In Islam, a woman enjoys the same status as that of a man. There is no difference between man and woman as regards status, rights and blessings, both in this world and in the hereafter. Both are considered equal participants in the carrying out of the functions of daily living. According to Islamic belief, both men and women are born as equal partners in life. In a fine expression of gender equality, the Quran declares:
“Never will I waste the work of any of you, be they male or female: You are members, one of another…” (3:195)
We find the same definition in one of the sayings of the Prophet of Islam, (the Hadith): “Men and women are two equal halves of a single unit. (Sunan Al Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 113)
We see that both the sacred scriptures of Islam make it clear that neither sex is inferior or superior to the other. However, studies in biology and psychology show that the sexes are different in nature, each being designed for a different purpose. So, the Islamic maxim for men and women runs as: ‘Equal in respect, but different in role.’
Men and women being equal, each has a different sphere of action. That is, in making their contribution to social activity, the men undertake whatever is physically harder, while the women deal with whatever is lighter.
Men and women can be likened to a cart running on two wheels. Each of the wheels contributes equally to the running of the cart. Even if only one of the wheels goes out of order, the cart will stop. The way a cart traverses its path with the help of the two wheels, exactly in the same way, with mutual cooperation of men and women, the system of life can be run efficiently.
It is a fact that women in general are not physically as strong as men but their physical weakness in no way implies their inferiority to men. The eyes are the most delicate parts of our body, while the nails by comparison are extremely hard. That does not mean that the nails are superior to the eyes. Just as two different kinds of fruits will differ in colour, taste, shape and texture, without one being superior or inferior to the other, so also do men and women have different qualities which distinguish male from female without there being any question of inferiority or superiority. They are endowed by nature with different capacities so that they may play their respective roles in life with greater ease and effectiveness.
This makes it clear that, although males and females differ from one another biologically, they are equal in terms of human status. No distinction is made between women and men as regards their respective rights. This is all for the good if they are to be lifetime companions. Men and women in the eyes of Islam then are not equal duplicates of one another, but rather complement each other. This concept permits the shortcomings of one sex to be compensated for by the strengths of the other.
In respect of innate talents all individuals, be they men or women, differ from one another. Yet their need for each other is equal. All are of equal value. One is not more important or less important than the other. Similarly when it comes to the establishment of a home and raising a family, men and women have their separate roles to play. But each is vital. Each is indispensable to the other; and for them to come together, function in unison and live in harmony; there must be mutual respect. The prevailing sense is that a difference of biological function does not imply inequality. For the biological division of human beings into males and females is the result of the purposeful planning of our Creator.
Source: Spirit of Islam April 2013
Muslims today have to perform for the benefit of the world the same duty of calling people to God, as was performed by the prophets for their communities. This is a duty which involves conveying the message of the Quran to them. Just as without the payment of zakat all the wealth of a person remains unlawful to him, similarly without performing this duty it is unlawful for us to spend our time and money on anything else. We can have no happiness or security until we devote ourselves to this cause. Some points to keep in mind for this are as follows.
The only thing that man can do is to convey God's message to other humans with full kindness and clarity. It is not within the purview of a dayee to change one's thoughts or religion. As clearly said in the Quran:
“if they turn away, We have not sent you [O Prophet] as their keeper: your responsibility is only to convey the message.” (42:48)
Although this verse is for the Prophet, the Muslim Ummah is also included in this order in following the Prophet.
This work does not simply involve making speeches and writing books, but is rather the task of representing God. It has to be performed with the meticulous care and according to the highest standards which it demands. We have to do it with the same utmost sincerity and seriousness with which a government official conveys an important message entrusted to him.
Well-wishing and other demands as are expected of an earnest undertaker of a serious task, have to be combined together while performing this work. Moreover, it is also essential that the Hell of which one is going to warn people be a cause of great apprehension for one’s own self, and one be oneself extremely desirous of the Paradise whose glad tidings one is conveying to others. If one’s preaching or dawah work is not marked by these characteristics it would be ludicrous to even think of undertaking it.
Source: The Vision of Islam
God has created man in freedom, but this freedom is not unlimited. The freedom of the individual is taken away at death. And the freedom of the whole human race will be taken away on Doomsday. After the cessation of life in this world, a new life will begin in the Hereafter. There people will be divided into two groups: one who, having made proper use of their freedom, making it subservient to the will of God will enter into Paradise; the other group will be of those who, having been fearless of God in using the freedom granted to them, will be sent to Hell. This division will be eternal: the people of Hell will remain eternally in Hell, whereas the people of Paradise will remain in eternal bliss.
This means that about a hundred years of life in this world is going to end in an eternal fate for humans. And the end will be either a terrible punishment or the greatest of rewards. This state of affairs makes the matter of life extremely grave. Despite this extraordinary gravity, all realities remain hidden from human eyes. God, the angels, paradise, hell—nothing is visible. As such, it was expected from man that when these realities were revealed, he would say, “God, I did not know that this was going to be the end of life. Why did You not tell us before?”
In view of the delicacy of this situation, God made an arrangement whereby, with the very creation of the first man, He began sending prophets to the world. In fact the very first man was also the first prophet. The prophets were sent revelations so that they could convey the divine message to mankind. This series of prophets continued from Adam to Jesus Christ. Finally God decided to send the Final Prophet to whom He would send him the last divine book which would be preserved for all time. This event in the seventh century ushered in a new age in human history, subsequent to which the Book of God was to remain in preserved state and no further prophets were to be sent by God.
Then the question arises as to what arrangement was made by God for conveying the Creation Plan of the Creator for all the human beings who are born after the cessation of prophethood. The community of the followers of the Prophet Muhammad, the final prophet of God had the onus of conveying in full the divine message to the people. Subsequently these people were charged with conveying the divine message to every generation till Doomsday, so that when the case of these people was presented before God on the Day of Judgement, the followers of the Prophet might stand up and say that they had conveyed the divine message to the people, and that in spite of this, they had not accepted it, and were therefore themselves responsible for their actions.
This is the task that has been referred to in the Quran as ‘calling people to God.’ It is an obligation devolving upon the followers of the Prophet. They can in no way be exempted from performing this task.
No amount of individual worship will save them from God’s chastisement. If the followers of the Prophet do not perform this task of conveying God’s message to the world, they too will be held accountable along with other communities in the Hereafter. If the other communities or peoples committed the wrong of not adopting a life in accordance with Quranic principles, the Muslims will be held responsible for not having conveyed God’s message to them. The second case is in no way of a lesser degree than the former.
Source: The Vision of Islam
There is a verse in the second chapter of the Quran that says, “We have made you a middle nation so that you may be as witnesses against mankind, and the Messenger may be a witness against you.” (2:143)
The word witness (shaheed) in this verse refers to the role of Muslims as dayees. By saying that the Messenger will be a witness against us, it signifies that the Messenger is the witness that the divine religion was given to us, and that we will have to bear witness that we communicated the same divine religion to the rest of humanity. It follows that it is now our duty to communicate God’s message to every person of every generation in every age.
It was the responsibility of the followers of the Prophet to pass on the message they had received from the Prophet to others. The same responsibility was given to the ancient peoples of the Book — the historical people of Moses, and those of Jesus. In the Quran, making the message of God clear to people is called tab’iin. (3:187)
This task of being a witness, or dawah, is not mystical in nature. It is also not a mark of superiority. It is a heavy responsibility, greater than all other responsibilities, commensurate with the great gift of faith. It is also a greater responsibility than that given to the followers of previous prophets because the Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet. Until the Day of Judgement, it is the sole responsibility of Muslims to convey the message to other people. It is thus not only our responsibility to inform others of the message, but also to convey it in a manner that is clear, open, understandable and that will make a deep and lasting impression of truth, peace and spirituality on their minds.
Only by fulfilling this responsibility of dawah can we be held eligible, in God’s eyes, to be called the Middle Nation.
Source: Spirit of Islam September 2013
God said in the Quran, “Who speaks better than one who calls to God and does good works and says, ‘I am surely of those who submit?’ (41:33).
According to this verse, the Muslim Ummah has a two-fold mission— to practice Islam and to convey to people the divine message of Islam.
The mission of Muslims is dawah or the communication of the Word of God. It is in its performance that they will be held deserving of being raised in the Hereafter as the followers of the Prophet of Islam. This is expressed in the following verse of the Quran:
“O Messenger, deliver whatever has been sent down to you by your Lord. If you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His message.” (5:67)
Although this verse is addressed to the Prophet Muhammad, his followers are included in it. The first thing that this verse tells us is to convey the divine revelations to the people. This is the task which God wants Muslims to perform. According to the Quran, God has made the Muslims a middle nation, so that they may act as witnesses over mankind, and the messenger may be a witness for them. (2:143). This status of Muslims has been explained thus in a hadith:
“You are God’s witnesses on this earth.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1367)
It is a known fact that when a person is appointed to any position of responsibility, his future depends on how well or badly he carries out the duties which that post entails. If he satisfactorily performs the duty for which he has been appointed, he will be held deserving of all kinds of rewards. But if he neglects his duty, no other work done, even if it is on a larger scale, will make him deserving on any honour in the eyes of his Creator. In this matter, Muslims must pay heed to this warning which was given to the previous people of the Book, when they stopped conveying God’s message to mankind:
“God made a covenant with those who were given the Book to make it known to people and not conceal it. But they cast it behind their backs and bartered it for a paltry price: what an evil bargain they made! Those who exult in their misdeeds and love to be praised for what they have not done should not suppose that they are secure from punishment; they shall suffer a grievous punishment.” (3:187-188)
The Muslim Ummah, which is the bearer of the Divine Book, becomes valueless in the eyes of God when it fails to convey the Divine revelation to the people. Engaging in other activities at the cost of preaching God’s word and wrongly designating other activities as dawah work is adding insult to injury. No such group can ever be held deserving of any credit for carrying out the Divine task.
Source: Spirit of Islam October 2013
God created Adam, the first man. He commanded the Angels and the Jinn, whom He had created before Adam, to prostrate themselves before him. The Angels hastened to obey this divine commandment, but Satan, the chief of the genies, held himself aloof and did not prostrate himself. When God asked him to explain his disobedience, he replied, ‘I am better than him; You created me from fire, while him you created from mud.’ (Quran 7:12). Since Satan was ready to prostrate himself before God, but not before Adam, he was declared beyond the pale and sentenced to everlasting damnation.
Clearly, in human relationships there are always two main possible courses of action: either to tread the path of acknowledgement of the superiority of others and to demonstrate our submission to them—as shown by the Angels—or to assert our own superiority over others, with the resulting friction—as shown by Satan. To this day the sons of Adam have to decide whether to side with the Angels, or to become the Devil’s comrades, saying of their neighbours: ‘I am better than he.’ The drama which was enacted at the time of Adam’s creation is still being played out over and over again, in our day-to-day existence, only on a much larger scale.
At some point or the other during our brief sojourn on earth, we are sure to encounter an ‘Adam’—one to whom something is due from us, be it only a kindly word. On all such occasions, God makes His will quite plain to us, albeit silently, that, in obedience to Him, we must bow to this Adam. Those who tread the path of the Angels will understand God’s wishes and will give their ‘Adam’ his rightful due, hastening to yield pride of place to him.
It is only people who act in this way who are the true and faithful servants of God. As such, they will find their eternal abode in heaven. Those who follow the example of Satan, and refuse—out of conceit and arrogance – to bow before the ‘Adam’ who has entered their lives, are rebels in God’s eyes. They will be cast into Hell along with Satan, to burn there for all time.
Man being God’s servant must prostrate himself first and foremost, before his Master. But in everyday situations, it often happens that in his immediate environment there are individuals who have some claim upon him or some right to assert over him. These are the ‘Adams’ before whom he must bow at the behest of the Almighty. This is a test, which God sets for man in life. It is an exacting test, because although human beings are quite prepared to bow before God, His superiority being unassailable, they find it difficult to acknowledge the rights of other ordinary individuals, who, they feel are in no way superior to themselves. This is when the ‘Satan’ in them comes alive and drives them to the perversity of ignoring, or denying the rights of others. They refuse to bow before Adam, despite this being a commandment of that very deity before whom they regularly prostrate themselves. Like Satan before them, they refuse to bow to those whom they consider inferior to themselves. It is the same superiority complex, the same hubris, that held Satan aloof when the Angels were prostrating themselves before Adam—whether they are conscious of it or not—which prevents them from carrying out the will of God.
Source: Islam: The Voice of Human Nature
Everything in the universe—the sun, the moon, the stars—have all completely subjugated themselves to God’s will; they cannot make the slightest deviation from the path that God has ordained for them. Similarly, all other elements in nature function in obedience to the laws of nature laid down for them by the Creator. The entire universe has surrendered to God, the Lord of the Universe.
But there is a difference between the status of man and that of the physical world. The physical world has been given no option but to submit to God, whereas man has been given free will, so that he may opt for either good or bad ways. To this end he has been given a thinking faculty, and a conscience with which to make moral judgements for himself. He has the ability to accept and follow certain principles in life or refuse to do so. He is not bound by fixed laws like all other created beings. He has been given freedom of thought, option and action.
It is through this freedom of choice that man is being tested. But after being given a thinking faculty, a conscience and an ability to judge between good and bad, man was not just left to his own resources. God did not leave man in a world where there was no way to find the Truth. Divine provision for him went much further. To see how God gave His guidelines to humankind, we have to go right back to the beginning of creation. God created Adam, the first man—whom He had made not just an ordinary mortal but also a prophet—and taught him everything that He wanted from man, so that human beings would not be left without proper direction or guidance. From time to time thereafter, God sent prophets to the world—the last of these being the Prophet Muhammad—so that human beings, who tended to stray, could be recalled to the path of virtue.
Source: Spirit of Islam April 2020
The universal interpretation of religion is an understanding of the creation plan of God. God created an ideal world which was perfect in all respects. He ordained that this ultimate world be inhabited by impeccable ideal human beings. To achieve this target, God first settled man on Earth giving him complete freedom. The present world is a selection ground for this grand project. Here, it is being observed as to who makes proper use of his freedom and who misuses it. At the end of history, those who have abused their freedom will be rejected, and those who may have exercised it judiciously will be selected and settled in heaven. Contrary to atheist thinkers who term the concept of paradise a beautiful idealization of human wishes, it would be more accurate to call it a beautiful interpretation of human history.
A study of the Quran reveals that there is only one product desired by the Creator through various activities of history. This product is called a godly man (rabbani insaan) in the Quran (3:79). That is to say, that the real goal of God’s creation plan is the development of divine personality within an individual—a “man created in God’s image.” As long as such divine (rabbani) individuals continue to be born, the course of history will not come to a halt. Only when such people cease to exist, the present period of history would be brought to an end. Subsequently, its second period, the life hereafter, would commence in the next eternal world.
Source: Interpretation of Human History
An important aspect of the true face of Islam is the right concept of God and the purpose behind man’s creation and his relation with the universe.
The first thing the Prophet has told us is that there is a God of this universe. He is the one and only God and has no partner in any capacity. He is Almighty and He is the controller of all the happenings in the Universe. Here I would like to quote a verse from the Quran which expresses fully and succinctly the Islamic concept of God:
“God: there is no deity save Him, the Living, the Eternal One. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows all that is before them and all that is behind them. They can grasp only that part of His knowledge which He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth; and their upholding does not weary Him. He is the Sublime, the Almighty One! (2:255)
Other matters explained by God's Prophet are the purpose of man's creation and His relation with the universe. He made it clear that since man was born to be tested, he had been granted freedom of action and God had conveyed to him His Will. Now the Lord wants to see who obeys His will and who does not. This world is, in fact, our field of action where we have been placed to take our test. A time has been fixed for this test. The time for an individual is the duration of his lifespan, and the time for entire humanity will extend till doomsday. After that the Lord of the universe will gather all men and women together and will reward or punish them in accordance with their deeds. And then those who pass this test will be rewarded with paradise and those who fail will be sent to Hell. This will take place in the life Hereafter.
The present world is the beginning of our life and the Hereafter will be our final destination. In this way God has made us aware of our future. This future world has been kept hidden from our eyes, which was necessary if we are to be tested here. But when this testing period is over, this hidden world will appear before us with the same clarity as this present world is visible to us now. We will see this life only after death.
Understanding this, we should strive in this world of test, so we are held deserving of Paradise in the Hereafter by God Almighty.
Source: The True Face of Islam
Contrary to common belief, Islam does not teach extremism. Islam actually teaches its adherents to follow the mean or the balanced path. In the fourth chapter of the Quran the following injunction has been given:
“Do not go to excess in your religion.” (4:171)
The same point has been made in a hadith. The Prophet of Islam observed:
“You should restrain yourselves from committing excesses (ghulu) in religion. For it was due to their having gone to extremes in religion that the previous communities were destroyed.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3029; Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 3248)
Ghulu means extremism. The way of extremism is wrong, whatever the circumstances, for it goes against the spirit of religion. Indeed, it is proneness to extremism, which at times culminates in war and violence. Those who suffer from extremist tendencies remain dissatisfied with the path of moderation, since this strikes them as being far from the ideal. That is why they so easily incline towards violence, and are ever ready to open hostilities in the name of achieving their objectives.
Moderation, which is the opposite of extremism, is closely interlinked with peace. When people possess the virtue of moderation, they necessarily think in terms of peace and will engage in their struggle in a peaceful manner. Where there is moderation there is peace, and vice versa.
According to a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad observed: The moderate action is the best of all actions. Hazrat Ali advised the people: ‘Adopt the middle path.’ (Tafsir Qurtubi, 2/154)
The middle path means the path of moderation. One instance of it can be seen in the following verse of the Quran:
“Be neither miserly nor prodigal, for then you should either be reproached or be reduced to penury.” (17:29)
The same point, worded differently, has been made in another verse which characterizes “the true servants of the Merciful” as “those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but maintain a just balance between those extremes” (25:67).
According to this verse, moderate spending means neither lavishness nor miserliness but rather a balanced expenditure, which will make life much easier to lead. In the same way, as regards optional fasts, prayers, etc., a middle path is desirable for man, as this enables him to maintain such a pattern of behaviour over a long period of time.
The middle path, to put it differently, is the non-emotional way. If a man loses his mental balance when confronted with any difficult situation in life, he goes to one extreme or the other. But if he keeps his feelings under control, he will be able to determine the proper course of action by giving it ample thought. A well-considered deed is always a moderate one. One who does not follow a moderate path will exceed all bounds both in friendship and in enmity. He will also be given to undue optimism and pessimism in respectively positive and negative situations, and will unnecessarily regard some individuals as too bad and others as too good. However, it is the verdict of nature that in this world a moderate approach in life always succeeds, while taking the path of extremes inevitably leads to failure.
So far as Islam is concerned, it is an entirely tolerant religion. Islam desires peace to prevail in the world. The Quran calls the way of Islam ‘the paths of Peace’ (5:16). The state of peace can never prevail in a society if a tolerant attitude is lacking in the people. Tolerance is the only basis for peace; in a society where tolerance is absent, peace likewise will be non-existent.
Source: The True Face of Islam
In a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, observed: My generation is the best one, then the second generation, and then the third generation. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2533)
This means that Islamic virtue was at its peak in the first generation and that there was a decline in righteousness through the second and third generations. This stage is known in the history of Islam as the period of the Prophet's companions and the period of the Prophet's Companions' companions.
There is nothing mysterious about it. Degeneration, a law of nature that applies to every group, set in after the first generation itself. By the third generation, the roots of Islam had weakened and by the fourth generation, the characteristics of the first generation had been considerably diluted.
This process went on until after a few centuries that period commenced when we do find individuals in considerable number who had imbibed the true spirit of Islam, but society on the whole was found drastically lacking in the features of the early Islam. This state of affairs is entirely in accordance with the prophetic prediction:
“Islam began as a stranger. And, finally, it will again become a stranger. Let, then, the strangers be blessed” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 145).
But it will never happen that all Muslims A to Z abandon Islam. Rather, according to the hadith, there will be many individual Muslims who will remain in the original religion in every age. The Prophet of Islam said, “Verily, my nation will split into seventy-three sects; all of them are in the Hellfire except for one denomination.” They said, “Who are they, O Messenger of God?” The Prophet said, “Those who follow my way and my Companions.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2641)
In this hadith, there is a clue to discover the true face of Islam, that is to study the Quran and Sunnah and biographies of the companions. All these three sources are preserved. One who wants to find the true face of Islam and follow it, needs only to refer to these sources.
Source: Islam Rediscovered
In this world when a person sets out on journey, he finds two paths, one leading to God and the other path to different destinations. Now the way of the true seeker of God is to take extra care to adhere strictly to the path of God, without ever turning off it. One who adheres to the straight path leading towards God will without doubt reach God. On the other hand one who turns off at every bye-lane will be lost on the way. His path will never lead him towards God.
What this deviation means is that he has become subservient to his desires attaching importance to immediate interests; he has fallen prey to negative feelings such as anger, hatred, jealousy, egoism, etc.; or he has simply run in any direction he finds open before him, without giving his destination much thought.
On the other hand, the God-oriented path is one on which he earnestly considers God’s commands. He sets his course after serious deliberation, on the basis of accountability, instead of pursuing immediate gains or temporary satisfaction.
The goal of Islam is to induce man to give up his ungodly ways, so that he may lead a totally God oriented life, another name for which is the straight path. One as yet untouched by Islam directs his attention towards things and beings other than God. That is, he is concerned with creation rather than the Creator. Islam shows him how to focus his thoughts and feelings on God alone. When man adopts a path directed to a certain destination, he considers it necessary to keep to that path without turning to the left or the right. For if he makes constant detours, he will fail to reach his destination. The same is the case with man’s journey towards his Maker.
Source: Principles of Islam
Man has been granted the power of hearing, seeing and thinking, so that by using these faculties, he may discover the right path for himself—what is referred to in the Quran as ‘the straight path’ (sirat-e-mustaqim). Deviation from the straight path is a proof of the fact that he did not make proper use of the capabilities granted to him by God. Such a man will be held accountable by God. No excuse whatsoever will be accepted by Him. (30: 57)
Moreover, an important principle of human life is avoidance of arrogance. In this regard the Quran says: “Do not walk with pride on the earth; for behold, God does not love arrogant and boastful people.” (31:18)
This verse of the Quran gives us to understand that arrogance is the source of all evil. By contrast, modesty is the greatest source of all good. According to the Quran, the kind of man desired by God is one who is totally free of arrogance and is a modest person in the full sense.
In the chapter al-Fajr of the Quran, we are told that all the pleasant or unpleasant experiences faced by man occur solely as a means of putting him to the test, but man takes such incidents in a negative manner. Having pleasant experiences causes him to suffer from a superiority complex (akraman), whereas unpleasant experiences give him an inferiority complex (ahanan). (89: 15-16)
According to the Quran, both the above mentioned complexes affect man in an extremely adverse way. The right thing for him to do is that in both sets of circumstances, pleasant or unpleasant, he should consistently tread the path of moderation. Those who prove to be moderate in personality and conduct are described in the Quran as souls at peace (nafs al-muthmainnah) (89: 27), that is, complex-free souls.
According to the Quran, the kind of man desired by God is one who is totally free of arrogance and is a modest person in the full sense. The Quran tells us that the greatest success for man is his gaining entry into Paradise in the eternal life after death. “Truly, this is a great victory! It is for the like of this that all should strive.”(37: 60-61). This is a clear indication that, according to the Quran, man’s goal should be one and only one, and that is, Paradise. The greatest feature of Paradise is that it is the realm of the Lord of the universe. And without doubt, there can be no success greater than finding oneself in close proximity to one’s Lord in the eternal life after death. This unique desirability of Paradise is expressed in this verse of the Quran which gives voice to a sincere and heartfelt human longing: “My Lord, build me a house in nearness to You in Paradise.”
Source: Spirit of Islam December 016
According to the Quran God has laid down a set path for the entire universe—even for so small a creature as the bee (16:68-69)—a path which every part of the universe must strictly follow: “Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: Come both of you, willingly or loth. They said: We come obedient” (41:11).
Just as it is imperative that all things of the universe move on the path appointed by God, so that they may be perfect in their functioning, so also must man—if he aspires to success—submissively follow the divinely appointed path (16:69). But, as man is “on trial” in this world, he has not just been told the path he must follow, but has also been given the license to hold to it, or to reject it as he sees fit, “Lo, we have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving”(76:3). Even so, once God has shown man the straight path, he ought to follow it in the belief that it is the only way that leads to success: “How should we not put our trust in God when He hath shown us our ways? ... In God let the trusting put their trust.”(14:12) If man, influenced by some fleeting temptation, strays in some other direction, he will lose his foothold on God’s path; and when he loses that, he will meet with nothing but failure in this life (6:154).
A man remains a human being in the eyes of God only so long as he remains on the straight path. One who deviates from it, descends to the level of an animal.
‘Who is more rightly guided? He that goes grovelling on his face, or he that walks upright along a straight path’?
‘Say: “It is He who has created you and given you ears and eyes and hearts. Yet you are seldom thankful” (67:22-23).
Thus we learn from the Quran that following the straight path means living the kind of life in which we make use of the powers of the intellect and the heart. Now, what is special about these powers? Their speciality lies in their expressing the superiority of man over other creatures; it is these powers which raise him from the level of mere existence to that of the moral human being.
Source: Al Risala June 1990
In chapter 38 of the Quran, the prophet David is thus addressed by God: “Rule with justice among men and do not yield to lust (intense desire), lest it should turn you away from God’s path.” (38: 26)
God has laid down a straight path of virtue for man and then implanted the sense of this in human nature. If man were to trust his instincts and follow this silent guidance, he would never become prey to deviation. He would unerringly follow this straight thoroughfare of life until he reached his final destination.
There is only one thing that leads man astray from this path of divine guidance, and that is his own unquenchable desire. Lust causes man to waver at every turn in life; the wise man is one who does not allow himself to be swayed by its influence. One who succumbs to his own desires will necessarily fall by the wayside, his ultimate fate being abasement and destruction.
Human desires lead man astray in many ways. At times they lure him away from the deeper realities of life towards the false glitter of the world. At times momentary gain leads him far from the path of permanent gain. At times, man allows himself to be provoked by matters of sheer prejudice and, giving no forethought to the outcome, involves himself in such confrontations as lead to serious hostilities. In the end, it is he himself who suffers the maximum losses. To lead a successful life, man must keep his negative urges under control, rather than be controlled by them, for his own insatiability is his greatest enemy. The better way of life, as opposed to one guided by desire, is that based on a sound code of ethics. Far from falling a victim to his baser self, man should conform to a set of high human principles. He should be governed in thought, word and deed not by the mere urge to pursue selfish aims, but by a deep and innate scrupulosity.
Source: Al Risala May-June 1999
The Prophet’s manner of speech should act as a model for all believers. Who is a believer? He is one who fears God, and knows that the angels are recording his every word. Aware of the fact that he will have to answer to God for everything he says, he assumes a deep sense of responsibility. When he speaks, it is as if he is addressing a divine and angelic company. He is restrained in his speech; he thinks before he speaks; he weighs his words carefully before presenting his ideas to his listeners. Fear of God takes away his loquacity. Fear of the Hereafter, and of being answerable to God for his words, dampen his oratorical zeal.
Source: Spirit of Islam January 2021
The desired relationship between man and God is that of a living relationship. This relation exists at all times and at every moment through the remembrance of God, prayer, worship, contemplation, reflection, and drawing lessons from God’s signs, etc. Man asks God for blessings at every moment and he receives them from God at every moment. Just as man is dependent on God for his existence, so is he totally dependent on God for his survival. If God ceased to sustain him even for a moment, man would be destroyed. In accordance with religious belief, God is not only the Creator but also the Sustainer. That being so, the theory of evolution is, in effect, a negation rather than an affirmation of God.
Source: Spirit of Islam May 2013
The concept of spirituality in Islam is based on God-realization through contemplation, another name for which is contemplative spirituality.
The ultimate reality in Islam is God. God is the Creator of man. Man’s purpose in life is to realize God and worship Him.
According to Islam, God is separate from man. He is self-existent. Man’s goal in life is to try to seek this separate and permanent God at the level of consciousness.
Traditionally, the method of meditation practiced in Sufism (mysticism) is generally regarded as representing the method of meditation in Islam. However, this is not correct. Meditation in Islam is based on contemplation, reflection, and the drawing of spiritual lessons from material events and nature. Thus the basis of meditation in Islam is thinking and reflection.
The entire cosmos becomes an object of reflection, that is to say, the Creator is realized through pondering over His creations. This verse of the Quran provides an apt illustration of Islamic meditation:
“There are signs in the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and in the alternation of night and day for people of understanding; who remember God while standing, sitting and [lying] on their sides, and who ponder over the creation of the heavens and the Earth, saying, ‘Lord, You have not created all this without purpose. Glory be to You! Save us from the torment of the Fire'. (3:190-191)
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (d. AD 652), a Companion of the Prophet says: "Even when a bird was seen flying in the air, the Prophet would draw a lesson and teach us". (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 21361)
God’s universe provides an introduction to God. The existence of creation speaks of the existence of the Creator. The vastness of space speaks of the unfathomably vast power of God. The co-existence of various parts of the universe is an indication of the successful planning of God. The universe in continuous action is an indication that the Lord of the universe is a living being. The meaningfulness of the universe is an expression of the meaningfulness of God’s being. The loftiness of the mountains, the brilliance of the sun, the flowing of the river and the blowing of the wind are signs of God's majesty. From the chirping of the birds to the galaxies and black holes in space, all declare the glory of God. Meditation is to ponder over these divine manifestations and attributes in order to get to know them in their depths, because it is through these signs that God can be realized. This is Islamic spirituality, another name for which is contemplative spirituality.
Source: Spirit of Islam January 2021
Mysticism is a discipline, in which an attempt is made to establish a direct communion with God through contemplation. Thus Sufi mysticism simply means achievement of the mystical goal by following the Sufi way.
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, mysticism is a “quest for a hidden truth or wisdom.” The Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought defines it thus: “Mysticism is the direct experience of the divine as real and near, blotting out all sense of time and producing intense joy.” According to the mystics, the final state produced by mystical exercises is inner joy or spiritual bliss, whereas the subject of Islamic spirituality is the search for divine truth.
The highlight of human existence is consciousness or the mind. The goal of Islamic spirituality is to use one’s thinking capacity to successfully discover divine truth at the level of the mind, or consciousness. The search for truth, by its very nature, is entirely an intellectual exercise. Its findings too are intellectual in nature. It is successful when the seeker finds rational answers to the questions he poses about the universe and his own existence. The search for truth is not a vague matter. It begins from the conscious mind and also culminates there.
The case of mysticism is quite different. Mysticism is based essentially on intuition and is not a conscious intellectual process. As such, the mystical experience is more an act of spiritual exhilaration than an effort to apprehend the truth in intellectual terms. Mysticism, as popularly conceived, makes the basic assumption that the physical, material, and social needs of man act as obstacles to his spiritual progress. Therefore, mysticism teaches him to reduce his physical needs to the barest minimum; to renounce worldly and social relations; and if possible to retire to the mountains or jungles. In this way, he will supposedly be able to purify his soul. Thus, by giving up the world and by certain exercises in self-abnegation, a mystic expects to awaken his spirituality.
Source: Spirit of Islam December 2018
Essentially Sufism is a way of purifying the soul. Sufism (tasawwuf) ought to be just as important today as it has ever been throughout its long history. Being a way of purifying the soul– a necessity for each new generation– its role should never diminish with changing times and circumstances. Yet, paradoxically, although it still has millions of adherents, as a form of religion, it is definitely in a state of decline.
This is because the traditional form of tasawwuf, which has been shaped by many historical accretions, has no great appeal for the modern educated mind. For instance, tasawwuf, as we now know it, is embroidered by tales of miracles and mysticism, and for support for its ideology, it relies upon doubtful analogies. But the scientific mind is skeptical of analogies and is impatient with mysticism.
There is also the question of Sufism being heart-based, the heart in ancient times being regarded as the seat of thought and emotion. But now modern science has shown the heart to be nothing but an organ which controls the circulation of the blood and it has been conceded that it is the mind which is the center of both thought and emotion. This being so, tasawwuf should now be developed as a mind-based philosophy. It will thus have a much stronger attraction for educated minds.
The need of the hour therefore is to modernize Sufism, couching it in the contemporary idiom, and explaining its ideology in a way that should address the present-day individual, whose major concern is as much with intellectual development as it is with purification of the soul.
In such a situation what is required is that tasawwuf is developed as a mind-based activity. In this way it will be possible to update spirituality, and people will find far greater attraction to mind-based spirituality.
Source: Spirit of Islam October 2015
