Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Islam in Life | Al-Risala, April 1987, pp. 31-32
When Prophet Muhammad brought the message of Islam to the people of Mecca (the Quraysh), they did not find it acceptable. They could not understand how the religion of Muhammad could be true and that which they had inherited from their forebears be false. Fired with the pride of their own religion, they said to the Prophet:
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Islam in Life | Al-Risala, April 1987, pp. 31-32
When Prophet Muhammad brought the message of Islam to the people of Mecca (the Quraysh), they did not find it acceptable. They could not understand how the religion of Muhammad could be true and that which they had inherited from their forebears be false. Fired with the pride of their own religion, they said to the Prophet:
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Islam in Life
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, founder of Tablighi Jamaat–a worldwide Muslim reform movement with its center in New Delhi–used to issue this instruction to preaching groups that he sent out. “Lower your gaze,” he would tell them. “Go out with thoughts of God in your heart, His remembrance on your lips …, a serious outlook, a sense of responsibility, and your journey will be easy if you advance in unison.” Any group, which adopts these characteristics, is bound to be successful.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I Islam in Life
Reviewing modern, scientific civilization, a commentator has made the very pertinent observation that it is not invested with ideological permanence. This seems quite true when we consider that Copernicus replaced Ptolemy, Newton replaced Copernicus, and Einstein replaced Newton.
Eid is an important annual festival for people of the Islamic faith. The Muslims celebrate it on the first date of Shawwal, that is, the tenth month of the Hijra calendar. On this festival, Muslims exchange gifts and meet their neighbours as a mark of solidarity and brotherhood.
Ramzan, the month of fasting, is a blessed spiritual period for believers, for it is during this month that they do their utmost to awaken and enhance their spirituality. The aim of fasting during Ramzan is to diminish a person's dependence on material things, so that he may elevate himself to a higher plane of devout living. Abiding by the guidelines of fasting raises believers to a state of humility, truth and honesty.
“In the month of Ramadan the Quran was revealed, a book of guidance with proofs of guidance distinguishing right from wrong. Therefore, whoever of you is present in that month let him fast. But he who is ill or on a journey shall fast a similar number of days later on.
“God desires your well-being, not your discomfort. He desires you to fast the whole month so that you may magnify Him and render thanks to Him for giving you His guidance” (2:185).
Fasting is prescribed once a year, in the month of Ramadhan. One fasts every day of the month, from the first light of dawn until sundown. During that time one abstains completely from food and drink. According to the Qur’an, there are two purposes of fasting (Quran, 2:183,185):
1. To make one cautious in life.
2. To make one thankful to God.
The command to fast has been given in detail in the Quran. We quote here the relevant verses:
Fast for a specified number of days, but if any one of you is ill, or on a journey, let him fast the same number of days later. For those who can fast only with extreme difficulty, there is a way to compensate — the feeding of a poor man. But he who does good of his own accord shall be well rewarded; but to fast is better for you, if you only knew.
