A: Gratitude is a vast concept. That I am thirsty and drink water, I would feel grateful but I think modern-day science has given man a gigantic framework of thanksgiving. For example, earlier man could only drink water and thank God for it but modern-science made it known to man that to cater to his fresh water requirements, God put in place a complete rain cycle. The original source of this water is the saltwater stored in the seas and oceans. This stored water is saline, nature having mixed ten per cent of salt in this water as a preservative, but saltwater is useful neither for man nor for agriculture. It is nature that initiates a global process of desalination and it is desalinated water that, by the established law of nature, rises in the form of vapour and forms clouds. Then from the clouds there is a downpour of fresh water. Man did not know this earlier. And by realising this gratitude would increase manifold.
Western civilisation actually gave us a bigger framework to express gratitude. It gave us the microscope to observe the realities in the micro world and a telescope to view the grand universe! This was predicted in the Quran as
We shall show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth. (41:53)
The developments in science converted the local shukr into universal shukr. Man always expressed gratitude to God but through secular men, believers got a much wider framework to express gratitude.
The state of helplessness makes you competent to pray. When a person is in the state of helplessness, he calls out to God with prayers that invoke divine help.
Prayer is form of worship of God. Prayer has been enjoined on believers five times a day at appointed hours:
Believers are under the obligation to say their prayers at the appointed hours. (Quran 4:103)
These prayers are performed either individually at home or in congregation in mosques. A believer begins his prayer by uttering the words “God is Great”. These words acknowledge that all greatness belongs to God and that the worshipper will lead a life of modesty and humility. Each prayer is segmented into several rak’ah, or units. In each rak’ah a person stands, bows and prostrates, reciting verses from the Quran and other prayers. These are the five obligatory prayers:
1. Early morning prayer (Fajr): two rak’ahs between dawn and sunrise
2. Noon prayer (Zuhr): four rak’ahs, between noon and mid-afternoon
3. Afternoon prayer (Asr): four rak’ahs. The time for prayer starts when the length of any object’s shadow reaches a factor (usually 1 or 2) of the length of the object itself plus the length of that object’s shadow at noon. The time for the prayer ends at sunset.
4. Sunset prayer (Maghrib): three rak’ahs between sunset and early evening
5. Evening prayer (Ishaa): four rak’ah from the disappearance of twilight until dawn
During the prayer, a believer refreshes his memory about God’s commandments regarding himself. Then he kneels and prostrates himself before God, in physical expression of the idea that the only course that befits him is to lead his life according to the creation plan of God. The prayer is concluded by turning the face first to the right side, then to the left, and uttering the words Assalamu-alaykum, which means, ‘May the peace and blessings of God be upon you!’ This is a demonstration that spiritually conditioned by prayer, the worshipper is now entering into the world with no other thoughts and feelings in his mind but those of mercy towards others and peace for all mankind.
Prayer strengthens a believer’s resolve to remain a peaceful member of the society, and to harbour no ill-feelings towards anyone. Prayer in one respect is to surrender before God, attributing all kinds of greatness to Him alone. In yet another respect, prayer prepares the individual to lead a worthy life among fellow human-beings, adopting an attitude of modesty, sympathy and good-will in all his dealings. In short, prayer perfects a person’s relation with God as well as with other human beings. According to a verse, a believer is enjoined thus:
Prostrate yourself and come closer to God. (Quran 96:19)
The cadence of praying five times formally was prescribed so that congregational prayers could be undertaken. A believer otherwise must engage in prayer in an informal way throughout the day, whereby he remembers the blessings of God and shows gratefulness to his Creator. This has been alluded to in the Quran in the following words:
When you have finished the prayer, remember God while standing, and sitting, and lying on your sides. When you feel secure, say your prayers in the prescribed form. (Quran 4:103)
The secret of this discovery lies in comparison. We should compare God’s power of bringing about rain with our powerlessness and inability to bring about rain, grow grain and make the sun shine. And if a person cannot do it, he should think how all this is happening on a universal level? If I could not put in place the life support system, how did it come about? If we make this comparison, then on the one hand we will discover that we are all powerless and that God is all-powerful. If you become sick, you should not become a victim of frustration, rather discover that I am powerless and there is a Creator above me who is powerful. Then you will discover both the Creator and yourself.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
Islam does not subscribe to the concept of conversion. It believes that religion is a matter of individual choice. The search for the truth should be every person’s individual effort and the decisions one then takes in the matter of religion is completely personal.
The concept of religious conversion is alien to the Quran. It has no basis in the Quran. The Quran speaks of marefat, which means God-realization or the discovery of God. So, the truth is your own discovery, your own realization. It is a personal choice. If you want to know what the purpose of life is, what life and death are about, and so on, you have to study, reflect and discuss with learned people. And after that, you may reach some conclusion. And that is your religion. So, your religion is your own discovery.
In religious ‘conversion’, there are two parties: the converter and the converted. But this is not the concept in Islam. In Islam, there is only one party—and that is you. If you want to find the truth, you have to reflect and study on your own. And when you discover something as the truth, you opt for it.
A: As per my experience, discovery of truth leaves no room for frustration. This is because man remains tensed because of matters of the world. But if he finds the truth which next to God is truth, his relation with God is established and then he starts receiving divine succor and inspiration. It is important to note that this is not applicable for self-proclaimed truth. Only that which is truth next to God is what attaches you to God.
If it were possible to discover Creation, then it is possible to discover the Creator as well. This is possible only through contemplation. French philosopher, Rene Descartes said, “I think, therefore I exist.” Following this dictum you can say, “I exist, therefore God also exists.”
God is our Creator and all the things we enjoy in this world are His Creation. You cannot see God, but you can see His Creation. God manifests himself through his Creation. It’s simple: when Creation exists, the Creator also exists. And who can be the Creator of this marvellous world, but God.
If it were possible to discover Creation, then it is possible to discover the Creator as well. This is possible only through contemplation. French philosopher, Rene Descartes said, “I think, therefore I exist.” Following this dictum you can say, “I exist, therefore God also exists.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
Why was this world made? Why was man born into this world? Why, after a certain period of time, does he pass away? What will happen after death? These are the most important questions concerning the origins and fate of mankind, and they should never be far from people’s minds. Finding the correct answers to these questions has always been one of man’s most important quests.
Pondered over for thousands of years, these questions have been variously answered by different people. However, these answers can be placed in two broad categories: one, which holds the great array of wonders in this world to be purposeless, and the other, which asserts that man was created with a purpose and that he has a definite goal.
While the first view tends to be subscribed to by poets, philosophers and secular scholars, the second view is firmly upheld by that very special class of beings called prophets, or messengers of God. The most authentic testament to the second view has been provided by the Prophet Muhammad.
Many arguments can be put forward in support of the answers in both of these categories. It is very obvious, however, that the notion of purposelessness is not in keeping with the structure of life and universe. The idea, on the other hand, of purposeful creation, falls exactly into place, for the simple reason that it contains no inherent contradictions.
The world into which man is born is fraught with significance. There is nothing which is of a meaningless or random nature. It is quite unthinkable that man, with his meaningful life, born into a meaningful universe, should find no purpose in creation. Where there is meaningfulness, there will, of necessity, be purposefulness. This aspect of the universe is a clear verification of the Prophet’s answer.
I do not subscribe to this notion. The acceptance of prayer is not dependent on a certain location. The spirit behind one’s prayer is what makes it relevant. The Prophet and his Companions made dua from various locations and their prayers were answered.
There are three levels on which the Muslims must perform dawah work. Every single believing man and woman must prove himself or herself to be a preacher of Truth on one of these three levels. Those who will not participate in this mission will find their deeds to have become worthless in the eyes of God. In this regard, God has the same criterion for the Prophet as for his followers.
It is necessary for every believer to be eager to give guidance to other people. So, the first level of dawah work deals with the intention (niyah) to do so. Specifically, it means the intention of the individual to convey the divine message to mankind in its original form. But such intention is not just some kind of verbal repetition or lip service. It is a feeling which makes the heart tremble. Every believer should become restless and tremble on seeing others being misguided. This feeling should be of such intensity that, while thinking about it, tears should flood his eyes. And he should pray for the guidance of others while contemplating in solitude.
On the second level of dawah work, believers should take every precaution not to become a hindrance in the way of conveying the divine message to mankind. They should not act in such a way as to arouse in people’s hearts hatred or disgust for Islam, nor should they in any way cause annoyance to the addressee. They should completely refrain from any such acts as can cause friction between the addresser and the addressee. They should take special care to conduct themselves in this way, even if it means sacrificing their economic, national, or political interests.
On the third level, dawah work is to be performed directly. Those who have the ability to present Islam through public speaking, writing or through modern means of communication, should strive to convey the divine religion to the people. They should try to address people’s minds by using arguments which make a very strong impression, so that their addressees may fully understand the true guidance.
The best way is to become a well-wisher for mankind. This should be the motto of a dayee, or a person who engages in dawah. He should be positive to the last extent, not get offended and be empty of negative thoughts for others.
I once met an ultra-modern person who had studied philosophy and history. He said during conversation, “If Muhammad is removed from history, what shall be lost from history?” Apparently, it was a provocative statement but I did not get provoked. I kept thinking and increased my study. After this study, I published the book, Islam: The Creator of Modern Age. The book was a result of the thinking that developed in me due to the comment made by the above person. Dawah work should be done purely on the basis of the Quran and Hadith and not on the basis of communal or national sentiment.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
A dayee is an individual who invites others to God and the truth. A madu is the one called to God and the truth. The successful dayee will need to consider many aspects of Islamic knowledge, the condition of the environment he is working in, his resources and means, and what he wishes to accomplish.
The aim of calling man to God is that, while still living in the world, he may become an inhabitant of the hereafter. He will thus discover God’s greatness in the greatness of the world. He will start experiencing heavenly blessings in worldly comforts, while worldly hardships will remind him of the torment of hell fire.
Source: Calling People to God
The Quran is a book of divine warning. The call of the Quran is to make man aware of the Creation Plan of God. This is the reason why all prophets were sent to the world. Nowhere in the divine revelation is it said that it should be kept on the shelves as if it were any other ordinary book. Rather, it is compulsory that it should reach the maximum number of people throughout the ages. If the Prophet had not performed the task of conveying the message of the Quran, his prophethood could have become doubtful in the eyes of God (5:67). For this reason, the Prophet carried out this task with the utmost earnestness, so that the message of the Quran could reach people everywhere. Even at the end, addressing the Prophet, God Himself said in the Quran: ‘...you may destroy yourself with grief if they do not believe in this message.’ (18:6)
The responsibility which formerly fell on the Prophet has now to be discharged by his adherents. The believers have to become the medium through which the message of the Quran may be delivered to the whole of humanity. The Muslims and especially the religious scholars (ulama) must prove themselves by becoming the well-wishers and guides of humanity. And they must do so with the utmost earnestness. Indeed, they need to involve themselves to such a degree that they should appear to be destroying themselves in their endeavour.
The conveying of the message of Truth to everyone, the responsibility of which has been placed on the Muslims, is not like an optional subject, which they may either take up or make some excuse to leave off. This is a responsibility of such a nature that it has to be discharged at all costs.
Just as no excuse was acceptable from the Prophet, similarly no excuse made by the followers of the Prophet will be heard and found acceptable by God. Even other religious acts and deeds will not be enough for the salvation of the believers if they have ignored the responsibility of conveying the message of Truth to all the people.
Thousands of men and women are dying every day without having had the message of God conveyed to them; without having had the opportunity to accept it, they have missed their chance of improving their lives in the Hereafter. In such a situation it is the grave responsibility of the believers to desist from making excuses and seriously take up the mission of proclaiming the divine truth.
Source: The Call of the Quran
The Muslim community has been called ‘The Middle Nation’ in the Quran in the following verse of the second chapter, which states: “We have made you a middle nation, so that you may act as witnesses for mankind, and the Messenger may be a witness for you.” (2:143)
This verse speaks of the role of Muslims as dayees. It explains that they have received the divine religion through God’s Messenger. Therefore, they now must communicate God’s message to every generation in every age. The word ‘witness’ (shahid) in this verse is equivalent to dayee.
It was the responsibility of the followers of Prophet Muhammad to pass on the truth they had received from the Prophet to others. The same responsibility devolved upon the ancient people of the Book. That is, making the message of God clear to people. (The Quran, 3:187)
Conveying God’s word to humanity, or the task of being a witness (shaahid), is neither something mysterious nor is it a matter of superiority. The Call to God is all a matter of responsibility, and without doubt, there is no responsibility more significant than this. The responsibility of the Prophet’s Ummah is far more than that of other communities. The Prophet of Islam is called the ‘seal of the Prophets’ in the Quran (33:40); therefore, no other Prophet will come after him. The followers of Prophet Muhammad have to fulfil their responsibility of conveying the divine message to their contemporaries in every age till Doomsday. It is the duty of every Muslim, and he has to perform it on a priority basis.
We should remember that conveying God’s message to humanity is to be done in a clear and understandable style to the addressees, which is retained in their minds or makes a lasting impression on their minds. In the modern era, we need to make Islam understandable to people in the language of today, i.e., modern, scientific idiom.
Only by fulfilling this dawah responsibility to our utmost can we be held eligible in God’s eyes to be called the ‘Middle Nation’.
Source: Calling People to God
Calling people to Islam is a divine mission, and is carried out to fulfil the divine scheme. (4: 165) It is, therefore, natural that God should assist in this endeavour. It is such a difficult task that not receiving divine help would be more surprising than receiving it.
The responsibility for carrying on the work of dawah after the Prophet rests with the Muslims. It is as his followers that they shall have to carry on what he accomplished in his lifetime. (22:78) With this extension of responsibility, it is only proper that there should be an extension of their rights also.
Source: Calling People to God
Who is the master of any given situation? One who is able to turn an unfavourable situation to good account. This is possible for anyone. One just has to control one’s feelings and be able to think in an unbiased manner. I once happened to meet a youth. He was greatly perturbed. Someone had badly treated him, because of which he was provoked. His anger reached such an extent that he sought to take revenge. I said: "Your problem is not without you, but it is within you." It means that someone wanted to provoke you and you got provoked. In other words, someone gave you a dictation and you accepted his dictation. I, thus, gave the youth a simple formula: "Don't allow anyone to dictate to you." There was a pause. After a moment, the youth replied: "I got your point. I have decided that I will not take dictation from anyone." After a few days, he was able to live a normal life.
Swami Vivekananda, a great soul of India who lived in the nineteenth century, was once put to the test by a friend of his. He invited him to his house and asked him to sit in a room where there was a table laden with books. These books were the ten sacred books of different religions, one on top of the other. The sacred book of the Christians, the Bible, was placed on the top, and the sacred book of the Hindus, the Gita, was placed at the bottom. Obviously, this arrangement was intended to provoke his guest. Pointing to the pile of books, the host asked Swamiji to give his comments. Swamiji just smiled and said: “The foundation is really good.”
This story gives a good example of how one can become the master of a situation. Basically, it requires us not to become provoked, even in a provocative situation. When you become provoked, your mind suffers a kind of paralysis; it cannot work properly, so you find yourself at the mercy of the situation. But, when you do not allow provocative situations to affect you, your mind can work at its full capacity. When the mind is free to work, it is like a super computer and can solve all problems.
Source: Living in Hope
People generally complain about others; but no one is stronger than you. No one can create problems for you. It is your own unwise or emotional actions that give others the scope to do mischief. So don’t complain. Always look to yourself, always review your own actions, and be ready at all times to re-assess your planning and then you will have no complaint against anyone.
There is a terse but meaningful saying: ‘Blame thyself.’ This means that in all situations you should not try to see others’ mistakes but identify and acknowledge your own mistakes. This is the simplest formula for a successful life.
Never say that this situation is favourable or that situation is unfavourable for you. It is you yourself and not the situation that can create a better future for you. So learn the art of situation management. Those who can manage situations successfully are bound to emerge as masters of their own destinies.
Almost all the great men were born in unfavourable conditions, but they took control of their circumstances and became super achievers.
Source: Living in Hope
Adjustment is a way of life. What is adjustment? To all intents and purposes, adjustment is a form of accommodating or palliative behaviour that you adopt – ostensibly towards someone else, while it is actually for your own benefit and your own peace of mind. The only realistic option for you is to adjust with other people. Here, adjustment means refraining from reacting, not trying to change others, not becoming negative, and not imagining issues to be insurmountable, but rather managing the situation with aplomb.
In every situation you have two options: either to adjust with others or remain at loggerheads with them. If you decide not to make any adjustments, that will only aggravate your problems. You will go on living in a state of tension, feel mentally disturbed and will waste your time and energy. But, if you opt for adjustment, you will be able instantly to relax mentally and will be able to save yourself from all kinds of negativity.
Adjustment gives you a chance to proceed with your own affairs. While the policy of being unaccommodating is bound to interfere with the smooth running of your life, either temporarily or permanently.
Source: Living in Hope
