Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Inner Voice

Author: Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizivi

WWW.ALHASSANAIN.ORG/ENGLISH

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Preface4

Preface of the First Edition 4

Preface of the Second Edition 5

Chapter 2: Introduction 6

Chapter 3: Know The Soul7

Chapter 4: Is God Dead? 8

Chapter 5: Unity of God 9

Chapter 6: Can ‘Nature’ Replace God?10

Chapter 7: Love and Fear of Allah 11

Chapter 8: Sinlessness of Prophets12

Chapter 9: Unique Achievement13

Chapter 10: Aim of Life14

Chapter 11: Purpose of Creation 15

Chapter 12: God - Mindedness16

Chapter 13: Trust in God 17

Chapter 14: Thankfulness to Allah 18

Chapter 15: Be With God 19

Chapter 16: Live & Die for Allah 20

Chapter 17: Allahu Akbar21

Chapter 18: Real Fast22

Chapter 19: Fruit of Fasting 23

Chapter 20: Spirit of Fast24

Chapter 21: Purpose of Fasting 25

Chapter 22: Sincere Repentance26

Chapter 23: On Pilgrimage27

Chapter 24: Philosophy of Pilgrimage28

Chapter 25: Eternal Life29

Chapter 26: Miracle of Qur’an 30

Chapter 27: Achievements of Islam 31

Chapter 28: How Islam was Spread ?32

Chapter 29: Mercy For All Worlds33

Chapter 30: Equality of Man 34

Thought for the Week:34

Chapter 31: On Akhlaq 35

Chapter 32: Code of Conduct36

Chapter 33: Self - Criticism 37

Chapter 34: On Righteousness38

Chapter 35: Justice & Generosity 39

Chapter 36: Essence of Ethics40

Chapter 37: On Pride41

Chapter 38: On Greed 42

Chapter 39: On Envy 43

Chapter 40: Most Dangerous Disease44

Chapter 41: On Extravagancy 45

Chapter 42: Generosity and Miserliness46

Chapter 43: Islamic Generosity 47

Chapter 44: True Charity 48

Chapter 45: Both Worlds49

Chapter 46: Love of This World 50

Chapter 47: Humility 51

Chapter 48: Amr-Bil-Maaroof52

Chapter 49: The Best ‘Jihad’53

Chapter 50: Chaos in World 54

Chapter 51: Decaying Society 55

Chapter 52: On Modestry 56

Chapter 53: On Polygamy 57

Chapter 54: Dignity of Labour58

Chapter 55: Lawful Earning 59

Chapter 56: On Obligations60

Chapter 57: Be Kind to Parents61

Chapter 58: Duty Towards Parents62

Chapter 59: Duty Towards Neighbors63

Chapter 60: Change of Heart64

Chapter 61: To Acquire Knowledge65

Chapter 62: The Great Fellowship 66

Chapter 63: Obligations of a Believer67

Chapter 64: On ‘Trust’68

Chapter 65: On Liquor69

Chapter 66: Liquor and ‘Nation-Building’70

Chapter 67: On Gambling 71

Chapter 68: On Future - Reading 72

Chapter 69: On Witchcraft73

Chapter 70: On Backbiting 74

Chapter 71: Purity of Intentions75

Chapter 1: Preface

Preface of the First Edition

Character building is as vital and essential in our present day society as it has been in the past. It is of even greater importance today to ac-quire more content with the teachings of the Prophet of Islam and His Ahlul-Bayt in view of our decadent society with its ever increasing temptations all around us; since Islam is not a dogmatic religion, but a complete code of life and a guide in all aspects of our day to day activit-ies and behavior.

Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, the Chief Missonary of the Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania, has been publishing small thought provok-ing articles in the “Sunday News”, Dar-es-salaam, on general Islamic Teachings and its role in our character building. This column has proved very popular among Muslims and Non-Muslims alike; and, now, its Swahili translation appears in the weekly “Baraza” (Nairobi). Also, the “East African Standard” (Nairobi) has published many of these articles in its Muslim Column.

I am, indeed grateful to Maulana for compiling these articles in this booklet and I hope they will serve the useful purpose as they were meant for.

The Mission commends the elders to give this booklet its widest pos-sible circulation.

Ahmed H. Shariff

President

Bilal Muslim Misson,

P.O.Box 313

MOSHI (Tanzania)

Preface of the Second Edition

This book was published in March 1969. Some time later, the column “Thought For the Week” of the “Sunday News” was discontinued. By that time, more articles were published, which has been added in this edition.

12th April 1975

Ahmed H. Shariff

Chairman Bilal Muslim Mission, Dar-es-Salaam

Chapter 2: Introduction

Man has been created with an aim; he has been blessed with the power to act freely; and he has also been shown the way which leads to eternal prosperity and bliss, and the way which ends in eternal wrath and fire. Life on this earth is the period in which man, whether he likes or not, has to follow one of these two paths.

A Muslim is required to follow the right path and to be very careful from being misled to a wrong direction. For this, he has to be aware of the pitfalls, dangers and misleading elements which lie in his way. One of the effective methods to get this awareness is by studying the socio-ethical problems from Islamic point of view. In studying these problems he will come to know that pride, envy, jealousy, greed extravagance, be-ing indifferent to others’ behaviors, forgetting Allah, idleness, alcohol, gambling, lying and back-biting are the factors which can change the dir-ection of his path and lead him to the eternal fire of Hell. Whereas love and remembrance of Allah, hard-working with trust in God, self-criti-cism, righteousness, justice, generosity, modesty, being kind to others, acquiring knowledge, trustworthiness and sincerity are the deeds which will help him in keeping on the right way. Only then will he be able to follow this path successfully and live a prosperous and happy life.

'Inner Voice' is a collection of small articles mostly on socio-ethical problems from the Islamic point of view. These articles were written by the renowned Muslim scholar, Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, the Chief Mis-sionary of Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi had written the articles for a column “Thought for the Week” in the ‘Sunday News’ of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). As we found these articles interesting in which the writer has been able to explain the Islamic socio-aspects in a short, attractive and simple manner, we de-cided to reprint it for wider circulation.

Dar Rah-e-Huq

Qum-Iran Sha’ban 1400 A.H.

June 1980 A.D.

Chapter 3: Know The Soul

“Soon will We show them our signs in the (furthest) regions and in their own souls....” (Qur’an,41:53).

There is one tested method of knowing Allah; and that is “through His creation” - the Worlds and the Man. Let us begin with our self.

We do not know the nature of soul. Still we have to admit that there is something which is the source of “life” In the same way, though we can-not ‘know’ the Creator, we have to admit that there is a God who has created the universe.

We know that the soul is the ruler of our body. If any limb of ours re-fuses to obey the commands of the soul, it is not a reflection on the strength of the soul. It is considered the defect of the limb itself. Like-wise, the God is the master and ruler of the universe; and if anybody re-fuses to obey the commandments of Allah, the authority of Allah can never be doubted. It will be a sign that the disobedient person is sick spiritually.

We know that soul is connected with our body; but we do not know where it is. The life is everywhere in our body; but if a limb of a man is amputated, we cannot say that so much portion of the soul also has been cut off. Thus, we see, the life everywhere and still we cannot say that it is here or is there. In the same manner, we know that Allah is everywhere; but we cannot say. “He is here” or “He is there”. We cannot point to-wards Him; we cannot correlate Him with any place.

Whenever we want to do any work, our limbs simply obey the un-spoken command of the soul, without any need to tell them in so many words. In the same way whenever God wants anything to happen it just happens, without any need on the part of God to say “Be this” of “Be that” Therefore, we understand that the words used in scriptures that “God says and the thing happens” is just a way of expressing the idea that as soon as Allah wishes something, it happens immediately.

We do not see the soul; still we believe in it. Man believes in such cre-ation which are beyond his senses. Strangely enough, there are some people who do not believe in the Creator, just because He is beyond their senses!

God has shown His signs in our self. Perhaps these points were in the mind of Amir-ul-mumeneen Ali when he said: “Whoever knew his soul, knew his Lord”.

Chapter 4: Is God Dead?

“Creation of God, the pattern on which He has made mankind; there is no change in the work of God. That is the standard religion, but most among mankind do not understand”.(Qur’an, 30:30)

They claim that ‘God’ is dead. They should have said that ‘gods’ are dead. The confusion arises when false ‘gods’ are identified as ‘God’.

An atheist astronaut once glee fully joked that he went high above in the space but could not see the god. So, here is the confusion: the poor soul did not know that God is not ‘body’ to be seen or found in a ‘place’. His joke just confirmed the belief of those who had emphasized from the very beginning that God could not be seen.

Belief in a God is as much natural as any natural instinct can be. This eternal truth has been explained in the verse of the Holy Qur’an men-tioned above. An atheist asked Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq how could be con-vince him about the existence of God. Coming to know that the man had gone several times on sea voyages, Imam asked him: “Have you ever been caught in a fierce storm in middle of nowhere, your rudder gone, your sails torn away, trying desperately to keep your boat afloat”. The answer was ‘Yes’. Then Imam asked: “And sometimes, perhaps, even that leaking boat went down leaving you exhausted and helpless on the mercy of raging waves?” The answer was again ‘Yes’. Then Imam asked:

“Was not there, in all that black despair, a faint glimmer of hope in your heart that some unnamed and unknown power could still save you” When he agreed, Imam said: “That power is God”.

That atheist was intelligent. He knew the truth when he saw it. Today’s atheists give that place to ‘Nature’. The only snag is that poor ‘Nature’ is senseless and lifeless. How a senseless and lifeless ‘idea’ (because nature is no more than an abstract idea) could create a universe of such magnitude with such a systematic perfection, uniting millions and millions of galaxies in a well-knit system? How could nature give life and sense to creatures when itself it has none?

Chapter 5: Unity of God

“Say. He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal. Absolute; He be-getteth not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him”. (Qur’an. Sura 112)

This short Sura of the Holy Qur’an is the most significant of all writ-ings dealing with the one-ness of God. As Allamah Abdullah Yousuf Ali has commented in his translation of the Holy Book, the nature of God has been indicated here in a few words, such as we can understand.

He writes: “Here we are specially taught to avoid the pitfalls into which man and nations have fallen at various times in trying to under-stand God.

“The first thing we have to note is that His nature is so sublime, so far beyond our limited conceptions, that the best way in which we can real-ize him is to feel that He is a personality. ‘He’, and not a mere abstract conception of philosophy.

“Secondly, He is the One and Only God, the only one to Whom wor-ship is due, al other things or beings that we can think of are His creatures and in no way comparable to Him.

“Thirdly, He is Eternal, without beginning or end: Absolute, not lim-ited by time or place or circumstance, the reality before which all other things or places are mere shadows or reflections.

“Fourthly, we must not think of Him as having a son or a father, for that would be to import animal qualities into our conception of Him.

“Fifthly, He is not like any other person or thing that we know or can imagine: His qualities and nature are unique”.

In fact this short Sura is a declaration of war against all ideas of pagan-ism, and anthropomorphism. Men from the beginning have had a tend-ency to imagine God in their own image. Some thought of Him as having body, like animals or human-beings. Others thought that He was incarn-ated in the forces of nature, like rain, lightning, mountain and river. Still others thought that He was a father and had child or children. But this Sura warns us against this tendency to conceive God after our own pattern.

Chapter 6: Can ‘Nature’ Replace God?

“Nature designed this’; Nature adapted that’. These are the phrases fre-quently seen nowadays in the text-books and articles.

What is this ‘Nature’, anyway? It is nothing but an abstract idea formed in human brain after careful study of the behavior of the things. It may be found (if it is ‘found’ at all) within the things; it has no inde-pendent existence. And, in any case, there is no record of any conference of the ‘natures’ of various things, held to decide how to co-ordinate their functions. Flowers never conferred with the bees to seek the bees’ co-op-eration in their pollination, offering them, in exchange, their nectar. But we know that bees could not live a single day without flowers; and thou-sands of flowers would long have been extinct but for the bees.

More puzzling are those phenomena which can not be explained by ‘nature’s planning’. When Moses fled from Pharaoh, theRed Sea parted, allowing him and his followers to cross to the promised land. Scientists nowadays try to explain it by natural causes; an earthquake must have made the water shift at that time. All right. But why did that supposed earthquake occur at a time when Moses and his followers desperately wanted to cross the Sea, and why it remained parted till Pharaoh entered into it? And why the movement of water was reversed at that very mo-ment when the enemy of God with his people was in midst of the Sea? Was it all a coincidence?

And was it a coincidence which prompted a spider to weave its cob-web at the mouth of the cave in which the Holy Prophet Muhammad was hiding from the pagans of Mecca who wanted to murder him? And more than that, was it also a coincidence which brought a pair of pigeons to build their nest at the mouth of that very cave at thick of night and lay the eggs before morning? It was that cobweb and nest with eggs which led the blood-thirsty enemies to believe that Muhammad could not be in that cave, otherwise the cobweb would have been destroyed and the nest and the eggs broken!

Can that speed and timing of the pigeons and spider be explained by ‘natural causes’?

Chapter 7: Love and Fear of Allah

“All praise is only for God, the Lord of Universe, the Beneficent, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment” (Qur’an, Chapter 1; Verses 2-4)

These are the very first verses of the Qur’an. They present in clear terms the concept of God in Islam: God is Merciful and Just. According to Islam, the Divine Justice is no separate from His Mercy.

The Divine Justice cannot be compared with the justice meted out by the judges in the courts. These judges are only the executors of the law, given to them by others, with little or no authority to condone the cul-prits. They are bound by the law. They are helpless against the strict im-plications of law when it demands punishment. They cannot dispense mercy even if the culprit is repenting, even if the circumstances demand mercy. Petitions for mercy are addressed to the head of state, who is the supreme promulgator of law.

But God is not a mere judge. He is the Law-giver and the supreme Authority. Hence an offender can be sure of His merciful pardon if his repentance be genuine.

Islam puts the Mercy of God before His Justice. The very first verse of the Qur’an is “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful”. Islam believes that “His Mercy is before His wrath”.

Thus the Muslims have a finely balanced faith, which is inclined neither to this side nor to that. It does not teach us that God is a high handed avenger who does not forgive a single sin or mistake; but it does not present God in the shape of a feeble person who will not punish even the tyrannies and brutalities of head-hunters. The essence of Islamic faith is in the above-mentioned verses, where the Mercy of God has been mentioned side by side with His Justice.

Here we find a real divine religion which encourages man to go nearer to Allah, attracted by His Mercy and Grace; and warns him against tres-passing the limits of moral and religious laws, by reminding him that God is just, the Master of the Day of Judgment.

Thus, the two most important instincts of man, i.e., love and fear, are simultaneously utilized to make man a perfect being, a whole being, not wanting in any respect.

Chapter 8: Sinlessness of Prophets

“And We sent not an apostle but to be obeyed according to the will of God”. (Qur’an, 4:64)

God sent so many prophets and apostles to lead their people on right path. Some of them were sent to a small group; others to large com-munities or countries. In the end the Prophet of Islam was sent to the whole mankind.

The prophets were to be obeyed; their examples were to be followed. It required a very high degree of respect and prestige in the eyes of the would be followers. But could a prophet command a genuine respect if his own character was not without blemish? How could his community believe that his claim of prophethood was based on truth? After all, a man who had committed sins in past, could again commit another sin - that of false pretension. So, to carry on the work of God, the prophets must have been sinless, and free from mistakes.

This capability to refrain from sins is called ‘Ismat’ in Islam. And the Muslims accept that all the prophets were sinless.

Of course, some stories are told about some of the prophets which are not edifying, to say the least. But we know how the passage of time starts legends about historical personalities; and how human mind works out the details; and how every generation wants to justify its own morality (perverted or otherwise) by pretending that it is what was done by more wise men (in this case, the prophets). As a result of this mental exercise, the followers succeed in creating a not-very-lovely picture of their prophets - just to satisfy their own troubled conscience.

For example, this week a certain ‘man of religion’ (who lives in a coun-try which has just now legalized a perverted sexual act) did suggest that his prophet also might have indulged in that kind of perversion. He did not mind tarnishing the name of his prophet if this could ease the burden of shame and guilt from his conscience!

So, be careful when you are told stories of sins of other prophets. Hu-man nature does not change. People, even the followers, nave been at-tributing nasty behaviors to the prophets of God since a very very long time.

Chapter 9: Unique Achievement

One of the unique achievements of Islam is the fact that Muslims never upgraded the Holy Prophet of Islam to godhood. It speaks eloquently of the humility and selflessness of Muhammad (s.a.w.), who easily could have been acknowledged (had he only wished so) as a deity in those days when people were used to worship human beings; and especially so when people were so much impressed by his matchless character and unparalleled conduct that a mere hint would have been enough to make him a god.

He did not want the people to take him as other than a man. He never gave any room in any of his utterances which would in the least mislead the people to raise him to godhood.

We know how easily a ‘son of man’ can be construed to be a god if he is metaphorically spoken of as a ‘son of God’. Muhammad avoided all such metaphorical references about himself. He always proclaimed all power, knowledge and glory for the true God. He always presented him-self as a servant of Allah who did nothing but the will of his Lord. The frankness with which he always presented himself to the world entitled him to the title ‘The Plain Preacher’. As he has been addressed by Allah in the Holy Qur’an. He presented the truth in its pristine purity and ori-ginality without any misleading ambiguity.

Chapter 10: Aim of Life

“And did you think that We created you aimlessly?” (Qur’an 23:15).

No man likes to be accused of working aimlessly. Acting without pur-pose is against the accepted norms of sanity. Therefore, we are confident that God never does any work without aim and purpose.

And what is the purpose of our creation, our life?

A group thinks that material well-being is the sole purpose of the hu-man life. Their creed: “Every man should work according to his ability; and he should get according to his need”. It is the ultimate goal of their life. They see no other purpose beyond it. Alas! These people do not know the difference between means of life and aim of life.

Let me explain it. A farmer grows maize. He cultivates the land; mixes fertilizer in the earth; sows the seed; irrigates the shamba when neces-sary. Go and ask him: What is the purpose of cultivation? He will never say: The purpose of the cultivation is to sprinkle fertilizer and irrigate the land. He has sense enough to know that these are the means of cultiva-tion, not its aim. Its aim is to produce maize for human consumption.

A dairy-man keeps cows. He feeds them, looks after them and protects them from harm. Ask him and he will explain that these are the means of keeping the cows alive. But is it the purpose of keeping the cows in the farm? No.! The purpose is something else - milk.

So we see that even in the worlds of maize and cows the difference between he means of life and purpose of life is fully recognized. Is it not strange to forget it when it comes to the human life? When a philosophy teaches us that bread and butter are the aim of life it ceases to be a philo-sophy. It becomes a fallacy.

In fact, we are alive for a higher purpose and nobler aim. The Creator himself has made it clear:

“And I did not create Jin and human beings, but so that they may know and obey me”. (Qur’an, 51:56).

Forget this basic purpose of your creation and you have degraded yourself to a level far below than that of cow a maize.

Chapter 11: Purpose of Creation

“And I did not create Jin and human beings but so that they may wor-ship Me”. - (Qur’an, 51:56)

God created us and sent us in this world just to obtain spiritual perfec-tion and piety, as explained in the above-mentioned Ayat of the Holy Qur’an. Most of the commentators take the world ‘worship’ to mean worship with faith in Him’.

A child is sent to school to study and acquire knowledge. Likewise, we are sent here to acquire spiritual qualities which could not be obtained otherwise you see, unless you are faced with such a situation which puts some strain upon your integrity, your integrity has no real strength. Un-less you are facing a situation in which the majority of people lose their temper, your forbearance has no meaning. Therefore, to bring out the full qualities which are spiritual, it was necessary for the man to come in-to this world and prove his worth by behaving nobly in adverse atmo-sphere and surroundings.

After spending some time here and showing the strength or weakness of his spirit he goes back - i.e., dies - just as a child returns to his home from the school. In this background, hardships, turmoil, difficulties and disasters seem essential to complete the picture. These are the methods which help in bringing out our spiritual perfection. Fire melts gold and makes it pure; Tragedy and distress soften the heart and brightens the spirit.

Chapter 12: God - Mindedness

“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful”. (Holy Qur’an)

This phrase occurs at the beginning of every Chapter of the Qur’an, ex-cept one. It is used by Muslims before starting every work - before read-ing, before eating, before starting their work, before sleeping. Islam teaches man to start every good effort with the Holy name of God Who is beneficent and merciful, invoking His mercy to bless his efforts with success.

The goal of Islam is to make a man “God -minded”; it wants him to realize that he, himself, is nothing, that all his efforts are fruitless unless rewarded by God with success. And that realization is combined with the satisfaction that God is beneficent and merciful, who will not disap-point him in his hope and belief.

It is very amusing to note that the common image of Islam, in the eyes of non-Muslims, is that of a religion whose god is wrathful one, like the god of the Old Testament, inflicting punishment on the spur of the mo-ment. Do a mistake and you get a jolly good bang on your head!

They fail to realize that the very first sentence of the Qur’an describes God as beneficent and merciful. And that formula is used by every Muslim hundreds of times every day. And the Muslims believe that by invoking the mercy of God they get limitless blessings of God, in this world as in the world here-after.

Once, the Holy Prophet, (S.A) while passing a graveyard, ordered his companions to get out of it in haste. On the return journey, he asked them to walk slowly. On being asked the reason of his first order and then of its change next time, the Prophet informed them that there was a man being chastised in one of those graves, on account of his wicked-ness. “I did not like to remain in a place where a human-being was being punished, though he was a wrongdoer” Fortunately, at the mo-ment the child of that dead person was taken to a teacher to start his education. The teacher told him to recite “In the name of Allah, the bene-ficent, the merciful” As soon as the innocent child invoked the Mercy of Allah, the command came to the angels to change the punish-ment into the blessing of God. Reason: “It is not becoming to my mercy to punish the parent while his son calls me the beneficent and merciful”. So in the return journey the Prophet walked in that grave-yard with comfort, glorifying the mercy and benevolence of the Almighty God.

Let us turn towards God every time we begin a work. The word “Bismillah” (“In the name of God”) may mean also “For the sake of God” and “To the service of God”. Thus this formula, if comprehended fully, will serve also to save us from wrong action and misdeed. Cer-tainly, it will be illogical to commit a mischief “for the sake of god” and “to His service”. Let us remember God; and we will become free of sins and errors.

Chapter 13: Trust in God

“And put thy trust in God; and enough is God as a disposer of affairs”. (Qur’an; 4 :81)

The word used in Qur’an is “Tawakkal”, which is derived from “Tawakkul”. This is not an excuse for idleness. “Tawakkul means that you should bind the camel with its rope, then say that you have trust in God that He will protect your camel. You should not have confidence in the rope only, because many a camel has been stolen together with its rope; and, likewise, you should not neglect the rope, because binding with the rope is a part of Tawakkul”.

So this is the spirit of Tawakkul. We are to try our best; and then we should have trust in the God that He will make our work succeed.

It is a sheer nonsense to sit idle and say that Allah will do all our work for us. He says in Qur’an: “And that man can have nothing but what he strives for” (Qur’an, 80 : 39).

A high standard of Tawakkul was set when Amir-ul-mumeneen Ali (A.S.) asked some idle persons who they were. “We are those who have confidence in Allah”, came the answer. Ali asked: “How is your confid-ence in Allah?” They said; “We eat when we get food; and we have pa-tience when we do not get it”. Ali retorted: “Yes! That was the very nature of a dog”. Stunned they asked him to explain the true meaning of Tawakkul in contrast to their own belief. Ali said; “When we get, we give to others; when we do not get, we thank Allah.”

It means that you are to try your best to improve your condition; but you should not trust your own power and wisdom. Have confidence in Allah that he will make your efforts fruitful. Then, if you succeed, try to help your fellow brethren with the fruits of your labor; and if you fail, then also be thankful to Allah.

But why should you thank Allah even when you do not succeed? Be-cause success or failure is not your responsibility. You were expected to do your best - and you did it. Be thankful to Allah that you were able to perform what was expected from you. It is your efforts which matter. Success or failure is not your province.

Chapter 14: Thankfulness to Allah

“And be thankful to Me; and do not be ungrateful”. (Qur’an: 2:152)

Thankfulness to God is one of the highest virtues which a man could aspire for. It is easy to be thankful when one has got an easy life, a prospering business, a respectful job and a happy family. It is a different story when things are not going as desired. Most of us, in such situ-ations, remain obsessed with sorrow, forgetting countless bounties of God which we are bestowed with, even at the time of that tragedy. Per-haps it is this tendency which is mentioned in the Qur’an in these words: “And few amongst my servants are grateful”.

It is even more difficult to be grateful in such heart-breaking situations which a man of God has to face in his struggle to lead his people on right path (like the condition which our Holy Prophet, Muhammad, had to contend with). He faced abuse of the community, wrath of big tribal heads. Children used to throw stones on hi, women scattered thorny bushes in his path. And he remained cheerful and thankful to God.

When a man asked him why did he pray whole nights and fasted al-most continuously, when he had so much work to do every day, the Prophet simply asked: “should I not be a thankful servant to Allah?” Many examples can be found of men of God bearing the burdens of al-most inevitable persecutions with great patience; Muhammad faced them with cheerfulness and thankfulness. The difference between two at-titudes is clear enough.

Not only this. His closest people also thought of these hardships as a sign of the grace of God. Had not God chosen them to bear such heavy burden in His cause? Was it not a sign of His pleasure with them? It was this thought which made them face cheerfully all this kind of persecu-tions inflicted by the enemies of God. It was this feeling which made Hazrat Ali not only “patient” but “thankful” when he was asked by the Holy Prophet to sleep in this (Prophet’s) bed, so that the Prophet could leave Mecca while his would-be killers (who ringed his house) thought that he was sleeping in his bed. His only question was: “Will your life be saved if I sleep in his bed?” When assured that it was the promise of God, he prostrated to God, thanking Him that He made his (Ali’s) life a ransom for the life of the Holy Prophet (S.A.)

Chapter 15: Be With God

“And God is with you wheresoever you may be:” (Qur’an: Chapter 57: Verse 4)

God is everywhere. No space or time is without Him; yet He is inde-pendent of time and space. He is Omnipresent; and His love protects us from harm in this world as in the life hereafter.

But this relationship with God should not be one-sided. No doubt, God is with us. The vital question is: “Are we with God?” If a grown up son misbehaves and still demands the same parental affection which is enjoyed by his courteous and obedient brother, he is just deceiving him-self. Likewise, some people fail to realize that there is no such thing as “one-sided companionship”. And if we want to be sure that God is with us, we must be sure that we are with God. It means that we have to prove our love towards God, if we want to be worthy of love of God. In other words, we must know also our responsibilities towards God and His creatures, and try to fulfill them.

As a first step to reach this goal, we must realize that we are too much entangled in our worldly affairs to spare a moment to remember God. We are not preparing ourselves to meet God at all. Sheikh Saduq, on of the greatest Muslim scholars, has given a very good parable to throw light on this facet of our life.

A man slipped down from the brink of a deep well. Fortunately, a plant had grown in the wall of the well, and while falling down his hands clutched a branch of that plant. After the initial shock, he began looking up and down. What he saw, was enough to make him scared. A huge serpent, in the depth of well, was waiting for him to fall down, Desperately, he decided to remain where he was; and then saw, to his horror, that two mice - one black, another white - were busy cutting the root of that plant. He lost his hope. Then he looked up, and his heart was full of hope. He was not very far from the rim of the well and, by a little judicious effort could reach the safety very easily. Then he saw a beehive in that plant. And forgetting his tragic position, he began eating the honey. Of course, the bees did not like it and began stinging him, but he remained oblivious of all the troubles. A short time after, the mice suc-ceeded in cutting the plant down and he fell in the mouth of the serpent.

We are that man; this world is that well; the plant in midway is our life; which is being eroded away by every passing night and day - the black and white mice; death is the serpent waiting for us. The honey rep-resents the pleasantries of this world, for which we quarrel with other people - the bees - and are bitten by them. What makes our plight more tragic is the fact that rescue is never very far. It just requires a little effort on our part to reach the safety and security provided by the loving care of Allah.

We may easily reach to God and be safe forever. Or, on the other hand, we may be destroyed by death. The choice is ours.

Chapter 16: Live & Die for Allah

“Say: Truly my prayer, and my actions, and my life, and my death are all for God, the Cherisher of the Universe”. (Qur’an, Chapter 6; Verse 162)

This is the ideal Islam. A true Muslim surrenders to the love of Allah. All his actions are motivated by one thought only: God would be pleased by this work, so it must be done. Not only the external rituals and rites, but also his emotions and thoughts are submerged by love of God. He lives for Allah, and he dies for Allah.

This week, Muslims all over the world are commemorating the great martyrdom of Imam Husain and his companions. That tragedy is the perfect example of the way a Muslim should keep the love of Allah and His religion above all things.

To begin with, Imam Husain had not refused to submit to Yazid for any worldly reason. He made it perfectly clear in his will which he wrote at the time of departure from Medina. He writes:

“I am not leaving Medina for any worldly motive: I am leaving it so that I may establish the way of my grandfather (the Prophet) and my father (Ali); and so that I may exhort people to become righteous; and may dissuade hem from evil”.

This will explain in prose what Imam said in poem while he was pro-ceeding to Iraq. He was frequently heard reciting these lines: “If the reli-gion of Muhammad cannot be saved except by the sacrifice of my head, Then, O swords, come and take it”.

And to save the religion of Islam, Imam Husain sacrificed not one, but 72 heads. These sacrifices were made without any remorse, without any sorrow. On 10th Muharram, when every passing moment brought a new hardship for this small caravan, Imam’s face was radiating more and more content and pleasure. He was happy that his offerings were accep-ted by Allah.

It was this unblemished love of Allah which prompted Imam to say in the last moments of his earthy life: “I left and forgot everything in Thy Love: Allah! And I made my children orphan, so that I may see Thee, They have minced my body by their swords. But my heart is oblivious of these tortures; it is not inclined but towards thee. O Allah”

Thus Imam Husain showed how can a man live for Allah; how can he die for Allah. This death is not death; it is eternal life, as God has said: “And do not think those who are martyred in the path of Allah are dead. Nay! They are alive in the presence of God.”

Chapter 17: Allahu Akbar

“Allahu Akbar” (Allah is great).

Five times in 24 hours the call comes from the minarets of the mosques: Allahu Akbar. It is Azan, meant to announce the time of pray-ers. Right at the call of Azan, Muslims are expected to gather in the mosque.

It is a matter of pride that we are called by God to his audience. It shows his love towards His creatures that He has provided us with an opportunity to communicate with Him. He has opened His house for us, let us not be late or absent from His presence.

Azan begins with the phrase - Allahu Akbar - (Allah is great);

It ends with the phrase - La Illaha Illallah - (None is to be worshipped but Allah). It begins with the name of Allah; it ends on the name of Al-lah. We are reminded that Allah is the beginning; Allah is the end. Between these two phrases the Muazzin bears witness to the unity of God; and to the apostleship of Muhammad, the Holy Prophet. Then he exhorts the believers: Come for prayer; Come for the prosperity (in this world and in life hereafter); and thus it goes on till the end.

Azan is not just a symbol. It is a sermon in clear words. It not only calls a man for prayer; it also explains why should he pray, and to whom should he pray. It reminds the hearers about God; and about man’s ob-ligation towards Him. And after these explanations, it exhorts the believ-ers to offer their humble prayers, with full knowledge and understand-ing, in the presence of God.

Allah is great! Nothing else matters. Allah is calling you. Leave aside your worldly affairs. Forget your business arrangements. Do not miss this golden opportunity. Go and pray in the presence of God. He is great! Our problems, our worries, our difficulties - all will be solved in the best way, if we ask our loving Allah to solve them for us. Not only that. Our joy, our achievement, our success - nothing actually matters. Allah only is great. Let us communicate with him. Only his benevolent love and care can bring us to prosperity in this world and in life-hereafter.

Chapter 18: Real Fast

“O ye who believe” Fasting is prescribed to you...that ye may (learn) self-restraint...” (Qur’an; chapter-2:verse 183)

The command for fasting in Ramadhan came in the first year of the Hijra. The Holy Prophet delivered a lecture on the last Friday of the pre-ceding month, Sha’ban, in which he said:-

“O people! You are now under the shadow of the month which has a night (Night of Qadr) which is better than thousand months. It is the month of Ramadhan in which fasting has been made compulsory by God. It is the month of patience; and the reward of patience is paradise. It is the month of mutual sympathy.

“Whoever feeds a fasting brother at the time of breaking the fast God will be as much pleased with him as though he would have emancipated a slave, and it means that his sins of past would be forgiven”.

Somebody pleaded that not everybody was affluent enough to feed others. The Holy Prophet said: “Allah is generous enough to be pleased with you even if you break the fast of Muslim brother with a morsel of date or a cup of water if it is the only thing which you can offer”. God does not see the wealth offered but it is the feeling of the heart only which counts. Then the Holy Prophet proceeded to say: “Anybody who makes the burden of his servants lighter in this month Allah will make his sins lighter for him on the Day of Judgment”.

The word ‘Ramadhan’ is derived from the root ‘R-M-Dh’, which indic-ate ‘Heat’ and ‘Restlessness’. It is said that the name of the month indicates the hardships which accompany a fast like thirst and a compar-ative restlessness.

But the best explanation was given by the Holy Prophet himself, who was the final authority on every thing. He said: “Ramadhan burns the sins and faults as fire burns the wood”.

Imam Muhammad al-Baquir told one of his companions: “O Jabir! Whoever, during Ramadhan, fasts in days, stands for prayers in parts of nights, controls his sexual desires and emotions, puts rein on his tongue, keeps his eyes down, and does not injure the feelings of others, will be-come as free from sin as he was the day he was born”. Jabir said: “How tough are these conditions!”

Have you courage enough to try to fulfill these ‘tough’ conditions in this Ramadhan and be freed from the chain of past sins?

Chapter 19: Fruit of Fasting

The month of Ramadhan is the month of God, (bringing) His blessing, mercy and forgiveness”. (Holy Prophet).

The month of Ramadhan gives us a chance to start life afresh. Muslims should make resolutions during this month, to act upon during the year. This is the month when emotions remain under the control of reason. Thoughts, in this month are not wild, feelings not hard. Forgiveness, generosity and love of God through the love of His creatures are infused in our soul. Naturally, it is the best time to decide how are we going to live in the coming year. We should know what do we want to achieve and how.

Why not start making your program just now? And when you have completed the list of your ambitions, here is a simple test to see how much have you benefited from fasts of Ramadhan.

Do your resolutions include such items as helping the needy (not by just handing out a few shillings, but by helping him to stand on his own Legs)? Have you thought of showing more respect to the elders, loving more tenderly those who are younger? Is there anything concerning your neighbors and friends? Have you any inclination to forgive your en-emies? Have you resolved to live more honestly and more sincerely? And above all, is there any room for God and His Prophet in your thoughts and programs?

If the answer is ‘Yes’, accept my congratulations; you are a real Muslim; you know the meaning of the fast of Ramadhan.

If on the other hand, the answer is in negative, there is some need of improvement in your faith. And if you really want your faith to be more perfect time is never lost. Though the month of Ramadhan is coming to its end very soon, you may still take its advantage. There is no need to feel sorry for yourself. If you really want the love of God it is yours for asking. It is the easiest goal to reach and the most difficult. It all depends, not so much on the path, as on the traveler. If your heart is pure, it is the easiest thing in the world, if you want to put the love of God in a corrup-ted heart, it is just impossible.

As is clear from the tradition of the Holy Prophet quoted above, this month is the month of blessing, month of mercy and month of forgive-ness. If anybody wants these benefits, he should strive for it, with more zeal and more sincerity in the remaining few days of this holy month. If we spend our time in remembering God, praying for His love, repenting for our sins, we can be sure that God will bless us with His love and His mercy.

Chapter 20: Spirit of Fast

“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you.. That ye may (learn) self-restraint ....(Qur’an, 2:183).

Fast like living things, has a body and a soul. The required abstinence from food, water, sexual relations etc. Is the body of the fast: “piety” is its soul. If we are not striving to refine our character by fast, our will be a body without soul. Fast cleans our body from impurities. Likewise, it must purify our hearts and minds from all impure thoughts improper desires and undisciplined sensations.

The Holy Prophet saw a woman, who was fasting on that day (not in Ramadhan), abusing her girl-servant. The Prophet admonished her and told her to break her fast. The woman protested: “But I am fasting today”. The Holy Prophet said: “But was not your fast broken by the ab-uses you were hurling upon that poor girl?”

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq has said: “Your fast day should not be like other ordinary days. When you fast, all your sense - eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet - must fast with you.” How?

Eyes: Keep your eyes off unlawful things and objects; spend this most precious gift of God in good cause and pious acts and read Qur’an and Do’as.

Ears: Abstain from hearing unlawful gossip, lies, false statements, mu-sic and obscene topics. Pay your attention towards sermons and topics of learning etc.

Tongue: Do not tell lies or useless tales; do not spread rumors or, dam-aging gossips about other persons; keep aloof from falsity. Use the power of speech in spreading the word of God; in creating goodwill in the society.

Hand: Do not inflict injury upon others by your actions; instead strive to help them as far as you can.

Feet: Do not go towards forbidden places, like bars and cinemas. Do not run between people creating a strife. Go towards those places, where God is remembered; and your movements should be to bring people together.

And above all, your heart and mind must be with you in fasting. Be-cause fast in its real sense, will not be complete unless your thoughts, your emotions, your actions - in short, all aspects of our life - become pure, clean and free from blemish.

Chapter 21: Purpose of Fasting

“(The month of Ramadhan) is the month of repentance, month of for-giveness, month of reward”. (Holy Prophet)

The month of Ramadhan is called the “month of God” It strengthens the relation between a man and his Creator. Think of a person abstaining from necessities of life, like food and water (to say nothing of other pleasures) 16 hours a day, for one month at a stretch; think again that he does so not because of any external pressure, but by his own free will; and remember that he expects no worldly reward and that his only wish in fasting is to be nearer to Allah - and then you may appreciate how strong is the relation between a Muslim and his Lord.

By fasting, a Muslim subjugates his worldly desires and strengthens his spiritual powers. He learns a lesson most relevant to his spiritual well-being; he comes to realize that nothing (not even his body and soul) is his own. After this realization, he can appreciate the freedom given to him by God in almost all walks of life during the past eleven months.

He will know that he can never claim of that freedom of action as a matter of right. It is just a grace of God for which he should ever remain thankful to Him.

That appreciation will lead to gratitude, and that gratitude will show itself in his behavior and deeds all his life, making him a trustworthy friend and a lovable companion.

As the month of Ramadhan prepares a Muslim to become a perfect man, it is called “the shield against the Hell”. Also, the Holy Prophet said: “God says that fast is for me only and I Myself will give its reward”.

Chapter 22: Sincere Repentance

”O ye who believe, turn to Allah with sincere repentance, in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your sins and admit you to the Heavens ....” (Qur’an, 66 : 8)

This Holy month of Ramadhan is generally referred to as the month of Tauba’ (repentance). Repentance is the best way to the Grace of Allah for a person who has sinned. Allah is His infinite grace, forgives sins if the sinner repents sincerely. The operative word is ‘sincerely’.

To describe ‘sincere repentance’. Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (A.S.) said: “Repenting and never committing that sin again”.

According to the ‘Islamic belief, repentance uttered by tongue, without a change of heart, is no repentance at all Repentance must produce change in habit, honesty in dealings, fear and Love of Allah in prayers, improvement in character, generosity in behavior and humility in nature.

Amir-ul-Mumeneen Ali (A.S.) described the characteristics of repent-ance in the following word: “Repentance has six elements: A repentant must be really sorry for what he had done: he must have firm determina-tion not to do it again; he must make amends for whatever wrongs he did to others; he must fulfill all the obligations of religion which he had neglected previously; he should fast long enough to melt away the flesh grown from unclean and unlawful food; and he should feel the taste of obedience to God, as he was previously enjoying the taste of sin”.

When a man repents sincerely Allah makes him as clean as he was on the day he was born. The Holy Prophet (S.A.) has said: “One who re-pents from sin is like the one who never committed any sin”.

Chapter 23: On Pilgrimage

“And for God, the pilgrimage of the house (of Allah) is obligatory upon the people who have strength to go their”. (Qur’an 3:97).

Pilgrimage to the house of Allah, in Mecca, is one of the pillars of Islam. Every Muslim fulfilling certain conditions; is obliged to go for Ha-jj, at least once in life. What are the lessons of Hajj?

The first thing to attract the eyes is the simple uniformity of tens of thousands of people, wearing white unstitched cotton robes. Their pur-pose is one and their appearance is one. Here you will find the unity and brotherhood of Islam demonstrated in its brightest color - angelic white.

Then, pondering upon this point, you will realize that to acquire this uniformity, every person had to discard every mark of distinction, every sign of his worldly position - political, social, financial or otherwise. May be a man whom you are talking with, is the president of a country; and, on the other hand, he may be an obscure laborer in a lonely place. There is nothing to distinguish between them in this house of God. The tem-poral distinctions have no value in the eyes of God. Here all human-be-ings have one - only one - rank.

Here they are the believed servants of Allah, coming to offer their sin-cere prayers in His house. We are His servants; He is our Master. It is the only relationship which counts here. All other distinctions and ranks are artificial.

Mecca has no tourists’ attraction. There are no beautiful sceneries. A place surrounded by barren rocks and hills! According to Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, it would have been as easy for Allah to select a beautiful place for His house. But he selected the barren rocks and stone walls, so that people should come here without any worldly motive. They cannot be attracted by pleasures because there is none; they cannot think about business, because Mecca has nothing to produce. Therefore, anybody coming to Mecca, must come, by virtue of necessity, with pure intention and untinted purpose. He must come for pilgrimage - and pilgrimage only.

How can a poor man be arrogant? Wealthy people are the ones who suffer most from this spiritual disease. It is, perhaps, for this reason that Hajj is obligatory for those only who are rich enough to afford the jour-ney to Mecca. They are more exposed to the killing germs of “pride” and “ego”; they have been asked to go to pilgrimage, so that they may be cured of these maladies.

Chapter 24: Philosophy of Pilgrimage

“Hajj is (in) the months well-known; if anyone undertakes to perform that duty therein, let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj; and whatever good you do, God knows it”. (Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 197).

This is the week of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. About 1,500,000 Muslims will spend the week in Arafat, Musdalifa, Mina and Mecca under the most strict discipline of Hajj.

But self-restraint and discipline is not the only benefit of this pilgrim-age. (And it can also be achieved by fast of Ramadhan). The most en-dearing feature of Hajj is that it serves to crush the pride and destroy the egoistic tendencies of the individual. It creates humility and humbleness.

It is just impossible to show your individuality and identity in Hajj. Are you a scholar? Or an illiterate? Are you a king? Or an ordinary man? A military strong man? A revered man of religious world? It does not matter what was your rank or designation in your own world; this is the domain of religion and God, and here you are simply one more servant of Allah - nothing more, nothing else.

You have to wear simple cotton dress - unstitched sheets wrapped around the body. You cannot distinguish yourself even by inventing your own style of wearing. You have to wear it in the same way as the other 1,500,000 pilgrims are doing. Do you want to wear some medals or other distinguishing decorations? No chance, it is not allowed. Or at least some enchanting hairstyle? But heads are shaved, and you are to do accordingly.

Could you imagine a hard-headed executive of a firm, or an arrogant dictator of a country, wearing two white sheets, trotting between two hills seven times, forgetting all his pomp and show? Could you image an usually reserved aristocrat hitting a pillar with stones day after day obli-vious of the fact that 3,000,000 eyes are upon him? Could you think of a millionaire living in hardship just like less-fortunate human-beings, but without any complaint or murmuring? Here is your chance to see these imponderables turn into accomplished facts. Arrogance, pride, high - headedness wealth, honor, academic qualifications, political achieve-ments, military victories - everything is worthless here. Nothing can be admired here. The only thing which has any value ‘you’, as a servant of God.

Chapter 25: Eternal Life

“And do not think those who are martyred, in the path of Allah are dead. Nay! They are alive, in the presence of God”... (Qur’an, 2:154).

Value of a sacrifice depends upon the purpose for which that sacrifice has been offered. If the purpose of the sacrifice is, for instance, wealth or political power, it is just a waste of life and nothing more. How can a life be immortal if it is worthless enough to be bartered for some precious stones or glittering minerals. Gold and Silver are not immortal; they can-not make a life immortal.

A life spent in their pursuit cannot be eternal; it is just one more tragic death.

But if the purpose of the sacrifice is to please God; the man becomes immortal. When a person is martyred, witnessing the Glory of God, His Mercy, His Power and His Unity; when he accepts death to spread the name of God, then the sacrifice is worthy of its name. It is not death; death cannot conquer such soul. Here the flame of life cannot be extinguished.

Why is it so? Because, in this case, the ultimate aim of sacrificing the life was God, God Himself is immortal and Eternal. Thus a life which is spent in His wav, acquires immortality from Him and the martyr be-comes immortal.

A great majority of Muslims, all over the Islamic world have just been busy commemorating the tragedy of Karbala, in which Imam Husain, (A.S.) grandson of the Prophet, was martyred 1325 years ago to save Islam from the disastrous clutch of Yazid. He did know very well that he would have to suffer a good deal as a result of his rejecting Yazid. But he was not after worldly power or material gain which could be abandoned in the face of danger. He was following the policy laid down by Islam in the way of Allah. He and his children were denied water for three days: his companions and relatives were killed; his six month old child was put to death. At last his own head was severed and put on a spear; his women-folk were imprisoned and all kinds of tyrannies were aimed against them. But their determination, like that of Imam Husain (A.S.) was never weakened.

Some people think that the life, mentioned in this verse of Qur’an, means that the martyrs will be remembered for ever. If it is so, then it is very appropriate to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husain (A.S.) and his companions. Their memory has been, and will be, kept alive by the grace of Allah, in whose name they sacrificed their lives.

Chapter 26: Miracle of Qur’an

“Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur’an, or are their hearts locked up by them?” (Qur’an, Chapter-47; verse 24).

The Qur’an is a miracle given by God to the Holy Prophet of Islam. It is miracle, both of the style and of the deep knowledge and pure truth which is being unfolded every day.

The difference between all other miracles and the Qur’an is that the former were only for those who witnessed them. For us, they are news which may be believed or suspected according to the trend of mind. But the Qur’an is in our hands, a book complete in itself; it claims that it is re-vealed, and brings the proof within itself.

Arabs in the time of the Prophet were proud of their language. The Qur’an silenced them with its sublime literature, challenging them to bring ‘like’ of even one ‘Sura’ (chapter). The Arabs, who called other na-tions ‘Alam’ (dumb), became dumb themselves when the Qur’an put its challenge before them. They resorted to sword; they waged war after war; they inflicted sufferings and suffered themselves. Had it been with-in their power to bring a chapter like the Qur’an, all this trouble would have been unnecessary. No sane man will choose a difficult way in pref-erence to the easier one. It was the highest quality of the Qur’anic lan-guage which baffled them and is still baffling its antagonists. History re-cords that many people tried to meet the challenge of the Qur’an but had to admit that it is right when it says that nobody can bring its ‘like’. Also, on the side of knowledge and truth, its miracles are not exhausted yet. There are many examples that a verse remained a puzzle for the com-mentators until the advert of scientific discoveries which made its mean-ing clear.

To give a tangible example: In the sura ‘Al-Mumin’, it says:

“And Pharaoh said, ‘O Haman! Build for me a tower that I may reach the avenues, the avenues of the heavens, and may mount to God Moses ...” (Qur’an, 40:36).

As it is, there was no mention of Haman in the previous books. People used to wonder who was that Haman! They may be forgiven, because nobody knew before recent discoveries that ‘Amon’ was the name of the great Egyptian deity, the ‘King of gods’, patron of the most powerful Pharaohs, and pre-eminently the national god. Its high-priest also was called ‘Amon’ and was responsible for all the religious buildings and temples. What could have been more natural for Pharaoh, when intend-ing to build a tower to see God of Moses, than to ask the Amon’s priest, himself known as ‘Amon’, to arrange it?

These scientific miracles of today are sufficient to make a man believe that this book is a book of God, containing the eternal truth.

Chapter 27: Achievements of Islam

Note:- This article was published in Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1387 A.H.

“It is he who has sent among the unlettered an Apostle from among themselves, to recite to them His signs and verses, to purify them,

Qur’an: and to instruct them in the scripture and wisdom” (Chapter 62;

Verse 2).

This week Muslims all over the world, are celebrating the birthday of the Holy Prophet. This year has a special significance; it is the 1400th year of the declaration of the prophethood and the revelation of the Holy Book, i.e. the Qur’an.

The achievements of the Holy Prophet, in a short period of 23 years, are too numerous and far-reaching in their impact to be described here. To give a glimpse of some of the aspects of Islam, I would like to men-tion that it was Islam that re-established the belief in One and Universal God. It was Islam that recognized the prophets, who had appeared in other nations before Muhammad, as true Prophets. It was Islam which freed mankind from the supposed stigma of inherent evil and sin, and thus bestowed an everlasting dignity to humanity. It was Islam that said that “no bearer of burdens bears the burden of another” - that is the chil-dren of Adam cannot be condemned for Adam’s supposed sin. It was Islam that laid no special rituals to accept a man in its fold, declaring that “every child is born a Muslim; it is his parents who take him away from Islam and convert him Judaism, Christianity or other religion” - that is, he does not need any permit to come back to his original home, Islam.

It was Islam that created a direct relationship between God and indi-vidual man. If he abstains from sins, or if, after committing a sin, repents sincerely, there would be no need of any intercessor. God Himself will forgive him. Muslim preachers have no privilege of forgiving sin on be-half of God, or of granting paradise quarters to their followers. Thus Islam has made each and every person responsible for his own actions.

Islam treated man as man, not as God; it recognized the shortcoming of human beings; and gave them a code of conduct which combines the lofty ideals of Love with the practical aspects of Justice. It has laid down clear rules for every aspect of life, which are based on justice and cannot be violated and after a man has achieved that minimum degree of piety, he is exhorted and encouraged to reach the higher and higher goal of moral and spiritual perfection. This combination of minimum require-ments of justice with maximum aspiration of lofty morals is the most unique aspect of the religion of God which is Islam.

Chapter 28: How Islam was Spread ?

“And the leaders among them (i.e. the unbelievers) go (saying) “Walk ye away and remain constant to your gods; for this (Islam) is truly a thing designed (against you)” (Qur’an 38:6)

Islam, in its infancy, was a secret mission. After 3 years the Holy Prophet announced openly his message to the people ofMecca. The news of new religion traveled far and wide, and the hurling of open denunci-ation at the ancestral idols of Arabs by the Holy Prophet set all Arabia ablaze.

The resentment, at first, led them to approach his uncle and guardian, Abu Talib, to persuade him to silence his nephew. Abu Talib conveyed their message to Muhammad. Muhammad replied; “Uncle dear, even if they place the Sun in my right hand and the Moon in my left hand in or-der to turn me away from the work which I have been entrusted by Al-lah to do, I will not listen to them”. Saying this he burst into tears. Abu Talib said “Go in peace, my son! And do what thou wilt, for, by God! I will not abandon thee”. This decision of Abu-Talib infuriated the Meccans.

As a last attempt they approached Muhammad himself. They told him: “If your ambition is to acquire wealth, we will amass wealth for you as much as you may ever desire, and if you are aspiring for power and honor, we are prepared to accept you as our kind and overlord; and if you have any fancy for beauty, you shall have the hand of the fairest maiden in the land”. Muhammad’s reply was short and clear: “Neither I want wealth nor do I want power or beauty. I have been commissioned by Allah as a warner to the mankind, I am communicating His message to you. If you accept it, you shall have facility in this life and the life hereafter, and should you reject it, verily, God will decide between you and me”.

And God decided in favor of his own religion. In spite of the bitterest persecution suffered by the Muslims at the hand of the Meccans, Islam made steady progress. And, in the end, even its erstwhile enemies were attracted to its fold.

Chapter 29: Mercy For All Worlds

“And We did not send thee (Muhammad) but for the whole mankind”. (Qur’an, 34:28)

Look at the major religions of the world minutely and you will find that it is only Islam which claimed from the beginning to be the religion for the whole mankind.

God sent, before Muhammad, thousands of prophets and apostles to different places and nations to guide their people to the right path. It should be mentioned here that the word ‘Prophet’, when used by a Muslim, does not mean ‘one who foretells the events’. Foretelling the events is not a very important function of a ‘Prophet’. A prophet, accord-ing to Islam, is sent by God to call people to His path. He is the link between Allah and His creatures, and by following his foot-prints the followers can be sure of receiving the glory of God.

Anyhow, when as a result of the efforts of those Prophets mankind reached the stage of maturity, the Holy Prophet of Islam was sent by God for the whole mankind. He re-affirmed, revived, consolidated and perfected the teachings of the earlier prophets (which by passage of time had become distorted and disfigured).

Muhammad come in the world, announcing that, “I have been sent to all people-red and black and yellow”. Among his early followers were people from Ethiopia, Iran, Rome and India.

According to the Qur’an, Allah is not a tribal god but the ‘Lord of Uni-verse’; and the Holy Prophet is ‘The Mercy for the universe’.

By sending his messengers to Asia Minor, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman and many other places, calling those people to ‘come within the fold of Islam, Muhammad left an undeniable proof that his was the universal religion, unfettered with the shackles of tribe, reli-gion, color or race.

Chapter 30: Equality of Man

Thought for the Week:

“O People, verily we created you of a male and a female; and We made you in clans and tribes so that you may recognize Each other: but the most honored of you with God is the one Who is the most pious of you”, (Qur’an, Chapter 49, Verse 13).

Go deep into the history of last 1400 years and you will find the im-print of Islam on every right chapter. Take, for example, the idea of hu-man brotherhood and equality of man with man. This wide-spread belief of today is the gift of Islam.

Before Islam, people generally believed in tribal gods. In some quar-ters there was an idea of a supreme being; but that supreme being was almost always the god of one’s own tribe; the gods of other tribes were inferior ones. One was bound to despise those other gods, but the inter-esting point is that, anyhow, the other gods were recognized to exist!

That multitude of gods and semi-gods, was bound to cause conflicts and disharmonies amongst mankind, and it did cause divisions to an un-believable extent. Theories were advanced to legalize the division of mankind into separate classes - some privileged, other persecuted and oppressed. Beliefs were fostered condemning certain branches of human-ity, not because they were of bad character but just because they happened to belong to a certain tribe or clan. Different legal and social codes were invented for different classes. As there was no feeling of a Universal God, man did not have a feeling of kinship with other human beings.

The advent of Islam was the beginning of the end of such tendencies. Islam, with its emphasis on the Oneness of God, created a belief in the oneness of His creatures. Gradually the belief influenced the thought of mankind. Now the principle of equality and human brotherhood is re-cognized in the whole world - with certain sad exceptions. When I hear the leaders of world opinion proclaiming that racial or tribal discrimina-tion is a sin against God, I feel proud to being to Islam which proclaimed that principle for the first time in the history of mankind. Not only pro-claimed it, but made it an integral part of the Muslims’ daily life.

It was Islam which explained in most realistic terms the cause of the existence of different tribes and clans and asked man to look into the qualities of soul, not on the color skin.

Chapter 31: On Akhlaq

Once A man asked the Holy Prophet: “What is the best of all actions”? The Holy Prophet replied: “Akhlaq”.

Akhlaq is an Arabic word meaning behavior or character or, more ac-curately, “moral character’. The Holy Prophet himself was praised by Al-lah because he possessed all the virtues and qualities of highest moral character. God said: “Indeed thou art at the highest peak of good manners”.

The Holy Prophet has also said; “You should create within yourselves the Akhlaq (behavior) of Allah”. For example, Allah is merciful: we should be merciful to others. Allah is forgiving; we also should forgive others when they are at fault. Allah treats even his enemies with love and magnanimity, we also should do likewise.

And herein lies the basic difference between an “Akhlaq” based on love of God and the modern “Akhlaq”, based on self-interest. Today na-tions have progressed materially to level which was undreamed of even 50 years ago. Contacts between man and man, and nation and nation, have increased due to trade, industry and commerce. There is exchange of students, scholars and technicians. The size of the earth has been re-duced by modern aircrafts.

Now, motivated by the instinct of self-preservation, nations are trying to evolve international moral codes. But these codes are observed more by violation than by adherence. Why?

The answer in simple words is one and only one. We have built these codes on a wrong foundation. We have tried to build our moral behavior (which requires some “sacrifices”) on self-interest (which allows for no sacrifice). The only way to emancipate mankind from moral bankruptcy is to restore our faith in Allah, and believe in the life hereafter.

Chapter 32: Code of Conduct

“Verily, the religion before God is Islam” (Qur’an, 3 : 19).

Islam has given mankind a perfect code of conduct. Man from every walk of life have been clearly instructed how to perform their duties, how to behave. Islamic law is based on Justice; Islamic ethics, on love and grace.

The most strict rules have been laid down for those who enter the pub-lic life, like judges, governors etc. The Holy Prophet once sent a man as a Qadhi to Southern Arabia. When he came back, he brought many gifts given to him during his stay there. When our Holy Prophet came to know about it, he demanded that all the gifts be brought to him to be distributed among poor. The ex-judge protested that it was his personal Property, as it was given as gifts. The Prophet said: “Had you gone there in your private capacity without any official credential, these gifts would have been your private property. But as long as you were my Qadhi, the things presented to you were not ‘gift’: it was ‘bribe’ to please you so that they might benefit from you.” The man had to return all his “gift”.

This clear cut rule is worth following by all public leaders. Then they would not have to worry how much a Member of Parliament may accept from his “clients”; or how much “expenses” can be spent on pleasure trips.

Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was informed of a dinner attended by the Governor of Basra. He at once wrote him a long letter, some sentences of which are sufficient to show how Islam expects its officers to behave.

“I have been told that a young man of Basra invited you to a dinner and you hurried to it. Fine dishes were brought out for you; luxurious plates were served. I never thought that you would accept a dinner to which only rich were invited, and from which poor were ex-cluded.......See that I, your Imam, am satisfied from his world with two old clothes and two daily bread. I know that you cannot do as I am doing, but at least you should try to help me with your efforts, your fear of God and your behavior; because, by God, I did not collect from this world of yours any gold, nor did I amass any riches....

“Should I remain content that people call me ‘Amir-ul -Mumeneen’ (leader of the faithful) without sharing with them their hardships, without setting for them a model to be followed.......”

Many of his letters to governors and officers show this trend when he exhorts them to live as ordinary men, without erecting barriers between them and the people; to behave in such a way “that big people cannot use you to oppress poor ones, and poor are not discouraged from obtain-ing justice even against the richest and biggest man”.

Chapter 33: Self - Criticism

In Islamic terminology, one aspect of human soul is called “Lawwamah’ (self-reproaching spirit). It is one of the surest means of perfecting one’s character and behavior. As Hadhrat Ali (A.S.) said: “Check your account (of deeds) before you are called to render it (after death, in presence of God)”. We must check our account and make up the shortcoming before it is too late.

Realistic self-evaluation and self-criticism are essential for the develop-ment of the soul. Only in this way can we save our self from being a prey of conceit and pride. Before we go to sleep we must relive the whole day, seeing whether our behavior was up to the required standard of spiritual perfection. If we detect any slip, any wrong or any impurity, we must firmly resolve to amend it at once and repent sincerely.

If we cultivate this habit of continuous self-criticism, we will progress, in no time at all, towards that stage of spiritual perfection which is called in Islam ‘Mutma’innah’ when a soul rest and satisfaction by grace of Al-lah. But this self-criticism must begin before our vision has blurred, be-fore evil makes a slave of our soul. Otherwise, we will fail to recognize the evil when we see it.

When a murderer justifies (nay, really feels justified in) his crime; when a robber thinks that, by his action, he is rectifying the imbalanced of the society, then only a special grace of God can save him from plunging into the lowest Hell of disgrace.

Unfortunately, modern society is heading blindly towards that same degradation. Social thinkers spend their whole energy in inventing new excuses for law-breakers. Stealing is white-washed by the impressive name of ‘kleptomania’; sex-perversion and dirty habits are explained away as “just a protest against society”. Criminals are afforded more protection in law than their helpless victims, under the disguise of ‘liberty of the individual’. And the real tragedy is that all of it is done in the name of ‘progress’.

Is the ‘conscience’ of modern nations merely stunned?

Or, really dead?

Chapter 34: On Righteousness

“Righteousness is not just to turn your faces towards the East or the West (in prayers). But the true righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book (Qur’an) and the prophets; and gives his wealth, for love of Allah, to the kindred and the orphan and the poor and the traveler and to those who ask (for help), and for ransoming the captives;” (Qur’an 2: 178).

Just to observe some external rites is not Islam. True faith and good ac-tions are the primary requisite of a Muslim. Faith is the seed which gives birth to good deeds; and if the faith does not create an urge in us to per-form noble deeds, our faith is dormant, and we must try to awaken it by conscious efforts.

If a Muslim does not help needy persons, if he does not bestow love and kindness upon the orphans, if he turns out the people who are in need of assistance, then his claim of righteousness is just a claim and nothing more.

Often we have seen our kith and kin in distress; several times we have been approached by stranded travelers seeking shelter and food; daily we hear the cries of starving persons in famine-stricken areas; so many times we have looked upon a child whose very countenance was a monument of affliction and hardship. What has been our usual reaction in these circumstances? Have we parted with some of the wealth to help the poor fellows. And have we done it with kindness and a sense of grat-itude? And above all, have we done it “For love of Allah”? Let us search our soul!

The above-mentioned Ayat of Qur’an exhorts us to have faith, and to support that faith by charity and good deeds, based upon ‘Love of Allah’: We should realize that the fellow human-beings are in the eyes of Islam, dependents of Allah’, and that our wealth is, in fact, a property of Allah, given to us in trust. When we help our fellow brethren, we should remember that we are giving the property of God to the dependents of God. It should be based upon love of Allah, without any shade of worldly motives. A secret desire to enhance our social prestige by a char-ity destroys the fiber of that charity. A help given with a motive to gain political advantage is a body without soul.

Alas, how many good actions are ruined by unworthy motives!

Have faith, bestow charity; and bestow it ‘For Love of Allah’, That is the basic teaching of Islam.

Chapter 35: Justice & Generosity

“Verily, God commands (you) to do justice and be generous.. ” (Qur’an Chapter 16, Verse 90).

Islamic code of conduct is based on justice and love in every sphere of life. For example, it commands the trade to “give full measure and weight”. It is justice. Then it exhorts him to give more than the agreed quantity while, side by side, the buyer is encouraged to try to take less than that. It is love. In this atmosphere, friction and litigation are things unimaginable.

Another example: Islam prohibits hoarding food grain when there is a shortage in the market. It is justice, and it rules out that possibility of ar-tificial famine and black market which are the cause of our present day society. But our religious leaders have gone further, setting the example of Islamic love and sympathy.

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (A.S.) used to purchase his one year’s require-ment of food grains at the beginning of the year. Once there was a danger of famine in Madina. He asked his men how much grain was left in his store. They assured him that there was enough to suffice for long time. Hearing it, he ordered them to take out all that grain and sell it at once at a much cheaper price. They protested that his family would have to suffer from the famine if the grain was sold out. Imam replied: “Let us alleviate the present calamity as much as we can. Afterwards, we will be just one of the public, sharing with them the hardships of the famine. We shall eat when they will eat; we will be hungry when they will be hungry”. This was the love. And what is our behavior these days? Fam-ine conditions are created artificially to raise the prices. Such people liter-ally feast on the dead-bodies of the poor. The present day economy of the world, which is based on un-Islamic principles, encourages human greed instead of suppressing it. Islamic love and sympathy have no room in the structure of today’s commerce and industry.

The people are taught from the childhood the God-less theory of the struggle for self-preservation and the survival of the fittest. Everybody is made to believe that his survival depends, not on co-operation with oth-ers, but on killing the weaklings. In this background, the strives and con-flicts are inevitable.

This way of life, which denies the authority of God in our daily life, of-fers no solution to the sufferings of our times. The only refuge is in the precincts of Islam which accepts the authority of God in every Sphere of our life, be it material of spiritual.

Chapter 36: Essence of Ethics

“Verily, God commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin; and He forbids all shameful deeds and injustice and rebellion”. - (Qur’an: 16: 90).

This ‘Ayat’ of the Holy Qur’an has been truly acclaimed by the com-mentators as the ‘essence of ethics”. The basic requirement of human character is “justice”. It is a comprehensive term which includes all vir-tues of philosophy. But to raise himself higher than this lowest rung of the ladder, a man needs something warmer and more humane - doing of good deeds even where they are not demanded by justice, returning good for evil, being kind to those who (in worldly language) have no claim on him.

After exhorting to be generous to all special mention has been made of those whose claims are recognized in social life: your kith and kin. This includes all moral and ethical, as well as legal and obligatory; duties of a man towards his family and relatives. It ensures a good society by ensur-ing a good family.

And the opposites, the evils, are to be avoided, because a cup of honey becomes poisonous if a few drops of poison are mixed with it. A man is to refrain from “shameful deeds”, and injustice. In Islam, end does not justify the means. A just and good and must be reached through just and good means. Therefore, it was necessary to warm mankind of all shame-ful acts, unjust means.

And last, but not least, man is to guard himself against rebellion - re-bellion against God, rebellion against good conscience. Some people say: “It is a very high standard; a very distant goal”. And then they decide that distance is a good excuse to abandon the path.

This attitude is the result of the weakness of their spirit. Ironically, the spirit can be strengthened by pursuing the right path only. If you want to go from Dar-es-Salaam to Londonyou have to make a start, otherwise you will never reach there. So, if you are to achieve perfection of charac-ter, you have to start the spiritual journey - in right direction. Distance of goals is not an excuse to sit idle on the road-side: rather, it is a challenge.

Chapter 37: On Pride

“He (Satan) refused (to obey God) and was proud...” (Qur’an, Chapter 2, verse 34):

Pride, greed and envy are the three basic evils which are the founda-tion of all sins and crimes in this world. All three were clearly demon-strated in the very beginning of mankind when Satan refused to bow down before Adam and arrogantly declared that he was better than Adam. It was ‘pride’ which led to disobedience of God. Eve, owing to her greed, was persuaded by Satan that eating from the ‘forbidden tree’ would be in her benefit. That also led to the disobedience of God. Cain became envious of his brother Abel and killed him. Envy led to the capit-al sin and crime. It is for the sake of these moral lessons that this story has been repeated several times in the Qur’an.

Pride is one of the most condemned sins in Islam. Four verses of the Qur’an clearly state that Hall is the abode of proud persons. The Holy Prophet has said: “Allah says, greatness is My prerogative, and whoever tries to share it with me (becomes proud) I will put him in Hell”.

Islam has framed its code of life in such a way that pride is crushed continuously. Take for example the rules of salutation. It has been stressed that you should be the first in saying ‘Asalamu alaikum’. Do not wait for others to salute you. And it makes no difference whether the other party is older or younger than you or equal to you in age. Not only this code, but the reason given for it also is a sure remedy of pride. It has been explained in this way. If the other party is older than you, you must salute him, because owing to his longer stay in this world, he has got more chances of good deed than you have; if he is younger than you, you must salute him, because owing to his shorter stay in this world, he has got less chances of evil -deed and sins than you have; if he is your contemporary, remember that you know your own, but not his, vices and sins: therefore you must be the first to begin Salaam to everyone without any distinction of age or rank.

Prayers in the mosques are another example of crushing the pride. There are no reserved seats. Whoever comes first, sits nearer to the priest. A pauper stands in the first line, a millionaire stands behind him: and in prostration the feet of the pauper touch the head of the million-aire, reminding him that in the presence of God it is piety which counts, not the coins.

Pilgrimage to Mecca is another reminder of this lesson. Poor and rich, great and small, ruler and ruled, all are dressed alike, with shaven heads and nearly bare feet, and perform all the functions of Hajj side by side.

Thus minds are dense constantly of ‘pride’, one of the fundamental evils.