What is the Creation Plan of God? | 21st May 2012
When we think about the purpose of man’s life we realize that man is born with unlimited potential, yet in the present world he finds only a very limited use for it. According to his nature, man wants to live eternally, but very soon, without his leave, death arrives and puts an end to his life. He harbours an ocean of desires in his heart, but these desires are never fulfilled. He houses a life of dreams in his mind, but these dreams are never realized. In this case, there is no difference between a poor man and a rich man. The question is why are man and the present world so mismatched? We can find our answer if we understand God’s Creation Plan. The Creator of man has created this world, as one half of a pair — the present limited world, in which we pass our lives after birth, is the first half; and the next eternal world where we live after death is the other half. The Creator of man has thus created him as an eternal creature and has divided his life into two stages — the pre-death period or the limited life in this world and the post death period or the eternal life after death. The limited period before death is meant to be a test for man, while the eternal period after his death will be the period for his reward or punishment, based on his performance in the test in this life. This is the scheme of existence for this world as devised by its Creator. His intention is that man must spend a period of trial in this present, imperfect world and subsequent to this, according to his deeds; he will earn the right to inhabit the perfect and eternal world, another name for which is Paradise.
Spirituality is an Intellectual Activity | 14th May 2012
Spirituality is the elevation of the human condition to a plane on which the mind is focused on the higher, non-material realities of a godly existence. Spirituality in Islam is an intellectual activity. Its quest is two-fold; one is to give serious thought to questions pertaining to their purpose of life such as, ‘Who am I?’ What is this world around me? What is the creation plan of God for man as well as for the rest of the world? And two is to solve the riddle of why all men and women undergo negative experiences in this world and to offer positive solutions. When man uses his intellect he realizes that the Creator of man has created him according to a special Plan. His intention being that man must spend a period of trial in this present, imperfect world and subsequent to this, according to his deeds, he will earn the right to inhabit the perfect and eternal world, another name for which is Paradise.
The second aim of spirituality is to help man convert his negative experiences into positive ones. When man lives in society he regularly undergoes negative experience that induces anger, feelings of revenge, malice in him. Contemplative spirituality or the spirituality of the mind helps him to give a positive response in such negative situations. The cow provides such an example. The cow ingests not milk, but grass. Then by means of a biological process, this grass is converted into milk. That is to say, the cow is an industry, which converts non-milk into milk. An Urdu poet has expressed the same reality:
“The grass which the cow grazed on yesterday in the jungle was converted by her into milk today.”
It is said that once a young man met an elderly person, who was devoutly religious. The young man took umbrage at something the elderly person had said to him and kicked him in the chest. This was an incident of a gravely negative nature. But the old man converted this negative experience into a positive one by responding with these words: “I hope your gentle foot was not hurt by my hard stony chest.”
God-oriented or Rabbani Soul | 7th May 2012
The concept of God provides man with an ideology in which loss is turned to gain and in which adversity brings with it good tidings. And it is in submission to God and living a God-oriented life that man finds complete fulfillment and purpose of life. When he discovers God and worships Him, when he remembers Him, when his mind is turned towards Him with full concentration, when he makes a request or a plea, he establishes a contact with his Maker. In the words of the Hadith, at that particular moment he comes to whisper with his Lord. He has the tangible feeling that he is pouring his heart out to God and that God in turn is answering his call. When this communion is established between God and man, man can feel himself becoming imbued with a special kind of peace. His eyes are moist with tears. He starts receiving inspiration from God. This is the beginning of living a God-Oriented Life and the development of a positive personality. It is, therefore, in submission to God that man and the rest of the universe find its purpose. While the rest of the world submits to God compulsively, without having a choice; God desires that man should submit to Him of his own free will, without being compelled to do so. This is the test of man. When man submits to God and starts living a God-oriented based on the principles of life laid down by his Creator, he starts developing his personality on positive lines and becomes a God-oriented or Rabbani soul. It is souls such as these, who, in the life Hereafter, will inhabit paradise. Our most compassionate Lord will say:
“Dwell in Paradise; you shall have no fear, nor shall you grieve.” (7:49)
What is God-oriented Life? | 30th April 2012
Earth is sun’s satellite. It constantly orbits around the sun. It takes one year to complete one such revolution. This movement of earth around the sun is essential for the healthy functioning of life on earth. If earth did not revolve around the sun, its existence would have no meaning, and life would come to an end. This is a practical example of how we should lead our lives in this world. This example is indeed a physical demonstration that shows how man’s life must revolve around God, just as earth revolves around the sun. This is a God-oriented life.
God-oriented living means that all of man’s activities should be based on God. The earth revolves as compelled to by the laws of nature. But man, of his own free will, should surrender to God. God-oriented life begins with the discovery of God. When individuals, whether men or women, discover God, it means that they have found the truth. And this truth pervades their whole being. This feeling of having discovered the truth becomes such a thrilling experience that it fills them with an everlasting conviction. This everlasting conviction removes all frustrations from their lives. In such a situation, losses are no longer such, for, in spite of them, they never lose the feeling that their greatest asset, i.e. God, is still with them. He should build a life, which is based on the concept of God. This consciousness is the real ascension of man. In this consciousness lies the secret of all success. God-oriented life for man starts by his remembering God. He begins to feel the presence of God. Everything serves to remind him of God. God’s remembrance is never absent from his heart and mind. His mornings and evenings are spent as if he is living in God’s neighbourhood. Just as rain replenishes the crops, so does he remain ever immersed in the remembrance of God. Spirituality makes man God-oriented. This is what makes a spiritual person unassailable. A spiritual person enters into such profound communion with God that he becomes far more powerful than even the sun and the moon and the mountains and the seas.
Essence of Spirituality in Internal Realization of God | 22nd April 2012
Spirituality is not a mere set of rituals. Just being born into a particular family or being associated with a certain group does not make one a spiritual person. These are all external things. These are not the true essence of spirituality. The actual reality of spirituality is an internal realization that is above all outward things. Spirituality produces right thinking in a man. It enables him to see things, which are invisible to the physical eye. It enables him to learn lessons from the past and see the future in the present. It makes him a superman. In short, spirituality is the source of human progress. There are two aspects to our world. One pertains to the visible world and the other to the invisible world. The visible world can be likened to an iceberg. Only a very tiny part of it is observable, while the major part of it remains hidden beneath the surface of the water. Spirituality enables man to see the major submerged part of this iceberg, and then, as if he were able to dive beneath the surface of the sea and reach its deepest levels, he finds himself able to fathom the most profound levels of existence. Repeatedly, we find such occasions in life, when man feels he is helpless. It is when he feels that his life has become rudderless and without direction, that spirituality appears to him as his saviour. It saves his sinking ship. At that juncture, spirituality becomes a source of courage and conviction for him.
Principles of Life | 16th April 2012
Life is governed by universal principles laid down by the Creator of the world. If one wants to succeed in the world, he must follow these principles.
Choosing the Easier Option
Whenever one has to choose between two options, one should always opt for the easier one. This is wisdom. Wisdom enables man to save himself from further harm and may successfully set his affairs in order.
Truth
The virtue which is developed naturally in every human being is truthfulness. By his very nature, man is averse to lying, and hates anyone who is proved to have told a plain lie. So long as there is no motive to tell a lie, he is naturally inclined to speak the truth. Speaking the truth is a form of ‘courage’.
Good Conduct
Strong moral fibre is the sum of all personal virtues that guarantee correct and agreeable behaviour in daily social interaction. A person of good character will invariably conform in his behaviour to a strict code of ethics.
Modesty
Having the courage to say, “I do not know” is not a simple matter. There is a saying in Arabic, “Uttering the words ‘I do not know’ is the half of knowledge.” The awareness of a man’s ignorance awakens the spirit of enquiry within him which ultimately leads him towards gaining knowledge. When one does not know something, one should accept one’s ignorance. Accepting one’s ignorance is a step towards gaining knowledge. Without such thinking, no one can attain the goal of intellectual development.
Benefits of Questioning | 9th April 2012
Generally, people do not like asking others about anything. They think that asking questions means admitting one’s ignorance. This is fatal. Asking should rather be regarded as being like consulting a dictionary or an encyclopedia. No one can learn everything on his own to compensate for the gaps in one’s knowledge. One studies books. Similarly, one should develop the habit of asking questions of those who are well-informed. The knower is like a living book for the seeker of knowledge. If no bias comes in the way of reading a book, no such feeling should come in the way of putting questions to one who knows. Interacting with people, while asking them questions not only increases our knowledge, it also develops human relations.
Thinking and learning a lesson through it is the greatest action of an individual. That is reflection on the things around him and learning lessons from them. It is as if the process of intellectual and spiritual development which sets in in man in the form of serious reflection and meditation never comes to an end until the time of his death.
Learning from Others | 2nd April 2012
The Speaking Tree | 25th Mar.2012
The main reason why people fail to attach them selves to religion in the modern age is that they cannot see God, so they do not believe in Him. This argument was valid when science had reached only the macro world and when ‘only what was observable was the reality’. At that time the atom was considered to be the smallest unit of the observable material world. But when the atom was split, it was confirmed that it was nothing but a mad dance of energy waves or electrons, which could not be observed. A new logic then came into being. Not only was the direct or observable argument thought to be valid, but inferential arguments or the invisible sources of visible effects were also considered valid. An example of the latter is that X-rays are not visible to the naked eye, but their effect can be seen when we observe the X-ray film. Using the valid inferential argument, if you can believe in the unseen X-rays as you can see their effect, why can you not believe in an unseen God, whose meaningful creation – the Universe you see all around you?
The Speaking Tree 19th Mar. 2012
In 1831, an American citizen went into business. In 1832 his business failed, so he entered the field of politics, but was no more successful in that sphere. He reverted to business in 1834, and was again a failure.
In 1841, he had a nervous breakdown. Once recovered, he again entered the political arena, in the hope that his party would nominate him as a candidate for Congress. His hopes were dashed, however, when his name failed to appear in the list of candidates. The first chance he had to run for the Senate was in 1855, but he was defeated in the election. In 1858, he once again stood in the congressional elections, and once again lost.
The name of this repeatedly unsuccessful person was Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). So great were his services to his country that he is now known as the architect of modern America.
How did Abraham Lincoln manage to gain such a great reputation in American political and national history? How did he win his way to such a high position? According to Dr. Norman Vincent Peel, the secret behind his success was that “he knew how to accept defeat.”
The great secret of life is realism, and there is no form of realism greater than accepting defeat. To do so is to acknowledge the fact that, far from being ahead of others, one is behind them. In other words, it is to know where one stands in life. Once defeat is accepted, one is immediately in a position to start life’s journey afresh, for such a journey can only commence from where one actually is; it cannot start from a point that one has not yet reached.
Another positive example of accepting defeat is the case of Japan. Japan, defeated by America in World War II, was occupied by American military forces in April 1945. General Douglas Mac Arther was appointed Supreme Commander in Japan, where he lived until 1951. A new constitution, drawn up with his approval, and ratified by the Japanese Assembly on November 3, 1946, reduced the status of the Emperor of Japan to that of a mere symbolic head of state. Under article 9, the Japanese nation was also made to pledge that “land, sea and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained.” (10/87).
This constitution apparently sounded the death-knell of Japan as nation, but Japanese leaders showed great foresight in accepting it. They saw that although it closed all doors to Japan from the military and political point of view, the door to industrial and scientific advance still stood wide open. Withdrawing from the field of military and political ¬confrontation, the Japanese nation began to exploit the remaining opportunities in the fields of science and industry. Just 40 years later, historians, were compelled to write these words about Japan:
“Defeated in World War II (1945), Japan emerged from the ruins of war as one of the major economic powers in the world” (V/519).
The acceptance of the present opens up hitherto unsuspected paths to the future. Those who reject the realities of the present will themselves debarred from access to the potentialities of the future.
The Speaking Tree | 12th Mar. 2012
A man once came to the Prophet Muhammad and asked him what he should do in a certain matter. The Prophet replied, ‘Consult your conscience (heart) about it.’ By the conscience the Prophet meant his inner feelings. That is, what one’s conscience tells one would likewise be what Islam would demand of one as a matter of common sense.
What does human nature desire more than anything? It desires, above all, peace and love. Every human being wants to live in peace and to receive love from the people around him. Peace and love are the religion of human nature as well as what Islam demands of us. The Qur’an tells us, “... and God calls you to the home of peace” (10:25).
One of the teachings of Islam is that when two or more people meet, they must greet one another with the words, ‘Assalamu–Alaikum’ (may peace be upon you). Similarly, Salat, or prayer, said five times daily is the highest form of worship in Islam. At the close of each prayer all worshippers have to turn their faces to either side and utter the words ‘Assalamu–Alaikum’ warahmatullah(May peace and God’s blessing be upon you). This is like a pledge given to people: ‘O people, you are safe from me. Your life, your property, your honour is secure with me.’
This sums up the spirit of true religion, the goal of which is spiritual uplift. It is the ultimate state of this spiritual uplift which is referred to in the Qur’an as the “serene soul” (89:27).
Thus a true and perfect man, from the Islamic point of view, is one who has reached that level of spiritual development where peace and peace alone prevails. When a person has attained that peaceful state, others will receive from him nothing less than peace. He may be likened to a flower which can send out only its fragrance to man, it being impossible for it to emit an unpleasant smell.
Such a person can bear every loss, for he feels that any loss, which is material in nature, is always far less in comparison to what he still has in his possession, in terms of spirituality; and that is a treasure that no one can take away from him.
The Speaking Tree | 4th Mar. 2012
The world of nature is characterized by its equilibriums. Human society must acquire the same equilibrium if it is to function smoothly.
There are many ways in which God maintains the equilibrium of nature. One of these ways is diversion; that is, the channeling off of a force that has reached excessive proportions. Think of the amount of rain that falls in the rainy season. Immense damage would be done if it were to remain in cultivated and populated areas. So what nature does in such situations is provide the land and human population with an amount of water which is only just adequate while the rest of the water is diverted into rivers.
Man has made use of this principle of diversion in the building of dams. The purpose of a dam is to control the free flow of water in a river. Whenever there appears to be a surplus water, the excess amount is channeled off in another direction. In this way the river is prevented from deluging the surrounding area. This water then flows into a large pool, or reservoir. So it is with many machines. When the amount of steam in a steam-engine, for instance, exceeds specified proportions, then it is diverted and funneled off. This principle of diversion should also be applied to human society. If one lives with others one is bound to have cause for complaint against them from time to time. These grievances will end in social strife if allowed to escalate. The smooth running of society will then become well nigh impossible. This strife and conflict can be avoided only if man finds an outlet for his excess emotion. This is the function that faith in God and the hereafter performs.
Human society is deeply indebted to faith in the hereafter for this function that it performs.Faith in God enables one to turn to Him for recompense in times of grievance. A man of God does not make others the target of his negative feelings. Instead, he diverts them towards God. The deluge of his emotions, which might have caused immense damage to human beings, falls instead into a diversion pool.
The Speaking Tree | 13th Feb. 2012
The simplest principle of the religion of humanity is to treat others just as one would like to be treated by them. The Prophet once observed: ‘No one can be a believer until and unless he begins to like for his brother what he likes for himself’.In another hadith, the Prophet of Islam said: ‘By the Being in Whose Hand is my soul; no one can be a believer as long as he does not like for his neighbour what he likes for himself.’
This is such a comprehensive principle that it is useful in relations between men and women, individuals and nations, in the homeland as well as in foreign lands. If people were to adhere to this principle, their family life as well as their social life would improve. National life as well as international life would run more smoothly. It is like a master key to human ethics, one single key which suffices to open all locked doors.
One who does not differentiate between his own people and others is a man of principle. His is a contradiction-free personality. And this trait, when properly developed, will turn him into a perfect person, a person who has principled and unilateral ethics.
The Prophet of Islam, once addressing his companions, said: “Should I not tell you what is good character?” They said, “Yes, certainly.” The Prophet replied: “You should join him who cuts asunder from you. You should give to those who deprive you. You should forgive those who oppress you.”
This can be termed unilateral ethics.But, high moral character does not mean that you should give good treatment only to those who give good treatment to you. That would show a tit for tat mentality. ‘Do as you would be done by’ expresses the principle which should be adhered to.
Principled behaviour is not governed by our reaction to another’s action, but is rather governed by a code of ethics. A man should rise above any base attitude displayed by others; he should instead be unilaterally governed by ethics. He should refrain from the psychology of reaction. And in no circumstance should he abandon his positive moral attitude. The greatest sign of a noble character in any individual is that, in spite of a negative reaction from others, he maintains his positive attitude.
The Speaking Tree | 6th Feb. 2012
The Prophet of Islam said that one who is not grateful to man could not be grateful to God either. The acknowledgement of a good turn done by a human being must be through thanksgiving.
If one is sensitive in this regard, this will find expression not only in the case of God but also in the case of human beings. It is impossible that man should be grateful in one respect and not in another.
Acknowledgement is a praiseworthy human action when it takes the form of thanksgiving. For every human being owes everything to God. That is why he should be grateful to God more than to anyone else.
The sign of this gratefulness should appear in the form of man being grateful to people like himself in his daily life. The absence of this gratefulness towards man is a sure sign of his ungratefulness to God. For gratefulness in one respect and ungratefulness in another cannot go together. Either a man will be grateful to both man and God or he will be grateful to none.
There is another saying of the Prophet of Islam, “One who never expresses his gratitude to other human beings will never be thankful to God.”
Thankfulness is a state of mind which cannot be compartmentalised. If it manifests itself in one place, the chances are that it will do so in other places too. If a man shows gratitude to one person, he will surely show it to others likewise.
When a man does someone a good turn, it is something quite obvious – a tangible direct experience. On the contrary, God’s kindness, being an indirect experience, is not at all obvious. One has to be perceptive, and reflective to be able to realise what favours are granted to man by God. While the favours a man does are observable, God’s favours can be realized only by thinking about them.
One who fails to perceive an event which is directly observable cannot be expected to grasp something which can be apprehended only after a great deal of cogitation.
If the recipient of a favour fails to acknowledge it for fear of belittling himself in the eyes of his benefactor, he does himself nothing but harm. It is more a question of being belittled in the eyes of his own conscience than falling down in others’ eyes – a course by far the more injurious.
An even greater disadvantage of an ungrateful attitude is that it produces a mentality of non-acknowledgement. Failing at first to acknowledge the favours of one’s fellow men leads on to failure to give wholehearted credence to the Lord of the Universe. There is no greater loss in this world than one who has failed to acknowledge his Creator.
The Speaking Tree | 30th Jan. 2012
With the increase of traffic in modern times, the danger of accidents has also increased. To obviate this danger, various forms of road signs have been erected for the guidance of motorists. One such sign reads: “Lane driving is safe driving.” Keeping to one’s lane is an effective safeguard against accidents, averting the danger of colliding with other motor-cars, and ensuring that one’s journey does not end in disaster.
An article in a British motoring magazine by an expert on driving gives some indispensable rules of thumb for drivers. If one is speeding down a main road, for example, and suddenly a ball appears from a side road, one must realize that there is probably a child not far behind it. If one sees the ball, but fails to see the child, one cannot count oneself a good driver. The really good driver stops, not on account of the ball, but on account of the child that he sees with his mind’s eye running behind the ball. It is the quickness of his imagination which saves the child from being run over.
The principles we are required to keep in mind while driving are the same as those we should keep in mind on our journey through life. If one wishes, one can learn from the “highway code” the principle that one should follow in the vaster arena of life.
Always confine your activities to your own sphere; if you infringe on the sphere of others, you are sure to clash with them: your progress will come to an abrupt halt. When certain signs appear on the horizon of society, try to make out what these signs imply. Do not just go by outward signs; try to reach the meaning behind them. If one just goes by what one sees and fails to see what lurks in the background, one will not advance in one’s journey through life. Others, more far-seeing than oneself, will forge ahead, while one falls victim to dangers that could have been avoided, if one had read the signs properly.
The Speaking Tree | 23rd Jan. 2012
The main reason why people fail to attach them selves to religion in the modern age is that they cannot see God, so they do not believe in Him. This argument was valid when science had reached only the macro world and when ‘only what was observable was the reality’. Human knowledge has two different phases—the pre-Einstein period and the post-Einstein period. In the pre-Einstein period, the atom was considered to be the smallest unit of the observable material world. But in the post-Einstein era, when the atom was split, it was confirmed that it was nothing but a mad dance of energy waves or electrons, which could not be observed. A new logic then came into being. Not only was the direct or observable argument thought to be valid, but inferential arguments or the invisible sources of visible effects were also considered valid. An example of the latter is that X-rays are not visible to the naked eye, but their effect can be seen when we observe the X-ray film. Using the valid inferential argument, if you can believe in the unseen X-rays as you can see their effect, why can you not believe in an unseen God, whose meaningful creation – the Universe you see all around you?
In the pre-Einstein era, unbelievers held that the concept of God pertains to the unseen world. And since no direct argument was available to bear this out, belief in God was held to be illogical and all the relevant indirect arguments were considered scientifically invalid, since they were inferential in nature.
But now the whole situation has changed. Nothing is observable. So the existence of anything can be established only by means of inferential argument, rather than by direct argument.
If inferential argument is valid with regard to the unseen micro-world, it is also valid with regard to the existence of God.
Since ancient days, theologians have argued that when there is a design there must also be a designer. As we see that our world is well designed (universe all around us), it compels us to believe that there is a designer (the Creator of the Universe).
Even Bertrand Russell, who was an atheist, in his book, “Why I am not a Christian”, has admitted this fact. He says that the argument centering on design, propounded by theologians to prove the existence of God, is scientifically valid.
I would like to say that in such a situation the choice we have is not between ‘the universe with God’, and ‘the universe without God’. This is not an option. The real option is between ‘the universe with God’ or ‘no universe at all’. As we cannot opt for the proposition “no universe at all”, since the universe is too obvious a fact for us to deny its existence, therefore we have no option but to accept the proposition of “the Universe with God.”
The Speaking Tree | 16th Jan. 2012
Try closing your room, going away, and returning after a few weeks. What do you find on your return? A thick layer of dust all over the room. This is so unpleasant that you don’t feel like sitting in the room until it has been dusted. Equally unpleasant is the dust blown in your face by a high wind, you find yourself longing for the wind to drop, so that there should be no more irritating dust.
But what is this dust that we find so annoying? It is in fact a loose surface layer of fertile soil, the very substance which enables the growth of all forms of vegetables, fruits and cereals. If this soil did not lie on the face of the earth, it would be impossible for us to live on the earth at all. It is this same dust that makes the earth’s atmosphere dense enough for water to vaporize, forming clouds which produce torrents of water to revive and replenish the earth. Without rain, there would be no life on earth, and rain is only possible because of the dust in the earth’s atmosphere.
From this straightforward example we can see how God has placed unpleasant things alongside the pleasant things of life. Just as the rose bush, along with its exquisite flowers, also possesses piercing thorns, so also does life contain an amalgam of both pleasing and displeasing objects. This is the way God has created the world. There is nothing for us to do but to fit in with this order of nature that He has laid down. Much as we may try, it is impossible for us to have things any other way.
To complain about things, then, is a fruitless exercise. If one wants to complain, one is sure to find plenty to complain about in life. The intelligent thing to do is to forget the unpleasant things which are a part and parcel of life, bury grudges, and carry on seeking to fulfill one’s true purpose in life.
The Speaking Tree | 9th Jan. 2012
Jim Corbett, after whom a famous national park in India has been named, was an expert on the nature of tigers. He once wrote: “No tiger attacks a human being unless provoked.” People who live in jungle areas where tigers roam will confirm the truth of Jim Corbett’s words. There is usually no cause for concern when one comes face to face with a tiger. Unless it is provoked—or harbours deep-rooted suspicion of human beings—the beast will ignore one and continue on its way.
And how does this suspicion form in some tigers? Tigers are by nature not ill-disposed towards human beings. Only very few of them can be called man-eaters, and even they were not born as such. They became man-eaters, not through any fault of their own, but through the folly of human beings. Usually it is inexperienced hunters who do the damage. They shoot at a beast, wounding but not killing it. A tiger injured in this manner becomes man’s enemy. Wherever it sees a human being, it attacks and kills. The same is true of most beasts of prey. They only attack man when they have already been wounded by him.
This information from the world of nature holds deep significance for man. It shows that one should not think of anyone—not even the most savage people—as one’s enemy in advance. One will only be treated as an enemy if that is how one sees others. If one does not view them with animosity, they are more likely to be amicable in return.
The second lesson is that one should not take measures against anyone without sufficient preparation. If the measures that one takes are indecisive, they are sure to be counter-productive. The other party will only become further provoked, and tension between the two will deepen further.
Everyone has certain needs and desires in this world, which they remain busy fulfilling. The secret of life is not to stand in a person’s way. If one does not make oneself a target for another’s vengeance, but lets everyone continue pursuing his own goal in life, then one is not going to find one’s own path blocked by others. One will find everyone so absorbed in minding their own business that they have no time to interfere with that of others.
The Speaking Tree | 2nd Jan. 2012
Spirituality has great importance for every human being. From mental peace to human values, it has many aspects to it. Since spirituality is interwoven in the human personality, it also has a deep relationship with our lives: spirituality and human values are interlinked. If spirituality were absent from our lives, there would be no human values.
What is spirituality? Spirituality is an elevated state of intellectual awakening. Spirituality is a higher level of consciousness. Our world is a dual world – a world of things, a world of meanings. When one raises oneself to a level where material things become secondary; and inner meanings become of prime importance, then one is a spiritual person. Spirituality is only another name for ‘high thinking’. It is no exaggeration to say that spirituality makes a man a superman. Spirituality makes a nation a super nation. Spirituality elevates one from the limited world of things, to a limitless world of meanings. Spirituality activates that intellectual process, which is necessary for the development of one’s personality. Spirituality makes you an intellectual giant. Spirituality enables you to defuse your tensions. All other things become insignificant in comparison to spiritual achievement. It brings you to an eternal world of bliss, where there is nothing but eternal contentment. This is a point where losing is also gaining. Indeed, spirituality is the greatest source of crisis management.
The Speaking Tree | 19th Dec. 2011
William Penn was born in London in 1644 and died in 1718. A great advocate of religious tolerance he took part in both religion and politics. One of his sayings is as follows: ‘Let the people think they govern and they will be governed.’
William Penn said this on the basis of his study of history. But this is not something related only to history, it is, in fact, a universal law of nature. It is established by God Himself according to His own creation plan. This natural law set by the Almighty God has been described in these words in the Quran: ‘We alternate these days among mankind.’ (3:140)
By ‘days’ here is meant the days of victory and defeat,of domination and subjugation. In this world just as everything else is for the purposes of test, so is political power. That is why it is granted to each group by turns, so that every group could be tested. In this world the state of domination and power is for test, just as the state of subjugation and submission.
What is required from man is that when he is granted power he should not suffer from the psychology of pride and arrogance. And when man finds himself in a state of subjugation he should not fall prey to negative psychology. Either of the states should be acceptable to man as a matter of divine ordainment. In both the states man’s eyes should be set on shouldering his own responsibilities rather than on the right or wrong attitude adopted by others.
This is a belief, of great reformative influence, which keeps people away from political activities of negative nature. It enables men to save their capabilities from being wasted, and always engage themselves in beneficial and result-oriented actions. The loss of power is from God. Protesting against it is to protest against God. And is there anyone who can succeed in his protest against God?
The Speaking Tree | 12th Dec. 2011
Peace is a must for the survival of our civilization. Peace is a must for all kinds of constructive work. As such, it is of the greatest concern to everyone. Everyone wants a peaceful society, a peaceful world. Yet, for the greater part of humanity, peace remains a distant dream. I have made an in-depth study of this problem from the historical as well as the Islamic viewpoints. I should like to make a brief presentation of my findings. According to my study, basically, there are two viewpoints in this matter: the concept of peace as defined by social scientists and the concept of peace as defined by the ideologists. The scientists’ concept of peace is based on realities while the idealists’ concept of peace is based on utopianism. In other words, on mere wishful thinking.
It is mainly the ideologists’ concept of peace which has created the present crisis of peace throughout the world. The scientists’ formula for peace is the only practicable one, for the idealists’ formula is merely a formulation of people’s own wishes.
Academicians define peace as an absence of war. But the idealists differ with this notion saying that the mere absence of war is nothing. They hold that peace and justice should go hand in hand. To them the only acceptable formula is that which restores justice in its ideal sense. But the building of such a utopian world is simply impossible.
This concept of peace is seemingly beautiful. Because of this apparent beauty, it has gained general popularity. The masses everywhere are obsessed with the idealistic concept of peace. But one has to differentiate between what is possible and what is impossible. There is no other alternative. One has to be practical rather than idealistic if one wants to achieve a positive result. The object of peace is only to normalize the situation between two warring sides.
Peace is a must not only for our advancement, but for our very survival. But peace can be attained only by accepting two simple precepts: making all efforts to change what we can, and learning to live with the things which we cannot change. In matters which we can change we should be dedicated activists. In matters which we cannot change we should become status-quoists. Otherwise, peace for us will forever remain a distant dream.This is the realism and it is the key to peace.
The Speaking Tree | 1st Dec. 2011
If an engine driver is to set his locomotive in motion, he has to stand before the fire and endure it in fierce heat. This huge and complex machine, built up of so many parts,will remain immobile unless he is prepared to do so. The same goes for society.It will not function unless the individuals who have to make all its parts work are prepared to sacrifice something of their own and are ready to endure difficulties, if not actual hardship. And just as all the moving parts of a locomotive have to be kept regularly oiled, if they are not to be worn out with friction,thus bringing the machinery to a standstill, so tolerance must be a feature of society, if it is to function as a harmonious whole. Tolerance is the oil which will let the wheels go round. There can be no teamwork without it.
When people work together in groups, it is inevitable that there should be disagreements and that complaints should be voiced. However well-intentioned the individuals concerned may be, such negative feelings are bound to surface sooner or later.How is it possible then to work together in harmony? There is only one way, and that is to make a considered decision, to remain united in the face of disagreement. It is a question of individuals being conscious of the necessity for harmony, and willing themselves to take complaints in their stride and to start the process of self-examination, if the grounds for complaint have any validity in even the smallest measure. This is not asking for the impossible.Who does not do exactly this in his family life as a matter of good sense and practicality? When family members are living in close proximity, grievances do arise and tempers often flare up. But family cohesion is not destroyed because of this, for blood relationships prevent such feelings from getting out ofhand. Grievances are swept away by mutual love, and tempers are cooled by words of regard and affection. And so the unity of the family remains intact. The home, indeed, is a microcosm of social existence. It provides a day-to-dayworking model of social harmony unflawed by grievances or disagreement.
The feelings of love which cement family life can be brought into being in social life through conscious deliberations. Unity can spring from a human awakening to its ultimate necessity.
Where family life is governed by the heart, social life is governed by the will. There is nothing that cannot be endured for the sake of unity, provided there is the will to achieve it.
The Speaking Tree | 22nd Nov. 2011
A cow gives milk. This is a universally accepted fact. But there are few who pause to think how it accomplishes this useful feat. In fact, it can produce milk only because it has the capacity to convert grass into milk. It is this unique ability to convert a simple substance into a more complex one which makes it possible in God’s world for it to produce the precious liquid we call milk.
A similar capacity is found in trees and plants. From them we receive grain, vegetables and fruits. But under what conditions does this happen? It happens when the plant receives water and nutrients from the earth and then converts these into vegetables and fruits. A lower entity is admitted into the plant, the internal mechanism of which reproduces it in the form of a higher entity.
The same applies to the life of man. A process of conversion has to take place, if results are to be produced. To attain success, man has to take the stimuli of his environment, both positive and negative, his education whether good or bad, his moral and physical inheritance and ‘convert’ these into success in the way that a plant converts the nutrients from the soil into fruits. He has even to take his failures and extract from them such experience as will set him on a better and more successful course for the future.
Such is the law of the world, both for mankind and for other living things, whoever has the capacity to seize opportunities when they come his way and convert adverse into favourable circumstances will achieve success, while those who show themselves incapable of this feat will be doomed to failure.
The cow has been created by God as a sign of His will. It indeed shows us what God requires of us in this world. We may take in ‘grass’; but we must give out ‘milk.’ Even when people wrong us, we are required to convert that wrong into a right. Even when we are beset by adversity, we are required to turn it to good account.
