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 \u2019Islam\u2019s spiritual ambassador to the world\u2019 and is recognised as one of its most influential Muslims1 . 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.<\/p>\n
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UNGODLY ACTIVITIES IN THE NAME OF GOD<\/strong><\/p>\n Paris Attacks\u2014highly condemnable<\/p>\n ON November 13, 2015, six coordinated terrorist attacks occurred in and around Paris. Armed gunmen engaged in mass shooting and suicide bombing at several public places including\u00a0 a concert hall, cafes and restaurants. According to reports, a total of 129 people were killed and over 300 injured. The deadliest attack was at the Bataclan theatre, where about 90 people were shot at by men wielding AK-47 assault rifles. A witness to the shootings at the theatre said that the terrorists shouted \u2018Allahu Akbar\u2019 (God is great) before opening fire. These self-styled mujahideen were practically saying, \u2018Violence is great\u2019, but used \u2018God is great\u2019 as their slogan. This incident reminded me of a saying of the Prophet of Islam, who once said to his Companions that a day would come when Muslims would commit unlawful acts. His Companions asked with surprise how this would happen. He replied: \u2018They would give it a name other than its real name and thus make it lawful.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n The present-day violence in the name of jihad is a clear example of the above Hadith. These so-called mujahideen have given their acts of\u00a0violence the name of \u2018jihad\u2019 and are thus engaged in perpetrating terror. This kind of violence can be termed \u2018justified violence\u2019. Since these people have sought justification for their violence, their conscience does not refrain them from killing others. Taking the lives of innocent people is an act for which there is no excuse whatsoever. Committing such an act in the name of God only aggravates the heinous nature of the crime. Those who perpetrate such acts have no relation whatsoever with Islam. To those who\u2014based on such incidents\u2014form an opinion that Islam is a religion of violence, I will say that Islam should not be judged by the acts of Muslims. Islam should be judged through its scripture and not through the practice of Muslims.<\/p>\n According to the Quran, killing of a human being is the worst act in God\u2019s eyes. The Quran states that killing one person is like killing all of humankind. (5: 32) This verse certainly applies to people who went on a killing rampage in Paris. Those engaged in this self-justified violence should know that no self-styled justification can make an unlawful act lawful.<\/p>\n Taking the lives of innocent people is an act for which there is no excuse whatsoever.<\/strong> How could we banish violence and terror from our lives? UNESCO has adopted the dictum: \u2018Violence begins from the mind.\u2019 Therefore any effort to meet this challenge needs to begin in our minds. We have to dispel from the minds of terrorists, the ideology they have adopted.<\/p>\n The Quran gives us an example. Before the revelation of the Quran, Arabs were continually engaged in warfare. The Quran offered them a message of peace, which reengineered their minds, and they became peaceful as a result. Reference to this incident has been given in a verse of the Quran. (3: 103)<\/p>\n In modern history, we find an example of this nature in Japan. Before the Second World War, the Japanese people had adopted the violent method to achieve their goal. One of the methods used was known as hara-kiri, a form of suicide attack. However, after World War II educated people of Japan rose up to guide people towards the path of peace by giving up violent means. Thus Japan emerged as a peaceful country. This miracle occurred by way of dissemination of peaceful ideas\u00a0through literature and several public speeches and broadcasts. It helped bring about a transformation in the mindset of the Japanese people and as a result Japan became a peaceful nation.<\/p>\n This tested method has to be applied to those who have today taken to violence. God has blessed each one of us with the same nature. Just as it was possible to address the nature of the Japanese people, it is also possible to address the nature of present-day terrorists.\u00a0<\/p>\n Any individual or group having a target can succeed<\/strong> We have to work for this cause at two levels: first, we have to condemn violence in unequivocal terms. We must tell the perpetrators of such acts that their actions go against both Islam and reason. No positive result is going to come out of it. On the other hand, we must present the peaceful teachings of the Quran to those who are under the influence of violence. For example, the Prophet once said: \u2018God grants to peace what He does not grant to violence.\u2019 (Sahih Muslim). Similarly, we must inform them of past events which clearly point out that violence has only carved out a history of death and destruction.\u00a0<\/p>\n All relevant facts go to show that war and violence are not options before us. Any individual or group having a target can succeed in achieving it only by following the peaceful course of action. No positive goal has ever been attained through violence. o<\/p>\n Maulana Wahiduddin Khan<\/strong> Best Way of Settlement<\/strong> [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE TRUTH” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Realization of God<\/em><\/p>\n GOD manifests Himself on earth through truth. Disbelief in the truth is disbelief in God. There is no greater crime than to refuse to accept the truth after it has been made plain. Truth emanates from God, so whoever rejects it is, in fact, rejecting God.<\/p>\n There is nothing strange about the truth. It is inherent to human nature, yet people fail to accept it. This is because they are psychologically inhibited from doing so. Acceptance of the truth might disrupt their materialistic life-pattern. They might have to lower their worldly status. If the truth is presented by some insignificant person against whom they are prejudiced, they are reluctant to acknowledge it. Psychological barriers such as these dominate their minds preventing straight thinking. They reject matters, which a little honest thought would surely have led them to accept as the truth.<\/p>\n Since man is being tested in this world,God does not<\/strong> Since man is being tested in this world, God does not make Himself manifest in visible form; He appears in the form of truth. Man must recognize God as enshrined in truth and bow down before it. When truth appears on earth, it is as if God has appeared in all His majesty. Rejecting truth on the grounds of prejudice, pride or expediency, is to reject God Himself. It is a failure to recognize God in the truth. It is equivalent to placing yourself above God and giving precedence to your own petty requirements. God will have scant regard for such people on the Day of Judgement and, whomsoever God scorns will find no refuge on earth or in heaven. They will wander helplessly, forever abject and forlorn. o<\/p>\n Start with Opportunities<\/strong> [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”INTELLECTUAL FOG” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Clear Your Vision<\/em><\/p>\n PARTS of northern India get very cold in winter, resulting in thick fog. Trains get held up in the fog or move very slowly. To solve this problem, the Indian Railways has developed a \u2018fog-safe device\u2019 and plans to equip more than 2,000 trains with the device. These portable GPS driven anti-fog or fog-safe devices will track in real time the location of the next signal on the train\u2019s route. It lets the driver know exactly how many metres away he is from the signal. This device now enables trains to be driven at high speeds even in dense fog and ensures they reach their destination safely.<\/p>\n While this anti-fog device relates to material fog, there is also something that can be called \u2018intellectual fog\u2019 that hampers intellectual development. In ancient times, the means of acquiring knowledge were limited. With the prevalence of print and electronic media it has become very simple to acquire knowledge. People express themselves\u2014 through writing and speech and with new forms of communications and media, the volume and exchange of such expression have increased enormously. The internet has made it very easy to access information on any subject. \u00a0<\/p>\n The information overload has only resulted<\/strong> But there is a problem with this information overload. Despite access to a wealth of material on any subject, many are unable to decipher a clear understanding of the matter. The information overload has only resulted in a jungle of confusion for them and it is easy to be trapped in this \u2018intellectual fog\u2019. One\u2019s thoughts and actions will then get determined by the \u2018thick fog\u2019 that surrounds them.<\/p>\n How do you keep yourself safe from this fog? How do you maintain right thinking in the midst of such intellectual darkness?<\/p>\n The \u2018fog-safe device\u2019 that trains use illustrates a solution to this problem. We need to have our own \u2018intellectual fog-safe device\u2019. This device is an internally prepared mind trained in the art of differentiation.\u00a0<\/p>\n How does this device work?<\/p>\n One should develop the capacity to put aside all unrelated matter and extract only information relevant to the subject. This technique could be\u00a0<\/p>\n Eliminating the irrelevant from the relevant is critical for success.<\/strong><\/p>\n called the principle of elimination. Eliminating the irrelevant from the relevant is critical for success. This ensures that our thinking remains untouched by the intellectual fog that is present all around us. In line with the laws of nature, this external fog will never end. All we can do is to develop the skills to stay safe from its negative effects and proceed on our intellectual journey, just as the train moves ahead and reaches its destination in spite of the fog. o<\/p>\n Intellectual Boost<\/strong><\/p>\n Living in worry or stopping your thinking process is not the solution. Making your Critic Speechless<\/strong><\/p>\n When provoked by a critical remark, you generally react. [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is a complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion for both-man and the universe. It is the master-key that opens the doors to every success. Peace creates a favourable atmosphere for success in every endeavour. Without peace, no positive action\u2014small or big\u2014is possible.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n SCHOLARS have defined peace thus: \u201cPeace is the absence of war.\u201d This definition is absolutely correct. Peace in fact means the absence of a situation of war or violence.<\/p>\n However, some hold this definition of peace to be inadequate. They say that justice should accompany peace; that peace devoid of justice is no peace. But setting such a condition for the attainment of peace is impractical. Peace on its own does not bring justice. Justice is not necessarily an element of peace. Peace in actual fact, opens up opportunities. It creates favourable conditions to strive for justice and other constructive ends. Peace is always desirable for its own sake. Everything else comes after peace, not along with peace. The case of Japan is a concrete example of the success of this formula.<\/p>\n Peace on its own does not bring justice.<\/strong> A peace policy always serves as a peace \u2018bomb\u2019, in the sense that it conquers the enemy without any bloodshed. History shows that the peace bomb has always proved to be mightier than the violence bomb.<\/p>\n A peace \u2018bomb\u2019 means life and progress, whereas a violence bomb means death and destruction. Peace enhances creativity, whereas violence does the very opposite. The power of a peace \u2018bomb\u2019 is based on love, while that of a violence bomb is based on hatred.<\/p>\n According to Islam, peace is therefore not just an absence of war; peace opens doors to several different opportunities that are present in any given situation. Planned activities are possible only in a peaceful situation. It is for this reason that the Prophet Muhammad went to great extents to establish peace. The Treaty of Hudaybiya, between the Prophet and his opponents, provides one such clear example. Details of the peace treaty show that no clause regarding justice was included. Instead the conditions of this treaty were quite against justice. But the Prophet accepted this treaty not because it gave them justice, but because it paved the way to work for justice. It is for this reason that the Quran says \u2018reconciliation is the best\u2019 (4: 128).<\/p>\n According to Islam, the only practicable formula for obtaining peace is:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Ignore the problems, avail the opportunities.\u2019<\/p>\n Given the importance of peace, the Quran has clearly declared that there can be no aggressive war in Islam. Muslims can engage themselves only in a defensive, not in an offensive war, irrespective of the circumstances (2: 190).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Peace in actual fact, opens up opportunities and creates favourable Similarly the Prophet Muhammad has observed: \u201cGod grants to gentleness (rifq) what He does not grant to violence (unf)\u201d. (Sunan Abu Dawud)<\/p>\n The Quran describes the Prophet\u2019s mission thus: We have not sent you forth but as a mercy to mankind. (21: 107)<\/p>\n No wonder, the Prophet Muhammad so earnestly used to entreat his Lord in his daily prayer: \u201cO God, You are the original source of Peace; from You is all Peace, and to You returns all Peace. So, make us live with Peace; and let us enter Paradise: the House of Peace. Blessed be You, our Lord, to whom belongs all Majesty and Honour!\u201d<\/p>\n A Counter Ideology<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n There is no doubt about the fact that the terror attacks worldwide are highly condemnable. However, the big question in the minds of everyone is, how to solve this problem? People the world over are trying to find a solution to this menace. Even as authorities are trying to crush terrorism through legal action, reformers are trying to curb it by engaging in condemnation. However both of these methods have apparently proved ineffective.\u00a0<\/p>\n The present problem of terrorism is based on an ideology, and an ideology cannot be countered through legal action or by mere condemnation. We have to develop a counter-ideology to overcome it.<\/p>\n UNESCO states that \u2018Violence begins from the mind\u2019, it has to, therefore, be uprooted from the mind itself. This succinctly captures the root cause of terrorism. To eliminate this root cause, we need to initiate our efforts by beginning from the right starting point\u2014that is, re-engineering the minds of individuals by taking them away from the culture of violence and bringing them closer to the culture of peace.<\/p>\n To understand this, let us take two parallel examples from history. The American campaign against Communist Russia and the American campaign against Saddam-led Iraq. Where the US succeeded in curbing the menace of Communist Russia, the same US failed to cope with the menace of Saddam-led Iraq. This is because America met the communist challenge at an ideological level while it opted for military action against Saddam\u2019s Iraq.<\/p>\n Terrorism will persist in one form or another until the ideology of violence is countered with another ideology based on peace.<\/p>\n Ideology of Violence<\/strong><\/p>\n The ideology behind present day terrorism is that, Islam being a political system, it is the duty of all Muslims to establish Islamic rule in the world. This thinking was not prevalent during the time of Prophet Muhammad. It is a later innovation developed in the last few centuries by a handful of people. Having become widespread in the Muslim world today, it has led to the current violence. It has influenced many Muslims, especially the vulnerable youth. They have become obsessed with establishing the political rule of Islam, thinking it to be their ticket to Paradise. Failing to achieve this objective by peaceful methods, they resort to suicide bombing. The idea being that if we cannot eliminate the non-Islamic rule, then let us at least de-stabilize it and pave the way for Islamic rule.<\/p>\n The political interpretation of Islam is an<\/strong> Having studied Islam through its original sources\u2014the Quran and Hadith\u2014 it can be said with certainty that this political interpretation of Islam is an innovation and the real Islam is based upon peace, compassion and tolerance.<\/p>\n Ideology of Peace<\/strong><\/p>\n Peace is not prevalent in the world as people the world over are acting intolerantly and indulging in acts of violence, saying, \u201cGive us justice and peace will ensue.\u201d But when people, ostensibly seeking justice, stoop to violence, peace can never prevail. Peace is always desirable for its own sake, and every other desirable state comes after peace, not along with it. When peace is the desired state, the maxim to be followed is: Ignore the problems, and avail the opportunities.<\/p>\n Once people become tolerant and obtain peace for its own sake, it opens up opportunities to strive for their ideals. Eventually this leads to justice and other constructive ends.<\/p>\n Peace is always desirable for its own sake, and<\/strong> This ideology of peace can counter the ideology of violence and is based on the original sources of Islam. The Prophet of Islam provides a great historical example in his negotiation of the Hudaybiya peace treaty by unilaterally accepting all the opponents\u2019 conditions. While not receiving justice or rights, he gained a 10-year no-war pact. This gave him and his Companions an opportunity to work uninterruptedly on a constructive program. Using this peaceful non-political program, they were able to consolidate themselves so thoroughly that without waging war they acquired Makkah peacefully.<\/p>\n This example shows that Islam is a truly peaceful religion and the Islamic method is a completely peaceful method.<\/p>\n What can be done?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n What can be done in the present alarming situation? What is the practical solution to the present state of affairs? There are two parts to the solution. Half the solution depends on the work of government agencies, with the remaining left to non-governmental organizations.<\/p>\n In every country, there are strict laws to curb violence and terrorism, but are of no avail unless enforced by governmental agencies. All those elements involved in heinous acts of terrorism must be punished in a fitting manner.<\/p>\n The second half of the task pertains to the re-engineering of the minds. This task has to be undertaken by non-government agencies. An entirely peaceful task, the re-engineering of people\u2019s minds can be achieved\u00a0only through education and positive training, which naturally includes a counter-ideology to violence. Once this is done, the ultimate peaceful result will be achieved through the combined efforts of both governments and reformers.<\/p>\n An ideology cannot be countered through legal action or by<\/strong> The common man in every community has a major role in this process. First is not to believe in rumors. One should not believe anything however genuine it sounds, until thoroughly enquired. This will remove misunderstandings prevalent on both sides. Historically, it is misunderstandings that have always led to violence and war.<\/p>\n In Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n The ideology of peace in Islam banishes the notion that there can be anything acceptable about terrorism. Islam is a religion unequivocally committed to peace and the Islamic method is equally so. By following the ideology of peace, each individual\u2019s mind can be re-engineered, away from the culture of violence and closer to the culture of peace. o<\/p>\n No Complaints<\/strong><\/p>\n Complaining about things is a fruitless exercise. [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”POWER OF AN INDIVIDUAL” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The Beginning of Reformation<\/em><\/p>\n GUSTAVE LE BON\u00a0 (1841\u20131931), a\u00a0 French\u00a0 social psychologist, best known for his 1895 work\u00a0The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind,\u00a0observes that:<\/p>\n \u201cCivilisations as yet have only been created and directed by a small intellectual aristocracy, never by crowds. Crowds are only powerful for destruction. Their rule is always tantamount to a barbarian phase.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The right way to bring about a revolution is through individual effort, not crowd-based effort. A true reformer must adopt a low-profile approach; a microscopic way of thinking. He should first train individuals and form a team of selected people before trying to bring about change in society or the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n This method was successfully adopted by the Fabian Society of England, founded in 1884. The society laid the foundations of the\u00a0 Labour Party\u00a0and subsequently affected the policies of states emerging from the\u00a0decolonization\u00a0of the\u00a0British Empire.<\/p>\n The right way to bring about a revolution is through individual effort, not crowd-based effort.<\/strong><\/p>\n Several great minds such as George Bernard Shaw were involved with the Fabian Society. They trained the British people on lines that were rather unpopular during the post-war period. Although the British had emerged victorious from World War II, the Fabian Society recommended decolonization. This was against the grain of popular thinking. However, a literary campaign by the Fabian Society proved successful in the post-war elections when the British people rejected Winston Churchill and elected Lord Clement Attlee who was never in favour of colonization while Churchill was known to be strongly against the policy of decolonization. This decision at that critical juncture saved the British nation and helped maintain their dignity in the post-colonial era.<\/p>\n We can understand from the above examples that whatever one wants to accomplish at a mass level, one has to adopt the method of addressing individual minds. Even if one feels there is dearth of time to do this type of work, one should not be tempted in trying to reach out to multitudes, for in terms of results one person who is sincere and serious and understands the importance of the mission is better than a thousand half-hearted volunteers. o<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”LESSONS FROM JESUS CHRIST” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Prophet of God<\/em><\/p>\n WE find from the Quran and Hadith that a large number of God\u2019s messengers were sent to different nations and regions. The majority of these prophets are unknown from the historical point of view. It is because the books written by the contemporaries of the messengers make no mention of them or their work. To these chroniclers the prophets and the incidents connected with them were not worthy of being mentioned.\u00a0<\/p>\n Without doubt, the prophets are examples of the loftiest human character. But because of the unscientific methods of history-writing which prevailed in their times, only events connected with kings, royalty and generals were considered worthy of being recorded, thus depriving posterity of the precious details of the lives of the prophets. The Quran opened this chapter for the first time in history.\u00a0<\/p>\n God has instructed us not to differentiate between the But to what end? It might seem that a recital of the facts relating to the life and mission of the Prophet of Islam would have sufficed. But there was a very good reason for making frequent mention of these prophets individually, and also testifying to their having received God\u2019s guidance, a blessing which exalted them above all other creatures. It was so that the Prophet of Islam and his ummah (followers) might learn valuable lessons from the ways in which these prophets dealt with their circumstances and the situations in which they found themselves.<\/p>\n In the Quran(6:90), the Prophet of Islam is thus addressed:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018These are whom God guided aright, so follow their guidance.’\u00a0<\/p>\n Every one of them was an upright man guided by God along a straight path and as such was superior to all others. Chapter 6 mentions a number of these prophets by name. They are: Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaaq (Issac), Yaqub (Jacob), Nuh (Noah), Dawood (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Ayyub (Job), Yusuf (Joseph), Musa (Moses), Haroon (Aaron), Zakariya, Isa (Jesus), Ismail (Ishmael), Yahya (John the Baptist), Yunus (Jonah), and Lut (Lot).\u00a0<\/p>\n God has also instructed us not to differentiate between the prophets as they essentially brought the same message to mankind. (THE QURAN 2: 285).<\/p>\n Prophet Muhammad was instructed by God to follow the guidance of the Prophets before him. By extension, all the followers of Prophet Muhammad must also seek guidance from the lives of the other prophets. By this, it is meant that each one of us must evaluate the situation he faces and then whilst examining the lives of other prophets, determine in which prophet he can find a similar example. His response to the situation should be the same as that of the prophets in whose example he found the similarity.<\/p>\n Prophet Muhammad was instructed by God to follow the guidance of the Prophets before him. By extension, all the<\/strong> For example, from Prophet Abraham we can learn what should be our behaviour towards unbelieving parents. ‘If your parents are unbelievers, obey them until doing so contradicts God\u2019s commands. Give them the message of God in a gentle, kind hearted and reasonable manner, but if they choose to disbelieve, do not force them’.<\/p>\n Prophet Ismail\u2019s example shows us what should be our behaviour towards believing parents. ‘Follow your parents and seek guidance from them. Assist them in their work.’\u00a0<\/p>\n The lesson from Prophet Yusuf\u2019s example however is: ‘Do not stand against the rulers and confront them in the political field. Accept their position and avail of the opportunities that arise in other non-political spheres.’\u00a0<\/p>\n LESSONS FROM JESUS CHRIST<\/strong><\/p>\n The Quran repeatedly mentions Christ. In Jesus\u2019 life we have many lessons of guidance. Some of these lessons are presented below:<\/p>\n Unilateral Good Character:<\/strong><\/p>\n Jesus Christ says:<\/p>\n \u2018\u2018But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you\u201d. (Luke 6: 27-30).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The same teaching is echoed in the Quran:<\/p>\n And good deeds and evil deeds are not alike. Repel evil with good and he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend. (41: 34)<\/p>\n This is a practical code of conduct for us in society that shows us the way to live in peace and harmony.<\/p>\n Duty Consciousness<\/strong><\/p>\n The people asked Jesus what they should do under the oppression of the Romans ruling over them. He said:\u00a0<\/p>\n Give to king what is due to the king. And give to God what is due to God.\u00a0<\/p>\n This was in the time when there were kings and people were subjects. If the kings want wealth or taxes, give it to them and then you are free and at peace to do whatever you want.<\/p>\n This is the same situation with us now days; if we give to the government whatever is our obligation to them\u2014taxes and abide by the law, then we can do whatever we want in the countless other fields.<\/p>\n A similar Hadith (sayings of the Prophet of Islam) from Bukhari:\u00a0<\/p>\n Give the ruler his rights. Ask for your rights from God.\u00a0<\/p>\n Peace under all circumstances<\/strong><\/p>\n Similarly Jesus says:\u00a0<\/p>\n To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods, do not ask them back.<\/p>\n According to the Quran: \u2018Reconciliation is the best\u2019 (4: 128).\u00a0<\/p>\n This message of peace preached by all the messengers of God is the answer to the mindless violence that we witness throughout the world in the present day. o<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”A GOOD START” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Pomposity or Austerity<\/em><\/p>\n HERE are my entire life\u2019s savings. So saying, an elderly scholar, who had spent his whole life reading and writing, in the utmost simplicity placed a cheque for Rs. 10,000\/- in the hands of his newly wed daughter and son-in-law. He explained that he had been able to save this amount of his meagre income by living frugally and never wasting anything. \u201cI could have spent all this on lavish wedding celebrations,\u201d he added, \u201cbut I preferred to hand it over to you young people so that you could make a good beginning in life.\u201d<\/p>\n The millions of rupees which are habitually lavished on short-lived<\/strong> The young couple were extremely grateful for this decision and lost no time in investing the money in a small business. To begin with they had to work very hard to make a success of it, and passed through various difficult stages. But they never lost courage, and a time eventually came when they had considerably increased their profits and were able to live a happy, comfortable life. Knowing, too, that their children\u2019s future was assured. But without the scholar\u2019s initial providence, foresight and courage in resisting public opinion, they might never have had the wherewithal to make a start in life at all and might well have ended their days in penury.<\/p>\n One\u2019s wedding is a very serious event in life, not just an occasion for senseless showing off. It is rather a day to shoulder life\u2019s responsibilities as mature, grown-up people and future parents. It is a day for a man and a woman to enter into a \u2018firm contract\u2019 (Quran 4:21), not just an opportunity to impress friends, neighbours and relatives with one\u2019s spending ability. It is at all events advisable that the marriage ceremony should be simple and straightforward, thereby avoiding pointless expenditure. Before anyone spends his entire life\u2019s savings, on gaudy displays\u2014for money, after all is hard earned and difficult to accumulate\u2014he should reflect seriously on the above-mentioned incident.\u00a0<\/p>\n All things considered, would it not be better to avoid ostentation altogether and to think of how best one can help the young couple\u00a0concerned? If this practice were to be widely adopted, it would not only benefit young people in general, but would actually make a positive contribution to national construction. The millions of rupees which are habitually lavished on short-lived magnificence could then be channelized into areas of the national economy which are at present unfairly neglected, thus creating favourable conditions for general economic uplift. o<\/p>\n Psychology of Success<\/strong><\/p>\n The conviction that one\u2019s goals are worthwhile, the observation Difference<\/strong><\/p>\n If one is unmindful of God, one will react in whatever manner one\u2019s desires and [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”IDLENESS” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n An Evil Breeding Evils<\/em><\/p>\n THE second Caliph, Umar ibn Khattab, often used to express his sense of disillusionment about people he had come to like, when, on further acquaintance with them he discovered them to be idle. \u201cOn learning that he does not work, he appears to me of no value (he has debased himself in my eyes).\u201d<\/p>\n Whichever way you look at idleness, there is no gainsaying the fact that it is a great evil, causing one to fritter away one\u2019s best talents and leaving one unqualified to face life. A student who is too lazy to study cannot ever hope to acquire knowledge, or have his critical faculties sharpened in any way, and his failure in examinations will leave him without the \u2018paper\u2019 qualifications which is the \u2018open sesame\u2019 to good jobs. Without the necessary ground work, he will find himself leading a vacant existence simply drifting from pillar to post. Even people who have managed to qualify themselves suitably cannot afford to rest on their laurels. When the period of education is over, it is equally necessary to be consistently hard-working. Many make the excuse between the receipt of a degree and entry into a profession that they are waiting for the right job to come along. But one cannot go on waiting forever, simply idling away one\u2019s time.\u00a0<\/p>\n A person with no sense of commitment is only living on the<\/strong> Sometimes one inadvertently slips into idle ways because there are no economic pressures in one\u2019s life. Those who inherit legacies, or have property or investments which bring them some return are an easy prey to idleness. But this is no existence for a human being. Anyone who allows the poison of idleness to creep into his system might as well be dead.<\/p>\n One must opt for a regular job, which brings one a suitable income and keeps one mentally healthy. This ensures that one never becomes a financial or emotional burden on anyone else. If one is financially independent, one should turn one\u2019s attention to higher things, pursue noble ends, serve worthy causes and keep oneself fruitfully occupied day in and day out. A person with no sense of commitment is only living on the fringes of existence. He is out of touch with reality and will soon\u00a0lapse into utter degeneracy. No really superior being has ever been found among the ranks of the idle.<\/p>\n As the old saying goes, the Devil finds work for idle hands. o<\/p>\n Benefit of Patience<\/strong><\/p>\n The benefit of patience and tolerance is that even after suffering losses, Accepting Defeat<\/strong><\/p>\n The great secret of life is realism, and there is no form of realism greater <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”ON DEATH\u2019S DOORSTEP” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n A Step Into The Hereafter<\/em><\/p>\n OF all the stages through which man shall have to pass, death is the most certain. It is possible for one not to be endowed with life at all, but one who is alive is sure, also, to die. Everyone who is alive now will be dead sometime in the future. One day the eyes of those who see will fade and their tongues will freeze into silence. Every human being will one day find himself standing at death\u2019s doorstep, with this world behind him, and ahead of him the eternal world of the Hereafter. He will be leaving this world, never to return, and entering a world which he will never leave. In the world which he is entering, there will be no opportunity for action; there will be only salvation or damnation in accordance with one\u2019s actions on earth.<\/p>\n While life is indefinite, death is absolutely definite. We are only alive because we have not yet died, and there is no fixed time for death. We are forever advancing towards it; death is closer to us than life itself; People consider themselves alive, but it would be truer to say that they are dead. No one can be sure when death will come; it might strike at any instant. Death, then, is not some future event; we are already as good as dead. For this reason the Prophet Mohammad has told us to think of ourselves as lying in the grave.\u00a0<\/p>\n Death obliterates all in its wake. It is the most tremendous event of our lives. But the prospect would not be so formidable if death were just the end of life. If all that death meant was the end of man\u2014the moving, seeing, hearing being who lives on earth\u2014then it would still be an event of frightful proportions; but it would be a temporary calamity not a permanent one.\u00a0<\/p>\n Death obliterates all in its wake. It is the most tremendous event of our lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n The gravity of the situation lies in death not being the end of life, but rather the beginning of a new, eternal life, a world of everlasting reward or retribution.<\/p>\n Everyone is on a journey from life unto death. Some have set their sights on the world, others on the Hereafter. Some dwell on what meets the eye, others on what lies beyond the superficiality of human vision. Some strive to satisfy their own desires and egos, while others bestir themselves in love and fear of God. Both types of people appear the same in this\u00a0<\/p>\n While life is indefinite, death is absolutely definite.<\/strong><\/p>\n world: they both take rest when night comes, and in the morning once again pursue their chosen paths in life. But in relation to the life after death, there is a world of difference between the two: those who live in God and the Hereafter are redeeming themselves, while those who live in worldly pleasures and selfish desires are condemning themselves to eternal punishment. o<\/p>\n Positive Thinking<\/strong><\/p>\n In moments of crisis, when you opt for the way of peace, [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n 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. \u2014\u00a0<\/span>Maulana Wahiduddin Khan<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n MAN is never satisfied with what he has; he always seeks more. As a result, he is perpetually discontented. God has favoured everyone in some way or another, but man is more concerned with what he does not have, and pays scant regard to what he has. People with this attitude cannot be moved to offer thanks to God. They lack that priceless virtue which is essential for admission into Paradise.<\/p>\n No one can be absolutely happy on earth. That is the way the world has been made. If cold climates have their drawbacks, so do hot climates. If low-income groups encounter difficulties, so do high-income groups. If the weak have a hard life, neither is it easy for those who wield power. There is no end to problems, yet man should persevere in spite of all the difficulties he encounters, for he is being tested in this world. He should concentrate on earning God\u2019s pleasure, and not achieving a trouble-free life, for that can only be achieved in the next world.<\/p>\n The greatest offering that anyone who wishes to earn a place in Paradise can offer his Lord is a thankful heart. The only way to cultivate a feeling of thankfulness is to rise above the difficulties and problems of life. The price of heaven is gratitude; only those who have paid this price will enter heaven. o<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”PREDICTING THE AFTERLIFE” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Scientifically Speaking<\/p>\n THE physicist Paul Dirac predicted the existence of \u201canti-matter\u201d\u00a0before it was observed. What Dirac did on a scientific level, the\u00a0preacher of God\u2019s word does on a spiritual level: he predicts the\u00a0afterlife.<\/p>\n Perhaps one of the main reasons why people fail to attach themselves\u00a0to true religion in the modern age is that the teachings of religion\u00a0cannot be observed or experienced in the normal scientific sense of\u00a0the word. Belief in the afterlife, which is the very crux of true religion,appears to most people as particularly hypothetical and farfetched: if\u00a0something cannot be seen, how can it be believed?<\/p>\n Scientific discoveries made in the 20th century, however, should have\u00a0made it much easier for people to believe in the afterlife. In their initial\u00a0stages most scientific discoveries have been no more than conclusions\u00a0reached from theoretical, abstract data; they have constituted an\u00a0inference of scientific \u201ctruths\u201d from scientific \u201cfacts\u201d. In several cases\u00a0it has been many years before discoveries have been observed in\u00a0the laboratory. Yet even before these discoveries had reached the\u00a0experimental stage, they were accepted as\u00a0facts: they were not denied on the basis of\u00a0the theoretical and abstract method of their\u00a0presentation.<\/p>\n Paul Dirac predicted the existence of \u201cantimatter\u201d before it was observed. What Dirac did on a scientific level, the preacher of God\u2019s word does on a spiritual level: he predicts the afterlife.<\/strong><\/p>\n The prediction by the Cambridge physicist\u00a0Paul Dirac (1902-1984) of the existence of\u00a0anti-matter was one such discovery. The\u00a0first anti-particle to be discovered was the\u00a0positron\u2014the anti-particle to the electron.\u00a0Its existence was first effectively predicted by\u00a0Dirac in 1928. It was not until 1932, however,\u00a0that the particle was detected in cosmic rays\u00a0by C.D. Anderson. By that time Dirac was\u00a0making new and far-reaching predictions on the basis of facts already\u00a0at his disposal. As J.G. Crowther wrote in his obituary to the famed\u00a0physicist, Dirac \u201cwas quick to perceive the general implications of his\u00a0discovery.\u201d In 1933 Dirac shared the Nobel Prize for physics with Erwin\u00a0Schrodinger.<\/p>\n In his address on receiving the award he gave a virtually complete outline\u00a0of anti-particles, anti-matter and even hinted at the anti-universe. He\u00a0specially forecast the existence of a negative proton, which was not\u00a0observed until 1955.<\/p>\n Clearly Dirac\u2019s prediction of everything from anti-particles to an antiuniverse\u00a0was based entirely on abstract theories. He had not observed\u00a0anti-particles, nor had he experienced an anti-world; but he knew that\u00a0the theoretical data at his disposal implied their existence. He started\u00a0off with the laws of quantum theory and relativity, and conceived\u00a0an equation to describe the motion of electrons in accordance with\u00a0these laws. His equation made the spin of the\u00a0electron a logical consequence of the union of\u00a0relativity and quantum theory. The inference\u00a0that he then made was that the equation for\u00a0the electron implied the existence of another\u00a0particle having the same mass and spin as\u00a0an electron, but with a positive instead of a\u00a0negative electric charge. This is the electron\u2019s\u00a0anti-particle, now known as a positron.<\/p>\n The very existence\u00a0of a finite, imperfect\u00a0world implies the\u00a0existence of another\u00a0infinite, perfect one.<\/strong><\/p>\n What Dirac did on a scientific level, the\u00a0preacher of God\u2019s word, one who calls mankind to belief in the afterlife,\u00a0does on a spiritual level. He takes the \u201cequation\u201d of this world and sees that it implies, with absolute certainty, the existence of an anti-world\u2014\u00a0the Hereafter\u2014to balance it out. This world is finite: there must be\u00a0an infinite world as well, for otherwise this world will be incomplete.\u00a0Injustice prevails in this world: there must be a world of absolute\u00a0justice, for otherwise, in a world founded on principles of justice,\u00a0injustice will persist, and that is inconceivable. Certain limitations are\u00a0inherent to this world; opportunities and potentialities, on the other\u00a0hand, are unlimited. There must be another world where our unlimited\u00a0potentialities can find unlimited fulfillment. Without an \u201canti-world\u201d\u00a0this world is incomplete: the very existence of a finite, imperfect world\u00a0implies the existence of another infinite, perfect one.<\/p>\n Dirac\u2019s \u201cdiscoveries\u201d had not been observed when, in 1933, he\u00a0expounded on them at length in his address on receiving the Nobel\u00a0Prize. He was, however, so certain of the accuracy of his predictions\u00a0that he was compelled to communicate them to others. So it is with the\u00a0one who calls mankind to faith in the afterlife. He is so certain of his\u00a0\u201cdiscovery\u201d of the life after death that he feels an obligation to convey\u00a0the news to others.<\/p>\n And the latter, spiritual discovery, is no less certain than the former,\u00a0scientific one. Indeed, it is one of the puzzles of the modern age that\u00a0a world that has accepted Dirac\u2019s \u201canti-matter\u201d and \u201canti-universe\u201d as\u00a0\u2018the leading physical ideas for explaining the character and contents of\u00a0the contemporary universe, its origin, and history\u2019, has yet to accept\u00a0the concept of an anti-world in the spiritual sense of the word. Perhaps\u00a0the reason for this is that no one has, in recent times, conveyed the\u00a0concept of an anti-world\u2014or Hereafter\u2014with the conviction that Dirac\u00a0had when he put forward his idea of anti-matter.<\/p>\n BOOKS<\/p>\n Read online or download<\/p>\n literature by Maulana<\/p>\n Wahiduddin Khan in 11 languages!<\/p>\n cpsglobal.org\/books<\/a><\/p>\n ARTICLES\u00a0<\/p>\n Read Maulana\u2019s writings as he<\/p>\n expounds on the spiritual wisdom<\/p>\n of the religion of Islam.<\/p>\n VIDEOS<\/p>\n Watch Maulana Wahiduddin Khan<\/p>\n deal with the pressing issues of<\/p>\n our times\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n cpsglobal.org\/videos<\/a><\/p>\n PODCASTS<\/p>\n Listen to the audio of Maulana<\/p>\n Wahiduddin Khan\u2019s books and<\/p>\n lectures.<\/p>\n
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Committing such an act in the name of God only aggravates the heinous nature of the crime.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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in achieving it only by following the peaceful course of action.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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The conciliatory approach always minimizes the problem.
In contrast, the confrontational approach aggravates matters
while leaving the initial problem unsolved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n
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make Himself manifest in visible form; He appears in the form of truth.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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In this world there is only one starting point,
and that is based on opportunities rather than on problems.<\/p>\n
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in a jungle of confusion for people.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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Instead of stopping your thinking process, enhance it,
and you will soon discover that the stress you felt was
acting as an intellectual booster in your life.<\/p>\n
But if you resist provocation and do not react,
you will be in a position to give an answer that will render your critic speechless.<\/p>\n
\nTHE IDEOLOGY OF PEACE IN ISLAM<\/h4>\n
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Justice is not necessarily an element of peace.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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conditions to strive for justice and other constructive ends.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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innovation and the real Islam is based upon peace, compassion and tolerance.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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every other desirable state comes after peace, not along with it.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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mere condemnation. We have to develop a counter-ideology to overcome it.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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One is sure to find plenty to complain about in life.
Wisdom lies in forgetting the unpleasant things which are an inevitable
part of life, bury grudges, and carry on seeking to fulfill one\u2019s true purpose in life.<\/p>\n
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prophets as they essentially brought the same message to mankind.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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followers of Prophet Muhammad must also seek guidance from the lives of the other Prophets.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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magnificence could then be channelized into areas of the national economy<\/strong>
which are at present unfairly neglected, thus creating favourable conditions for general economic uplift.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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of discipline, with no contradiction between words and thoughts,
cool thinking even in times of crisis\u2014all these
are qualities of mind and heart which determine success and obviate failure in life<\/p>\n
interests demand. If, however, one\u2019s faith in God is strong,
every event throughout one\u2019s life will remind one of God;
the entire range of one\u2019s emotions is then concentrated not on oneself, but on God.<\/p>\n
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fringes of existence. He is out of touch with reality and will soon lapse into utter degeneracy.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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the bereft one does not lose his balance. In spite of
temporary defeat, he never loses the ability to think
cool-mindedly and by making a realistic assessment of his situation,
plans his life anew. By forgetting what is lost, he reorganizes his work.<\/p>\n
than accepting defeat. To do so is to acknowledge the fact that,
far from being ahead of others, one is behind
them. In other words, it is to know where one stands in life.<\/p>\n
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you cultivate positive thinking. You raise your moral standards
and give proof of being human.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spiritofislam.co.in\/spiritnew\/images\/3.png\")
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\nTHANKFULNESS<\/h4>\n
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