Introducing Islam

INTRODUCING

 

 

ISLAM

A SIMPLE INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM

 

 

 

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

 

 

 

 

First Published 1999

Reprinted 2021

Translated by

Prof. Farida Khanam

Urdu version: Sirat e Mustaqim

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Introduction

For some time now there has been a need for an introduction to Islam, presented in simple and concise language, which might provide children with fundamental religious instruction and also be useful to adults who want to understand the teachings of Islam.

By the grace of God, a book of this nature has now been compiled. It consists of five parts, the names of which are as follows: The Way to Find God, The Teachings of Islam, The Good Life, The Garden of Paradise and The Fire of Hell.

The Way to Find God

The title of the first part is self-explanatory. Man requires guidance in his search for God. The universe provides man with such guidance in visual form. The whole universe seems to be beckoning man to join it in its inexorable progress towards the Lord. So dazzling is the sun’s radiance that it seems to wish to convey a message to man but cannot do so before setting. Trees extend their branches. Rivers flow on in their pulsating motion. All these things and many others have something to say, but men pass them by without ever realizing what that something is. All celestial heights and terrestrial panoramas seem to join in a massive yet silent congregation, which addresses itself to man visually, though never audibly.

But is the universe really no more than a vast museum of inarticulate masterpieces? Not at all. Everything in it bears a divine message, communicated in the language of eternity. So immersed is man in other worldly affairs, however, that he fails to hear this silent message.

The Prophet’s role is to put this divine message into words that we can understand. He demonstrates the kind of life that God expects man and the whole of creation to lead.

The Quran—the word of God in Arabic—is the foundation of this inspired path. The sunnah—the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, (on whom be peace and God’s blessings), collected in several volumes—provides clarification of the Holy Book. Whoever seriously wishes to understand Islam should study these books, for they are the authentic source of God’s religion. Here is a comprehensive course for those who do not have time to study them all:

1.   The Holy Quran

         2.   Sirat ibn Kathir (Biography of the Prophet) by Ibn Kathir

         3.   Hadith, Mishkat al-Masabih

         4.   Hayat as-Sahabah (Life of the Companions) by Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalvi

These are well-known and easily obtainable books. Though originally written in Arabic, they have been translated and published in several languages. They can be acquired and read in the language of one’s choice.

This essay has been prepared with a general and fundamental understanding of the divine way in mind. If it imbues the reader with a desire to study religion in more detail and delve deeper into reality, then it will have been worthwhile.

The Teaching of Islam

Islam is not just a system; it is a means of becoming acquainted with the Lord of the Universe. A study of Islam should move one as proximity to God does. To understand Islam, one should read a book which does not just deal with creeds but also explains how one should establish one’s relationship with the Creator; which does not just describe conditions which will prevail in the next life, but also instills one with fear and apprehension about what is to be one’s lot in the hereafter; which penetrates to the spirit of worship and does not merely concern itself with the way it should be performed; which does not simply explain one’s obligations to one’s fellow-men, but also encourages one to fulfill these obligations and refrain from injustice.

This is an attempt to provide such a treatise on Islam. May God accept it.

The Good Life

This is the third part of this book. It comprises excerpts from the Quran, arranged in a special sequence under relevant headings. No interpretation or commentary has been added. It provides an introduction to Islam which is derived directly from the original revealed source.

The name of this book is taken from a verse of the Quran, the full text of which is:

Be they men or women those, who believe and
do what is right We shall surely endow with a good life: We shall reward them according to their noblest actions. (16:97)

The meaning of the “good life” mentioned in this verse is clear from the phrase “according to their noblest actions”. A good life is a life of good actions. The commentator of the Quran, ad-Dahhak, has defined it as “being content with an honest living and serving God in one’s life.” This is the meaning that the Companions of the Prophet and their followers generally inferred from the phrase.

To believe in God and implement His commandments is to qualify oneself for His succour. God bestows multiple blessings on a person who lives a life of faith and righteousness. He enables him to experience the joy of closeness to God in his worship; to settle day-to-day problems in a divinely inspired manner; to deal with friends and foe in an equally honest-to-God way. God guides him on the straight path. He always seeks God’s pleasure, and nothing can turn him away from this aim.

The Quran has given a clear exposition of the theoretical and practical nature of the good life. The verses which have been selected describe various fundamental aspects of this life in the Quran’s inimitable style. These passages thus provide both a description of the good life and an authentic example of how it should be lived.

The Garden of Paradise

God has created an ideal world called paradise. It is a world of everlasting joy and bliss. No turmoil or pain mars its delight. One is never beset there by anguish or calamity. It is a trouble-free world of infinite blessings, where one will experience neither death, boredom nor grief.

The search for such an ideal world is an instinctive urge in man. Everybody is searching for an invisible paradise; but none is able to find a paradise of such infinite blessings in the present finite world. God has reserved it for the next world.

None can earn paradise automatically; only those who perform heavenly actions on earth will be deserving of it. God has divided our lives into two parts: a short period on earth, and the rest in the hereafter. This world is for action. The next world is for reaping the rewards of our actions.

Man is free to do as he wishes on earth, but his free will is no more than a test. He should treat it as such. He should not revel in his power. Those who are not deluded by their temporary power, and never lose sight of their true position, will be accommodated in paradise. Those who rebel on the basis of their worldly power will abide in hell.

All real power in this world belongs to God alone. He is the Lord of all things. No one can escape from His control for an instant. Those who recognise this fact will submit to God of their own accord. They are the ones who are worthy of paradise. Those who deny this fact and proceed in whatever direction their impulse takes them, are offenders in God’s sight. They will have no share in the blessings of the life-hereafter.

The Fire of Hell

The most powerful motivating force in our lives is fear. Consciously or subconsciously, everyone’s actions are the result of some kind of fear. It could be of financial ruin, worldly disgrace, a powerful enemy, or some superior power. Each and every person function because of some real or imaginary fear.

Yet there is no substance to the actions which people perform on the basis of such fear, for there is no substance to the objects which they fear. The only fear which is of any value is fear of God, and sincere actions can result only from true awe and apprehension of one God.

God has created man: He controls the vast universe and has complete power over man’s destiny. Anyone who truly believes this will certainly fear God. But there is more to the matter than this: God will raise us up after death and will judge us according to our words and deeds on earth. We are responsible to Him for our actions.

One has to think seriously about life when one considers it from this point of view. If we keep in mind our eternal destiny, we shall then have no choice but to submit to the Lord who created us, and who will judge us after death.

We must do our utmost to protect ourselves and others from the torment of hell fire. God’s Prophets taught man the reality of life. According to their teachings the real issue facing us in life is how to avoid God’s punishment in the next world. We must prepare ourselves for meeting God and must exhort others to do the same. As Muslims, this is the basic task that lies before us. Other things that we desire in life can be ours only if we perform this fundamental task.

Wahiduddin Khan

October 1980

New Delhi, India

P a r t   O N E

The Way to Find God

 

Man’s Quest

Much as we long for a perfect world, we are compelled to live in an imperfect one. Our happiness is always short lived, and our every success is, in some way, eventually a failure. The aspirations that we cherish in the early days of our lives are shattered as we begin to age. Just as we begin to take root on earth, disaster, old age and death overtake us.

How enchanting the flowers are, but they blossom only to wither. How delicate the sun’s radiance, but it shines for only a short while before being covered in darkness. Miraculous though man’s existence is, no miracle can save him from death. Everything in this world shall perish. Although this world is inexpressibly beautiful and meaningful, all its virtues are bound to fade. All mundane things have a dark side to them. How, one may ask, could a God who is Himself perfect, be satisfied with the creation of an intrinsically imperfect world? The absolute cannot abide in the non-absolute. This world must be inconclusive. Another world must follow to compensate for the inadequacies of the present one.

There is no doubt about the transitory nature of this world. It came into existence at a specific time some twenty million years ago. Its Creator must have existed eternally, for only an infinite Creator could have fashioned a finite world. If God had not always existed, then this transitory world could never have come into being. The very existence of an ephemeral universe shows that there must be an eternal Creator. If the Creator had not existed eternally, He could never have existed at all and, if there had been no Creator, there would have been no creation either.

If we assert that the world was created on a certain date, then this means that there must have been a Creator before that date. If we go on to assert that this Creator was Himself created on some previous date, however, then our claim can have no meaning. The Creator cannot himself have been created; He always was. In His infiniteness He has created a finite world. His existence, and that of all mortal creatures, is dependent upon His immortality.

Since God is immortal, He must also be absolute, for absoluteness is the greatest attribute of immortality. The one cannot be found without the other.

This world is a manifestation of God’s attributes, but its shortcomings and limitations show the manifestation to be incomplete. A complete manifestation of a perfect and infinite God would itself be perfect and infinite. Another world must be awaiting us. This incomplete manifestation of God’s attributes requires a sequel for its fulfillment.

Paradise is that eternal world of God in which His attributes will appear in all their perfection. It will be free of all the defects we experience in the world about us. Paradise is evidence of God’s absolute power to make beauty perpetual and joy boundless in a world of everlasting peace and contentment.

Everyone is seeking some unseen fulfillment. Everyone seeks a perfect world, but this has always eluded man. Yet it is quite natural that he should continue to strive, for the universe in which he lives testifies to the existence of one, infinite God. The emergence of a world of infinite blessings is just as likely as the existence of the present transitional world. How can an inherently infinite Creator be satisfied with a finite manifestation of His attributes? God, who created all things from nought, can surely endow creation with perpetuity. This second creation is no more difficult than the first.

Immortality is God’s unique quality, in which He has no partner. Immortality signifies the highest possible perfection to which only God can attain. No one can today imagine the wonderful nature of that paradise which is a manifestation of God’s immortality: that beauty which will never fade; that joy which will never end; that life, the continuity of which will never be interrupted; that world where all our hopes and desires will be fulfilled. No one will wish to part for even a moment from this wondrously delightful paradise, no matter how many millions of years have passed.

Man is always searching for a world of everlasting content. This quest is quite correct and in accordance with human nature; but our dreams cannot come true in this world, for here, there cannot be an eternally perfect order. The resources needed for such a world are lacking. The Prophet taught that God has made this world one of trial and tribulation, not one of reward and retribution. The world is full of things which put man to the test, whereas the factors required for a life of everlasting delight and repose will be forthcoming only in the next world. Death divides these two worlds. Death marks the completion of the trial of man and his entrance into the world of eternity.

If one wishes one’s dreams to come true, one should not try to construct a heaven on earth. One should rather try to succeed in the trial of life, accepting the role of God’s true servant, adopting the life pattern of the Prophet and restricting one’s freedom to the limits which God has laid down. The dreams of those who succeed in the trial of life will be fulfilled in the next world. Those who fail will find nothing but woe awaiting them there.

What is Truth?

There is only one straight line from one point to another; so there can only be one path leading
a person to God. This is the true path. The
question is: what does truth consist of and how can it be found?

Fortunately for us, there are not several truths to choose from. There is only one truth for us to accept. This solitary truth consists of the teachings of Muhammad, the Prophet of God, on whom be peace and God’s blessings. Anyone who earnestly seeks the truth will find that no exacting choices have to be made. The choice is between truth and falsehood; there are no two truths to choose from.¹

For at least five thousand years philosophers have searched in vain for truth. Their tedious investigations have only exposed their inability to provide conclusive answers. Philosophy seeks truth by means of rational contemplation, not realizing that knowledge of the entire cosmos—something beyond the range of the limited human intellect—is a pre-requisite for genuine gnosis. The philosopher can never attain to cosmic knowledge, so that he cannot conceive of an accurate idea of reality.

Science has never claimed to be in a position to explain the truth. It only looks into matters which can be repeatedly proved experimentally. Science discusses the chemistry of flowers, but not their fragrance, for the chemical parts of a flower can be analysed; its odour cannot. Science has itself restricted its scope, making it clear that it will deal only with partial truth and is in no position to expound on universal realities.

Some spiritual adepts claim, or their followers believe, that they know all about truth, and can communicate absolute information concerning it, but their belief is groundless. They claim to have reached the truth by means of spiritual disciplines. The so-called spiritual disciplines are in fact of a physical nature, and spiritual discovery by means of physical discipline is an unfeasible proposition in itself. Secondly, no spiritual adept is free of the limitations to which all men are subject. The obstacles which prevent others from reaching a full understanding of truth also block his path. No self-discipline can enable man to transcend these natural limitations and convey to him a knowledge of absolute truth.

So, the stage is left to the Prophet. A prophet is a human being who asserts that God has chosen him and revealed true knowledge to him for the purpose of conveying it to others. Intrinsically, this is the only plausible claim so far, for only God, who is eternal and omniscient, can have actual knowledge of truth. God’s divinity itself is proof of His all-pervading knowledge of reality. The claim of one who asserts that he has received knowledge of truth from God is worthy of consideration.

Here the question arises of there having been not just one prophet. There are many divine scriptures and many prophets have been sent to the world; which of them should be followed? A person who is really sincere in his search for truth, however, will have no trouble in finding the answer to this question. There is no doubt that in the past God has raised many individuals to the status of prophethood, but one can judge an event only by virtue of its historical credibility and only one prophet possesses credentials which make his prophethood a historical certainty rather than just a belief. Of all those who have claimed prophethood, only Muhammad, on whom be peace and God’s blessings, can be said to have achieved full historical credibility. Everything about him is established historical fact. We are just as well informed about the Prophet of Islam as we are about any contemporary person, or even more so. Apart from him, all prophets are legendary figures. No complete historical record of them exists, nor are the scriptures they left preserved in their original state. Only the life of Muhammad has been completely chronicled. The book which was handed over to people as the inspired word of God is also present in its original form. So, looking at the matter rationally, there can only be one answer to the question. “What is truth?” From a practical as well as a theoretical point of view, we should accept the only realistic answer there is. We should not try to select a solution from a wide range of alternatives.

This truth is the word of God and the word of God is immutable. God’s commandments never change, either with respect to man or the rest of creation. The terrestrial and celestial orders have not altered despite the passing of billions of years. The principles which govern vegetation and water in one location are equally applicable in another. That is the way with God’s commandments to man also: they are the same now as they were thousands of years ago. That which applies to one nation applies with equal force to all.

Some factors in life, such as transport or architecture, are continually being altered, but truth always remains the same. Truth is attached to that side of human nature which never changes. The truth is concerned with matters like whom one should accept as one’s Creator and Master; whom one should worship; whom one should love and whom one should fear; according to what criteria one should assess success and failure; what the purpose of one’s existence is and the focal point of one’s emotions; according to what code of conduct one should deal with people. Truth deals with matters which are not affected by time and place. Everyone at all times and in all places is confronted by these questions. Just as God is one and everlasting, so the truth is also one and will always remain so.

A Danger Warning

What is the reality of life? Normally people do not like to think of such things. For them, there is one life—that of the world—and they try to live it in as prestigious and comfortable a way as possible, for afterwards, neither man, nor anything that concerns him, will remain. Some do think about this matter, but only on a philosophical level. They seek a theoretical explanation of the world. Such explanations are interesting from a philosophical point of view, but they are of no basic value to man. Theoretical discussions about whether a cosmic spirit keeps the whole universe revolving for its own fulfillment, or whether everything is part of some sublime being, do not raise any personal issues for man. Some have a religious answer to the question, but their solution is also of no import to man. Some religions hold that the son of God was crucified in atonement for man’s sins; others see life as a mysterious, recurring cycle, with man repeatedly being born and dying; some claim that man will be rewarded and punished in this world. These are the creeds of which most religions are made.

All such solutions to the problems of life differ from one another considerably but in so much as none of them raises any serious personal issue for man, they are all the same. They are either explanations of events or a means of providing us with some sort of spiritual satisfaction. They do not issue us with any warning or stir us into any action.

But the answer provided by the Prophet Muhammad is of an entirely different nature. Whereas the other answers do not raise any critical issue for man, the answer provided by the Prophet places every individual in a precarious position from which the next step leads either to an awesome abyss of destruction or to a world of eternal bliss. It requires every man to take a serious view of his situation—even more so than a traveller in the night whose torch reveals a black snake slithering menacingly in front of him.

The message taught by Prophet Muhammad contains a greater warning for all mankind. He taught that after this world a vaster world is awaiting us, where every person will be judged and then punished or rewarded according to his deeds. The props which man relies on in this world will not support him there, for there will be no trading, no friendship and no acceptable intercession.¹

The warning which the Prophet delivered to mankind makes his existence a matter of personal importance to everyone. Everyone’s fate, according to his teachings, hangs in the balance. Either one can believe in his message and follow his guidance, thus preparing oneself for everlasting paradise, or one can ignore his teachings, thus resigning oneself to eternal hellfire.

There are two things which make this matter even more worthy of our attention. Firstly, the arguments of those who have expounded other theories on this matter have been very dubious. Those who consider material aggrandisement to be all that is worthwhile in life have no proof for their theory; their ideas are based on superficial attractions. Those who speak in philosophical terms have only analogies to offer as evidence. They themselves do not have full faith in what they say, so how can others be expected to accept their theories?

Then there are those who speak with reference to the prophets and scriptures. Basically, their platform is solid, but the prophets and books to which they refer belong to an age-long past. We have no reliable historical information regarding them at our disposal. Even though the original source of these religions is sound, we still cannot rely on their teachings as they are at present. The criterion with which to judge the past is history, and history does not verify the authenticity of their dogmas.

With Prophet Muhammad, however, the case is quite different. On the one hand, his prophetic credentials stand up to any scrutiny. He was the epitome of everything a prophet should be. There is no doubt about his prophethood; it is an established historical fact which no one can deny.

The facts of the Holy Prophet’s life and teachings have also been carefully preserved; their historical credibility cannot be contested. The Quran exists in its revealed form. The Holy Prophet’s words and actions are recorded in book-form, so one has no difficulty in establishing exactly what he said and did in his life.

The Prophet warned us that we are confronted with a reality which we can never change; we have no choice but to face it. Death and suicide only transfer us to another world; they do not obliterate us altogether. The Creator has established an eternal scheme for success and failure which no one can alter or opt out of. We have to choose between heaven and hell; we have no other choice.

If the meteorological department forecasts a hurricane, it is telling us about an impending disaster in which those affected will have no say in the matter; another power will control events. One can either escape or expose oneself to destruction. So, when the earthquake of the Last day occurs there will be no path to safety save that which the Prophet of Islam has laid down. We ignore that path at our own peril.

The Teachings
of the Prophet

God’s religion is one religion. It is that one religion which has always been revealed to prophets, but man, in his carelessness, has always marred or altered the true way. Prophet Muhammad revived the divine religion and presented it in scriptural form for posterity. His religion is the true religion until the end of time. It is the only way to achieve closeness to God and salvation in the afterlife.

He taught that God is One; He has no partner. He created all things and has complete control over the universe. We should serve Him and submit to Him alone. In Him should we repose our hopes and to Him should we pray. Though He cannot be seen, he is so close to us that he hears and answers us when we call upon Him. There is no greater sin than to consider that He could have any counterpart or equal.

There is no intermediary between God and man. By remembering God, a person establishes direct contact with Him; there is no need for any go-between. No one will be able to intercede before God in the Hereafter either. He will decide everyone’s case according to His own knowledge; no one will be able to influence His judgement. God is not accountable to anyone for His decisions. All His judgements are based on wisdom and justice; He is not influenced by intercession and proximity.

Worship of God is much more than just superficial rituals; it is total submission. If one worships God, then one devotes oneself entirely to one’s Lord, fearing Him, loving Him, having hopes in Him, and concentrating on Him alone. Worship of God is total self-surrender; it is much more than occasional observance of mere formalities.

When dealing with others, we should always bear in mind that God is watching over us. He will deal with us as we have dealt with others. So, in order to avoid recrimination when our actions are weighed up on the divine scales of justice, it is essential that we avoid evils such as cruelty, dishonesty, pride, antagonism, jealousy, selfishness and callousness. If one fears God, one will not treat His creatures with disdain, for those who mistreat God’s creatures should not expect kindness from the Creator; only those who have treated others well deserve good treatment from Him.

The Prophet taught that the only acceptable life is one of total obedience to God. The basic principles of this life are forms of subservience as laid down in the Quran, and God’s Prophet has demonstrated them practically in his life. The only life pleasing to God, then, is one which follows the guidance of the Quran and the example set by the Holy Prophet.

The religion which the Prophet left us guides us in every walk of life; everyone should proceed in accordance with the scheme with which he has provided us. This scheme is based on certain tenets on which the whole of the Islamic life is based.

Firstly, there is the testimony: “There is no one worthy of being served save God, and Muhammad is His messenger.” This declaration marks man’s exit from one arena and his entry into another—his departure from all that is un-Islamic and his inclusion in the ranks of Islam. Secondly, prayer, that is worship five times a day in the manner of the Prophet. Thirdly, fasting, a test of patience and endurance annually performed during the month of Ramadan. Fourthly zakat, the setting aside of a fixed portion of one’s income for the poor. Fifthly, pilgrimage, a visit to the House of God at least once in a lifetime, if one has the means. When one fulfills these five conditions, one becomes part of the prophetically established Islamic brotherhood.

Life can be lived in either of two ways; it can be founded either on the Hereafter or on the world. In the former case, the Prophet’s guidance is accepted, and a person forms his beliefs and arranges his life according to his instructions. In the latter case a person guides himself, letting his own intellect dictate the way he thinks and acts. The first person can be called a God-worshipper, while the second is a self-worshipper.

There are several parts to the credo based on prophetic guidance: belief in God, the angels, the scriptures, the prophets, the resurrection of man and life after death, heaven and hell, as well as recognition of God as the overriding Lord and Sovereign. If one bases one’s life on these tenets of faith, then one has truly submitted oneself to God. All one’s efforts in the world become oriented towards the Hereafter. One’s worship, sacrifices, life and death are all dedicated to God and His prophets.

The self-guided life, on the other hand, is a free and unprincipled one. One who lives such a life is unconcerned about the nature of reality. He believes what he wants to; he passes his time in whatever way his intellect and desires direct him; his efforts all centre on worldly gain; he develops into the sort of person he wishes to be, rather than what God and His prophets would like to see.

People who adhere to the religion of some previous prophet can only be counted as God’s true servants if they believe in the Prophet of Islam. Belief in him is in no way incompatible with adherence to their own religion in its most complete and perfect possible form. Those who deny his prophethood are proving by their actions that all they follow is a religion of conventional norms and prejudices, to which they have attached a prophet’s name. Those who follow a religion simply because it is their national one can never discover the divine religion which the prophet brought. The veil of their prejudices will never allow them to see the truth which God has revealed to the last of His prophets. Those who really believe in God and His prophets recognize the religion of the Prophet of Islam as their own. They receive it with enthusiasm as one does a long-lost belonging.

Towards Death

Death will overtake everybody; no one can escape from it. But death is not the same for everyone. Some have made God their goal in life; they speak and keep silence for His sake alone; their attention is focused entirely on the afterlife. Death is for them the end of a long terrestrial journey towards their Lord.

Others have forgotten their Lord; they do not do things for God’s sake; they are travelling away from their Lord. They are like rebels who roam at large for a few days, and then death seizes them and brings them to justice.

Death is not the same for both types of people as it might seem. For one, death is to partake of the Lord’s hospitality; for the other, it is to be cast into His dungeon. For one, death is the gate to paradise; for the other it will be the day when he is thrown into hell’s raging fire, to burn there forever as a punishment for his rebelliousness.

Believers have a different attitude to death from unbelievers. They are concerned with what comes in the wake of death; they focus their attention on gaining an honorable position in the life after death. Unbelievers, on the other hand, are caught up on worldly affairs. Their ultimate ambition is worldly honour and prestige. Under present circumstances, those who have consolidated their position on earth seem to be successful, but death will shatter this facade. It will become clear that those who seemed to have no base in the world were in fact standing on the most solid of foundations, while the position of those who had reached a high status in the world will be exposed as false. Death will obliterate everything; afterwards only that which has some worth in the afterlife will remain. We are obsessed with the world which meets our eyes. We fail to pay attention to the call of truth. If we were to see the next life with our worldly vision, we would immediately submit to God. We would realize that if we do not submit to Him today, we will have to do so in the future world, when submission will profit no one.

A Final Word

A city clock-tower informs people of the correct time. People set their watches according to it. Nobody bothers about who the engineers and mechanics who constructed the clock-tower were, or where the parts that they used were produced. The fact that it keeps good time is enough to attract everybody. God’s religion is much the same sort of clock-tower, constructed for man’s guidance; yet people fail to look at it and find their way by it.

There can only be one reason for this; people are serious in wanting to know the time, but not the word of God. God’s religion is connected with the next life, while a clock-tower is a thing of this world. The clock has an important part to play in the realization of their worldly ambitions. They recognize its importance. But they have no ambitions for the future life, and no regard for the importance of something which guides man to eternal success.

True submission to God does not mean just acknowledging His existence. It involves total attachment to Him. It is an inward state with an outward form. Discovery of God is an event of incomparable impact which can never remain hidden. If God’s truth has been revealed to someone, it will always be apparent. One so favoured will desire those around him to bear witness to the fact that he has answered the call of God, set aside the idols of worldly gain and expediency, and devoted himself entirely to God. If one claims inner faith, but does not express it, one can only be looking at faith as a convenience. Anyone who puts worldly interests before God cannot ever discover Him. Preoccupation with worldly priorities and prejudices are the very opposite of true submission to God, and two such conflicting states can never merge in one soul.

P a r t   T W O

The Teachings of Islam

The Oneness of God

Say: “He is God, the One, the eternally besought of all. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.” (112:1-4)

All that is in heaven and earth gives glory to God. He is the Mighty, the Wise. His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He ordains life and death and has power over all things. He is the First and Last, the Visible and the Unseen. He has knowledge of all things (57:1-3), and he that renounces idol-worship and puts his faith in God shall grasp a firm handle that will never break.

God: there is no God but Him, the Living, the Eternal One. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. His is what the heavens and the earth contain. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before and behind men. They can grasp only that part of His knowledge which He wills. His throne is as vast as the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not weary him. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous. God hears all and knows all.

God is the Patron of the faithful. He leads them from darkness to the light. As for the unbelievers, their patrons are false Gods, who lead them from light to darkness. They are the heirs of Hell and shall abide in it forever (2:255-257). Yet there shall be no compulsion in religion. True guidance is never imposed by force.

All Praise is
Due to God

A tree is unaware of its own extraordinary significance. A flower does not realize what a delicate and exquisite masterpiece it really is. A bird is oblivious to its own breathtaking beauty. Though all things in this world are classic specimens of the most exquisite art, they never come to know themselves as such.

For whom, then, is this beautiful and gracious display? It is all for man’s benefit. Man is the only being in the known universe who can perceive beauty in a thing and appreciate its excellence. God has created exquisite works of art in worldly form and enabled man to apprehend them. He has given man a tongue to express his wonder at and veneration of God’s stupendous feats of creation. What he utters is praise, or admiration of God. It is a tribute of the most sublime sentiments, expressed in human words and offered to God.

Praise means being moved at the sight of God’s craftsmanship and spontaneously expressing one’s realization of His perfection. “God, all praise is due to You. You are chaste and exalted. God, count me among the believers, and raise me not up blind like those who failed to acknowledge your perfection or perceive Your beauty.” Praise is constant remembrance of God in this manner, in Arabic or any other language.

The Angels

Amongst the multitudes of beings created by God in His omnipotence are creatures of great luminosity called angels. They are divine servants of impeccable loyalty who convey God’s commands throughout the length and breadth of the universe, attending to the workings of His immeasurable kingdom under His all-seeing eye. Their numbers perforce are legion.

The cosmic machine must run with flawless and never-ending consistency. The earth, moon, sun and stars must revolve in their pre-ordained orbits for all eternity. God has willed this to be so, and His angels are the divine instruments through which he ensures the perfect functioning of the universe.

From time immemorial a water cycle of awesome complexity has continued to support life in its myriad forms. Trees and plants of tremendous diversity emerge from the earth at every instant. A whole host of creatures from man right down to the humblest insect are born and provided for every day. How is it then that such a great multiplicity of events—all of them extremely complex—can take place contemporaneously?

The Prophets in their wisdom have taught that this is all part of a divine order which the Almighty controls through invisible angels acting as His intermediaries. It is they who carry out His commandments and communicate His word to the prophets. They preserve a record of man’s actions by means of which God decides which individuals and which nations shall be rewarded or punished. It is the angels who take possession of the human soul at the moment of death, and it is they who will sound the last trumpet which shall throw the whole universe into disarray. It is then that the righteous shall dwell forever in Paradise, while the sinful shall be cast down into hellfire and eternal damnation.

God’s Prophets

When a machine is produced it is accompanied by a set of instructions for its use. An engineer is also commissioned to give a practical demonstration of how the machine functions. Man is an even more intricately designed but animate machine. When he is born, he suddenly finds himself in a world where no mountain bears an inscription answering questions concerning the nature of the world or explaining how he should live on earth. No educational institution produces experts who know the secret of life or who can provide man with practical guidance.

To satisfy this need felt by man, God sent His prophets to the world, every one of whom brought with him the word of God. In the scriptures revealed to them, God has explained the reality of life to man, and has made it clear what man should and should not do. They showed man what sentiments and ideas he should adopt; how he should remember his Lord; how he should live with his fellows, what he should associate himself with and disassociate himself from. The prophets’ lives are a practical demonstration of how a person should live a God-fearing life.

God has given everyone the power to distinguish between right and wrong. He has also placed countless signs in space and on earth from which man can learn. Moreover, His revelations have been set down in human language and several of His servants chosen from amongst mankind as prophets, so that there should be no doubt as to the true path.

Termination of Prophethood

The Arabian Prophet, may God’s peace and blessings descend upon him, was the last of God’s messengers. No other prophet will now come to the world.

All of God’s prophets have taught one and the same religion. They spoke in different languages, but the religion they expounded was one. Since the followers of previous prophets were unable to preserve the prophetic teachings in their original form, messengers of God used to appear frequently in order to revitalize the true religion, and refresh people’s memories of it. Prophet Muhammad for his part initiated a revolutionary process which ensured the preservation of religion in its original form and obviated the necessity for other prophets to follow him by preserving the Book of God intact, in its original form.

God’s final Prophet imparted to the true religion a stability which it had never had before. His own life was exemplary, as has been reliably recorded. It is noteworthy, too, that the community that developed after the Prophet continued to demonstrate Islamic practices, like prayer in a practicable and imitable form. People of every subsequent age have found this religion exactly as it was when God’s messenger preached it.

The preservation and continuity of religion are now ensured without prophets coming to the world. God’s Book and the Prophet’s Sunnah are now serving the same purpose which it had taken a succession of prophets to accomplish. It is the duty of their followers to carry on their mission.

The Resurrection

Every night is followed by day. That which is concealed in night’s darkness can be clearly seen in the light of day. In the same manner, this ephemeral world will be followed by an eternal one, in which all realities will become as clear as daylight. In this world, one is able to conceal evil under a false exterior. Some are eloquent enough to clothe their falsity in a righteous garb, whilst others mask their inner impurity under refulgent exteriors. The true character of every individual is shrouded in darkness, but the resurrection will tear all veils asunder and lay bare the reality.

What a startling revelation this will be! All men will be where they really belong, rather than in the false positions they occupy in this world. Many who wield worldly power will be humbled and reduced to helplessness. Many who sit in judgement will appear in the dock to be judged. Many who have a high status in life will appear more insignificant than insects. Many who have always had answers for everything in this world will be totally at a loss for words.

When Death Comes

If one closes one’s eyes, the whole world appears dark. Everything, from the radiance of the sun and the loftiness of the sky to the verdure of the trees and the splendour of the cities, is plunged into darkness, as if it were not there at all.

The afterlife is also an absolute reality which we cannot see, because it belongs to a world in which our vision does not function. At the time of death, the veil covering the unseen world will be removed from our eyes and we will be able to gaze on the world of eternity. It will be like having one’s eyes closed and then suddenly opening them.

Imagine that a blindfolded person, totally unaware of his predicament, is made to stand in front of a live lion. Suddenly the blindfold is removed. The terror which would be experienced on beholding a lion ready to pounce on him would be far exceeded by the panic which would seize him when suddenly confronted with the world waiting for him after death.

A person who, in the world finds many kinds of support, will suddenly find that there is nothing left to rely on. Friends, a source of constant comfort and pleasure in this world, will have deserted him. His own family, for whom he had been willing to sacrifice anything, will have become alien to him. Material resources, on which he depended entirely, will be of no use. Matters one ignored as trivialities will suddenly loom before one in a form more solid than iron or rock. There will not be a single prop on which one can lean.

The Next World

The present world may seem to lack nothing; but the order of this world has been established with the trial of man in mind. According to God’s scheme, only a world which leads up to reward and punishment can be considered ideal and permanent. This is not the case in the present world. So, when the period of trial is over, God will destroy this world and create another more complete one. There the evil will be separated from the righteous, and all will be confronted with the just consequences of their deeds.

The present world is full of strange paradoxes. Here, birds chant hymns of divine praise, while man recites eulogies to himself. Stars and planets continue their voyages without clashing with one another, while man willfully sets himself on a collision course with others. In this world there is no tree which undermines another, but men spend their lives plotting one another’s destruction. Lofty, upright trees show their meekness by casting their shadows on the ground, but if man ascends to any heights, he immediately becomes arrogant. This attitude of man’s is totally contrary to God’s Will for His entire creation. Doomsday shall erase these paradoxes, the might of all save God shall be eradicated, and every will save His shall be negated.

When this period of trial has run its course, God will destroy the present world and create another one. There, the righteous and wicked will be separated from one another. The former will reside in paradise and the latter in hellfire.

As You Sow,
So Shall You Reap

Only those who have sown crops can expect a harvest, and what is harvested will be whatever has been sown. The same is true of the next life: there, all men will reap as they have sown. Those who are always jealous, inimical, cruel, and conceited are like those who plant thorn trees. Those who plant thorns will eat thorns in the hereafter. On the other hand, whoever chooses the path of justice, benevolence and acknowledgment of the truth is like the planter of fruit trees. In the next life he will enjoy the sumptuous fruits of his own planting.

People adopt a rebellious stance in this world yet continue to imagine that they will be raised up amongst God’s obedient servants. They are willfully destructive, but still think that, in eternity, they will have a share in the fruits of constructiveness. Their lives are based on mere words and they believe that these words will take the form of reality in the hereafter. They hear the message of God and refuse to accept it; even so, they have the presumption to think that God will be pleased with them.

God beckons man towards paradise, the abode of eternal comfort and bliss, but man is lost in transitory and illusory pleasures. He does not heed the call of God. He thinks he is gaining while, in fact, he is losing. He believes that the worldly constructions which he is busy erecting will serve him well in the future, but he is only building walls of sand, which will fall never to rise again.

The Inhabitants of Paradise

Paradise is for those, and those alone, who reject all material forms of greatness in order to assert the majesty of Almighty God, who empty their hearts of every other affection and enshrine God therein.

Paradise is for the just, not the cruel, the humble, not the haughty. He who mistreats and degrades others, even when he has grounds for complaint against them forfeits the right to enter Paradise. Plotting to destroy others with whom one is on bad terms and taking delight only in one’s own honour and esteem can close the gates of Paradise to one forever. Neither is one fit for Paradise if one’s feelings of love and attachment are wounded by criticism of anyone other than God; for Paradise is the domain of those chaste souls who reserve their adoration for God alone, who delight in hearing God’s praise and find solace in the sight of God’s majesty.

No one who is blind to the truth can enter Paradise, for Paradise is for those alone who associate themselves so closely with the truth that they never fail to see falsehood and reality for what they truly are.

The Straight Path

A train which runs on its tracks will have no trouble in reaching its destination. But should its wheels slip off the rails—no matter to what side—its journey will come to a sudden and disastrous end. Man’s journey through life is in some ways on a parallel. If he goes off the rails, it will spell catastrophe. But if he continues to travel along the straight and narrow path which leads directly to God, he will safely reach his destination.

Many examples of human aberration—a ‘going-off-the-rails’—can be cited: the satisfying of one’s own selfish desires to the exclusion of all else; total absorption in the greatness of some human individual, living or dead; aiming, by preference, at unworthy objectives; obeying impulses of jealousy, hate and vindictiveness, dedicating oneself to any nation or party on the assumption that it is supreme. All of these paths are crooked and diverge from the true way. No one who chooses such a path can ever hope to reach his true goal in life.

It is a sad fact that one tends to stray from the straight path whenever one is obsessed with some thing, person or idea other than God. Whenever one’s efforts are directed elsewhere, one is embarking on a detour which can never bring one back to God. Such deviation from the true path can cause man to go totally astray.

The only sure way to spiritual success is to focus one’s attentions and efforts on God alone. This is the straight path and involves total attachment to God and a life lived out in complete accordance with His will.

Any path which is not directed towards God is a wrong turning and will never lead Man to his true destination.

Islam—
An Integral Part of Life

When a stone is dropped into a glass of water, it descends to the bottom and settles to one side. It is in the water but separate from it. On the other hand, if dye is put into the same glass, the dye and water combine. Now the water is not separate from the dye. Both have intermingled in such a way that no one can detect any difference between the two.

The relationship between Islam and a person
should be like that of dye and water, not of stone and water. Islam should not just be an accessory to a Muslim’s life: it should merge with his whole being. It should enter into his thoughts, moulding his intellect in its own fashion. Islam should become the eye with which he sees, the tongue with which he speaks, the hands and feet with which he performs his

day-to-day functions. Islam should so take possession of a person that it excludes all else. Every statement should bear the stamp of Islam and every action should be dyed in Islamic colours.

If Islam is like a stone in water, then it is not Islam at all. Faith should be absorbed in a person like dye dissolved in water. Just as the emotions of love and hate are felt by the whole body so, when one adopts Islam in the real sense of the world, it should become an issue affecting one’s whole existence. The Muslim and Islam should become inseparably attached.

Worship of God

Worship, in form, consists of the performance of certain ritual actions. In essence, it is to form a central focus. From this point of view everyone is worshipping something or the other. It is a rare being who does not cherish some overriding ambition, which he will do his utmost to realize. All men feel some insufficiency in themselves and need some help from outside to make up for it. When one yearns for God alone and puts implicit trust in Him, one is, in reality, worshipping Him. To concentrate one’s emotions on something else is to worship others besides Him.

A person who worships God will invoke Him alone, and the prescribed prayers are the day-to-day form which this supplication will take. The worshipper becomes so involved with His Lord that his requirements become minimal; a particular form that this diminution takes is fasting. His adoration of God compels him to strive towards God, and one historic manifestation of his longing is Hajj. He does unto others as he would be done by, and in zakat—charity—this takes a regular, practical form.

The whole life of a true worshipper of God, both inwardly and outwardly, becomes an act of worship, bowing only to God and fearing Him alone, putting His considerations first and foremost in all matters. Placing oneself totally in God’s hands, one becomes God’s own, and God becomes one’s own. And one’s heart overflows with the love of God.

Forms of Worship

Worship is a reality, not just an outward form. What is true worship? It is an attachment to one object above all else. It presupposes such overwhelming preoccupation with that one object that everything else is reduced to insignificance. Claims to spiritual allegiance are of no value if one’s chosen object of worship is other than spiritual.

When one considers a person worthy of being bowed down to, one is actually worshipping that person. When one attaches so much importance to some worldly gain that one tends to overlook all other considerations in order to achieve it, one is actually worshipping that gain. When one associates all one’s hopes and ambitions with wealth, one is worshipping wealth.

In like manner, one is worshipping custom when one places it above all other demands. One is worshipping one’s own self when, overwhelmed by selfishness and antipathy, one blindly seeks revenge. One is worshipping the standard of living when one is so obsessed with the idea of improving it that one devotes one’s entire time and earnings to that end. One is worshipping fame if one is so greedy for rank and prestige that one will do anything to raise one’s status in life. One should never forget that man is being tried in this world to determine whether he is willing to devote himself entirely to God to the exclusion of all else, and to give proof of whether he dedicates himself to God, revering Him, depending upon him and serving Him as he should.

A Day in the
Life of a Muslim

When a Muslim wakens early in the morning, he thanks God for putting him to sleep and awakening him. After his ablutions, he leaves for the mosque in order to join his brethren in attesting to God’s divinity and his own willingness to serve Him. He then ascertains what his Lord expects of him by reading an excerpt from the Quran. Then he starts the day’s work. There are three prayer times during the day: afternoon, late afternoon and evening. By leaving his work and standing before his Lord at these times, he shows that he gives precedence to God above all else in life.

While satisfying his hunger and thirst, every fibre of his being gives thanks to God. “Lord,” he exclaims, “I am wonder-struck at the water you have created for me to quench my thirst with, and the food you have provided for the satisfaction of my hunger!” When success comes his way, he considers it to be a gift from God and offers thanks for it. He considers failure to be the result of his own errors, so he seeks to make amends. When dealing with others, he is conscious of God’s presence, which makes him aware of the fact that one day he will be held to account for his actions. When night falls, and he is free of all commitments, he once again washes and, after offering the night prayer, goes to bed. As he drops off to sleep, this prayer is on his lips: “Lord, my life and death are in Your hands. Forgive me and have mercy on me.” It is evident then that a Muslim does not organize his life-pattern independently. When he arranges his life, it is with God clearly before him.

Giving as God Wills

Man’s life and property are gifts of God. He owes everything he possesses to God alone. The only way to give thanks for these innumerable gifts is to dispose of them as God wishes. Such expenditure of one’s wealth is symbolic of one’s complete trust in God.

Man owes whatever he earns in this world to the fact that God has given him hands and feet to use for this purpose. He has endowed man with eyes and a tongue with which to see and speak. He has blessed him with an intellect which enables him to think and plan. At the same time God has made the world subordinate to man. If the world and that which it contains had not been placed at man’s disposal, his physical and mental capabilities alone would never have enabled him to derive any benefit from the world around him. If the wheat grain had not grown in the form of a crop but had stayed lying on the ground like a pebble, it would have become impossible for man to harvest grain from the land. If the powers of nature had not performed their specific functions, electricity could not have been produced, and vehicles would not have been able to move. Whatever man earns in this world is a direct favour from God. In return, man should spend his earnings in a way which would meet with God’s approval. He should use his money to help the poor and spend of the wealth which God has granted him in the ways of God has specified.

Real charity is that which is given for God’s sake alone, not for fame, self-esteem or worldly reward. Wealth saves one from worldly hardship; that which is given away for God’s sake saves one from the hardships of the life after death.

Islamic Character

An Islamic character is a divine character. It is to treat others with the same generosity and charity as God shows to man. The Quran has set the pattern in this matter by stating: “If you are merciful, forgiving and magnanimous, then God is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” That is to say that if a relationship with someone turns sour, or some difference of opinion occurs, one should adopt a posture similar to God’s. He forgives people their mistakes and does not deprive them of His mercies because of their errors; one should act in like manner. If something is said which hurts one’s feelings, or one is treated in a disconcerting manner, the transgressor should not be turned against for this reason alone; rather one should overlook his mistakes and treat him as if nothing had happened.

To put it in a word, magnanimity is what marks an Islamic character. Generally, one treats others according to what they have said or done with regard to one. A Muslim should transcend such considerations in his treatment of others. His reactions should be moulded by God’s commandments, which means maintaining the highest standard of helpfulness and benevolence towards others. If one cannot actually be of use to others, then one must at least avoid harming them, and must spare them any suffering on account of ill-judged words and actions. Islamic character ceases to be such on any plane lower than this.

Humility—
The Foundation of Unity

The basis of unity is humility. If everyone puts others before himself, then the question of friction does not arise, for disunity stems from everyone putting himself first and wishing that he and his utterances should be given supremacy, no matter what the circumstances. If no one considered himself superior, what would there be to quarrel about?

Clashes of interest and outlook are bound to occur in a society where people live in close contact with each other. When this happens, superiority complexes are apt to surface. Everybody tends to feel sure that his own opinion is correct, that his rights supersede others’, and that his own interest must be protected at all costs. Considerations such as these alienate people from one another, which results in disharmony, and if all parties remain adamant, friction can do little but escalate. If, however, one of the parties to a dispute adopts a humble attitude and is willing to stand down, then discord will vanish automatically, and harmony will prevail. Unity can exist only by sinking personal differences, by recognizing the rights of others to disagree and, where agreement is impossible, by bringing matters to a conclusion by agreeing to disagree in a spirit of goodwill.

It is only natural in a society that opinions should clash and grievances arise. These things cannot be eliminated entirely. There will be unity only when people cease to harbour grievances, and when they can live in harmony notwithstanding their differences.

Who Should Preach?

A sage once said that the desire to preach should have the same compulsive quality about it as the desire to satisfy any other normal human urge. Preaching is not like playing a record; nor should it be aimed at eliciting applause from an appreciative audience. Preaching is an externalisation of inner conviction. It is communication to others of a discovered reality; to be a living witness to a truth long hidden from people’s eyes. This does not mean just putting a few words together; it is an extremely difficult task. One can only accomplish this task when one feels so desperate an urge to convey one’s message that one is ready in the process to face unpopularity and self-sacrifice.

The same applies to writing. Before putting pen to paper, one should study so much that knowledge of itself starts overflowing from one’s mind. It is only after sifting through all the available material on any relevant topic and feeling an irresistible urge to add something of one’s own, that one should begin to write. Those who write without experience or inspiration are only defacing the paper on which they write, and those who speak without feeling the compulsion to do so are only adding to noise pollution.

Preaching is not a game: it is representation of God on earth; it is only those who have effaced themselves before God who qualify for this privilege. Those who try to preach without such qualifications do greater harm than good.

Acknowledgment
of the Truth

God manifests Himself on earth through truth. Disbelief in the truth is disbelief in God. One can perpetrate no greater crime on earth 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.

There is nothing strange about the truth. It is inherent in human nature. Since it is so familiar to mankind, why do people fail to accept it? The answer is that they are psychologically inhibited from doing so. Acceptance of the truth might disrupt their materially-oriented life-pattern. They might have to prepare themselves for a lowering of their worldly status. If the truth is taught by some insignificant person against whom they are prejudiced, they feel reluctant to acknowledge the veracity of his message, Psychological impediments such as these dominate the mind and prevent straight thinking. They cause one to reject something which a little honest thought would surely have led one to accept as the truth.

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 endeavour to recognize truth as enshrining God and bow down before it. Whenever truth appears on earth, it is as if God has appeared in all His majesty. If one rejects it on the grounds of prejudice, pride or expediency, then one has rejected God Himself. This action shows that one has failed to recognize God in the truth. One has put oneself above God and given precedence to one’s own requirements. God will have scant regard for such people on the Day of Judgement and, on that day, whomsoever God scorns will find no refuge on earth or in heaven. They will wander helplessly, forever abject and forlorn.

Three Types
of Human Beings

On the highest plan of Islamic faith, one should fear God, always turning to Him, and acting as if one knows that He is watching over one. People who are so inclined may never have seen God, but they live more in awe of Him than of all the visible powers. When they reach God, their hearts will already have been turned towards Him, and God desires and loves such servants. When they enter the life of eternity, having borne worldly affliction for God’s sake, their Lord will felicitate them, and bid them come inside a paradise of fresh green gardens, in which they shall forever abide. “There”, as the Quran states, “their desires will be more than fulfilled by God!” (50:31-35)

Then there are those who believe in God and do good. They may sometimes err, but they never persist in their misconduct. They acknowledge their faults and constantly seek God’s forgiveness. They repent and incessantly attempt to make amends to their Lord. Hopefully, God will be merciful to them. When they turn towards God, God also relents towards them, for He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. (9:102)

There are yet others who have taken to self-worship, materialism and arrogance. They never, for God’s sake, constrain themselves in thought, word or deed. They live for themselves rather than for God and think of the world rather than the afterlife. How, then, can they hope to find a place of honour in the everlasting world of God? Nothing but hellfire awaits such people in eternity. (11:15-16)

The Reward of God

Closeness to God should mean that He is ever in one’s thoughts. Awareness of God’s greatness should reduce one’s own being to insignificance. Heaven and hell should be so much a part of faith, that one should be more concerned with well-being (or affliction) in the afterlife than one’s condition in the present world. On so high a spiritual plain should one be that one’s faults should begin to appear in the same light as an enemy’s. Personal prejudice should play no part in decision-making and even those with whom one disagrees, or against whom one bears some grudge, should be prayed for from the heart. Denial of truth should be seen as self-destruction and destroying another’s home should be regarded as tantamount to setting one’s own home ablaze. Such is the God-fearing life and only those who lead it will be given a place in God’s paradise.

To His true servants in this world, God has promised supremacy. But this is not the real reward for their piety; it is merely a forerunner of the true recompense which will await them in eternity. It is then that they will be honoured with everlasting supremacy. God will rid them of their fear and grief, and accord to them His everlasting beneficence.

The Islamic Life

Islam can be summed up very briefly: fear of God and benevolence towards others. A Muslim is one who realizes God’s omnipotence and man’s utter helplessness in comparison. The power which man apparently wields has been given to him only so that he may be tested by it. When his trials are at an end, God will reveal to him a hitherto unseen world. Then, astoundingly, God’s divinity on the one hand and man’s total helplessness on the other, will become as plain as daylight. There will be such revelations of reality on that day as man will have no choice but to accept.

The Muslim is fully able to anticipate the advent of this day before its actual arrival. He lives as if he is actually seeing God watching over him. When he speaks, his faith holds his tongue in check, constraining him to speak the truth or else remain silent. When he walks, it is as if God were in front of him, forcing him to proceed and he would never dare incur his Lord’s displeasure.

Such a person bears nothing but goodwill towards God’s servants. He regards them with compassion, for that is the way God looks upon them. When he has dealings with others, he judges himself by the same just criteria and values as the Creator and Master of the universe will eventually apply to all beings.

Life in Accordance
with Reality

What is Islam? Islam means living in accordance with nature, living as one ought, face to face with reality. Man did not create himself: he was created by God. To live in accordance with reality, then, is to acknowledge the greatness of God and show appreciation of His favours. The emotions of love and fear are inherent in man. He wants something on which he can depend and upon which he can focus his efforts. If he lives in accordance with reality, he will focus all his attention on God alone for, besides Him, all things have been created: nothing besides Him has any power.

Adam is the father of all past, present and future men, so life in accordance with reality is one of benevolence to others, as if one were dealing with one’s own brothers and sisters. Everyone has a conscience, which favours justice and despises cruelty and injustice. Life in accordance with reality, then, is one of kindness and justness. Death is bound to come one day. It will deprive everyone of his worldly possessions, so one who lives in accordance with reality will look at the ups and downs of life as transitory and trivial. Everybody, irrespective of worldly status, should be regarded as God’s servant. When one is confronted with a truth one might feel disposed to deny it. But one should realize that one day, everyone will have to accept truth and falsehood for what they are. One should willingly accept today what one will have to accept tomorrow.

From God’s
Point of View

If one wears ordinary spectacles, everything will appear as it is. If, on the other hand, one wears dark glasses, everything will take on different hue, depending on the colour of the glasses. The same applies to the human intellect. When one observes someone, one does so through the lenses of one’s own intellect. If the lens is clear, then everything will appear as it is. If it is tinted, then everything, regardless of its true nature, will take on a false appearance.

The human mind is either God-oriented or self-oriented. It sees people through either divine or personal lenses. These are two very different ways of seeing things. Those who look at matters from God’s point of view are realistic in their outlook. They judge things on merit, not on the basis of their own biased opinions. They see people as they really are, for that is how God views them. Others see things quite differently. They view people in the light of their own interests and prejudices. Their friends are beautiful, their enemies are ugly. Members of their own clique are “white”, strangers “black”. The true Muslim sees everybody from God’s point of view. He does not judge others on the basis of personal opinion.

It is this divine vision which really makes a person. It makes one treat others as they should be treated. It makes one realistic as far as this world is concerned and righteous with regard to the world hereafter.

Care in All Matters

An unbeliever tends to be insensitive, but a believer should have a heightened awareness of what is right and wrong. The believer’s sensitivity is not limited to God and objects generally regarded as sacrosanct; it embraces every object of creation.

When dealing with others, be they weak or strong, a believer is always scrupulous about giving them their full due as prescribed by God. He always treats animals humanely. If he is forced to exterminate some pest, he does not do so in a cruel manner. His sensitive nature would not allow him to cut down a tree or crush a flower for no good reason. He is careful not to be extravagant in his use of water, for that would amount to misuse of a gift of God.

Once a person has had the circumspection and sensitivity of faith instilled in him his disposition and actions are moulded accordingly. Faith controls his manners, speech, movements, dealings, and utilization of animate and inanimate objects. Even in emotional situations, he does not act rashly; he does not treat anybody cruelly or unsympathetically.

True belief involves a scrupulous awareness of the fact that God is watching over one and will take one to task for what one does, both in secret and in public. A man thoroughly imbued with faith will necessarily be a more caring person.

Relinquishing
Power for God

All power in this world belongs to God. No one else has any strength. Nevertheless, God has granted man freedom in this world so that he may be tested. Man is the only creature free to exercise his will in a world which is otherwise entirely subjugated to the will of God. God wants to see how man utilizes the power and free will with which he has been endowed. If he is realistic, he will submit to God. Otherwise, deluded by his apparent freedom, he will continue in his rebellious ways.

Paradise is for those who have power, but disclaim all pretence to it; who fear God, though they are in a position to do the opposite; who have the chance to attach importance to themselves, but refrain from doing so, putting God first.

Such people consider that they are directly provided for by God, though such provision is concealed beneath a veil of worldly causes. They have opportunities to oppress and exploit people, but fear of God prevents them from doing so. At times they feel tempted to indulge in anger, hate and revenge, but patience cools their anger, and forgiveness obliterates any hostility or vengeance which stirs in their hearts. Where people are full of praise for them, they are balanced enough to retain their humility. God may have endowed them with abundant wealth, but they spend their wealth as God would wish. It is not personal satisfaction that they seek; their only desire is to please their Lord. They do not live for themselves; they live only for God.

The exquisite world of paradise is for those who, of their own free will, subordinate themselves to the will of God. It is reserved for those who adhere to God’s path, though they have been given rein enough to stray from it if they so desire. It will be the reward of those who, though not compelled to do so, obey God’s commandments.

The Trial of Man

Life is one long trial. The great paradox is that while some enjoy life, others undergo continuous suffering. In reality, however, all are the same, for their actions are being scrutinized. Everyone is being examined; it is only the conditions under which this examination is being conducted that vary.

Another factor in the trial of man is that God has made some weak and others strong. There is always the temptation to succumb to the mighty and to exploit the weak. But to do this is to take the surest road to hell. Only those who consider what is right, irrespective of circumstances or of the individuals they deal with, will prove themselves worthy of paradise, for it is often the underdog who is in the right and the mighty who are in the wrong. Even when others behave in a troublesome way, the best way to react is with mildness and circumspection, and no matter what the provocation, one should endeavour to be impartial and just.

The manner in which people respond to the various situations which confront them in life will determine their eternal abode. Those who yield to the mighty and oppress the weak will surely be punished in hell, and they would do well to remember that there are two paths which open out before them every day, one of which leads to hell and the other to paradise.

Testing
Man’s Fitness

Man has complete freedom of will in this world, but only God can actually make things happen. Man is just being put to the test on earth. His reactions to various circumstances are being scrutinized.

Some respond to events in a patient, just and reasonable manner. Their actions earn them credit. Others react quite differently. Their hot-headedness, cruelty, and blindness to the truth earn them nothing but blame. Some profess to be Muslims. But if they adopt a disparaging, deceptive and malicious attitude towards others, their claim is immediately proved false. God will particularly help those whom they wrong in order to show where the truth lies. Some uphold the truth, yet they are left in a helpless and forlorn state. Others are blind to the truth yet have every conceivable worldly luxury at their disposal. This situation may seem paradoxical, but it occurs for a reason: to set apart those who cling to externals and deserve to be classed along with other deniers of the truth.

Everything man experiences in this world, be it power or weakness, wealth or poverty, is a test. Worldly triumph is no cause to rejoice; nor should worldly loss cause one grief. Both winner and loser are being tested to see how they react to their respective situations. It is on the basis of this reaction that they will be adjudged fit for either heaven or hell.

Some Earn the World,
Others Eternity

A man set on making money, chooses a lucrative profession and devotes all his time and energies to it. If his efforts yield financial reward, well and good. If not, he is upset about his choice of profession. If he is after fame and prestige, he looks for a career which holds the promise of publicity. He thrives on popularity and esteem. If these things elude him, he feels as if all is lost. If a man is thirsty for power, his overriding ambition is to rule others. He longs to have people under him and to control their fortunes. Such people seek worldly reward for their actions, but no matter how much they manage to acquire in this world, they will have no share in the hereafter.

God’s true servant on the other hand, seeks everlasting reward for his actions and concentrates on an eternal goal. While people are busy in worldly affairs, he functions in the silent world of nature. While people display their fervour in public, he struggles on in seclusion. He has no thought of worldly fame or success. He longs solely for God’s mercy and grace. Outwardly he belongs to this world, but mentally and emotionally he dwells in the next. People are absorbed in the world of forms, whereas he is lost in God’s hidden cosmos.

Stimulus and Response

Human character can be guarded from the way people respond to day-to-day events. Everything that happens affects one in one way or another. The kind of response we make to what is going on around us is determined by our mentality. If one is unmindful of God, one will react in whatever manner one’s own desires and interests demand. If, however, one’s faith is strong, each and every event throughout one’s entire life reminds one of God; the entire range of one’s emotions is then concentrated not on oneself, but on God.

Fortunes in life never cease to fluctuate. Ease is soon followed by hardship. It is never long before praise and approval give way to criticism and accusation. No sooner do events begin to follow a satisfactory course than they suddenly take a turn for the worse. Ups and downs of this nature are all in the nature of a trial. If one is to succeed in life’s trial, these changes of fortune should turn one more and more towards God and away from the self, and, humble and resigned when stricken by misfortune, one should be thankful in one’s heart for the happiness and comfort granted by God.

People’s response to various circumstances is being put to the test on earth. This is what their worldly trial really consists of. If given wealth and power, they become proud, then they are failures, but if they remain humble under the same circumstances, they have succeeded. They have failed if they are obstinate and contemptuous towards their rivals or opponents: if they are unjust to others, they are bound to come to grief themselves: if they are fair to all and sundry, they will emerge triumphant from life’s trial.

It’s Selection Time

The constellation closest to the earth contains at least two hundred million stars and countless such constellations are scattered throughout space. The universe is incredibly vast but, as far as we know, there is only one solar system and, within that solar system, our planet, earth, is situated. There is no planet to compare with earth in the entire universe and, upon it, dwells that unique being called man. Man lives. He moves and talks. He sees and hears. He thinks and understands. He is responsible for his actions. There is no doubt about man’s uniqueness. But the question remains: why has God created him so? The answer is: in order to select those who will abide in the even more exquisite and ideal world of paradise.

The world is full of creatures who, subject to God, involuntarily do as God bids them. God wills it, however, that man should be obedient of his own accord. God seeks those who are willing to renounce the power that they possess; who manage to see God despite His invisibility; who belong to the hereafter, though they dwell on earth; who accept and obey, though they are capable of denial and rebellion. Those who display such propensities in the world will be welcomed to paradise in the hereafter. Paradise is an ideal abode for ideal individuals. So enchanting and alluring will it be, that no one in it will ever have a feeling of tedium. No pain or apprehension will mar its delight. Man will find there all that he desires.

People of God

Everyone lives for something or another. Some live for their families. Some for money. Some for worldly tribute and power. A life which revolves around these things cannot be a life of faith. A life of faith is one lived for God’s sake alone. When one lives for God, one’s entire life revolves around Him. One’s thoughts and desires are focused on Him alone. One thinks about what pleases and displeases God when one speaks. One limits one’s movements to the bounds that God has laid down.

The human brain inevitably forms some sort of response to any message that it receives. Those who live for God will produce divinely inspired responses. Their utterances will not be based on the promptings of their own selves. They consider what will be acceptable to God and what will be cast aside when they come before Him. If their conscience tells them that certain words are displeasing to God, then they avoid them. They only say what they know God would like them to.

When one faces some problem, one immediately chooses a method of dealing with it. If one lives in God, then one will not act on impulse; one will consider what is just and unjust in God’s sight. Though fame and wealth may lie on the path of injustice, one forsakes that path. One adheres to the path of justice, though it may incur worldly loss and unpopularity. One looks at everything from God’s point of view, and not from any other standpoint.

Abstaining
from Baseness

A believer makes mistakes but does not stoop to baseness. Mistakes are often made in sudden fits of emotion, but, when the passion cools, one becomes conscious of the error and feels ashamed of one’s own wrongdoing. The next step is to seek out the wronged person, beg forgiveness and make amends. If compensation can be given, well and good. If not, one prays: “Lord, forgive my mistake and accept this salutary prayer from me on behalf of the person I have wronged!”

A mean person would behave in quite a different way, for meanness is a permanent state of mind rather than a temporary condition. A person who has stooped so low feels neither shame nor any urge to make
amends for what has passed. In fact, he would be happy to see his opponent suffer more. If he has a grievance against someone, he is not satisfied merely with a severance of relations but does his utmost to lay that person low. He makes slanderous accusations and concocts vicious plots against him. He does not just point out a person’s errors; he seeks to discredit that person completely and isolate him from the rest of society. He tries to undo whatever his enemy has accomplished and bring all his gain to nought. This all shows a lack of magnanimity and, as such, is unbecoming to a believer.

Refusal to admit one’s faults is contemptible. It
is likewise despicable to favour one’s own kith
and kin, while treating others with disdain. A base person cannot rise above envy and vindictiveness. Such a person is a long way from God and close to the devil.

A Believer Lives for God

A small infant owes everything to his parents. His life revolves around them. So a believer’s life should revolve around God. God should dwell in his reflections. He should fear and love God alone. He should do everything for God’s sake. He should put total trust in God, his Guardian and Protector.

Usually, people live for mundane things. That is why they never find contentment. They either live for personalities or for worldly splendours. Either their families mean everything to them, or else they have made prestige and wealth their ultimate goals in life. Some are obsessed with hatred. Some live to thwart, humiliate or ruin others. All these ways of living are based on false notions. They are placing total reliance on things which are ephemeral and out of place in God’s cosmic order. These things can never give man true peace of mind. They do not allow one to proceed along the divine path, which is the only road to salvation. In this world all things live for God. If man succours himself otherwise, he will eventually find himself helpless and on a false path.

A startling transformation takes place in a person who starts living for God. He finds silence more gratifying than speech. He is happier to obey than to rebel, to forgive than to hold grudges, he tries to hide other’s faults. He is unassuming and self-effacing. He is not interested in occupying a privileged position.

Setting Oneself Right

A traveller buys a ticket for a certain destination, then boards a train bound for another. He does not realize his error until the train has left the station. Imagine how he feels! The seat in which he was relaxing now gives him nothing but discomfort. As soon as the train reaches the next station, he will get off in order to return and catch the next train.

A believer’s attitude to his eternal journey is the same as this traveller’s. Whenever anything happens which will divert him from the path to his eternal destination and will adversely affect him in the next life, he is extremely ashamed of himself. He wastes no time in admitting his mistake. He gets his bearings and immediately starts travelling in the right direction.

The true believer may err, but he turns away from his wrongdoing. He may be angry for some reason, but then his anger cools and he becomes forgiving. Self-respect does not prevent him from admitting his mistakes. If, however, a person persists in his evil ways; if he is not ready to forgive others on being offended by them; if he refuses to admit his own mistakes and shortcomings; then, though he may lay claim to being a true Muslim, he is not one in God’s sight. If a person does not want to admit his faults in this world, he will have no difficulty in finding words to justify them. In some cases, worldly status is enough to screen a person’s faults. In eternity, however, such things will be of no help to anybody. There, realities will become so plain that even the blind will be able to see them.

Thinking on
a Higher Plane

In stormy weather small, weak-winged birds are trapped by the storm. Large birds, with their strong wings, can fly above it. A person who can ride above his circumstances is like one of these big birds which can ride any storm.

Likewise, there are two levels of thinking. Some think in relation to their immediate circumstances. Their thoughts are inextricably linked to the issues in which they are involved. Others, like big birds of the storm, rise above their immediate situation. Their thoughts are not affected by circumstances. They form their opinions on a higher level.

Believers think in ‘big bird’ style. They rise above their circumstances. Even when in trouble, they are thankful to God. In the most distraught of conditions they stick to their religion. They are benevolent and just towards others, even if they have grievances against them. Their personalities develop irrespective of circumstances. They are not products of situations, dwelling as they do outside life’s storm, and not allowing themselves to be tossed about in its turbulent winds.

Unbelievers react to life’s problems in an unreflective way, whereas believers always look at matters positively. Unbelievers increase their own worth at the expense of others; believers know that the only way to true success lies in developing one’s own potential. Unbelievers are concerned with worldly things, believers with eternity. An unbelieving heart is attached to human beings; a heart full of faith is always with God.

Realizing One’s
Own Mistakes

People who are in the habit of filling out their sentences with unnecessary words are usually quite unaware of their own habit. If however, someone else, does the same thing, they notice it immediately.

This is a common human fault. People are usually well-informed about others’ faults. They ferret out shortcomings in other people but pretend to know nothing about what they and their friends do wrong. Yet, it is acknowledgement of one’s own faults rather than skill in noticing those of others which will benefit one in God’s presence. To notice others’ mistakes is to show God that one has been altogether too attentive to worldly matters. On the Day of Judgement, a severe punishment awaits one who has been guilty of their error.

God has given man the power of distinguishing between good and evil. People should use this power to avoid paths leading to hell and keep to the road destined for paradise. If one is following a false path oneself, one’s exhortation of others to the true way shows an obvious misuse of one’s discretion. One is using it to accelerate one’s own journey to hell, for, to preach what one fails to practice is an offence in the eyes of God; it is not an action which will earn one any credit.

A Believer’s Wealth

It is written in the Quran; “To those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of God, give tidings of a painful doom. The day will surely come when their treasures will be heated in the fire of hell, and their foreheads and their flanks and their backs will be branded therewith. They will be told: “Here are the riches which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste what you used to hoard”” (9:35). When this verse was revealed, the companions of the Prophet wondered what kind of wealth they should accumulate instead. Umer, may God be pleased with him, went to the Prophet and put this question to him on their behalf. The Prophet Muhammad replied: “Each of you should acquire a heart grateful to God, and a tongue accustomed to His remembrance, and a believing spouse who will be of assistance in matters relating to eternity.” (Ibn Majah)

Wealth is of use only when it can solve the problems of life. The greatest problem of believers concerns the next world, so they consider real wealth to be that which will be of use to them there. In order to obtain such wealth, one should always be thankful to God for His blessings. One’s attachment to God should be such that He is always in one’s mind and heart. If one has set one’s sights on life everlasting, one will prefer one’s companion in life to be similarly disposed. There is no greater wealth in life than a partner who, instead of enticing one towards ephemeral, mundane pleasures, assists one on the path of eternity.

People see wealth in gold and silver, but a believer’s wealth is God. That which brings him nearer to his Lord and makes him eligible for God’s blessings in the life to come, is to him of supreme importance.

Making a Living

A believer should look at his means of subsistence as a necessity; he should never make these means his goal in life. His objective should be eternity, and worldly things should be just the bare necessities. The difference between believers’ and unbelievers’ attitudes to the world is essentially one of priorities. Unbelievers aim to make as much money as possible: believers should aim to make a living as honestly as they can. Unbelievers expect their careers to pave the way to the fulfillment of their ambitions: believers should merely seek to be independent of others. Unbelievers live on a mundane plane—they want to receive their earnings in this world. Believers live on an other-worldly plane and wish to see their efforts rewarded in eternity. They are just filling in time in this world. Their ambitions will be fulfilled in the next.

Making a living is a matter of crucial importance to every individual. No one is exempt from the struggle for subsistence. Islam simply makes sure that it remains a matter of necessity and does not become the sole objective of anyone’s life. The Islamic view is that one’s livelihood should not become the be-all and end-all of a person’s life; that one’s heart should be with God, even when engaged in one’s worldly tasks; that one should have total trust in God.

Unbelievers use wealth to improve their standard of living. Believers, on the other hand, spend it on themselves only in so far as is necessary; the remainder they give away in God’s path. Unbelievers consider money as a means of future security, but believers use it to ensure their prosperity in

life-everlasting. Making a living is important for everyone, but believers should ensure that this task is accomplished in an honest manner, and then be happy with their lot. Unbelievers tend to be arbitrary in their methods and never cease to want more.

Education

Knowledge is of two kinds: that which has been set forth in the Quran and the Hadith, and that which we acquire by our own research and endeavours. The first form of knowledge acquaints us with our Lord. It explains the issues we will have to face in the everlasting world that is waiting for us after death. It shows us how preparation can be made in this life to meet those issues. The second form of knowledge provides solutions to the everyday, social and economic problems we encounter in this world.

Muslims should seek both forms of knowledge. They should be familiar with both secular and religious sciences, although they vary in the degree of their importance. Knowledge of the Quran and Hadith should be the basic aim in life, and knowledge of other sciences a worldly necessity. Without knowledge of the Quran and the Hadith, one cannot understand what must be done in this world for one to earn everlasting salvation. The secular sciences, on the other hand, guide us in worldly matters. They instruct us in the practicalities of life. Knowledge of the Quran and the Hadith shows the way to building for eternity; other knowledge is a guide to worldly development alone.

It is just as important for a Muslim to study various branches of knowledge as it is for anyone else, but the Muslim should differentiate between aim and necessity. He studies the Quran and the Hadith for different reasons from those which prompts him to seek worldly knowledge.

The Mosque

Whereas there is a plethora of old forts in most countries, they are remarkably scarce in Muslim lands. The skyline of Muslim towns is dominated more by the lofty minarets of mosques. This shows the difference between the Islamic and non-Islamic temperament. Non- Muslims rely on their own strategies; Muslims place total trust in God. This explains why non-Muslims always erected forts for their own protection and security, while Muslims have built mosques wherever they achieved supremacy. Massive castles testify to man’s greatness, whereas mosques, in which Muslims glorify God, are a reminder to present and future generations of the greatness of God.

A mosque is, locally, a focal point for Muslims, just as the Ka’bah in Mecca is for Muslims all over the world. The Ka’bah is a world religious centre and the mosque a local one. That is why the same word for the direction in which one faces to pray—qiblah has been used in the Quran for both the Holy Ka’bah and also local mosques. Prayer is a symbol of a life of faith, and houses of worship, mosques, are for the performance of that act of faith on a local level and, in the case of Mecca and Medina, on an international level.

Muslims gather five times a day to pray in the mosque. The mosque is their natural religious centre. That is why the Prophet encouraged us to build mosques in the centres of towns. The situation of mosques, and the activities which are conducted in them, are in themselves an invitation to people to come together for worship of their Lord.

Islam and Infidelity

Islam is acknowledgement and infidelity is denial. Man may seem to be free to do or say what he likes in the world, but, in reality, everything belongs to God. Whatever anybody has is His gift. Nobody, save God, has any power. God is always in a position to seize and punish man. Islam is acknowledgement of this fact and believers live in accordance with it. Infidelity is denial and unwillingness to base one’s life on a realistic foundation.

A man can put his hand into a blazing fire if he wants to, but he refrains from doing so: he bows to reality. The freedom which man seems to enjoy in this world is only a test. Only if man is free, can it become clear who chooses to rebel against reality and who acknowledges it and submits to God. If one accepts God’s divinity and bases one’s life on reality, then one has truly embraced Islam and can enjoy God’s everlasting blessings. If one denies this reality and refuses to accept God as Master, and be His servant, then one’s action amounts to unbelief and one will be exposed to dreadful punishment on the Day of Judgement.

To accept the Islamic way entails undergoing an immense change within oneself. It means that one’s thoughts, actions and treatment of others take on the most proper and most exemplary form imaginable, for one’s whole life will then be in harmony with reality. Unbelievers tend to contradict reality in everything that they do. Their actions can only lead them to their doom.

The Relationship Between
Man and God

It is written in the Quran: “And when My servants question you concerning Me, tell them that I am close at hand. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he cries to Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order they may be led aright” (2:186). This shows that the relationship between man and God is reciprocal: man offers God what he has, then God bestows His favours in return. Man offers his Lord a gift of realization, piety and thankfulness. In return, God provides him with eternal guidance and prosperity.

Man can deal with any problem in either of two ways: the pious and morally proper way, or the way in which such values are abandoned. The correct answer to the call of God is for one to use one’s intellect to ascertain the right course of action and then follow it, difficult as it may seem. One then automatically avoids the easy, though misguided, way.

Sometimes one is faced with the choice between callous and unjust action on the one hand and righteous, fair treatment on the other. If one answers God’s call as it should be answered, one will not flinch from the righteous path and will refrain from oppression and cruelty.

Man is free to consider what he has, within him and outside, to be the result of chance; alternatively he may look at it all as the fruits of his efforts; or he can acknowledge reality and consider it all as having come from God. A person who adopts this latter course will answer the call of God implicit in every blessing by exclaiming, “Lord, You are the bestower and You have given us everything!” When one has offered one’s mind and heart to God in this way, then God will provide one with guidance, which means a righteous life in this world and eternal paradise in the next.

Do As You
Would be Done By

Why is it that supplications made to God often go unheeded? The reason is that people ask God for that which they themselves are not prepared to give to others. They ask God for protection against oppression, but they are the first to inflict it on others when they have the chance. They ask God to safeguard their lives and property yet are quick to kill and seize someone else’s property if they can. They ask God for an honourable life yet are quite happy to humiliate others. They ask God to protect them from enemy plots, yet they plot the destruction of anybody with whom they disagree. One must be sincere in whatever one is praying for. One’s supplication should emanate from one’s innermost being. It should not just be empty words. When one is sincere, one’s life becomes devoid of contradictions. No difference remains between what one prays for and what one practices. If one really detests cruelty and objects to others indulging in it, then one will never resort to it oneself. If one stoops to persecuting others, then one cannot be sincere when one protests about being persecuted. The prayer of a person who does not put words into action will not be graced by divine acceptance. If one is causing conflict among people, yet at the same time praying for harmony, one’s prayer must seem more like a jest to God and can earn one only retribution. For prayers to be acceptable, it is essential that one should give others what one seeks for oneself. One should treat others with the same mercy and compassion as one desires for oneself. Otherwise one’s prayer will be an offence rather than a supplication before God.

P a r t   T H R E E

The Good Life

God is One

Say: God is One, The Eternal God. He begot none, nor was He begotten. None is equal to Him
(112:1-4).

Mankind, worship your Lord, who has created you and those before you, so that you may ward off evil; who has made the earth a couch for you and the sky a canopy; and has sent down water from the sky, thereby producing fruits for you to eat. So do not knowingly set up rivals to God. (2:21-22)

God does not forgive partners being ascribed to Him. He forgives whom He will all other sins. Whoever ascribes partners to God has strayed far from the truth. (4:116)

God—The Sublime,
the Tremendous

Allah—there is no God save Him, the Ever-living, the Eternal. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth. Who can intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before humans and what is after them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He wills. His throne comprises both the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime the Tremendous. (2:255)

God’s Signs

Your Lord is God, who created the skies and the earth in six periods, then ascended His Throne. He throws the veil of night over day. Swiftly they follow one another. The sun, moon and stars are subservient to His command. His is the creation, His is the command. Blessed be God, the Lord of the worlds. Call on your Lord humbly and secretly; He does not love the transgressors. Do not bring corruption to the land after things have been set right. Pray to Him fearfully, eagerly. God’s mercy is within reach of the righteous. He sends forth the winds as harbingers of His mercy till, when they bear a heavy cloud, We drive it to a dead land and cause rain to descend thereon, bringing forth all manner of fruit. Thus We will raise the dead to life; perchance you will take heed. And as for the good land, its vegetation comes forth by the leave of its Lord. But poor and scant are the fruits which spring from barren soil. Thus We make plain Our signs for those who render thanks (7:54-58).

In Heaven
and on Earth

So glory be to God morning and evening. Praise be to Him in the heavens and on earth, at twilight and at noon. He brings forth the living from the dead, and the dead from the living, and He revives the earth after it is dead. Likewise you shall be raised to life. And by one of His signs He created you from dust; now behold you are human beings, ranging widely. And by another of His signs He created for you, of yourselves, spouses that you might find repose in them and has planted love and kindness in your hearts. Surely there are signs in this for people who reflect. Among His other signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth and the variety of your tongues and hues. Surely there are signs in this for those who know. And by another of His signs is your slumbering by night and your seeking of His bounty by day. Surely in that are signs for those who hear. The lightning which He shows you to inspire fear and hope is yet another of His signs. He sends down water from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after it is dead. Surely in this there are signs for a people who understand. The heavens and the earth are firm by His command; then when He calls you, suddenly, from the earth you shall emerge. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and on earth; all are obedient to Him. He it is who originates creation, then reproduces it, and it is easier for Him. His is the loftiest attribute in heaven and on earth. He is the Mighty, the Wise One. (30:17-27)

The Cosmic Call

It is God who splits the grain and the date stone. He brings forth the living from the dead, and the dead from the living. Such is God. How then can you turn away from Him? He splits the sky into dawn. He has made the night for repose and the sun and the moon for reckoning. Such is the ordinance of God, the Mighty, the Wise. It is He who has created for you the stars, so that you may be guided by them in the darkness by land and sea. We have made plain our signs for people who understand. It is He who sent down water from the sky. With it We bring forth the shoot of every plant and then We have brought forth its green leaf and from it close-compounded grain; and out of the date-palm, from its pollen, dates thick-clustered, ready to the hand; and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates, like and unlike one another. Look upon their fruits when they fructify and ripen. Surely in all this are signs for people who believe. Yet they ascribe as partners to Him the jinn, though He created them, and they impute to Him sons and daughters without any knowledge. Glory be to Him and exalted be He above what they describe. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son, when there is for Him no consort; when He created all things and He has knowledge of all things? (6:96-104)

Lord of the
Great Throne

Did you think that We created you in vain and that you would never be returned to Us? Exalted be God, the true King. There is no God but He, the Lord of the great throne. And whoever invokes any other deity besides God—a deity of whose divinity he has no proof—with his Lord alone will be his reckoning. The unbelievers shall never prosper. And say: Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of those that show mercy. (23:115-118)

Love for God

In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the ocean with cargoes beneficial to men; in the water which God sends down from the sky and with which He revives the dead earth after its death, dispersing over it all kinds of beasts; in the swirling of the winds and in the clouds that are driven between earth and sky; surely in this there are signs for people who understand. Yet there are some people who choose from other beings besides God, as rivals to God, loving them as God alone should be loved—whereas those who believe love God more than all else. If the evil-doers could only see, when they behold the doom, that power lies with God alone and that God is severe in punishment. When those who were followed disown their followers and they behold the doom, and their cords are cut asunder, those who followed will say, “If only a return were possible for us, we would disown them, as they have disowned us.” Thus God will show them their own work as anguish for them. They shall never emerge from the Fire. Mankind, eat of what is in the earth lawful and wholesome, and do not follow in the steps of Satan, for he is your sworn enemy. He commands you only to evil and indecency and that you should assert about God what you do not know. (2:164-169)

God’s Prophets

Those who believe and have not tainted their belief with wrong-doing shall surely earn salvation for they follow the right path. Such was the argument with which We furnished Abraham against his people. We raise whom We will to an exalted rank. Your Lord is Wise, All-Knowing. And We gave to him Isaac and Jacob; each one We guided as We had guided Noah before them. Among his progeny were David and Solomon, Job and Joseph, Moses and Aaron; thus We reward those who do good. And Zachariah and John, Jesus and Elias; each was of the Righteous. And Ishmael and Elisha, Jonah and Lot, each one We preferred above all beings, as We exalted their fathers, their offspring and their brethren; We elected them and guided them to a straight Path. Such is God’s guidance. He bestows it on whom He pleases of His servants. But if they had served other gods besides Him, their labours would have been in vain. On them We bestowed the scriptures, wisdom and prophethood. If these are disbelieved by this generation, then We shall entrust them to others who are not disbelievers. These are the ones whom God guided. Follow their guidance, and say: ‘I ask no wage for it; it is but a reminder to all beings.’ (6:82-90)

Heaven and Hell

They underrate the might of God. But on the Day of Resurrection He will hold the entire earth in His grasp and fold up the skies in His right hand. Glory be to Him! Exalted be He above all that they associate with Him. The Trumpet shall be blown and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth shall swoon, save whom God wills. Then it shall be blown a second time and they will stand and look around them. The earth will shine with the light of its Lord and the Book will be set in place. The prophets and witnesses shall be brought in and all shall be judged with fairness: none shall be wronged. Each soul shall be paid in full for what it has wrought, for He is well-aware of what they do. Then the disbelievers will be driven into Hell in hordes. When they draw near, its gates will be opened, and its keepers will say to them: “Did not messengers come to you from among yourselves, reciting to you the signs of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this day?” They shall say: “Yes, indeed.” And thus the punishment which the unbelievers have been promised shall be fulfilled. It shall be said: “Enter the gates of Hell, to dwell therein forever.” Evil is the dwelling-place of the arrogant. Then those who feared their Lord shall be led in bands into Paradise. When they draw near, its gates will be opened and its keepers shall say: “Peace be upon you! Well you have done. Enter Paradise and dwell therein forever.” They will say: “Praise be to God, Who has been true to His promise to us and has made us inherit the land, that we may dwell wherever we wish in Paradise.” Blessed is the reward of the righteous. And you will see the angels encircling about the Throne, hymning the praises of their Lord. Mankind will be judged with fairness and it will be said: “Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.” (39:67-75)

Prayer

“I am God. There is no god but Me. So serve Me, and perform regular prayers for my remembrance.” (20:14)

Perform the prayers at sunset, at nightfall and at dawn; the dawn prayer is witnessed. And pray for a part of the night, an additional duty for you; it may be that your Lord will raise you up to an honourable station. (17:78-79)

Be constant in praying at the beginning and the end of the day, and in the night too. Good deeds make amends for sins. That is a reminder for the mindful. Therefore have patience; God will not deny the righteous their reward. (11:114-115)

Be ever mindful of prayers, including the middle prayer. And stand obedient to God. (2:238)

And when you have performed the prayer, remember God, standing, sitting and lying down. Then, when you are secure, perform the prayer, for prayer is a duty incumbent on the faithful, to be observed at appointed hours. (4:103)

Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, and perform the prayer; prayer prevents indecency and evil. God’s remembrance is greatest of all. And God knows what you do. (29:45)

Fasting

Believers, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may ward off evil. Fast a certain number of days; but if any of you be sick or on a journey, let him fast a similar number of other days, and it is incumbent upon those, who can afford it to make a sacrifice by feeding a needy person. He who does good of his own accord shall be well rewarded, but to fast is better for you, if you but knew it. In the month of Ramadan the Quran was revealed, a book of guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance distinguishing right from wrong. So those of you who witness the month should fast during it. But anyone who is sick or on a journey may fast a similar number of other days. God desires ease for you, not hardship. He desires you to fast the whole month so that you may magnify God for having guided you and He wishes you to render thanks. (2:183-186)

Almsgiving

Believers, bestow in alms a part of that with which We have provided you, before there comes a day when there shall be neither trading, nor friendship nor intercession. Truly it is the unbelievers who are the wrongdoers. (2:254)

He who spends his wealth in the way of God is like a grain of corn that sprouts seven ears, every ear bearing a hundred grains. God gives abundance to whom He wills; God is munificent and all-knowing. Those who spend their wealth in the way of God then do not follow up what they spend with reproaches and insults shall be rewarded by their Lord; they shall have nothing to fear or regret. A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by insults. God is self-sufficient and clement. Believers, do not mar your almsgiving with taunts and mischief-making, like those who spend their wealth only to be seen and praised by people, and believe neither in God nor in the Last Day. Such people are like a rock covered with a little earth; a shower falls upon it and leaves it hard and bare. They shall gain nothing from their works. God does not guide the unbelievers. But those who give away their wealth from a desire to please God and strengthen their souls are like a garden on a hillside; if a rainstorm falls upon it, it yields up twice its normal crop; and if no rain falls upon it, it is watered by the dew. God sees what you do. Would any of you, being a man well-advanced in age with helpless children to support, wish to have his garden—a garden planted with palm-trees, vines and all manner of fruits, and watered by running streams—blasted and consumed by a fiery whirlwind? Thus God makes plain to you His revelation, so that you may give thought. Believers, give in alms of the wealth you have lawfully earned and of that which We Have brought out of the earth for you; not of worthless things which you yourselves would only reluctantly accept. Know that God is self-sufficient and glorious. Satan threatens you with poverty and bids you to commit indecency. But God promises you His forgiveness and bounty. God is munificent and all-knowing. He gives wisdom to whom He wills; and whoever is granted wisdom receives great good. But none take heed except people of understanding.
(2:261-269)

Pilgrimage

Perform the pilgrimage and visit the Sacred House for God’s sake. If you are prevented, send such offerings as you can afford, and do not shave your heads until the offerings have reached their destination. But if any of you is ill or suffers from an ailment of the head, he must pay a ransom, either by fasting or by almsgiving or by offering a sacrifice. In peacetime if any of you combines the visit with the pilgrimage, he must make such offerings as he can afford; but if he lacks the means, let him fast three days during the pilgrimage and seven when he has returned; that is, ten days in all. That is incumbent on one whose family are not present at the Holy Mosque. Have fear of God: know that He is stern in retribution. Make the pilgrimage in the appointed months. Whoever intends to perform it in those months must abstain from sexual intercourse, obscene language and acrimonious disputes while on pilgrimage. God is aware of whatever good you do. Provide yourselves well; the best provision is piety. Fear Me, then, you that are endowed with understanding. It is no offence for you to seek the bounty of your Lord by trading. When you press on from Arafat, remember God as you approach the Sacred Monument. Remember Him who gave you guidance when you were in error. Then press on from where the pilgrims go out, and implore the forgiveness of God. He is forgiving and merciful. And when you have fulfilled your holy rites, remember God as you remember your fathers or yet more devoutly. There are• some who say: “Lord, give us abundance in this world.” These shall have no share in the world to come. But there are others who say: “Lord, give us what is good both in this world and in the next, and save us from the doom of Hell.” These shall have a share of the reward. Swift is the reckoning of God. Remember God during the appointed days. He that departs on the second day incurs no sin, nor does he who stays longer, if he truly fears God. Have fear of God, then, and know that you shall be gathered before Him. (2:196-203)

Sacrifice

For every nation We have appointed a holy rite that they may pronounce the name of God over the beasts which He has given them for food. Your God is One God; so surrender to Him. And give good news to the humble, whose hearts tremble with awe at the mention of God; who endure their misfortunes with fortitude, attend to their prayers and spend in charity of that which We have bestowed on them. And as for the sacrifice of cattle, We have ordained it for you as one of the symbols set up by God. They are of much use to you. So pronounce God’s name over them as you draw them up in line and slaughter them; and when they have fallen down, eat of their flesh, and feed with it the poor person and the beggar. Thus We have subjected them to you so that you may be thankful. Their flesh and blood do not reach God; it is your piety that reaches Him. Thus He has subjected them to you, so that you may magnify God for having guided you. And give good news to the righteous. (22:34-37)

Serving God

To God belongs all that the heavens and the earth contain. Whether you reveal your thoughts or hide them, God will bring you to account for them. He will forgive whom He will and punish whom He will; He has power over all things. The Prophet believes in what has been revealed to him by his Lord and so do the faithful. They all believe in God and His angels, His scriptures and His prophets. We make no distinction between any of His prophets. They say: “we hear and we obey. Forgive us, Lord; to You we shall return.” God does not charge a soul with more than it can bear. It shall be requited for whatever good and whatever evil it has done. “Lord do not take us to task if we forget or lapse into error. Lord, do not lay on us the burden You laid on those before us. Lord, do not charge us with more than we can bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us, You alone are our Protector. Help us against the unbelievers.” (2:284-286)

The Shari’ah

The Lord has enjoined you to worship none but Him, and to show kindness to parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, show them no sign of impatience, nor rebuke them; but speak kindly to them. Treat them with humility and tenderness and say: “Lord, be merciful to them even as they cherished and reared me when I was an infant.” Your Lord knows best what is in your hearts; He knows if you are righteous. He is Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again. Give to the near of kin their due, and also to the destitute and to the wayfarers. Do not squander your substance wastefully, for the wasteful are Satan’s brothers; and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord. But if, while waiting for your Lord’s bounty, you lack the means to assist them then at least speak to them kindly. Be neither miserly or prodigal, for then you should either be reproached or reduced to penury. Your Lord gives abundantly to whom He wills and sparingly to whom He pleases. He knows and observes His servants. You shall not slay your children for fear of want. We will provide for them and for you. To kill them is a great sin. Do not commit adultery, for it is indecent and evil. Do not slay any person whom God has forbidden you to kill, except for a just cause. If someone is slain unjustly, to his heir We have given the right of retaliation. But let him not carry his vengeance too far, for his victim in turn will be assisted and avenged. Do not interfere with the property of orphans except with the best of motives, until they reach maturity. Keep your promises; you are accountable for all that you promise. Give full measure when you measure and weigh with even scales; that is fair and better in the end. Do not pursue what you do not know; man’s eyes, ears and heart—each of his senses will be closely questioned. Do not walk on the earth with haughty self-conceit; you cannot cleave the earth, nor can you rival the mountains in stature. All this is evil and odious in the sight of your Lord. These injunctions are but a part of the wisdom with which your Lord has inspired you. Do not appoint another god with God, or you will be cast into Hell, despised and rejected. (17:23-39)

The Servants
of the Merciful

The true servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly upon the earth and say: “Peace!” to the ignorant who accost them: who pass the night standing and prostrate in adoration of their Lord; who say: “Lord ward off from us the punishment of Hell, for its punishment is everlasting, an evil dwelling and an evil resting-place;” who, when they spend, are neither wasteful nor niggardly, but keep the golden mean; who invoke no other god besides God, and do not kill save for a just cause; who do not commit adultery. He that does this shall meet with evil: his punishment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection and in disgrace he shall abide forever—unless he repent and believe and do good works, for then God will change his sins to good actions; God is Forgiving and Merciful: he that repents and does good works truly returns to God; who do not bear false witness and when they pass by idle talk, pass by with dignity; who do not turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the revelations of their Lord when they are reminded of them; who say: “Lord, give us joy in our spouses and offspring, and make us examples to those who are God-fearing.” These shall be rewarded with the highest heaven for their patient endurance. There they shall be welcomed with a greeting and peace, and there they shall abide forever; a blessed dwelling and a blessed resting place. (25:63-76)

Trust in God

There is but one God. In Him let the believers put their trust. Believers, you have an enemy in your spouses and children: beware of them. But if you overlook their offences and forgive and pardon them, then know that God is Forgiving and Merciful. Your wealth and your children are but a temptation. God’s reward is great. Therefore fear Him with all your hearts and be attentive, obedient and charitable for the good of your own selves; for those who guard themselves from their own avarice will surely prosper. If you give God a generous loan, He will repay you twofold and will forgive you, for God is Ever Responsive to gratitude and is Most Forbearing. (64:13-18)

Words of Wisdom

Luqman admonished his son: “My son,” he said, “do not associate others with God; to associate other with God is a mighty wrong.” We have enjoined man to show kindness to his parents, for with much pain his mother bears him, and he is not weaned before he is two years of age. Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me all things shall return. But if they press you to associate others with Me, of whom you know nothing, then do not obey them. Be kind to them in this world, but follow the way of him who turns to me. To me you shall return and I shall tell you what you have done. “My dear son, God will bring all things to light, be they as small as a grain of mustard seed, be they hidden inside a rock or in heaven or on earth. God is Wise and All-Knowing. My dear son, be steadfast in prayer, enjoin good and forbid evil. Endure with fortitude whatever befalls you. That is true constancy. Do not treat people with scorn, nor walk haughtily on the earth; God does not love the arrogant and the vainglorious. Rather let your gait be modest and your voice be low; the ugliest of all voices is the braying of the ass.” (31:13-19)

God-Fearing People

They ask you about the spoils. Say: “The spoils belong to God and the Messenger. So fear God and settle your disputes. Obey God and His Messenger, if you are true believers.” The true believers are those whose hearts tremble with awe at the mention of God, and whose faith grows stronger as they listen to His revelations. They put their trust in their Lord, pray steadfastly, and give in alms from that which We have given them. Such are the true believers. They shall be exalted and forgiven by their Lord, and a generous provision shall be made for them. (8:1-4)

The Good Life

God enjoins justice, kindness and charity to one’s kindred, and forbids indecency, abomination and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed. Keep faith with God when you make a covenant with Him. Do not break your oaths after having confirmed them and having called upon God to be your surety. God has knowledge of all your actions. Do not, like the woman who unravels the thread which she has firmly spun, take oaths with mutual deceit and break them on finding yourselves superior to others in numbers. In this God puts you to the proof. On the Day of Resurrection He will make clear to you that over which you are at variance. Had God willed, He would have united you into one community. But He leaves in error whom He wills and guides whom He wills. You shall be questioned about your actions. Do not take oaths to deceive each other, lest your foot should slip after it has stood firm, and lest evil should befall you for debarring others from the path of God, and lest there should await you a mighty punishment.

Do not sell the covenant of God for a trifling price. His reward is better then all your gain, if you but knew it. Your worldly riches are transitory, but God’s reward is everlasting. We shall reward the steadfast according to their noblest deeds. Be they men or women, those who believe and do what is right We shall surely endow with a good life; We shall reward them according to their noblest actions. (16:90-97)

Haram and Halal
(Lawful and Unlawful)

Say: “Come, I will tell you what your Lord has made binding on you: that you ascribe no partner to Him: that you show kindness to your parents; that you do not slay your children because of poverty; We provide for you and for them; that you do not commit any shameful deeds, openly or secretly; that you do not slay the soul God has prohibited except by right. Thus God exhorts you, so that you may grow in wisdom.” Do not touch the property of orphans, but strive to improve their lot until they reach maturity. Give just weight and full measure; We never charge a soul with more than it can bear. When you speak, be just, even though it be against a relative. Be true to God’s covenant. Thus God exhorts you, so that you may take heed. (6:151-152)

Say: “My Lord has forbidden all shameful deeds, whether overt or disguised, and sin and wrongful oppression; or associate with God that for which no warrant has been revealed, or to tell of God what you do not know. Every nation has its term; when their hour comes, they shall not put it back by a single hour nor put it forward. Children of Adam, when apostles of your own come to proclaim to you My revelations, those that take warning and mend their ways will have nothing to fear or to regret; but those that deny and scorn Our revelations shall be inhabitants of the Fire, and there they shall remain forever. (7:33-36)

Heavenly Souls

Indeed man was born with a restless disposition. When evil befalls him he is filled with self-pity, but blessed with good fortune he grows niggardly. Not so the worshippers who are steadfast in their prayer; who set aside a due portion of their goods for the needy and the dispossessed; who truly believe in the Day of Reckoning and dread the punishment of their Lord (for none is secure from the punishment of God); who preserve their chastity (save with their wives and slave girls, for in their case they are not blameworthy; but those who lust after other than those are transgressors); who keep their trusts and promises and bear true witness; and who attend to their prayers. These shall be laden with honours, and shall dwell in fair Gardens. (70:19-35)

The Serene Soul

As for man, when his Lord tests him by honouring him and bestowing favours on him, he says: “My Lord has honoured me.” But when He tests him by straitening his means of life, he says: “My Lord despises me.” No! But you show no kindness to the orphan, and do not urge one another to feed the poor. Greedily you devour the inheritance of the weak, and you love riches with all your hearts. No! But when the earth is crushed to fine dust, and your Lord comes, and the angels rank on rank, and Hell is brought near, on that Day man will take heed but what good will it do him now? He will say: “Would that I had sent before me some provision for my life.” But on that Day none will punish as He will punish, nor will any bind with chains like His. Serene soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing Him. Join My servants and enter My Paradise. (89:15-30)

Divine Souls

Believers, do not live on usury, doubling your wealth many times over. Have fear of God and you shall prosper. Guard yourselves against the fire of Hell prepared for unbelievers. Obey God and the Prophet, so that you may find mercy. Vie with each other to earn the forgiveness of your Lord and a Paradise as vast as heaven and earth, prepared for the righteous; those who give alms alike in prosperity and in adversity; who curb their anger and forgive their fellow men. God loves the charitable. And who, if they commit evil or wrong their souls, remember God and seek forgiveness for their sins—who but God forgives sins—and do not knowingly persist in their misdeeds. These shall be rewarded with forgiveness from their Lord and Gardens underneath which running streams flow, where they shall dwell forever. Blessed is the reward of those who do good works. (3:130-136)

The Correct Way

That which you have been given is but the fleeting comfort of this life. For better and more enduring is God’s reward to those who believe and put their trust in Him; who avoid gross sins and indecencies and, when angered, are willing to forgive; who respond to the call of their Lord, are constant in prayer, and conduct their affairs by mutual consent; who bestow in alms a portion of that which We have given them and, when oppressed, seek to redress their wrongs. Let evil be rewarded with like evil. But he who forgives and seeks reconcilement shall be rewarded by God. He does not love the wrongdoers. Those who avenge themselves when wronged incur no guilt. But great is the guilt of those who oppress their fellow men and conduct themselves with wickedness and injustice in the land. These shall be sternly punished. But true constancy lies in forgiveness and patient forbearance. (42:36-43)

Profitable Trading

Believers, shall I point out to you a profitable course that will save you from a painful doom? Believe in God and His Messenger and strive for His cause with your wealth and your lives. That would be best for you, if you only knew it. He will forgive you your sins and admit you to Gardens, underneath which running streams flow; He will lodge you in pleasant mansions in the Gardens of Eden. That is the supreme triumph. And He will bestow upon you other blessings which you desire: help from God and a speedy victory. Give the good news to the faithful. Believers, be God’s helpers. When Jesus, the son of Mary, said to his disciples: “Who will help me on the way to God?” They replied: “We are God’s helpers.” Then some of the Israelites believed in him while others did not. We helped the believers against their enemies and they triumphed over them. (61:10-14)

Real Piety

Piety does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or the west. The pious are those who believe in God and in the Last Day, in the angels and the scriptures and the prophets; who for the love of God give their wealth to kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, wayfarers in need and beggars, and for the redemption of captives; who attend to their prayers and pay the poor-due; who are true to their promises and endure with fortitude misfortune, hardships and peril. These are the true believers, these are the God-fearing. (2:177)

God’s Hospitality

Do the unbelievers think that they can make My servants protectors against Me? We have prepared Hell to be their dwelling place. Say: “Shall we tell you who will lose most through their labours? Those whose endeavours in this world are misguided and who think even then that what they do is right; who disbelieve the revelations of their Lord and deny that they will ever meet Him.” Vain are their works. On the Day of Resurrection We shall not honour them. Hell is their reward: because they had no faith and scoffed at My messengers and My signs. As for those who have faith and do good works, the Gardens of Paradise shall be their abode. They shall dwell there forever, desiring no change to befall them. Say: “If all the sea were ink with which to write the words of my Lord, the sea would surely be consumed before my Lord’s words were finished, though we brought another sea to replenish it.” Say: “I am but a mortal like yourselves. It is revealed to me that your Lord is One God. Let those that hope to meet their Lord do what is right and make none sharer of the worship due to his Lord.” (18:102-110)

The Believer’s
Livelihood

Believers, when you are summoned to Friday prayer, hasten to the remembrance of God and cease your trading. That would be best for you, if you but knew it. Then, when the prayer is ended, disperse and go your ways in quest of God’s bounty. Remember God always, so that you may prosper. But when they see some merchandise or passing delight, they flock to it eagerly, leaving you¹ alone. Say: “That which God has in store is far better than and passing delight or merchandise. God is the best of providers.” (62:9-11)

The People of Paradise

Tuly successful are the believers who are humble in their prayers; who avoid profanity, and are active in charitable works; who restrain their carnal desires, (except with their wives and slavegirls, for these are lawful to them; whoever seeks after more than that has transgressed); who are true to their trusts and promises and never neglect their prayers. These are the inheritors of Paradise, and therein they shall abide forever. (23:1-11)

Everything for God

God has bought from the believers their selves and their possessions and in return has promised them Paradise. They fight for His cause, slay, and are slain. That is a promise binding upon God in the Torah, the Gospel and the Quran. And who is more true to His promise than God? Rejoice, then, in the bargain you have made. That is the supreme triumph. Those who repent, those who worship, those who praise Him, those who journey, those who bow down, those who prostrate themselves, those who enjoin right, forbid wrong, and observe the commandments of God, shall be richly rewarded. Give the good news to the believers. (9:111-112)

The Believer is
God’s Tree

Do you not see how God compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches are in the sky; it yields its fruit in every season by God’s leave. God gives people parables so that they may take heed. But an evil word is like an evil tree torn out of the earth, possessing no stability. God will strengthen the faithful with His steadfast Word, both in this life and the hereafter. He leads the wrongdoers astray. He accomplishes what He pleases. (14:24-27)

Good Advice

God commands you to hand back your trusts to their rightful owners, and to pass judgement upon people with fairness. Noble is the advice God gives you. He hears all and observes all. (4:58)

He who fears God will take heed, but the most sinner will flout the warning. He shall be cast into the great Fire, where he shall neither die nor live. Successful is he who purifies himself, who remembers the name of his Lord and prays. Yet you¹ prefer the life of this world, although the life to come is better and more lasting. (87:10-17)

Doomed
to Destruction

Woe to every backbiting slanderer who amasses riches and sedulously hoards them, thinking that his riches will render him immortal! By no means! He shall be flung to the Destroying torment. Would that you knew what the Destroying torment was like! It is Gods’ own kindled fire, which will rise up to people’s hearts. It will close upon them from every side, in endless columns. (104:1-9)

The Deniers
of God’s Signs

He who turns away from My remembrance shall live in anguish and come before Us blind on the Day of Resurrection. “Lord”, he will say, “why have you brought me blind before you, when in my lifetime I was blessed with sight?” God will answer: “Because Our signs came to you and you forgot them. In like manner this Day you are yourself forgotten.” And thus do We reward the transgressor who denies the revelations of his Lord. But the punishment of the world to come is more terrible and more lasting. (20:124-127)

Fair Testimony

Believers, be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing fair testimony. Do not allow hatred for some people to turn you away from justice. Deal justly; justice is nearer to piety. Have fear of God; He knows what you do. God has promised those who believe and do good works forgiveness and a rich reward. And the unbelievers who deny Our signs shall dwell in Hell. (5:8-10)

Living in Harmony

Believers, when you confront an opposing force, stand firm and make constant mention of God, so that you may triumph. Obey God and His Messenger and do not quarrel with one another, lest you should lose courage and your resolve weaken. Have patience; God is with those who are patient. Do not be like those who left their homelands elated with arrogance and a desire to be seen and praised by men. They debar others from the path of God: but God encompasses what they do. (8:45-47)

Islamic Society

Believers, if an ungodly person brings you some news, inquire first into its truth, lest you should hurt others unwittingly and, afterwards, be filled with remorse for what you have done. Know that God’s Messenger is among you. If he obeyed you in many matters, you would surely come to grief. But God has endeared the Faith to you and beautified it in your hearts, making unbelief, wrongdoing and disobedience abhorrent to you. Such are those who are rightly guided through God’s grace and blessing. God is wise and all-knowing. If two parties of the believers take up arms against one another, make peace between them. If either of them commits aggression against the other, fight against the aggressors until they submit to God’s judgement. When they submit, make peace between them in equity and justice; God loves the just. The believers are one brotherhood; make peace among your brothers and fear God, so that you may be shown mercy. Believers, let no men mock other men who may perhaps be better than themselves. Let no women mock other women, who may perhaps be better than themselves. Do not defame one another, nor call one another by nicknames. It is evil to be called by a bad name after embracing the true faith. Those who do not repent are wrongdoers. Believers, avoid immoderate suspicion, for in some cases suspicion is a sin. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Surely you would loathe it. Have fear of God. He is forgiving and merciful. Mankind, We have created you from a male and a female and divided you into nations and tribes, so that you may know one another. The noblest of you in God’s sight is the one who fears God most. God is wise, and all-knowing. (49:6-13)

Calling to God

Call people to the way of your Lord with wisdom and kindly exhortation. Argue with them in the most courteous manner. Your Lord knows best those who stray from His path and those who are rightly guided. If you punish, let your punishment be proportionate to the wrong that has been done to you. But it is best for you to endure your wrong with patience. So be patient; your patience is for God. Do not grieve over the unbelievers, and neither be distressed by their plots. God is with those who keep from evil and do good works. (16:125-128)

Magnifying the Lord

You who are wrapped up in your vestment, arise and give warning, Magnify your Lord, purify your inner self. Keep away from all pollution. Be patient, for your Lord’s sake. The day when the trumpet sounds should not be an easy one for the unbelievers; it shall be a day of anguish for them. (74:1-10)

No, by the moon! By the departing night and the rising dawn, Hell is a dire scourge, a warning to mankind; alike to those of you who would advance and those who would hang back. Each soul is the hostage of its own deeds. But those on the right hand—they will be in their gardens, inquiring of the sinners; “What brought you into the Fire?” They will reply: “We never prayed or fed the hungry. We engaged in vain disputes and denied the Day of Reckoning until death overtook us.” No intercessor’s plea shall avail them then. (74:32-48)

Eternity is Better

Successful is the person who purifies himself, who remembers the name of his Lord, and prays. Yet
you¹ prefer this life, although the life to come is better and more lasting. All this is written in earlier scriptures; the scriptures of Abraham and Moses. (87:14-19)

Their Efforts
will be Rewarded

We have created man from a drop of thickened fluid so that We may test him. We made him a being endowed with hearing and sight. We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful. For the unbelievers We have prepared fetters and chains, and a blazing fire. But the righteous shall drink a cup flavoured with the Camphor—a spring at which the servants of God will refresh themselves as it gushes forth abundantly; they who keep their vows and dread the far-spread terrors of Judgement Day; who, though they hold it dear, give sustenance to the poor person, the orphan and the captive, saying: “We feed you for God’s sake alone; we seek of you neither recompense nor thanks; for we fear from Him a day of anguish and of woe.” God will deliver them from the evil of that day, and will make their faces shine with joy. He will reward them for their steadfastness with robes of silk and the delights of Paradise. Reclining there upon soft couches, they shall feel neither the scorching heat not the biting cold. Trees will spread their shade around them, and fruit will hang in clusters over them. They shall be served with silver dishes, and beakers as large as goblets; silver goblets which they themselves shall measure; and cups brimful with ginger-flavoured water from the Fount of Selsabil. They shall be attended by boys graced with eternal youth, who, to the beholder’s eyes will seem like sprinkled pearls. When you gaze upon that scene you will behold a kingdom blissful and glorious. They shall be arrayed in garments of fine green silk and rich brocade, and adorned with bracelets of silver. Their Lord will give them pure nectar to drink. Thus you shall be rewarded; since your endeavours in life shall be pleasing to God. (76:2-22)

The Day of Reward
and Retribution

When the sky is cleft asunder; when the stars scatter and the oceans burst beyond their bounds; when the graves are overturned; each soul will know what it has sent ahead and it has left behind. O man! What evil has enticed you away from your gracious Lord who created you, gave you an upright form, and well-proportioned you? In whatever shape He willed, He moulded you. Yet, you deny the Last Judgement. Surely there are guardians watching over you, noble recorders who know of all your actions. The righteous shall surely dwell in Bliss. But the wicked shall burn in a blazing fire on the Judgement-Day; which they shall not be able to evade. Would that you knew what the Day of Judgement is! Oh, would that you knew what the Day of Judgement is! A Day when no soul shall be of the least avail to another soul; for on that Day all sovereignty is God’s alone. (82:1-19)

The Religion
That is Pleasing to God

As for the home of the world to come, We shall grant it to those who seek neither to exalt themselves in this world nor to spread corruption. The righteous shall have a blessed end. Whoever does good shall be rewarded with what is better. But those who do evil shall be requited only according to what they did. (28:83-84)

As for him who rebelled, and preferred the life of this world; Hell shall be his Final Abode. But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from base desires; Paradise shall be his Final Abode. (79:37-41)

He that chooses a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and in the world to come he will be one of the lost. (3:85)

Prayers

Praise be to God, Lord of Creation, the Beneficent, the Merciful, King of Judgement Day. You alone we worship, and to You alone we pray for help. Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray. (1:1-7)

To the Lord

Lord, do not take us not to task if we forget or lapse into error. Lord, do not lay on us the burden You laid on those before us. Lord, do not charge us with more than we can bear. Pardon us, forgive us our sins, and have mercy upon us. You alone are our Protector. Give us victory over the deniers. (2:286)

God, Lord of all sovereignty, You bestow sovereignty on whom You will and take it away from whom You please; You exalt whomever You will and abase whomever You please. In Your hand lies all that is good; You have power over all things. You cause the night to pass into the day and the day to pass into the night; You bring forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living. You give without stint to whom You will. (3:26-27)

Protect Us!

Lord, give us joy in our spouses and offspring, and cause us to be foremost among those who are God-fearing. (25:74)

Inspire me, Lord, to render thanks for the favours You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and to do good work that will please You. Admit me, through Your mercy, among your righteous servants. (27:19)

Lord, Your mercy and knowledge embrace all things. Forgive those that repent and follow Your path. Shield them from the scourge of Hell. Admit them, Lord, to the Gardens of Eden which You have promised them, together with all the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their descendents. You are the Almighty, the Wise One. Deliver them from all evil. He whom You will deliver from evil on that Day is surely one You have graced with Your mercy. That is the supreme triumph. (40:7-9)

Help Us!

Lord, give us what is good both in this world and in the next and save us from the chastisement of the Fire. (2:201)

Lord, fill our hearts with steadfastness. Make firm our step and help us against the unbelievers. (2:250)

Lord, do not cause our hearts to go astray after You have guided us. Grant us Your own mercy; You are the munificent Giver. (3:8)

Lord, we believe in You: forgive us our sins and keep us from the torment of Hell-fire. (3:16)

Purify Our Hearts

Forgive us, Lord, and forgive our brothers who embraced the Faith before us. Do not put in our hearts any malice towards the faithful. Lord, You are compassionate, and merciful. (59:10)

Lord, in You we have put our trust; to You we turn and to You we shall come at last. Lord, do not expose us to the designs of the unbelievers. Forgive us, Lord; You are the Mighty, the Wise One. (60:4-5)

Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us. You have power over all things. (66:8)

Grant Us a
Righteous End

Lord, You have not created this in vain. Glory be to You! Save us from the torment of Hell-fire. Lord, those whom You will cast into Hell shall be put to eternal shame: none will help the wrongdoers. Lord, we have heard a crier calling men to the true Faith, saying: “Believe in your Lord.” So we believed. Lord, then, forgive us our sins and remove from us our evil deeds and make us die with the righteous. Lord, grant us what You promised through your messengers, and do not cast shame on us on the Day of Resurrection. Truely, You never fail to fulfill Your promise. (3:191-194)

Have Mercy on Us!

Lord, make me and my descendents steadfast in prayer. Lord, accept my prayer. Forgive me, Lord, and forgive my parents and all the faithful on the Day of Reckoning. (14: 40-41)

Lord, have mercy on them both (i.e., my parents) as they cherished and cared for me when I was a little child. (17:24)

Save us from Evil

Lord, we have wronged our souls. Pardon us and have mercy on us, or we shall surely be among the lost. (7:23)

Lord, bless us with patience and let us die as Muslims (who have surrendered themselves to Your Will). (7:126)

Lord, You alone are our Guardian. Forgive us and have mercy on us: You are the Best of those who forgive. Ordain for us what is good, both in this life and in the Hereafter. To You alone we have turned in repentance. (7:155-156)

Lord, do not let us suffer at the hands of the wicked. Deliver us, through Your mercy, from the unbelievers. (10:85-86)

Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my Guardian in this world and in the next. Let me die as one submitting to Your Will (i.e., Muslim) and join the righteous. (12:101)

Strengthen Us!

Lord, grant me a goodly entrance and a goodly exit, and sustain me with Your power. (17:80)

Lord, have mercy on us and guide us out of our ordeal.

Do Not Leave Me Alone!

Lord, put courage into my heart, and ease my task for me. Free my tongue from its impediment, so that they may understand my speech. (20:25-28)

Lord, cause me to grow in knowledge. (20:114)

Lord, I have been afflicted with distress: but You are the Most Merciful of all who show mercy. (21:83)

Lord, do not leave me childless; You are the Best of all heirs. (21:89)

Lord, let my landing from this ark be blessed. You alone can make me land in safety. (23:29)

Lord, build me a house with You in Paradise. (66:11)

Lord, I stand in need of the blessing which You have sent me. (28:24)

Lord, deliver me from these corrupt people. (29:30)

Avenge me, Lord, I am overcome! (54:10)

Save Us From Doom

Lord, I seek refuge in You from the promptings of the devils. Lord, I seek refuge in You from their presence. (23:98-99)

Lord, we believe in You. Forgive us and have mercy on us; You are the Most Merciful. (23:109)

Lord, ward off from us the punishment of Hell, for its punishment is everlasting. (25:65)