The Earth is the sun’s satellite. It constantly orbits around the sun. It takes one year to complete such a rotation. This movement of the earth around the sun is essential for the healthy functioning of life on earth. If the 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 must revolve around God, just as the earth revolves around the sun. It means that all of man’s activities should be based on God.
The earth rotates as compelled to by the laws of nature. But man, of his own free will, should surrender to God. 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.
The God-oriented life begins with the discovery of God. When individuals discover God, it means that they have found the truth that pervades their whole being. This feeling of having discovered the truth becomes such a thrilling experience that it fills them with everlasting conviction. This everlasting conviction removes all frustrations from their lives. Therefore, 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.
The 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 should be 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. For one who discovers God, the entire universe becomes an open book of God for him. Every leaf of a tree becomes a page of the divine book.
A verse of the Quran states: “Become men of God.” (3:79) Becoming a man of God means adopting a God-oriented life. The God-oriented way of life is a complete way of life. It calls for the use of all human faculties. It means God-oriented thinking, God-oriented speech, God-oriented behaviour, God-oriented morality, etc.
God-oriented life is another term for spiritual life. In this verse, the Quran uses the word ‘al-rabbani’. It means a spiritual person or a rab-oriented or God-oriented person. Islamic spirituality is based on thinking and contemplation, rather than meditation. It is mind-based rather than heart-based: it arises from the awakening of the intellectual faculty. When you think about the truth and you discover it, then you become a spiritual person.
When you ponder over the world around you, when your thinking goes beyond your immediate surroundings; you discover the truth that is beyond you, beyond time and space. You become conscious of yourself as well as your Creator. This is the beginning of the spiritual process in your personality and this process will continue to evolve.
Islamic spirituality is, in essence, God-centred and not self-centred. When you discover your Creator, you instantly establish communication between yourself and your Creator. It is like establishing a connection between the electric bulb in your room and the powerhouse situated outside your room. Just as the electric connection illuminates your room, so also does the divine connection illuminate your whole personality. Then you become a ‘rabanni’, or a man of God.
Man can discover and realize God by pondering upon His creations. The truth is that the present universe is an expression of God’s attributes. In this respect, the present universe is a complete introduction to God. God is visible in His creations, just as a human being sees his own reflection in the mirror, without having any doubts about it.
The vastness of space tells man that God, its Creator, is boundless. The observation of the sun and the stars shows us that God is all light. The heights of the mountains show us the greatness of God. The waves of the sea and the flow of the river tell us that God is a storehouse of boundless blessings. We see God’s bounties in the greenery of the trees. Man’s existence becomes proof of God’s existence. In the waft of air he experiences a divine touch. In the chirping of the birds, he hears God’s songs.
The Islamic way of life is a God-oriented life. The greatest concern of a Muslim is God Almighty. The focus of his whole life is Akhirah, that is, the ideal world of God. He always obeys divine injunctions in every aspect of life. His life becomes a practical expression of the Quranic verse:
“Take on God’s own dye. And who has a better dye than God’s? And we are His worshippers.” (2:138)
‘Taking on God’s dye,’ means being of a ‘godly character’ in all the personal, social and economic affairs of one’s life. The following pages of the chapter are devoted to portraying various aspects of this ‘godly’ character as personified in a Muslim individual whose words and deeds in family matters, or with respect to earning one’s livelihood and whose dealings with other members of society, always seem to be distinguishably ‘dyed in the divine hue.’
Yes. De-conditioning is essential to develop a positive personality. And tazkiyah is the method for this. Tazkiyah or purification of the mind is compulsory for all men and women. This entails their resisting and overcoming the influences of their environment which we describe as conditioning. In consonance with one’s feelings and desires people develop certain habits. Consciously or unconsciously under the influence of their interests, they become conditioned in such habits. All these things create obstacles to their leading a spiritual life. To overcome these obstacles, an individual has to become his own guide. He must identify his mistakes, and apply to himself the process of rigorous de-conditioning. This is a prerequisite for purification. Without this, no one can be genuinely purified. No one can get entry into Paradise, without self-purification.
Those who have been successful in engaging in these processes, discover the truth. They have been mentioned in the Quran as “soul at peace” (89:27). They are the ones who fell in line with the creation plan of God and who developed in themselves the desired personality according to His creation plan. These are the ones who will be rewarded by God and will gain entry into Paradise.
Source: Discovering God
Tazkiyah is the process of de-conditioning, which is a continuous process that goes on day in and day out. When it does not happen in this way, there is a hadith which describes the result of this: “The heart becomes covered with rust, just like iron when it comes in contact with water.” A question was asked: “O Prophet! What is the way to purify or clean one’s heart?” The Prophet replied, “Remembering death often and studying the Quran.” (Shu‘ab al-Iman, al-Bayhaqi, Hadith No. 1859)
This tradition of the Prophet tells us of a psychological reality. That is, in the context of the society he lives in, a person has repeatedly to undergo such experiences as produce negative feelings within him, for instance, anger, hatred, violence, revenge, and so on. An individual ought to bury these feelings instantly, for, if he fails to do so, they will become a permanent presence in the human mind, and a time will come when it will be almost impossible to eliminate them.
There are two major parts of the human mind, the conscious and the unconscious. It is quite natural for negative feelings to first of all enter the conscious part of the mind. If such feelings are not immediately cast out from the mind, they gradually reach the unconscious part of the mind, from where it becomes difficult to eradicate them. One should always remain vigilant about this. At all times a person should keep converting his negativity into positivity. That is, he must de-condition his conditioned mind in order to purify it and keep it free from pollution. The only way of purification, or de-conditioning, is to repeatedly remind himself of death and to reflect on the purpose of life.
Source: Discovering God
Introspection is essential to de-condition oneself. Everyone is born in an environment that exerts an influence on him. This is a process of conditioning. This is true of everyone without exception. And it is a problem for everyone because such conditioning causes one to deviate from nature. That is why it is essential that everyone de-condition himself and return to his original nature.
There is only one way to decondition oneself and that is by introspection. This entails rigorously continuing to engage in the act of self-reform. There are two ways to do this. One is to tolerate the harsh criticism of others, that is, accepting with an open mind any adversarial evaluation of one’s thinking and conduct without taking this to heart, one should engage without delay in one’s self-reassessment.
Another method of deconditioning is self-criticism. That is, one should look at himself like an enemy. He should assess himself morning and evening. He should keenly feel his mistakes and then he should introspect. He should engage in a merciless hammering of his ego. In no matter should he make concessions to himself. Instead of blaming others, he should always first blame himself. He should become such a severe critic of himself, that it is as if he is trying to put an end to himself.
These are the only two methods of de-conditioning oneself. Either one accepts the harsh criticism of others or one becomes a harsh critic of oneself. Those who always want sweet polite words from others, and those who always make concessions to themselves will always remain in a conditioned state, and will never be able to de-condition themselves.
Source: Discovering God
Those who want to fulfill their material desires in the present world will very soon find that they have failed to build the edifice of their dreams. Anything that they achieve seems to them less than ideal. This is a source of all kinds of mental tension and stress.
Now the problem is that, although man was born with an ideal nature, and is an ideal-seeking creature—in the sense of wanting to have all the best things in life—the present world was not created for this purpose. In terms of personality development, the present world has enormous scope but, in terms of material achievement, the present world is very limited in its scope.
Those who want to fulfill their material desires in the present world will very soon find that they have failed to build the edifice of their dreams. Anything that they achieve seems to them less than ideal. This is a source of all kinds of mental tension and stress. The formula given in the Quran is this: try your best to evolve your personality in terms of spiritual and intellectual development. But, as far as your material requirements are concerned, adopt the need-based formula and not the greed-based formula. All kinds of tension and stress are the result of trying to achieve things that are not achievable in this world.
The problem is that people judge things by a wrong yardstick; they judge their achievements by an ideal yardstick. This is unrealistic. The realistic formula is: use the ideal yardstick only when judging your personality development. But when it comes to your material needs, use a different yardstick. Here, you have to realize that only less than ideal can be achieved.
If you want to have a tension-free life in this world, adopt the realistic approach. Don’t run after your desires, for, in reality, they are impossible to fulfill.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
It is only by adopting the formula of contentment (qanaat) that we can live a tension-free life. Man has unlimited desires and so even when he gets everything, it appears less. In such a scenario, only contentment can be the solution. People live in the psyche of greed (takassur) which is the root cause of tension. They should be extricated from greed culture and brought to contentment culture. And contentment in this world is only for those who willingly accept the creation plan of God. According to the Quranic explanation, the present world was created for only a limited period and also for a temporary purpose— that is, to develop your personality so that you may become eligible to enter the next world called Paradise.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
The secret of happiness is in contentment. If you are contented, you will be happy. But if you are discontented with what you possess or have achieved, then you are bound to live in a state of unhappiness.
Studies show that there are two levels of achievement: one based on need and the second on greed. As far as need is concerned, very few are in a truly deprived state in this world. But, the pursuit of greed has no limit. No amount of achievement can satisfy one’s greed. It is this streak in man’s nature that makes him unhappy.
In this matter, everyone should be very practical. All must differentiate between the achievable and the unachievable. The meeting of needs is achievable for most people, but the satisfaction of greed is hardly achievable for all and sundry, even for the wealthy and the politically powerful.
Although the number of things about which one feels greedy is finite, there is no end to greed itself and the attempt to satiate one’s greed is an unending quest. Man demands are unlimited. This is part of his nature. But the world in which he lives is a limited one and is very seldom geared up to meet his demands. It is this difference that leads to that unenviable state called unhappiness.
Both happiness and unhappiness are states of mind. If you acknowledge this fact, you will easily be able to keep your ambitions in check and will instantly achieve happiness. Happiness is an internal phenomenon; it is not an external achievement.
Source: Leading a Spiritual Life
There are many verses in the Quran that refer to the phenomena of nature, for instance, mountains, rain, etc. But these references are expressed as hints. Some effort has to be made to understand these hints about natural phenomena in light of the information discovered by science. In this regard, the discoveries made about natural phenomena through research are (as regards the necessity for an explanation of the Quran) as important as the other agreed-upon sources of information like the prophetic traditions regarding the background of particular revelations.
In the Quran, there is a verse in this regard: “Praise be to God! He will show you His signs and you will recognize them. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do.” (27:93)
From these words of the Quran, we learn that a principle, as regards the discovery of God, has been described here. There are many verses in the Quran, where we find mention of the phenomena of nature. But these descriptions being only hints are not given in detail. To understand the content of God-realization in the phenomena of nature, it is essential to find what these hints specify. These details, not being available in the Quran, we have to discover them by pursuing a scientific study of externalities. That is to say, the science or knowledge of nature gives us an explanation of what is merely adumbrated in the Quran.
Source: Discovering the Quran
The first verse of the Quran is: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.” (1:2) These are, in actual fact, the words which come spontaneously to man’s lips when he observes the universe. Telescopic observation tells us that the universe is unimaginably vast. Conversely, microscopic study tells us that the unobservable universe is also as great as the observable universe. Despite all human progress, humans have not yet been able to estimate the vastness of the universe, nor have they succeeded in discovering the greatness of the universe.
This vast and great universe is continually in motion. In it, at all times highly meaningful events keep taking place. Moreover, scientific study tells us that this limitless universe is entirely faultless. The existence of a faultless universe is possible only when there is never the slightest deviation in its system. The minutest change or alteration in the universe could disturb its entire system.
Modern study tells us that the universe, despite being inconceivably vast, is completely harmonious. It is being totally controlled by a single force. All its constituents are interconnected.
All the scientists are astonished at this extraordinary harmoniousness of the universe and are at a loss to explain it. This perfect coordination of the universe is proof that it is under the control of an omnipotent God. Had this not been so, the whole universe could be thrown into disorder in less than a moment. This perfect harmoniousness in the universe is possible only when its coordinator and controller has the attribute of omnipotence. Contemplating on this, one can discover the Omnipotent God.
Source: Discovering the Quran
Throughout the Quran there are numerous verses enjoining the reader to observe and reflect on the universe and the phenomena of nature. For example a verse in chapter 3 says:
“There are signs in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day for people of understanding.” (Quran 3:191)
This is because the Quran wants people to discover God through study and contemplation. God should be an intellectual discovery for believers. Therefore, the understand the Quran, we have to contemplate on its verses.
Therefore, the deeper meaning of the Quran can be understood through contemplation (tadabbur) and such reading should be done with an open mind, not with a conditioned mind. Only if a person reflects objectively, he would be able to reach the deeper meaning of the verses of the Quran.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
What is much remembrance of God? It is not in the sense of repetition of some word, but in the sense of thinking. Much remembrance, or zikr-e-kathir, is not a kind of lip service. It is rather a high kind of intellectual activity. Much remembrance is a sign of deep discovery of God.
Remembering God much is the result of a chain reaction in a person’s thinking process, that is, a series of thoughts in which each thought causes the next one. Zikr-e-kathir, or much remembrance, is a result of creative thinking. It is a product of a prepared mind. If you are a prepared mind, then your mind is bound to be triggered at every experience or observation. You will start discovering one item after another of God-realization. In this way a chain reaction will be initiated in your mind.
It is this intellectual activity that is called in the Quran zikr-e-kathir. For example, if it is raining, a believer will very soon present his shukr, that is, acknowledgment to God. Then he will start thinking further: what caused the downpour? He will discover the natural processes that resulted in rain. He will think that when the water was in the ocean, it was salty, but when it took the form of downpour, it turned into freshwater. So step by step he will discover how God created various process which finally provided him water to drink. This is an example of chain reaction in thinking, and through this chain reaction, you begin to discover items of realization of God. If you are a prepared mind, then this process will continue without limit.
This chain reaction of zikr will enhance your maarefat, that is, realization and discovery of God. It will enhance your relationship with God. It will increase your wisdom and power of analysis. This will enhance your capacity to sort things out, and so on.
Source: Quranic Wisdom
One of the commandments of the Quran is given in chapter Al-Ahzab (The Confederates) in these words: “Believers, remember God with much remembrance. (33:41)
According to this Quranic verse believers must remember God very much, every day and every moment. This is the most important teaching of the Quran, and it is also the highest form of worship. One who does this will be blessed with the greatest reward by God Almighty of receiving divine inspiration from God-realization.
According to the Quran, believers are given a unique blessing, that is, they are able to add faith to their faith. (48:4) This is not a mysterious phenomenon; it is a direct result of the above kind of chain reaction. This chain reaction of zikr is very important for personality development. A believer increases his divine spirituality through this process.
Source: Quranic Wisdom
There is a verse in the Quran: “He has subjected whatever is in Heaven and on the earth to you; it is all from Him. In that are signs for those who ponder.” (45:13) From this verse of the Quran, we learn that the entire universe has been made for man.
Here the question arises as to what the purpose is of the whole universe being subjected to man. As we know, the vastness of the universe is limitless. Such a limitless universe cannot be man’s habitat. It is also impossible for man to draw spiritual provision from such a great universe. Then what does it mean, or what does it convey, when the Quran says that the entire universe is created for man?
From other verses of the Quran, for instance, the last verses of the third chapter, we learn that the universe was created so that man might reflect upon it. This reflection takes place by employing reason rather than by any physical exercise. From other verses of the Quran, we learn that God’s signs are so numerous that they cannot be counted. It is these innumerable universal signs upon which man may ponder and thus be able to worship his Lord at an elevated level.
It is man alone who has the capability to contemplate the signs scattered throughout the universe. This contemplation could be done earlier within a traditional framework. Now this process of contemplation has become possible within a scientific framework. In this way, man discovers the boundless greatness of God. He is able to establish a relationship of intense love for and intense fear of God. He is able to conceive of the eternal Paradise of the Hereafter. It is this contemplation that has been described as universal worship.
Source: Discovering the Quran
The formula for Quranic spirituality is expressed thus in a Quranic chapter: “Become men of God.” (The Quran, 3:79)
Becoming a man of God means adopting a God-oriented life. The God-oriented way of life is a complete way of life. It calls for the use of all human faculties. It means God-oriented thinking, God-oriented speech, God-oriented behaviour, God-oriented morality, etc.
God-oriented life is another term for spiritual life. In this verse, the Quran uses the word ‘al-rabbani’. It means a spiritual person or a rab-oriented person. In fact, Islam is a religion of spirituality. It is a discipline that can be explained in terms of reason. Islamic spirituality is based on thinking.
Islamic spirituality is based on contemplation rather than meditation. It is mind-based rather than heart-based: it arises from the awakening of the intellectual faculty. When you think about the truth and you discover it, then you become a spiritual person.
When you ponder over the world around you, when your thinking goes beyond your immediate surroundings; you discover the truth that is beyond you, beyond time and space. You become conscious of yourself as well as your Creator. This is the beginning of the spiritual process in your personality and this process will continue to evolve.
Islamic spirituality is, in essence, God-centred and not self-centred. When you discover your Creator, you instantly establish communication between yourself and your Creator. It is like establishing a connection between the electric bulb in your room and the powerhouse situated outside your room. Just as the electric connection illuminates your room, so also does the divine connection illuminate your whole personality. Then you become a ‘rabanni’, or a man of God.
Source: Quranic Wisdom
According to the Quran, man must be like a good tree. A good tree is a natural analogy for a good man. The translation of the relevant verses is as follows:
“Do you not see how God compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches are in the sky, it yields its fruit each season with its Lord’s permission—God makes such comparisons for people, in order that they may take heed.” (The Quran, 14:24-25)
The tree is a unique phenomenon of Nature; moreover, the tree sets an example for man. It is required of man that he translate this tree culture into human life. This culture implies being deep-rooted, vastly spread out, and at all times giving out benefits.
A good man is one who is like a good tree. What is a tree? A tree begins from a seed, then it turns into a plant, then a strong trunk, then branches and leaves, and then flowers and fruits. A stone cannot grow, but a tree continually grows till it becomes completely lush green with many fine attributes, as referred to in the above Quranic verse.
The same is required of men and women. All men and women must develop themselves like a tree. Where the tree develops itself in physical terms, men and women must develop the same qualities in terms of morality.
Every human being should firmly establish himself on his roots; he should be strong like a tree trunk, he should have a vibrant character like the leaves, he should prove himself fruitful for society, he should convey to people positive vibrations of life, just as a tree supplies fresh oxygen to man, and he should provide shelter to his fellow human beings.
A green tree makes our world beautiful. Without trees, our Earth would be barren. A tree is a giver member of our world. It gives everything but on a unilateral basis. For example, a tree continuously supplies fresh oxygen but it never sends the bill for it. Similar behaviour is required of both men and women.
Men and women must live in their society as giver persons. They must adopt this culture on a unilateral basis. They must live in their society in such a manner that society may always benefit from them. Like this, men and women can make their society like a beautiful garden.
Source: Quranic Wisdom
According to the Quran, wisdom is of the greatest value for a human being. There is a verse in Chapter al-Baqarah that states: “Whoever is granted wisdom has indeed been granted abundant wealth” (2: 269). This verse means that wisdom is summum bonum or the greatest good. Wisdom ensures success, while the lack of it signals failure. I have tried to understand what wisdom is from the Quran and Hadith, that is, what is the concept of wisdom, as defined in the Quran and the prophetic practice.
After a deep study, I have come to conclude that the definition of wisdom according to the Quran is the ability to discover the relevant by sorting out the irrelevant. After studying the life of the Prophet of Islam, I have realized that the best title for him is that he was a ‘Prophet of Wisdom’. In 1978 the American author Dr. Michael Hart wrote a book with the title, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. In this book, he ranked the Prophet Muhammad as the greatest achiever in entire human history. But Dr. Hart does not explain in his book the reason for Prophet’s super achievement. I have discovered through my study that the reason for Prophet’s success was his application of Quranic wisdom to the situations he faced. The Prophet experienced various kinds of situations and in every situation, he adopted Quranic wisdom. I will give some examples to illustrate how the Prophet applied this wisdom.
Source: Quranic Wisdom
The Quran says, ‘Recite the Quran slowly and distinctly.’ (73:4) This means, read the Quran in slow, measured rhythmic tones. That is, read, paying full attention to the import of the content. When read like this, a two-way process between Quran and its reader comes into play. For him, the Quran is an address or speech by God and his heart starts answering this address at every verse. In the Quran where there is any mention of God’s majesty, the reader’s entire existence is strongly affected by the realisation of His greatness. When God’s blessings are enumerated in the Quran, the reader’s heart overflows with gratitude; when God’s retribution is described in the Quran, the reader trembles on reading it; when an order is laid down in the Quran, the feeling becomes intensified in the reader that he should become the obedient subject of his Lord by carrying out that order.
Source: The Quran (Introduction)
