YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad)
The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey.
How does the Quran describe God?
The Quran says: “He is God the One, God, the Self-sufficient One. He does not give birth, nor was He born, and there is nothing like Him. (112: 1-4)
This chapter, entitled Ikhlas (Oneness), gives us the essence of monotheism. Not only does it tell us of the oneness of God, but it also makes it clear what the oneness of God means. He is one and all depend upon Him. He depends on none. He, in His own being, is all-powerful. He is a unique being who has no equal or compeer. The concept of One God and its discovery is the actual beginning point and the supreme concern of Islam.
What is the goal of Islam?
The goal of Islam is to induce man to give up his ungodly ways, so that he may lead a totally God-oriented life. A life that is not God-oriented will be concerned with just worldly materialistic issues. Man will become subservient to his desires attaching importance to immediate interests; he will fall prey to negative feelings such as anger, hatred, jealousy, egoism, etc. or he will simply run in any direction he finds open before him, without giving his destination much thought.
On the other hand, a 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 satisfactions.
Describe the relationship between God and man. According to the relationship, how should man behave?
Man is God’s servant. Man has been created by God with a plan, that is, to place him temporarily on earth in order to test him. Those who pass this test will be rewarded, while those who fail will be rejected.
For the purposes of this test, man has been granted freedom in this world. Whatever man receives in this world is not a matter of right but only a matter of trial. Every situation in this world is a test, and in all situations, man must give a proper response, as is required of him by God.
The proper attitude for man is not to take the path of his desires, but to try to understand the divine plan of creation, and then after being convinced of its ineluctability, he should build his life accordingly.
Man may deviate from the divine plan by misusing the freedom given to him by God, but he cannot save himself from the consequences of this deviation.
How would you describe a good character?
Good character is the sum of personal virtues. Good character guarantees correct and agreeable behaviour in daily social interaction. A person of good character will invariably conform in his behaviour to a strict code of ethics.
The underlying principle of this strict code of ethics is explained in the following teaching of the Prophet of Islam, ‘You should like for others what you like for yourself.’ It means you should treat others just as you want to be treated by others.
Everyone likes to be addressed with good manners and pleasing words. Everyone wants others to deal with them in a sympathetic and cooperative manner. So, what everyone ought to do while dealing with others is to give them their sympathy, cooperation and respect.
The above standard of ethics is very simple and natural to follow. According to another teaching of the Prophet, the best of us is one who is best in moral character.
In the previous answer, you said good character is the sum of personal virtues. Amongst all the virtues which one is the most important one when it comes to our dealings with people?
In social life, friction between people tends to occur quite often. The reasons for this are the differences arising from culture, religion, tradition, personal interests and personal tastes, etc. In such a situation, the virtue of tolerance becomes very important.
Tolerance refers to giving consideration to others. It implies unswerving respect for others, whether in agreement or disagreement with them. The tolerant person will always consider the case of others sympathetically, be they relatives, friends, or opponents, and irrespective of the treatment he is given by them, be it of a positive or negative nature.
A person of good character should be a person of principle as far as he himself is concerned but should be tolerant towards others. He should judge himself in the light of ideal character but in the matter of his fellow-men, he should show tolerance and broad-mindedness. This is the teaching of Islam.
