating human freedom. This is a very complex task, one which only the Creator in all His superior powers can bring about. Our task is to understand this plan of the Creator, rather than try to change it.

God has repeatedly informed in the Quran that the universe has been subjected for human beings (45:13). Man was enjoined to discover these laws governing the universe and then through this deep knowledge of creation, attain a high level of discovery of the Creator. However, Muslims proved to be inadequate for this task of discovering the laws of nature. Then God raised up another community to fulfil His plan (47: 38). This was the Christian community of Europe and America. It so happened that the European Christian nations suffered a defeat in the Crusades and as a consequence had to discontinue the fight. The only option left before them was to re-plan their course of action, and turn their energies in a direction other than the battlefield. Gradually, they diverted their attention to studying and discovering the laws governing nature and the universe.

The Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei is regarded as the father of modern science. The scientific method began largely with Galileo’s efforts to observation and study of celestial objects, and the physics of their motion. After him, the process of study of nature continued for up to 400 years and reached its culmination in the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries. The tremendous discoveries made in the physical world, both at the microscopic and macroscopic levels, provided enormous amount of information to attain an exalted level of understanding of the Creator of the universe.

In the universe that God has created, every infinitesimally small component has the Creator’s imprint stamped upon it. Knowledge of this is scattered throughout the cosmos. God gave human beings a rational way of thinking so that they could themselves discover the hidden wisdom of the Creator in His creation. Modern science is the other name for unfolding of the hidden wisdom and truths of the universe.

The True Import

“The foolish will ask, ‘What has made them turn away from their direction of prayer which they used to face?’ Say, ‘The East and the West belong to God. He guides whom He pleases to the right path.’ Thus, We have made you a middle nation, so that you may act as witnesses for humankind, and the Messenger may be a witness for you. We decreed your former prayer direction towards which you used to face only in order that We might make a clear distinction between the Messenger’s true followers and those who were to turn their backs on him. This was indeed a hard test for all but those whom God has guided. God will never let your faith go to waste. God is compassionate and merciful to humankind.” (2: 142-143)

THE qiblah (present-day Kabah) is the direction Muslims face when they pray. This direction has to do with the form, rather than the spirit, of worship. A qiblah is appointed so that prayer may assume an organized pattern. God can change it as He pleases, for every direction faces Him. The direction that He lays down is the one that we should face in our prayer, whatever direction it may be.

The change of qiblah was a sign indicating that God had changed the course of history towards peace and reconciliation.

Before the advent of Islam, Jews offered their prayers facing towards Jerusalem. This old qiblah had come to be thought of as sacred and inviolable. In the second year after the Prophet’s emigration to Madinah, he was commanded to change the direction of prayer, and face Makkah instead of Jerusalem. Some people found this switch difficult to accept. How, they thought, could another place be the qiblah when Jerusalem had held this position since time immemorial? The Jews used the change of the qiblah as an excuse for spreading all sorts of rumours about the Prophet. Previous prophets have always faced Jerusalem in their prayer, they said. How is it that this prophet has gone against them? They inferred that the only purpose of his mission was to spite the Jews. Some poured scorn on Muhammad’s claim to prophethood. “He seems to be in two minds about his own mission”, they said. “Sometimes he faces Jerusalem, sometimes Makkah.” Others said: “Well, if the Kabah in Makkah is the real qiblah, then all the prayers which Muslims have made towards Jerusalem have been wasted.”

These were the sort of objections that Jews and hypocrites made. True believers, those who were not caught up in the externals of religion, did not let such things dishearten them. They realized that it is not the direction of prayer that really matters, it is God’s commandment. God can lay down any qiblah, whenever He likes. Whatever He prescribes should be followed. The commandment regarding the change of qiblah was revealed seventeen months after the Prophet’s emigration to Madinah. The Prophet was praying along with a group of his Companions at the time. As soon as God’s commandment became clear, all of them turned, as they were praying, from Jerusalem to Makkah—a 1600 turn from north-west to south.

The change of qiblah was a sign indicating that God had changed the course of history towards peace and reconciliation. Now, the Kabah would remain, until the end of time, a rallying-point for the call to divine religion, a centre for all true believers in God.

The true believers now had to communicate the word of God to their fellow human beings, just as the Prophet of God communicated it to them. This is what is meant by the word ‘middle nation’. In other words they were the connection between the Prophet and other people. This is a responsibility that is always incumbent upon the Muslim community. Their success, both in this world and the next, depends upon how they discharge this responsibility.

“We have frequently seen you turn your face towards heaven. So, We will make you turn in a direction for prayer that will please you. So, turn your face now towards the Sacred Mosque: and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it. Those who were given the Book know this to be the truth from their Lord. God is not unaware of what they do.

But even if you should produce every kind of sign for those who have been given the Book, they would never accept your prayer direction, nor would you accept their prayer direction: nor would any of them accept one another’s direction. If, after all the knowledge you have been given, you yield to their desires, then, you shall surely become a transgressor. Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it just as they recognize their own sons. But, some of them knowingly conceal the truth. Truth is what comes from your Lord; therefore, do not be of those who doubt.” (2: 144-147)

Not until the Prophet of Islam received divine revelation on a certain matter, did he change the pattern of previous prophets. Faithful to this principle, he initially made Jerusalem his qiblah, for prophets since the time of Solomon had prayed in that direction. The faith conveyed by the Prophet of Islam had also to be separated and made distinct from the previous traditions so that it could appear in a new and unmistakably pure form.

For the above reason, the Prophet was eagerly awaiting instructions to change the qiblah. In the second year after his emigration to Madinah, he received the commandment. The Prophets who had come among the Jewish people had been informed that one day God would alter the qiblah, and they had passed the knowledge on to the Jews. Yet when it happened only a few of them, such as Abdullah ibn Salam and Mukhaireeq, confirmed the authenticity of this commandment and acknowledged that God had revealed the truth through the Prophet Muhammad.

Whenever God reveals some truth to the world, He makes it absolutely clear. To accept it one should discover God their creator. People summarily reject the truth, and think that a few words that they have deigned to utter are proof that they are standing on firm intellectual ground. But sooner or later, they are bound to realize the weakness of their arguments and it will dawn upon them that, all along, they had been labouring under a false sense of security.

Choose the Wise Strategy

YOUTH are the most productive and energetic asset of a nation. They can be instrumental to bring value to the world. Unfortunately, people, including the youth think that protests and demonstrations will get them what they want. There is no such example in history where protest directly resulted into a long term and positive change. On the contrary, it only aggravated the situations. If there is an issue at hand, then the authorities need to be presented with the issue in a peaceful manner. If the youth with their strength and vitality react to every adverse situation through protests and demands, it will take them away from the goal of education. They must singularly focus on education and stay away from all distractions like studentpolitics and student-unions.

Usually, the psychology behind protest is the feeling that if one were to exercise restraint and patience, then the other group would take advantage of the situation. Therefore people say that there is a limit to one’s patience. Student politics has adversely affected the educational system. An alternative situation to such politics is that educational institutions should work toward better management of their infrastructure and programmes. They must allow critical feedback from students, which would render unnecessary the need to engage in political mobilization over issues.

According to the law of nature, any substantial result is achieved only through long-term planning. Short-term planning cannot produce any valuable result.

The Quran holds patience as the highest worship rewards of which has no limit. The Quran talks about limitless reward for keeping patience. When there is no limit to the reward to patience, how can there be any limit to patience? Exercising patience allows the process of one’s personality development continue unhindered. Patience is not an isolated attribute, but has a direct role to play in one’s intellectual development. Without patience one cannot reflect or ponder over higher truths. If one lacks a patient personality, one would remain agitated and disturbed. With such a state of mind one will be unable to contemplate on the deeper realities of life. This is why patience has to be adhered to throughout our lives.

A positive social change is possible only through education. Education leads to self-discipline. This approach seems to be very long-term, but according to the law of nature, any substantial result is achieved only through long-term planning. Short-term planning cannot produce any valuable result. Social upliftment or nation-building is like growing trees of oak. If we perform this task in the right way, a time will come when nation-building will have become a reality. However, if we do not adopt the right method to carry out this task, then even after thousands of years of effort we will not be able to achieve our target.

There is a very illustrative lesson from the life of George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright and critic. In earlier times, Ireland was not a place for quality education. Once an Irish person expressed his despair to Shaw about the community lagging behind in education. Upon enquiring, Shaw learnt that the person was also uneducated. Shaw advised him to secure education for himself first so that at least one person in the community shall no longer remain illiterate. So, the message is: Identify where the world lacks value, and then fill that gap by first starting from yourself.

A quality education will contribute to the nation by producing a good citizen. A good citizen is one who has a predictable character. His fellow human beings should be confident of his behaviour beforehand. For example, while planting saplings, a gardener assumes that no one would harm what he is planting. A gardener expects this good character in his fellow human beings. The student community of the world should be of such predictable character. Their seriousness in educating themselves should be such that the world should have confidence that they will not take to violence in any situation. In addition to this, the world should expect them to resolve the issues peacefully while continuing to pursue their higher goals of acquiring knowledge and skills. This attitude will surely lead to the development of the nation.

The Source of True Bliss

ONE who has found God has found everything. After the discovery of God, no further discovery remains to be made. Thus, when a man has discovered God, his entire attention is focussed upon Him. God, for him, becomes a treasure which he cherishes, and it is to Him then that he has recourse for all his worldly and eternal needs. God’s world is a collection of atoms. In its elemental form, it all consists of one and the same type of inert matter; but God has moulded this matter into countless diverse forms: light, heat, greenery, flowing water. He has also invested lifeless matter with the properties of colour, taste and smell; and everywhere, He has set things in motion, having carefully controlled this motion by gravity. Discovering God who has made such a world is much more than just acquiring a dry creed. It means filling one’s heart and soul with the radiant glow of divine light and opening one’s mind to incredible beauty and delicacy.

When we eat delicious fruits, this gives us a great sense of enjoyment. When we hear beautiful music we are quite entranced by it. 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 is something which is hardly imaginable, for such a sublime experience— like coming close to a source of 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 Him like a fragrance in the nostrils, a taste which excites the palate; a texture which is a joy to caress; a melody which touches the heart. To come close to Him is to live in an everlasting garden of brilliant colours and delicate fragrances. It is to hear such music that one might wish its enchantment to last forever.

The Creator of all light, God Himself is the most resplendent of all beings. He is the light of the heavens and of the earth, shedding His radiance on the personalities of all who discover Him. His is the greatest treasure-house of all true wisdom. He is the greatest repository of all true strength. His discoverers are so fortified by His strength and so enlightened by His wisdom that no flood or hurricane can carry them away. They cannot, once having known Him, do other than evolve into superior human beings.

There is a tree beside my house. I call it the ‘Spiritual Tree’. I derive spiritual inspiration from it. A tree is an evergrowing being that was initially a seed possessing the potential of becoming a full-grown tree. A seed takes food from the universe around it and then grows into a tree. The same is true with spirituality, the desire for which is intrinsic to, and an integral part of, the very nature of every human being. To realize this spirituality, man must derive spiritual food from the universe around him. A tree converts carbon-dioxide into oxygen; a spiritual person is one who can take positive lessons from negative situations. From this perspective, a tree is an embodiment of a spiritual personality. —Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

SIGNS OF GOD

Reasons for Belief

WHEN we look at the different life forms, we witness an astonishing spectacle. Certain material objects come together in one body, and there comes into being a creature like a fish swimming through water, or a bird soaring in the skies. Of the great variety of creatures which abound on the earth, the one of greatest interest to us is Man. In ways that are a mystery to us, he is moulded into a well-proportioned form. The bones within him take on the meaningful shape of the skeleton, which is covered with flesh and sealed in by a layer of skin, out of which sprout hair and nails. With blood coursing through channels within this frame, all of this adds up to a human being who walks about, holds things in his hands, who hears, smells, tastes, who has a mind which remembers things, accumulates information, analyzes it and then expresses it in speech and in writing. The formation of such an amazing being from inert matter is more than a miracle. The particles of which a man is composed are the same as that of earth and stone. But have we ever heard a piece of earth talking, or seen a piece of stone walking around? The word miraculous is barely adequate to describe the capabilities of man. But what else is there to this walking, talking, thinking, feeling man which distinguishes him from earth and stone? This factor—life—is still a mystery to us. There must indeed be a superior Being who has imbued inert matter with this quality, thus accomplishing a unique feat of creation.

Man has only to think of the nature of his own being to understand the nature of God. The self, the ego in man, has an individuality of its own, which is quite distinct from that of others of his kind living here on this earth. The ego in man is absolutely sure of its own existence. It is the part of man which thinks, feels, forms opinions, has intentions and puts them into practice. It also decides for itself which course of action to take. Every human being is thus a separate personality with a will and power of his own. Since our experience of such a being is an everyday matter, what is astonishing about the existence of God, who also is a being wielding personal power, although on a scale far greater than ourselves? Believing in God is a very similar mental process to believing in one’s own self. That is why the Quran says that man himself is ample evidence for himself, however much he may excuse himself (75: 14-15).

What further proof do the sceptics require when they have the miracle of the whole of the universe which has been functioning perfectly for millions of years on the vastest of scales?

People demand some miraculous proof before they will believe in the truth of God and His message. But what further proof do they require when they have the miracle of the whole of the universe which has been functioning perfectly for millions of years on the vastest of scales? If the sceptic is not prepared to accept such a great miracle, then how is he going to shed his doubts when he sees lesser miracles? In truth, man has been provided with everything he needs to enable him to believe in God, and then to place himself at His service. If, in spite of this, he does not believe in God, and fails to acknowledge God’s power and perfection, then it is he himself and not anyone else who is to blame.

Be Ready with Plan B

IN her book titled, ‘Option B’, Sheryl Sandberg, COO (chief operating officer) Facebook, relates her personal experience about developing resilience amid life-shattering experiences. She says that two weeks after losing her husband in 2015, as she was preparing for a father-child activity, she cried to her friend saying, “I want Dave (her husband).” Her friend replied, “Option A is not available.”

Life gives us two options, one temporary, the other eternal. The eternal option means doing something that continues to benefit you, even after you have ceased to exist. That is, your end in the physical sense, you continue to live in the ideological sense. The Creator has given to all in this world, albeit for a short period, an opportunity called life. And every person, in his limited lifetime, has unique experiences which are of eternal value. If a person understands his experiences and records them appropriately, this record stays intact even after his death and shall serve as a permanent lesson for the next generation.

Robert Clive was a young, educated British clerk in the East India Company. Being dissatisfied with his job, he once attempted suicide by aiming a revolver at his head and pulling the trigger. However, the gun misfired and he was saved. He then cried out saying: “Surely, surely I am reserved for something great!” The turn of events in his life after this incident made him accomplish great tasks, and he went on to lead British India. He recorded this event in his life in the book Life Stories, thus giving a great gift to succeeding generations. This gift was a lesson: “If an accident takes place in life and it does not kill you, consider it as a blessing. Such an event implies that God has saved you for a higher purpose.”

This lesson was further expounded by British historian Arnold Toynbee in his book, ‘A Study of History’. He holds that if a nation faces a challenge, which is non-crippling, it actually becomes a boost for the nation in terms of result—it prepares the nation for greater heights.

While recommending Sandberg’s book, Malala Yousafzai said: “None of us can escape sadness, loss, or life’s disappointments, so the best option is to find our Option B.” In a nutshell, in the case of a lifechanging event, we must not cling to the pursuit of Option A. We must instead pursue Option B and share our experiences and lessons with the world.

In relating her experiences, Sandberg has set an example of this principle. She has given a living gift to the next generation which shall continue for eternity. Her gift is that we must not pursue Option A (when it is not available), as that will always make us sad. We must instead choose Option B, so that we may be enabled to learn from experiences and move on.

Death does not mark the end of life. In the physical sense, it means an end but not in the ideological sense. Everyone has valuable experiences that he can share with others— we must discover these experiences and then record them for posterity, so that they may be an inspiration to others. Such a concept of life ensures that the journey of life is not one of frustration, but rather one of eternal hope.

There is an English proverb, ‘The end justifies the means’. Perhaps, there is another more relevant principle which may be expressed thus: ‘The end justifies the beginning.’ It is the end result that proves whether the beginning was right or wrong.

Everyone has valuable experiences that he can share with others—we must discover these experiences and then record them for posterity, so that they may be an inspiration to others.

Many people begin their lives with great enthusiasm. But the latter period of their life proves that their beginning was not the right one. Their case was a case of miscalculation, rather than one of right calculation. For example, Greek emperor Alexander the Great was a very ambitious person. His goal was to conquer the world. But, his human limitations overcame him and he died at the age of 32 in Babylon, about 3,000 km away from his homeland. The same is true of Adolf Hitler who, likewise an ambitious man, rose to the position of Chancellor of Germany. Then he decided to rule the whole of Europe, for which he initiated a war which escalated into the Second World War. Yet, Hitler could not fulfil his dream, and committed suicide at the age of 56 in a bunker.

There are thousands of such examples. Many individuals start out in life with high hopes, but fail to achieve their goal, and then die in a state of frustration. In the beginning they were hopeful, but in the end they died in a state of utter hopelessness.

‘Right here, right now’ is a formula of life that has gained popularity in the present age. This seems to be a beautiful formula. People have, in general, adopted this principle. Although in the beginning they are very happy, in the latter period of their lives they feel that they have been unsuccessful in achieving their goals. Finally, they fall prey to frustration and die of some fatal disease, and in a state where they have lost all hope and enthusiasm.

Happiness in the present is not the criterion of success. The right criterion is whether a person is able to maintain his happiness and sense of satisfaction right to the end of his life. The value of a tree is gauged by the fruit that it offers when it has reached the stage of full growth. Similarly, the right formula of life is that which can give a person satisfaction till the end of life, and not just for a temporary period.

A tree is known by its fruit, which is the final phase of the tree’s life. Similarly, the pattern of human life will be judged by what it turns out to be in its final days. Never make the mistake of planning for life by taking only immediate gain into consideration. You should always plan by keeping the future in mind.

An individual should first of all discover his own self and then plan accordingly for his life. People generally set their goals out of zeal, but this is certainly not a mature way of making decisions. The better way to decide one’s goal is to understand the realities of life, and then act in accordance with them. Failure to do so is the main reason for people dying in frustration after having set out full of enthusiasm. When they set themselves goals, it was under the influence of emotions, without due consideration. Such a plan does not work for long. It is like a sandcastle which is destined in the long run to fall apart.

Holding a Mirror to Human Affairs

SOME decades ago, the concept of ‘zero-defect management’ was propounded. A lot of literature was produced on the subject and considerable research was conducted on the issue. The concept spread rapidly in parts of the West, and major efforts were made to try to implement it. However, despite much effort, it came to be accepted that ‘zero-defect management’ isn’t at all possible. It proved to be a failure!

But at around the same time as ‘zero-defect management’ in human affairs proved to be a failure, scientific research was proving that the system of nature that operates throughout the universe is based precisely on the principle of ‘zero-defect management’. To take just one instance, the stars and the planets move in perfect precision. So, if you want to know at what time the sun will rise tomorrow and at what time it will set, you can get the exact information today itself, so accurate is the motion of Earth around the sun!

So, on the one hand, the idea of ‘zero-defect management’ in the human world proved to be a complete flop while, on the other hand, in the natural world it was shown that ‘zero-defect management’ operates in a perfect manner! So perfect is this management of the non-human world that we can know today itself that on 15th April 2025 in New Delhi, sunrise will be at 05:56 am and sunset at 18:46 pm!

One can get accurate information of sunrise and sunset for any other place in the world, too, well in advance. In the same way, the entire natural world is working in perfect order, as science reveals. Through various scientific disciplines we can get the information we want regarding such phenomenon for the distant past as well as distant future, and this information will be accurate, without any change.

Now, reflect on the fact that this material world is functioning under the management of the Creator. From its very inception it has been operating on the principle of ‘zero-defect management’. In contrast to this is the human world, where man makes plans but things are always subject to change, modification and failure. For instance, an industrialist conceives a project, but no matter how hard he may try, he cannot implement the project in a zero-defect manner.

As they say, it is in comparison that you understand. Compare God’s way of managing things with man’s way. The Divine management that orders phenomena in the non-human world is completely zero-defect. In contrast, human management is necessarily flawed, in some way or the other. From various verses of the Quran we gain inspiration to reflect on the difference between the two. This comparative study tells us there is a basic difference between them. In the human world, despite all our efforts there is and can be no zero-defect management.

It is simply impossible. In contrast, in the natural world established and managed by God, zero-defect management prevails fully and throughout, and with complete accuracy.

When we reflect on this difference, we realize that there is a Creator of this universe who is All-Powerful and Perfect. The difference between man’s world and the physical world, the world of the exact sciences, is a firm proof of God’s existence. As the Quran (67: 3-4) tells us:

He created seven heavens one above the other in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the Gracious One. Then look once again: can you see any flaw? Then look again and again. Your gaze will come back to you confused and exhausted.

Elsewhere, the Quran (50: 6) says:
Have they not observed the sky above them and marked how We have built it and adorned it, leaving no flaws in it?

This modern discovery of the system of the universe being flawless is proving one attribute of God to be true, and that is, in the words of the Quran: “God: there is no deity save Him, the Living, the Eternal One. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him.” (2: 255)

The highest spiritual goal for man
is his spiritual uplift when he has
attained the high state called
“peaceful soul” in the Quran. This
may also be termed as complexfree soul which can withstand all
kinds of negativity.

Make Your Efforts Result-oriented

BILL COPELAND, an American poet and historian, once commented, “You have removed most of the road blocks to success when you have learnt the difference between motion and direction.”

One intrinsic quality of activity is movement. When you are walking, driving, riding a bicycle, galloping along on horseback or roaring along on a motorcycle, you are moving. But in what direction? Are you moving towards your destination, or away from it? The actual motion in both cases seems to be no different. The great difference between the two is that the former brings you ever nearer to your destination, while the latter takes you further and further away from it—leaving you where? Nowhere. At least nowhere that it is worth your while going. It is direction that is all-important. Even if we get on to the slow-moving bullock cart or a cycle rickshaw, we shall do better than an aeroplane which has no sense of direction.

Whether it is a consideration of private lives or social existence, it is imperative that we take stock of our means and resources and then set off in the right direction, if, sooner or later, we are to reach our destination.

Often people launch themselves on careers plunging headlong into them, without giving due thought to their actual capacities and to whether they have any real potential which can be developed. At times they are led astray by trivial considerations, ill-founded opinions, and over-whelming emotions, and rush heedlessly into whatever first comes their way. When the result is not what they had anticipated, they fall to complaining against others. They lament their losses and failures. They claim that it was due to prejudices of others that they had to suffer frustrations and that their careers had come to naught.

Had they given more profound thought to the matter, they would have realized that the fault lay in their own ill-judged planning or even total aimlessness. Had they started out in the right direction, others would not then have had the opportunity to place obstacles in their path and turn their successes into failures. Aimlessness is a great weakness. It should be eschewed at all costs. In fact, no activity is of any value unless it is characterized by its direction and not just its motion.

The True World to Set Eyes on

WHEN Benjamin Gayelord Hauser (1895-1984) came to the US from Germany in 1911, he soon developed tuberculosis of the hip. Conventional medicine and several operations failed to cure him, so he turned to natural, herbal remedies. He was told to take warm baths, herbal teas, a diet of salads, fruit juices and vegetable soup. Within a few weeks he was cured.

He then devoted his life to promotion of herbal medicine. He opened an office in Chicago in 1923, and soon moved to Hollywood where many film stars and celebrities, including Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and the Duchess of Windsor sought his advice. His books, including “Look Younger, Live Longer” and “Harmonized Food Selection with the famous Hauser Body-building system” were widely read throughout America and Europe, and were translated into more than 40 languages.

Hauser once said that he would like to live until he was 100 years old, and then return to earth as a psychiatrist. “I have spent this life being concerned with the garbage people eat,” he said. “The next time I will concentrate on getting rid of garbage thoughts.”

Yet Hauser, who had spent his life showing people how to “look younger, live longer” died, at the age of 89, on Wednesday, December 26, 1984, of complication from pneumonia. His efforts to look younger were not able to ward off old age and infirmity. The measures that he took to live longer were no protection from death. He died before he could reach his coveted 100-year mark.

People in this world achieve every form of success. Their names become known far and wide. Still no man is satisfied. Everyone wishes to add some new feather to his cap. Sometimes his ambitions in this world are so far-reaching that they cannot even be fulfilled in a life span of 100 years; another life on earth is required for their realization.

Man directs all his attention towards his temporary life on earth. He wants all his ambition to find fulfillment here. But the world of his dreams can never come to pass. Instead he will be raised up in an eternal world of infinite opportunities where no desire will go unfulfilled. But those who have worked only for this temporary world will find themselves bereft when they arrive in the Hereafter. They will find themselves in a world which they had not anticipated or made any preparations for.

They will have left the world in which they sought fulfillment of their ambitions far behind.

How sad that man is oblivious to the place where his desires can be fulfilled, and has set his heart on a world where he is doomed to disappointment.

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

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. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend, but no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint—no one is granted it save those who are truly fortunate.

If a 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; making him spend his whole life in remembrance of God; developing a feeling in man that he should make the one and only God the centre of his attention—these are the real aims of the Quranic call and undoubtedly there is no call better than this.

But, only that person becomes the preacher of God who is so sincere in his call that he, first of all, accepts whatever he wants others to accept. Whatever he exhorts others to do, he should have himself started doing from the outset.

The greatest weapon of a preacher of Truth is his ability to treat people well. Even if people are not good to him, he should be good to them. He should adopt the policy of avoidance in the face of provocation or irritating behaviour, and exercise patience under trying circumstances. Almighty God has made it possible for unilateral good behaviour to be immensely persuasive. The preacher of God is aware of this God-given asset, and uses it to the utmost extent, even though it may involve crushing his own feelings and killing the urge to retaliate.

Whenever a caller to Truth has the feeling within him that it is necessary for him to retaliate against a particular instance of oppression in order to prevent the enemy from becoming so bold as to commit even greater excesses, he should immediately understand that this is a satanic inducement. It is the duty of every believer and preacher of Truth to seek the protection of God from such feelings instead of acting upon them.

Among His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not prostrate yourselves before the sun and the moon, but prostrate yourselves before God who created them all, if it is truly Him that you worship. If they grow arrogant, [remember that] those who are with your Lord glorify Him night and day and never grow tired. (41: 37-38)

The greatest human blunder is having regard for outward appearances. In ancient times, the sun, the moon and stars appeared quite dazzling to man, so he took them as deities and started worshipping them. In the present age, it is the glamour of the material side of civilization which appears dazzling. So, materialism has now been given the same status as was enjoyed in former times by the sun and the moon, though the sun, the moon and other phenomena are all creations of God. A man should worship the Creator and not His creations.

The arrogance of the proud is not related to the call of Truth but to the preacher giving that call. It appears to the leaders of an age that the preacher of Truth is smaller in stature than themselves and that therefore the message conveyed by him is also of lesser import.

Among His signs is this: you see the earth dry and barren, but when We send down on it water, it stirs and swells: most surely He who gives it life is the giver of life to the dead; surely He has power over all things.

Those who distort the meaning of Our message are not concealed from Us. Who is better—someone who will be thrown into the Fire or someone who will arrive in safety on the Day of Resurrection? Do as you will, He sees whatever you do. (41:39-40)

The phenomena of rains soaking dry land and thereafter greenery sprouting from it are a regular occurrence. This is an allegorical reference to an inner reality. In this way man is informed that God has made extensive and elaborate arrangements in this world to refresh and invigorate his dry existence. The soil absorbs the water and allows it to percolate downwards, making the rainwater a source of revitalization for it. Similarly, if man allows God’s guidance to permeate his existence, he too will become rejuvenated upon receiving it.

The main reason for man’s not benefitting from God’s guidance is that he distorts God’s message. When God’s guidance comes to him, he does not take it as it is, instead he tries to ferret out some points in it which he may misrepresent. In this way, God’s guidance does not become a part of his mind. It does not nourish his soul.

For those who accept God’s guidance as it is, there is the reward of Paradise, and for those who distort its real meaning, there is the punishment of Hell.

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.

Can Muslims and followers of other religions live peacefully considering the fact that wherever Islam exists there is always a potential for conflict?

There is conflict even between two members of a family. This is because conflict is inherent in human nature; it has got nothing to do with the religion one follows. If people have the right thinking and are able to tolerate, then peace will prevail. What we see in the media regarding Islam is an outcome of selective reporting which is meant to capture only sensational news, so that viewers can get interested. There are many societies and cultures around the world where interfaith harmony exists and a free secular atmosphere has been established.

How can trust be built between Muslims and other communities?

Trust does not happen simply by saying ‘trust each other’. We have to remove the obstruction in this matter, which is negativity. The wisdom behind this is every person is free in this world to exercise their freedom. You too can use your freedom. If you want no unpleasant discussions to take place in the world and that only trust should remain, then you need to remove negativity for others from your heart. Once these negative emotions are removed, feelings of trust will blossom.

How should Muslims treat Non-Muslims living in Muslim countries?

Today we live in a world of equal citizenship. Any such categorization of people as Muslim or non-Muslim is wrong and no longer valid. So, a person is either an immigrant to a country or a citizen of the country. This is the universal norm and Muslim countries should also adopt this principle. They should not differentiate people on the basis of religion, because this would be unacceptable to the modern mind.

Should we not encourage Muslims to open communication with other communities?

Yes, this is definitely required. When the Prophet went to Madinah, half of the population comprised of Jews. The direction of prayer for the Jews was not the Kabah, it was Jerusalem. The Prophet adopted the Jewish qiblah (direction of prayer) for the Muslim prayer as well. Today, education is secular and the state too is administered along secular principles. Muslims should accept this. If they do not change now, then they shall have to pay the price of being called backward.

Can a Muslim be secular?

Yes, first and foremost let us understand that secularism is not an antireligious idea. There is a multi-volume encyclopaedia called Religion and Ethics. It is a compendium of the writings of some great scholars, and is considered to be a very authentic and authoritative compilation.

There is an article on secularism in this book which runs into twenty pages. It says that secularism is another name for the policy of noninterference. Secularism in itself is not anti–religious, but rather it is following the principle of non-interference in matters of religion. A secular person is one who practises his own religion and does not interfere with the religious practice of other people.