Today's age is one of openness. It offers numerous opportunities and platforms to freely present the message of Islam. Today, people are being introduced to Islam from the actions of the Muslims. Islam needs to be understood according to the Quranic and Prophetic teachings and not the actions of Muslims. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan has always said that the Muslim community should be judged in the light of Islamic teachings and not vice versa. Therefore, Muslims must rise to present the original, peaceful teachings of Islam as enshrined in the Quran and Sunnah. They must dispel misconceptions about Islam and reveal its true face and spirit using all the opportunities that the age has to offer, like personal interactions, seminars, conferences, websites, social media and other technology platforms.
Source: The Spirit of Islam Magazine
Jihad literally means to strive or to struggle. So jihad actually refers to a peaceful struggle for a noble cause. The Quran says: Do great jihad with the help of the Quran. (25:52) The Quran is simply a book, and not a sword, so ‘do great jihad with the Quran’ means to do great jihad with the ideological power of the Quran. In fact, jihad is only another name for peaceful activism. The Quran has this to say of the mission of the Prophet Muhammad: “We have not sent you forth but as a mercy to humankind.” (21:107) In the Quran and the Hadith, there are many such references proving that Islam is a religion of peace, love and human brotherhood. However, it is also a fact that in later times the image of Islam has altered drastically. Now Islam has come to be regarded as a religion of violence rather than a religion of peace. The call of the Quran refers to the responsibility of Muslims to present the original image of Islam to people. It is to show the true face of Islam based on the Quran and Sunnah, rather than on the later-day interpretations. This is the call of the Quran.
Source: The Spirit of Islam Magazine
The primary purpose of calling people to God is to introduce man to God—his Creator and Sustainer, and acquaint man with the creation plan of God. He should be told what his relationship with God is and how God will deal with him after death. Its objective is to awaken man from his slumber, to make him realize his servitude, and incline him to turn towards God. The target of this work is man’s realization of God. He should discover his powerlessness in comparison with God’s immense power. He should ‘see’ God before the veil of the unseen is removed. Before being directly confronted with Him, he should have the experience of realizing God indirectly. Calling people to God aims to awaken man’s insight so that he begins to see glimpses of God in the signs of the vast universe. It is to unveil the Creator in the mirror of His creation. Then he will be able to see glimpses of the realities of the Hereafter in the beautiful scenes of the world of nature.
In his last sermon, the Prophet Muhammad urged his followers to convey the message of the Quran ‘even if only a single verse.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3461) The Quran aims to bring people closer to their Creator. That is, to convey to human beings that there are only two ways of leading life in this world: the self-oriented and the God-oriented. A self-oriented life is one in which all activities centre on oneself. Such a life is led according to man’s thinking. He follows his whims and desires. To him, fulfilling personal interests and ambitions is the standard to measure human success. On the other hand, a God-oriented life is one in which man considers himself subservient to God. He moulds his feelings and emotions according to God’s commands. To such a person, a successful life is one in which one lives and dies in accordance with God’s pleasure. That is why conveying the message of Quran is also called calling people to God.
When one follows a self-oriented way of life, it engenders such feelings as pride, jealousy, malice, and egoism. A man comes to think that truth is what he believes, and falsehood is what he rejects. However, when one follows a God-oriented life, it awakens feelings of devotion, humility, gratitude, and accountability.
The answer is totally in the affirmative. The very fact that Islam is a religion of peace shows that it is an eternal religion. If it had been otherwise, it would not have endured. For in this day and age, according to modern thinking, the use of violence has been totally rejected. Now the human mind finds acceptable or worthy of consideration only that system the teachings of which are based on peace and non-violence. Islam is a religion of nature and has always been an upholder of peace. For this reason, violence and extremism have been held totally undesirable from day one. For human construction, Islam has played a great role as a result of which human history entered a new phase of progress and development. The time has come today for Islam to play its constructive role once again and lead human history into a new phase of progress.
Source: The Life of Prophet Muhammad
Islam can make today’s world a better place by promoting principles of peace, compassion, and tolerance. The teachings of Islam promote harmonious relations among people and encourage the resolution of conflicts through peaceful dialogue rather than violence. By emphasizing the importance of patience, and mutual respect, Islam fosters an environment where individuals can thrive and contribute positively to society. Moreover, Islam encourages its followers to become ‘giver’ members of society, rather than mere ‘takers,’ thereby contributing to the welfare of society as a whole. In summary, by embodying its core teachings and actively promoting peace and compassion, Islam has the potential to significantly improve the state of the world today.
Source: The Spirit of Islam Magazine
The current generation may sometimes find Islam outdated and irrelevant precisely due to the misconceptions and militant interpretations that have emerged in recent times. While the media often focuses on extreme cases and conflicts associated with certain Muslims, the true essence of Islam, which emphasizes compassion and understanding, tends to be overlooked. What is needed is to dispel the misconceptions and discard as superficial and erroneous militant and political interpretations of Islam and present the original version of Islam based on peace, mercy and the love of humankind. Then Islam will address the minds of the current generations. The literature and lectures of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan present the true face of Islam as enshrined in its original sources—the Quran and Sunnah—in the modern idiom. Available on www.cpsglobal.org, it is sure to address the minds of people today.
Source: The Spirit of Islam Magazine
To influence today’s modern generation to study Islam, it is crucial to address their minds. Educators and parents must engage in positive and reason-based dialogues about Islam, emphasizing its relevance and wisdom in today’s world. This involves presenting Islamic teachings not merely as a set of dos and don’ts, but as comprehensive guiding principles of life that they can benefit from. Further, parents and educators must prepare themselves to respond to the questions of today’s youth rationally. They must foster an environment of open-mindedness and curiosity, encouraging youth to explore Islamic teachings through critical thinking and personal reflection. Ultimately, the key lies in demonstrating the practical application of Islamic principles through personal example, making the study of Islam a transformative experience that enriches the lives of today’s modern generation.
Source: The Spirit of Islam Magazine
The modernization of the madrasa today is not simply a theory. In several madrasas, it is already an ongoing process. For example, Darul Uloom of Deoband and Jamia al-Hidayah of Jaipur have included in their curriculum what is called asari uloom (modern learning). These madrasas as well as several other madrasas of India have adopted different modern (jadid) disciplines, such as computer training, English and Hindi languages, etc.
According to madrasa authorities, its modernization is not taboo. The only problem is that the madrasa system, unlike secular institutions, has no training institution to feed its job requirements. According to my experience, if there were training institutes, then perhaps all madrasas would incorporate asari uloom (modern learning).
There is a well-known saying, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’ This saying has proved true in the case of madrasas also. There is a demand for the madrasa educated to be equipped with modern skills so that they may secure their place in the job market: the madrasa system is making every endeavour to address this need of the hour.
Along with this, there is a silent process going on, which may be called ‘out-of-campus education.’ Students of madrasas found that outside of the madrasa campus, there was a widespread system of secular education. After completing madrasa education, students are joining these institutions in great numbers. Thus, the out-of-campus system of education is providing a complementary role in this regard.
There are thousands of Muslim youths who were educated in some madrasa and obtained degrees from these madrasas but when they attempted to commence their working lives, they felt that they were under-equipped to cope with the real-life situations with which they were faced. So after completing their madrasa education, they made every effort to learn the English language, computer operation, elementary sciences, etc. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan also comes in this category. He received his education in a madrasa and then he learnt English and privately studied almost all the branches of modern learning. His madrasa education laid the foundation of his religious education. His personal study made him understand modern thought. Over a lifetime of study and scholarship, he was able to prepare a corpus of literature presenting Islam in the modern idiom.
Source: The True Face of Islam
Completely dissociating from practical politics, the Ulama should cultivate a spirit of tolerance among themselves and within the Muslim Ummah in accordance with the Hadith: 'Show mercy to those on Earth, and the One in the heavens will have mercy on you' (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2037). Maulana Wahiduddin Khan advised the ulama with whom he interacted that along with contemporary religious education, they must be aware of modern thought trends. Without this, they will not properly fulfil their responsibilities in the modern age. They must permit open criticism of each other, and pursue scholarship with a deep understanding of modern thought. Without this, it is impossible to overcome mental stagnation and promote wisdom and insight. They must also cultivate a spirit of tolerance and, despite their differences, must work towards promoting unity and reform the mindset of Muslims on positive lines. Without this, the Muslims can achieve no significant progress.
As women performed their role without going outdoors, there is a general misconception that Islam has restricted women’s workplaces to performing only domestic chores. But this is not the truth. First of all, Islam encouraged them to receive education, and then enthused them with a new zeal. Subsequently, they went out to impart this learning to the next generation. Let us take the instance of the Prophet’s wives, held up as role models for women in Islam. Preserving their femininity, they participated in all kinds of religious and worldly activities. For instance, the Prophet’s wife Aisha, having gained full knowledge of Islam from the Prophet, was able, after the death of the Prophet, to perform the task of teacher and guide to the Muslim community for about fifty years. Abdullah ibn Abbas, a Companion of great stature, and one of the best commentators of the Quran, was one of Aisha’s pupils.
As modern-day research tells us women are better with words than men. It is perhaps this reason that they can run educational institutions successfully. Besides this, there may be many such workplaces where women can exploit their full potential. Since the earliest days of Islam, we find Muslim women working outdoors. Umm Dahdah, wife of a Companion of the Prophet worked in her orchard. Khadija, Prophet’s wife conducted business, to cite only a few of such examples. However, Islam sets great value on the proper management of the home. It is because the home is the most important unit of any society. Home is the centre of preparing succeeding generations. Thus, neglecting the home front will amount to neglecting the next generation which in turn will result in a great national loss.
Source: The True Face of Islam
Islam gives total religious freedom to people. According to Islamic teaching, the present world is a testing ground for individuals, it is not a place of enforcement of commands. In the present world, people are being put to the test to see whether they use their freedom to follow the straight path as determined by God or deviate from it. Due to this reason, every human being has been granted complete freedom so that he may have the choice to either accept the divine religion or reject it. This reality about our present life has been stated in the Quran in these words: “Say, this is the truth from your Lord. Let him who will, believe in it, and him who will, deny it.” (18:29).
Another verse instructs the Prophet concerning his contemporaries who were in denial of his prophethood: “You are not a keeper over them.” (88:22). The Prophet is here counselled not to compel people to believe in the message he was conveying to them. For this reason, a principle has been mentioned in the Quran in clear terms:
“There shall be no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error. But whoever refuses to be led by Satan and believes in God has grasped the strong handhold that will never break. God is all hearing and all knowing.” (2:256)
Contemplating on these Quranic verses, one can conclude that Islam believes in giving religious freedom to everyone. Religious coercion has nothing to do with Islam.
Source: The Spirit of Islam Magazine
Islam and secularism are fully compatible. As per the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, secularism is a policy of non-interference in religious matters. In a secular government, every religious community has the right to follow its own faith. This was demonstrated even by the Prophet Muhammad when he drafted the Madinah Charter, according to which different religious groups were allowed to have their own personal law: 'The Jews have their religion, and the Muslims have theirs.' (Seerah Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 107)
The true meaning of secular personal law has been alluded to in the following verse of the Quran, according to which, people of other faiths could follow their own Holy Books to judge their matters:
“We have revealed the Torah, in which there is guidance and light. By it the prophets who were obedient to Us judged the Jews, and so did the rabbis and the priests, according to God’s Book which had been entrusted to their care; and to which they were witnesses.” (5:44)
The Quran and the life of the Prophet Muhammad make it clear that secularism and the teachings of Islam are completely compatible. Groups that claim otherwise are completely mistaken in promoting un-Islamic ideas of their religious superiority.
Democracy is completely Islamic. According to the Quran, believers are those who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation. (42:38)
According to a prophetic tradition, “As you (society) are, so would your rulers be.” (Shuab al-Iman, Hadith No. 7006)
The above verse and tradition tell us that the principle of Islam is to accept the opinion of the majority in worldly matters common to all. This principle can be called practical settlement. This practical settlement can be arrived at with declaration or without declaration. These principles are completely in conformance with the premises of democracy. The norm in democracy is: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people,” unlike dictatorship or monarchy, in a democracy, it is the society which dictates the events. Secular democracy is neither an absolute theory nor an eternal system. It is only a practical settlement which is made according to the situation. Its basic purpose is to provide opportunities by maintaining peace in social life. In the light of above Quranic verse and Prophetic tradition one can say that, democracy is completely in conformity with Islam.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
Islam lays great emphasis on freedom of expression. Before the advent of Islam, holding beliefs different from those of the establishment was considered a punishable act. People used to be punished on matters of belief just as they would be if they committed a social crime. This old practice of religious persecution was abolished by Islam. In Islam, the culture of dissent and freedom of expression is given utmost importance. That is why blasphemy in Islam is a subject of intellectual discussion rather than a subject of physical punishment. The concept of blasphemy is, therefore, completely alien to the original teachings of Islam.
Islam places great emphasis on freedom of expression. It is regarded as a fundamental right that allows individuals to express their thoughts and beliefs freely, provided that such expression does not result in physical harm to others. The concept of freedom of expression in Islam is extensive, allowing for dissent and criticism without fear of retribution. This was a revolutionary aspect introduced by Islam, which abolished the prior practices of religious persecution and despotism that denied intellectual freedom. Islam, further, encourages open dialogue and discussion, promoting the idea that individuals should counter differing opinions with reasoned arguments and not violence.
Some Muslims advocate the theory that freedom of expression is good, but that no one has the right to hurt the religious sentiments of others. This theory is quite illogical. Freedom is not a self-acquired right. It is God, who, because of His scheme of putting man to the test, has given him total freedom. Then the modern secular concept of freedom is that everyone is free, provided he does not inflict physical harm on others. In such a situation, the above kind of demand by Muslims is tantamount to abolishing two things: first, it abolishes the divine scheme of granting freedom to everyone, and second, it abolishes the modern secular norm. Muslims’ demand that others should not have the freedom to hurt their religious sentiment is thus invalid, as it can never be achieved. In summary, Islam advocates for a culture of freedom of expression that upholds intellectual freedom while forbidding any form of physical harm, establishing a foundation for a just and peaceful society.
Source: The Spirit of Islam Magazine
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan had dedicated his life to studying Islam and modern thought. His deeper understanding of the subject led him to conclude, that the modern age is not against Islam. The modern age is conducive to Islam when rightly understood. The fact is that the modern mind and modern culture are completely compatible with Islam if these are understood properly. In terms of their essence or reality, there is no clash between Islam and modern thought. So, the real problem, is not of changing modern thought, but rather, of changing the thinking of Muslims. And after this happens, no problem will remain. The mindset or mentality of many Muslims is such that they oppose every new thing. It is this mentality that has created the problem. So, this mentality has to change.
To understand Islam, one just needs to go through the authentic text of the Quran and the Prophetic traditions interpreted in the modern idiom. The literature and lectures of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan present Islam in a contemporary style. Going through this material one can understand the true face and spirit of Islam which is completely compatible with the modern age.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
The modern age is regarded by Muslims as being fraught with problems for Islam. But this is quite contrary to the actual situation. The modern age is in fact the age of Islam, just as the period of rainfall is the period of farmers. But Muslims, lacking in understanding and awareness have failed to understand this; hence their failure to convert this potential into reality. One outcome of the modern scientific revolution is that we have at our disposal, a number of new arguments in support of Islamic beliefs. Today it has become possible to measure up Islamic realities by the highest standards of human knowledge and to establish its authenticity by purely logical arguments. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan wrote many books on this topic like God Arise and Islam: Creator of the Modern Age among others.
Source: Islam Rediscovered
There is nothing wrong with Islam today. In my opinion, there is only one problem facing present-day Muslims—that is, their self-styled concept of jihad. All other issues of intolerance and extremism have branched out from their misconceptions of jihad. The most important point for Muslims today is to know the importance of peace and to know that jihad is not needed in today’s age. The command for jihad, in terms of qital (war), is suspended. If in present times, we can achieve everything we want by peaceful methods, then why engage in qital or fighting? This is the basic problem that needs to be addressed. Trying to establish Islamic Shariah by force or through coercion is also an offshoot of this wrong concept of jihad. Muslims must abandon the violent method and work peacefully for constructive goals.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
We learn from a tradition what the Prophet’s policy was in general matters: “Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two paths in any problematic situation, he would always opt for the easier course.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3560)
If this principle of taking the easier option is looked at in the context of the violent versus the peaceful method, it would be true to say that the way of the Prophet in any given situation was to refrain sedulously from using violent methods in dealing with the matter at hand. The peaceful course, therefore, must invariably be taken. For there is no doubt about it, that the violent method falls into the category of the harder option, while the reverse is true of the peaceful method.
However, this is not simply a matter of easier or harder options. It means rather that in our general dealings, the peaceful method is invariably oriented towards producing positive results, while the violent method is merely an exercise in futility. The violent method not only fails to solve the problem, but it further aggravates and complicates it. In the hadith, the harder method implies taking a course which is strewn with obstacles. On the contrary, the easier method implies acting in a way which facilitates the achievement of our goal.
Source: The Ideology of Peace
The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is an important event in the early history of Islam. When this treaty was signed, a Quranic verse was revealed which called it a ‘clear victory’ (48:1). The lesson of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is to unilaterally adjust with people and avoid provoking their ego or confronting them; instead, we should win them over by awakening their conscience by providing a peaceful environment.
The Prophet began his mission of the oneness of God (tawheed) in 610 AD. At that time, there were many polytheists in Arabia. They bitterly opposed the Prophet’s mission, so much so that they unleashed war against him. This climate of war prevailed for many years. Because of this, it was not possible to carry on, in a balanced manner, the work of inviting people to tread God’s path and other constructive activities. To end this unfavourable environment, the Prophet began reconciliatory talks with his opponents at a place called Hudaybiyyah. His opponents kept insisting on very severe conditions. After two weeks of talks, the Prophet unilaterally accepted their conditions and entered into a peace treaty with them. In this way, he had put an end to the existing state of war and established peace with his opponents.
As a result of this treaty, the followers of Islam gained the opportunity to interact with the tribes and engage in constructive activities like conveying the divine message to them. And so, because of this, within just two years, Islam became so firmly established that very soon, without shedding blood, it became dominant all across Arabia.
The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was not an isolated event. Rather, it was a manifestation of a general principle of nature. It can be described, in other words, as a policy of adjustment. In this world, no individual or community lives all by itself. Here, people live together or in proximity with many others. Everyone’s interests are different. And because of this, problems repeatedly arise between people. In this context, there are just two options. One can either try to clash with a problem, or one can avoid it and move on ahead. The first method is that of war, the latter of reconciliation. The Quran teaches us that the policy of reconciliation is the best policy. The Prophet acted on this Quranic commandment in entering into the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which proved to be a ‘clear victory’ for Islam.
This method of reconciliation was exemplified in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah can be expressed in the following words: “Ignore the problems and avail of the opportunities.” This is an eternal principle, one that relates to the whole of human life. Be it family or social affairs or international relations, everywhere this is the only principle for success in life. The consequence of abandoning the Hudaybiyyah Treaty method is confrontation—and no problem can ever be solved through confrontation. If the Hudaybiyyah Treaty method is Life, then confrontation and war are nothing but Death. The Hudaybiyyah Treaty method is the only method for success in the present-day world. It rescues people from negative thinking and leads them to think positively. It saves people from wasting their time in confrontation and from failure to use available opportunities within the possible limits. The Hudaybiyyah Treaty method makes people capable of transforming their disadvantages into advantages, their minuses into pluses.
Source: Islam and World Peace
