"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (3)
inside
04 Editorial
05 Guidance from the Glorious Qur'an
06 Pearls from the Holy Prophet
07 Islamic Feature: The Miracle andChallenge of The Quran
09 Islamic Feature: The Prophet gavethe World A Comprehensive Book
12 Islamic Feature: The Spirit of Tol-erance in Islam
15 Islamic Feature: Passage of TimeThrough the Ages
17 Islamic Feature: Seeking IslamicKnowledge- A life-Long Obligation
19 Islamic Feature:The Phenomenaof Genetic Programme, Life,Death and Soul
24 From Darkness to Light: If Jesushas already died for all of our sins,why not sin?
27 Islamic Feature: The Miracle ofPositive Thinking
29 Book Review
The
SIMPLE
TRUTHMONTHLY
Chief Editor
Asghar Ali Imam Mahadi Salafi
Editor
Dr. Abul Hayat Ashraf
Publisher
Khawaja Md. Qutbuddin
Address:
Markazi Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees Hind
Ahle Hadees Manzil
4116, Urdu Bazar, Jama Masjid,
Delhi-110006
Ph: 011-23273407
Fax: 011-23246613
websit: www.ahlehadees.org
E-mail: [email protected]
October, 2013
Vol. No. 7 Issue No. 10
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (4)
Recently, UP Chief Minister Akhliesh Yadav, in a
written reply to a question raised in the assembly,
informed the House that between 15 March 2012
and 31 December 2012 there were some big com-
munal violence at places like Mathura, Bareilly and
Faizabad. “Communal violence also took place at
Partapgarh; Ghaziabad, Sambhal, Bijnore,
Allahabad, Meerut, Muzaffar Nagar, Kushinagar,
Lucknow, Sitapur, Bahraich, Sant Ravidas Nagar
and Moradabad.
These many incidents of communal violence in
the State, especially the latest riots in Muzaffar-
Nagar, in less than a year speak volumes about
the administration failure and ineffectiveness of
the UP government.
This phenomenon is not a new one. After inde-
pendence, the role of administration and police
have started becoming partisan. The research
of Dr. V.N.Rai, police officer of repute, showed
that no violence can go on unless the adminis-
tration, political forces included, wanted it that
way. The major blame has to go to the commu-
nal forces. Which not only kept on spreading
canard’s against the minority community and
some of the elements used communal violence
to polarize the community along religious lines.
We think the communal politics has become a
tool of winning elections. The BJP is desperate
to get maximum seats out of 80 Lok Sabha seats
COMMUNAL VIOLENCE
IN U.P.
in the 2014 elections. There has been steep
decline for the BJP in the state since 1998. In
1998 the party was on the top with maximum
57 seats. Notably, the number of seats came
down to 10 in 2009. In a period of one decade
BJP’s vote share declined, from 36 percent to
17 percent. Hence BJP is looking forward to
keep the pitch of political pot boiling at regular
interval to polarize the masses ahead of the gen-
eral elections next year.
The polarization along religious lines did help the
communal forces to consolidate themselves in the
social, political and electoral arena. Many a politi-
cian from other parties also sometimes used vio-
lence to either retain power or to come to power.
Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to
derecognize political parties playing the communal
card and to strip individuals doing communal poli-
tics. We demand from the Central as well as the
State governments to deal with such elements and
situations firmly in order to maintain peaceful at-
mosphere in the country. It is upon government to
provide security to all its citizens and prevent clashes
before they take place.
However, people of Uttar Pradesh deserve all
praise for avoiding a possible communal rift
in the state by not getting tempted by the buzz
orchestrated by political leaders and fascist
powers in the State.
Editorial
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (5)
“Say: “Surely, if men and jinn were to get
together to produce the like of this Quran,
they will never be able to produce the like of
it, however they might help one another”
(Sura Bani Israeel, 17:88)
The proof of the Holy Quran is in its own beauty
and nature, and the circumstances in which it
was promulgated. The world is challenged to
produce a Book like it and has not produced
one. It is the only revealed Book whose text
stands pure and uncorrupted today.
This verse of the Holy Quran is the Word of
God. On earlier three occasions (2:23-24,
10:38 and 11:13) and later in 52:33-34 evidence
to this effect has been put forward with suffi-
cient arguments. The first argument is that the
Holy Quran is miraculous in respect of its lan-
guage, style, manner of argument, content, and
the information it provides relating to the realm
that lies beyond the ken of sense-perception.
The unbelievers had claimed that the Holy Quran
had been authored by an individual, but the fact
is that even if all human beings and even Jinn
were to combine their efforts, they would still
not be able to produce a Book of the Quran’s
magnitude; Seconds, it is pointed out that
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) did not emerge
on the public scene from nowhere. He had lived
THE WORD OF GOD
Guidance from the Holy Quran
for a full 40 years amidst his people. Did the
unbelievers ever hear from him anything that
would bear the least resemblance to the Holy
Quran in style, approach and content? Now,
since that was definitely not the case, how could
they explain how such a phenomenal change had
suddenly came about in the Prophet’s discourse,
in his language, diction, ideas, in formation,
mode of thinking and style of expression? How
was he able to present something as excellent
and exalted as the Holy Quran? Third, people
were also reminded that Muhammad (S.A.W.)
had expressed himself on many subjects as well
as recited to them verses from the Holy Quran.
The fact that the Quranic verses were so vary
different in language and style, from his own dis-
courses, even though both were verbalized by
him, was and is still evident today.
In short, in reply of kuffar, that “how do we
know that there is revelation, and that it is from
Allah?” Here is a concrete test. The Teacher of
Allah’s Truth has placed before you many Suras.
Can you produce one like it? If there is anyone
besides Allah, who can inspire spiritual truth in
such noble language, produce your evidence.
Or is it that your doubts are merely argumenta-
tive, refractory, against your own inner light, or
conscience?
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (6)
1. Hazrat Ibn ‘Umar and Hazrat Ayesha
(R.A.A.) relate that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)
said: “Angel Gabriel kept exhorting me about
(obligation towards) the neighbour, so much so
that I imagined that he might be included as one
of the heirs (Bukhari and Muslim)
2. Hazrat Abu Zarr (R.A.) relates that the Holy
Prophet (S.A.W.) relates that the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.) said: “O Abu Zarr! When you pre-
pare soup put a little more water in it, and see if
your neighbour needs some. (Muslim)
3. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (R.A.) relates that the
Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) declared: “By Allah!
His faith is incomplete,” “By Allah! He is not
a perfect Muslim,” By Allah, he does not be-
lieve” . He was asked: “O Messenger of Al-
lah! Who is he” He said: “One whose
neighbour is not immune against his mischief”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
4. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (R.A) relates that the Holy
Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “O Muslim women! Do
not consider your neighbours despicable even
though she may send you a piece of goat’s shank
as present.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
5. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (R.A.) relates that the
Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “Let no neighbour
RIGHTS OF THE NEIGHBOUR
Pearls From the Holy Prophet
forbid his immediate neighbour placing his
rafter on his own wall”. Hazrat Abu Hurairah
added: “Now I see you turning away from
this, but I shall continue to proclaim it”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
6. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (R.A.) relates that the
Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “One who believe
in Allah and the Day of Judgement must not cause
hardship and inconvenience to his neighbour; and
he who believes in Allah and the Last Day must
respect his guest; and he, who believes in Allah
and the Day of Judgement must speak well or
keep quiet.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
7. Hazrat Ayesha (R.A.A.) relates that she
asked the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) “I have two
neighbours, to whom shall I send a present?
“He said: “To the one whose door is nearer
to yours”. (Bukhari)
8. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (R.A.) relates
that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: The best
friend in the sight of Allah is he who is the
well-wisher of his companions, and the best
neighbour is one who behaves best towards
his neighbours”. (Tirmizi)
vvv
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (7)
Dr. Keith L. Moore is a Professor of Anatomy
and Cell Biology, University of Toronto, Canada.
He is a world renowned scientist and a distin-
guished researcher in the fields of anatomy and
embryology, he has published more than 150 re-
search articles, chapters and books in this field.
He is the author of several medical textbooks,
such as the widely acclaimed The Developing
Human: Clinically oriented Embryology,
Before We Are Born, and Clinically Oriented
Anatomy. He has also recently co-authored
Qur’an and Modern Science, Correlation
Studies. Dr. Moore is the recipient of numer-
ous awards and honors, including, in 1984, the
J.C.B. Grant Award, which is the highest honor
granted by the Canadian Association of Anato-
mists. He has served in many academic and
administrative positions, including the President
of the Canadian Assosiation of Anatomists,
1968-1970. Let us see what Dr. Moore’s opin-
ion is on the scientific statements regarding em-
bryology to be found in the Qur’an:
Dr. Moore was contacted by a Muslim scholar
by the name of Abdul-Majeed Azzindani. He
was asked to participate in a three-year study
THE MIRACLE AND CHALLENGE
OF THE QUR’AN
By: Mohammad Rawat
of around 25 verses of the Qur’an and the
Sunnah (sayings of Prophet Muhammad), which
speak about embryology, and to determine the
their correspondence to modern scientific dis-
coveries. Dr. Moore’s conclusion regarding this
matter was: “For the past three years, I have
worked with the Embryology Committee of
King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, helping them to interpret the many state-
ments in the Qur’an and the Sunnah referring to
human reproduction and prenatal development.
At first I was astonished by the accuracy of the
statements that were recorded in the seventh
century C.E., before the science of embryology
was established.
Although I was aware of the glorious history
of Muslim scientists in the 10th century C.E.,
and of some of their contributions to Medi-
cine, I knew nothing about the religious facts
and beliefs contained in the Quran and Sunnah.
It is important for Islamic and other students
to understand the meanings of these Qur’anic
statements about human development, based
on current scientific knowledge. The interpre-
tations of the “verses” in the Qur’an and the
Sunnah, translated by Shaikh Azzindani, are
Islamic Feature
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (8)
to the best of my knowledge accurate.” (From
the Foreword of the Developing Human:
Clinically oriented Embryology, third edi-
tion, by Dr. Keith L. Moore.)
The Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet
Muhammad (S.A.W.) provide a very detailed
description of the microscopic development of
the human embryo from a mere sperm drop up
to the stage of a completely formed human be-
ing. It is well known that microscopes were not
developed until the 16th century C.E., and even
at that time were very crude in design.
Zacharias Janssen is credited with having in-
vented the compound microscope in about
1590. With it, remarkable scientific discoveries
were made in the 17th and 18th centuries. The
Dutch naturalist Anthony Van Leeuwenhoek
produced lenses powerful enough to prove that
many tiny creatures are not spontaneously gen-
erated but come from eggs.
Before this period, theories on human repro-
duction ran rampant. Some scientists believed
that the menstrual blood itself developed into
the fetus.
Later on, a new theory was developed wherein
the sperm drop was popularly believed to con-
tain a completely developed miniature human
(homunculus) which later grew to the size of a
baby. The science of embryology as we know
it today did not discover many of the detailed
aspects of human development which are taken
for granted today until only about 20 years ago,
or 1973 to be precise.
Now we must ask the question: where did
Muhammad (S.A.W.) get such detailed
knowledge of the microscopic development
to the human embryo in the 6th century C.E.
without a microscope, technical training, a
laboratory of any kind, or even the ability to
write his own name? The only logical conclu-
sion is that it came from the one Who created
mankind, God Almighty!
Prof. Moore has since given numerous lec-
tures on the topic of embryology in the
Qur’an. He is quoted in one of these lectures
as saying: “It is clear to me that these state-
ments must have come to Muhammad from
God, or Allah, because most of this knowl-
edge was not discovered until many centu-
ries later. This proves to me that Muhammad
must have been a messenger of God.
Prof. Moore was so impressed with the
Qur’anic classification of the stages of de-
velopment of the human embryo, that he sug-
gested the adoption of the Quranic system in
place of the system currently in use by scien-
tists today.
Prof. Moore said: “Because the staging of the
human embryo is complex owing the continu-
ous process of change during development.
It is therefore suggested that a new system of
classification could be developed using the
terms mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah.
The proposed system is simple, comprehen-
sive, and conforms with present embryologi-
cal knowledge.” (Cont on Page:30)
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (9)
Auron ka hai payaam aur, mera payaam aur
hai/ Isqh key dardmand ka tarz-e- Kalaam
aur hai! (Iqbal)
The Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi was Sallam, also
gave the world a perfect book- a manual as it
were that contains his major teachings. He
claimed it was God’s direct word revealed to
him through an angel.
He called the book the Quran-Reading or
Something to Read. And so did the book itself
refer to itself. That is the name God Almighty
Himself gave that book.
To this day, hundreds of millions of Muslims
continue to read this book everyday and tens of
millions can recite it verbatim from cover to
cover from memory even today.
The simple and incontrovertible fact is that
there is no other book in the world that quite
fist this profile.
The world must know these basic historic truths
and facts about the Prophet, (S.A.W.). And
the world must thereafter openly and unambigu-
ously acknowledge the fact that these truths in-
deed did happen in historic time and space.
Thereafter, the world is free to accept or reject
the Prophet (S.A.W.) as God Almighty’s final
THE PROPHET GAVE THE WORLD
A COMPREHENSIVE BOOK
By. Syed Husian Pasha
Messenger on earth. According to the system
of thought, belief and behaviour preached and
practiced by the Prophet (S.A.W.) it is a right
given to all human beings by their maker and
master, God Almighty himself: the right to ac-
cept or to reject. The right to dissent. The right
to say no. It is a God-given right, so far Islam is
concerned.
This Was Before Magna Carta and the
American Constitution:
And this was centuries before there was a Ma-
gna Carta, even though the Magna Carta only
secured certain rights for the nobles against the
king and did not include the common people.
And this was more than a 1000 years before
there was an American Declaration of Indepen-
dence or the American Constitution with refer-
ences to certain inalienable rights that all human
beings were guaranteed by their creator, whom
God Almighty had created as equal, even though
these did not include the Blacks, the slaves, the
“Indians” and the women.
And this was again 1000 years before there was
a French Revolution, which finally did away
with the pernicious Western Christian doctrine
of the Divine Right of Kings, that had been
practiced by the followers of the pope until that
Islamic Feature
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (10)
time, with its clarion call of the fundamentally
Islamic notions of liberty, equality and fraternity
for all human beings, even though these grand
ideas quickly fizzled out in practice.
And this was way before Johns Locke and
Milton propounded their ideas of human liberty,
which often pointedly left out the Catholics in
practice.
So, the world should have known and the world
must openly acknowledge that it was the
Prophet, (S.A.W.) who really introduced some
of the most important human rights and free-
doms in this world more than a 1000 years be-
fore anyone else ever woke up to them.
Only Man in History:
The Prophet (S.A.W.) was the Perfect practi-
tioner and exemplar of the Deen he preached.
You want to call it “religion,” go ahead and call
it religion. But he and his God called it Deen
and that is good enough for me.
It is worth asking here, who in the world, other
than the Prophet (S.A.W.) ever preached a
complete Deen, way of life or “religion” as some
of you insist on calling it?
Doesn’t that tell you something about the man?
It sure says something about you and me if we
can discover this and then simply shrug our
shoulders and walk away.
And then the next question: Who in the world,
other than the Prophet (S.A.W.) ever practice
all, or most, or even a sizable chunk of what
they preached?
But with the Prophet (S.A.W.) the equation was
quite simple: What he preached, he also prac-
ticed in every single instance.
No exception!
Is this the Man You Want to Malign?
If this is the man you want to malign and attack
and insult, just because he is not your man, I am
almost tempted to say, go right ahead and do it.
Because, with that kind of brazen contempt for
truth and human greatness at its best and high-
est, you are dealing directly with God and his
wrath, and you are not dealing with ordinary
human beings.
With that kind of anti-truth, anti-fact attitude,
you are not insulting the Prophet (S.A.W.) you
are directly insulting and attacking God Almighty
Himself. And God Almighty is perfectly capable
of taking care of Himself.
Islam in theory I:
Now let us turn attention to some of the specif-
ics of Islamic theory and practice. Once again,
as I said earlier, by theory I mean words, state-
ments and professions, while by practice I mean
actual actions.
There are two ways to judge whether or not a
faith or a “religion” uses violence in its service:
(a) Precept.
(b) Practice.
If you are a follower of the Pope and you want
to know what your own “religious” texts tell you
how to treat your enemy, read the Old Testa-
ment and then compare it with the Quran. That
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (11)
should give you a comparative perspective on
both Islam and your own religion.
Below are few examples of the Quran’s posi-
tion on the subject of how to treat other peoples,
nations, societies, cultures and religions of the
world. You are on your own to find parallels in
the Bible.
•Quran forbids aggression in all forms.
•Qur’an forbids aggression even under provo-
cation.
•Quran forbids gratuitous violence in all cases
and under all circumstances.
•Quran forbids injustice even against those who
have wronged you.
•Quran forbids oppression under all conditions.
•Quran forbids excesses even in war.
•Quran mandates proportionality in retribution
and revenge.
•Quran makes forgiveness a higher virtue.
Islam in Theory II:
And here are just a handful of examples of
Quran’s position on the subject of coercion and
compulsion in matters of faith:
Qur’an declares categorically;
“There is no compulsion in faith:
Quran demands: “Are you going to force them
to become believers?
Quran tells the Prophet (S.A.W.) to tell those
who reject his message: “I don’t worship. Nor
shall you worship what I do. So, you follow your
way and I shall follow mine.”
Now tell me the truth, knowing full well that God
is our witness, when did you ever hear or read
language this clear and this categorical in its re-
jection of coercion? And just where did you hear
or read it?
The right and proper thing to do for everyone is
to go back to their own respective “religious”
texts and other ancient texts and see what they
have to say on these subjects, making sure these
texts are at least 1400 years old.
A Practical Way Forward:
There is more where these examples came from.
So, here is a practical way forward for every-
body, and here is what truly honest and God-
fearing people can do:
Put the Quran in one column.
Put your own religious text in another column.
Track the two together like a good computer
would do.
The see what each source has to say on the
question of violence.
That means look at the theory and look at the
practice of each side Christianity and Islam,
Christians and Muslims. And then decide hon-
estly, with God as our witness, who is really
teaching and practicing what.
Then believe what you want, do what you want.
Did you know this is almost a direct echo from
the words of the Quran in paraphrase?
If, on the other hand, you have a better for-
mula to resolve some of these issues honestly
and peacefully, put it forward and let us talk
about it.
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (12)
Intolerance is on the increase in the world to-
day. It is causing death, genocide, ethnic cleans-
ing, violence, religious persecution as well as
confrontations on different social and economic
levels. Sometimes it is racial and ethnic, some-
times it is religious and ideological, sometimes it
is political, economic or social. In every situa-
tion it is evil and painful.
Intolerance comes from fear, greed, ignorance,
false pride and arrogance. We must remove in-
tolerance from our societies and from the world.
I would like to say few things about the Islamic
spirit of tolerance.
“Tolerance” literally means “to bear”. As a con-
cept it means “respect, acceptance and appre-
ciation of the rich diversity, world’s cultures,
forms of expression and ways of being human.”
In Arabic it is called: tasamuh.
There are also other words that give similar
meanings, such as hilm (forbearance) or Afw
(pardon, forbearance) or safh (overlooking, dis-
regarding). In the Persian and Urdu languages,
we use the word rawadari which comes from
rawa meaning to hold. Thus it means to hold
something acceptable or bearable.
Tolerance is a basic principle of Islam. It is a
religious, and moral duty. It does not mean “con-
THE SPIRIT OF
TOLERANCE IN ISLAM
By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi
cession, condescension or indulgence”. It does
not mean lack of principles, or lack of serious-
ness about one’s principles. Sometimes it is said,
“People are tolerant of things that they do not
care about.” But this is not the case in Islam. In
Islam we do care about our principles, but we
do not impose them upon others. We do no
believe in coercion and compulsion. The Islamic
position is very similar to what is proposed in
the UNESCO’s charter on tolerance. It says:
“Consistent with respect for human rights, the
practice of tolerance does not mean toleration
of social injustice or the abandonment or Weak-
ening of one’s convictions. It means that one is
free to adhere to one’s own convictions and
accepts that others adhere to their. It means
accepting the fact that human beings, naturally
diverse in their appearance, situation, speech,
behaviour and values, have the right to live in
peace and to be as they are. It also means that
one’s views are not to be imposed on others.”
Tolerance comes from our recognition of:
õThe dignity of the human beings,
õ the basic equality of all human beings,
õ universal human rights,
õ fundamental freedom of thought, conscience
and belief.
Islamic Feature
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (13)
The Quran speaks about the basic dignity of all
human beings. The Prophet (S.A.W.) spoke
about the equality of all human beings, regard-
less of their race, colour, language or ethnic
background. The Shariah recognizes the rights
of all people to life, property, family, honour and
conscience.
Islam emphasizes the establishment of equality
and justice, both of these values cannot be es-
tablished without some degree of tolerance. Is-
lam recognized from the very beginning the prin-
ciple of freedom of belief or freedom of reli-
gion. It said very clearly that it is no allowed to
have any coercion in the matters of faith and
belief. The Quran says, “There is no compul-
sion in religion.” (2:256) If in the matters of
religion, coercion is not permissible, then by im-
plication one can say that in other matters of
cultures and worldy practices it is also not ac-
ceptable. In Surah al-Shura Allah says to the
Prophet (S.A.W.), “If then they turn away,
We have not sent thee as a guard over them.
Your duty is but to convey (the Message).”
(42:48) In another place Allah says, “Invite
(all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom
and beautiful preaching; and argue with them
in ways that are best and most gracious. Your
Lord knows best, who have strayed from His
Path, and who receive guidance.” (16:125)
Further He says to the Believers, “Obey Allah,
and obey the Messenger, and beware (of evil);
if you do turn back, know then that it is Our
Messenger’s duty to proclaim (the Message)
in the clearest manner.” (5:92) Or one can
read, “Say: ‘Obey Allah, and obey the Mes-
senger: but if you turn away, he is only re-
sponsible for the duty placed on him and you
for that placed on you. If you obey him, you
shall be on right guidance. The Messenger’s
duty is only to preach the clear (Message).
(24:54) All these verses give this important point
that do not coerce to them in the most cogent
and clear way, invite them to the truth and do
your best in presenting and coveying the mes-
sage of God to humanity, but it is up to them to
accept or not to accept. Allah says, “And say,
‘The truth is from your Lord, so whosoever
wants, let him believe and whosoever wants
let him deny.” (18:29)
The question then comes, “If Allah gave choice
to believe or not to believe, then why did He
punish the people of Prophet Nuh, the Aad, the
Thamud, the people of Prophet Lut, the people
of Prophet Shu’aib and Pharaoh and his fol-
lowers? The answer is in the Quran itself. Allah
says, “Thus is the chastisement of your Lord
when he chastised the communities while
they were oppresssors. Indeed, His chastise-
ment is grievous and severe. (11:102: see also
18:59; 28:59) Those people were not punished
simply because of their disbelief. They were
punished because they had become oppressors.
They committed aggression against the righ-
teous, and stopped others to come to the way
of Allah. There were many in the world who
denied Allah, but Allah did not punish every-
one. The punishment for disbelief will be in
the Hereafter. In this world Allah has tested
everyone by giving them the freedom of
choice. Those who deny faith will be punished
in the Hereafter. A great scholar Ibn Taymiyah
said, “The states may live long despite their
people’s unbelief (kufr), but they cannot live long
when their people become oppressors.”
Another question is raised about Jihad. Some
people say, “Is it not the duty of Muslims to
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (14)
make Jihad? But the purpose of Jihad is not to
convert people to Islam. Allah says, La ikraha
fi al-din, no compulsion in religion. (2:256).
The real purpose of Jihad is to remove injustice
and aggression. Muslims are allowed to keep
good relations with non-Muslims. Allah says,
“Allah does not forbid you that you show
kindness and deal justly with those who did
not drive you out from your homes.” (60:8)
Islam teaches that fighting is only against
those who fight. Allah says, “Fight in the
cause of Allah (against) those who fight you,
but do no transgress limits; for Allah does
not love transgressors.” (2:190)
Islam may tolerate anything, but it teaches zero
tolerance for injustice, oppression, and violation
of the rights of other human beings. Allah says
“And why should you not fight in the cause of
Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-
treated (and oppressed)? Men, women, and
children, whose cry is: “Our Lord! Rescue
us from this town, whose people are op-
pressors; and raise for us from Thee one
who will protect; and raise for us from Thee
one who will help!” (4:75)
Islam teaches tolerance on all levels: individual,
collective. It should be a political and legal re-
quirement. Tolerance is a value and a duty that
upholds human rights, pluralism (including cul-
tural pluralism), and the rule of law.
The Quran says very clearly: “To every People
have We appointed rites and ceremonies
which they follow, let them not then dispute
with you on the matter, but do invite (them)
to your Lord: for you are assuredly on the
Right Way. If they do wrangle with you, say,
‘God knows best what it is you are doing.”
“God will judge between you on the Day of
Judgment concerning the matters in which
you differ.” (22:76-67)
There are many levels of tolerance:
a)Between family members, between husband
and wife, between parents and children, be-
tween siblings etc.;
b)Tolerance between the members of the com-
munity: tolerance in views and opinions, toler-
ance between the Madhahib (religions);
c)Tolerance between Muslims and the people
of other faiths (interfaith relations, dialogue and
cooperation); and
d)Tolerance between various ethnic groups,
races, colours and linguistic groups.
Muslims have been generally very tolerant
people. Our history is full of examples of toler-
ance, consideration and kindness. We must
emphasize these virtues among us and in the
world today. Tolerance is needed among our
communities: We must foster it through deliber-
ate policies and efforts. Our centres should be
multi-ethnic. We should teach our children re-
spect of each other. We should not indulge in
stereotypes about other countries, races and
cultures. We should have more exchange visits
and meeting with each other.
Even marriages should be encouraged among
Muslims of different ethnic groups.
With non-Muslims we should have dialogue and
good relations. We should informa them about
our faith and religious positions very clearly. We
do not have to compromise on our principles,
but we must not condemn and abuse others and
their views. We believe that the truth will finally
prevail, but we need patience and we must work
with wisdom and compassion.
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (15)
Chapter 103 in the Quran is tilted “Al-Asr”. It
is a small Chapter with only three verses, but it
conveys a very profound reminder. The equiva-
lent English translation of the Arabic title is “Pas-
sage of Time through the Ages”.
It tells us precisely how susceptible human be-
ings are to suffering terminal loss if they do not
spend their time properly, and how they can
avoid such loss by investing it wisely. Chapter
Al-Asr categorically states:
1. By the token of Time through the ages.
2. Verily man is in loss.
3. Except such as have Faith, and perform
good deeds, and join together in the teaching of
Truth, and of Patience and Constancy”.
Witness of Time:
Time is the most precious resource human be-
ings have. We hear expressions such as “time is
money” and “time is wealth” from people who
truly understand its value.
Time searches out and destroys everything ma-
terial known as the aging process. No one in
the secular literature has expressed the tyranny
of “never resting Time” better than Shakespeare
in his sonnet 5 and his sonnet 12. If we merely
run a race against Time, we shall lose.
PASSAGE OF TIME THROUGH
THE AGES
AL-ASR IN QUR’ANIC ARABICBy. Akhtar H. Emon
Only the spiritual part of us has the potential to
conquer Time.
Its supply is defined and limited. The maximum
time available to us is our human lifespan, the
duration of which is not precisely known for any
individual. Its end may come unannounced,
whether we are ready or not. It is truly a non-
renewable resource! Every moment gone is
gone forever. It can never be brought back or
repeated and we cannot stop it. Whether we
utilize it for our advantage or not it passes away,
and passes away swiftly.
Just look at the second hand on your watch,
where every tick signals moments of time gone
forever. And this ticking watch is only a crude
indicator of the speed with which all time is
passing. In this day and age we know that light
travels 186, 000 miles a second, while a com-
puter during that same second executes millions
of instructions.
Now imagine a continuous stream of millisec-
onds moving as bright blur along and electronic
ticket-tape; that’s an idea of the speed at which
we move toward the end of our time our death.
Clearly, our success depends on how judiciously,
effectively and efficiently we utilize our time. The
better a person is at this, the more successful
and achiever he or she is. The weaker the one
Islamic Feature
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (16)
is in the skills of time utilization, the bigger is his
or her liability.
The time that has passed becomes history. The
history of nations is remembered and recorded
so that future generations can learn lessons from
it. The Quran also reminds about the fate of pre-
vious nations for the same purpose. This Chap-
ter shows that people who do not use their lim-
ited but precious time properly, are utter losers.
In Arabic, Al-Asr refers both to the fleeting na-
ture of time (how quickly it is passing) and to
the passed time that has become history. The
historical aspect of time provides us with the
evidence that God always deals with communi-
ties of people precisely according to their col-
lective behavior. Those nations who did good
deeds flourished and prospered. Those who
were bad, corrupt or unjust were losers.
Those societies lost their peace and order as a
consequence of their bad behavior. Conse-
quently, they became weak, fell apart, or were
overrun by others.
Time’s fleeting nature reminds us that we have
been put on this earth to be tested for a lim-
ited period, and this limited period is swiftly
passing.
Thus, we must live our lives the way our Lord
wants us to live. Any moments not spent in obe-
dience to the Divine Law, are opportunities
wasted forever. Those who continue discarding
these opportunities are destined to be the “utter
loser.” From this point of view, we are like stu-
dents taking a test. The time a student does not
spend in focusing on the test questions, is time
wasted, which will result in loss of grades. Our
situation is even more precarious because we
do not even know how soon our death may ter-
minate this which is our life. We may never have
an opportunity to make up for the lost time.
The swift passage of time also underscores an-
other point. In this brief life we have on earth, a
wise person endures the temporary difficulties
of living according to God’s commandments,
thereby accumulating huge rewards for a never
ending life in the Hereafter. On the other hand,
a “loser” or time-waster, falls for transitory grati-
fication and deprives himself or herself of eter-
nal success.
The means of Salvation:
From this same small Chapter, we learn that to
avoid being “losers,” we need to:
1.Spend our time in ways and in pursuits that
are aligned with our Islamic Faith as a complete
way of life;
2.Perform Actions that are positive, construc-
tive and conducive to attaining personal, moral
and spiritual excellence; as well as those that
lead to growth and improvement for society.
3.Working together in promoting Truth which
includes our Faith and good actions, as well
as fairness, justice and truth; and encourage
each other to fulfill our obligations and respon-
sibilities.
4.Remain consistent and constant in performing
the above three elements, while encouraging one
another to do the same.
All four factors are critical for one’s success and
very much interrelated and interdependent.
²²²
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (17)
Some people are misled by their own wrong
presumption. There are those who keep pre-
suming that they have adequate Islamic knowl-
edge. Hence, they remain complacent and no
longer attach the least importance to seeking
knowledge about Islam. Even if a learning op-
portunity comes to them, they fail to grab it and
just shrug it off or shy away from it.
Unfortunately, failure to realise that seeking Is-
lamic knowledge is an “individual obligation”
(Fardh Ain) of all Muslims, men and women
alike, would certainly be exacerbated the dis-
mal ignorance of such Muslims about the teach-
ings of their religion.
But the questions are: do they really properly
understand the different injunctions and pro-
hibitions imposed by Allah on them? Are they
sure that they have got the correct Islamic
knowledge of the rudimentary Islamic teach-
ings at least?
Apparently, the manifest and usual reason given
by such people is that they hardly have time to
learn, owing to the hectic schedules of their
daily job routines. This is undeniably true, of
course. But nonetheless, and it seems ironic,
you often see a plethora of people go about
SEEKING ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE
A LIFE-LONG OBLIGATION
By. Marganie Mohammad
other meaningless and in consequential
activites which are not in any way even re-
lated to their jobs and which could not give
them instantaneous benefits.
However, when it comes to spending even a
small portion of their time and efforts in doing
righteous deeds, such as learning pursuits, they
would try their best to come up with any reason
if only to elude doing that particular act of wor-
ship. Moreover, many people could endure sit-
ting with their friends continuously for several
hours discussing insignificant matters, or having
fun during which time the name of Allah is not
even mentioned and they do not feel the pas-
sage of long hours being immersed in such time-
wasting spree. But sitting even just for half an
hour listening to Islamic lectures and discussions
is often considered boring by them which could
make them restless and uneasy.
True to the words of the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.) when he said: “Two kinds of favour
which most people are deceived of: good
health and (vacant) time”. What they have
failed to discern is for any moment they spend
in the way of seeking knowledge they are
being rewarded by Allah and He is pleased with
Islamic Feature
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (18)
them. Besides, seeking knowledge is a lifelong
obligation of every Muslim.
In Saudi Arabia, the opportunity to learn about
Islam stands clear of any hitch and continues to
beckon the expatriate workers to seize it.
The different Islamic Dawah centres operating
under the supervision of the Ministry of Islamic
Affairs, Endoment, Propagation and Guidance
in many cities in Saudi Arabia are keeping their
doors wide open to welcome expatriates
whether they are non-Muslims, neo Muslim or
born Muslims. Those willing to understand Is-
lam properly and bolster their Islamic properly
and bolster their Islamic knowledge are wel-
come to visit them.
These centres offer lectures in different lan-
guages, such as English, Filipino, Thai, Urdu,
Malayalam, Singhalese etc. They have compe-
tent workers and instructors who would ex-
plain various Islamic topics including the Fri-
day sermons in different languages spoken by
the expatriates. However, dropping in these
centres, one would find that it’s the Muslim
converts who usually fill these centres. Born
Muslim expatriates seem to be depriving them-
selves of this opportunity of only a handful of
them are visible there although these centres
are meant for all expatriates irrespective of
their nationalities and languages.
This golden opportunity to augment their Islamic
knowledge in its different fields, such as Islamic
aqeeda, Islamic jurisprudence, exegesis of the
Glorious Quran, Hadith of the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.), history of his life and his noble com-
panions and Arabic language through these
learning centres blow-by-blow may just pass in
vain and they may not be able to come across it
again. When they are back in their respective
countries of origin, they certainly will not find
the same environment, the same climate, the same
competent teachers and the same opportunity
of learning.
These fields of knowledge are the ones that give
essence and meaning to the life of Muslims as
an entity created by Allah with only one pur-
pose to worship Him Alone. Moreover, these
are the fields of knowledge that could best serve
Muslims in the life hereafter and salvage them
from Hellfire and bring about their admittance
into endless bliss in Paradise.
How fortunate the seekers of knowledge nowa-
days who no longer experience a great deal of
hardship because of modern teachnology as in
stark contrast to Abdul Ayyub Al-Ansari who
traversed the distance between Madina and
Egypt on the back of a camel if only to meet
Uqba Ibn Amir just to get a Hadith from him.
HAJJ PILGRIMGE“Behold the first House (of Prayer)
established for mankind is the one at
Makkah: it is full of blessing and a center of
guidance for the whole world. In it there are
clear signs and the station of Ibrahim;
whoever enters it becomes secure.
Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to
Allah by all who can make their way to it. As
for those who refuse to follow His command,
surely Allah does not stand in need of
anything”. (Al-Quran, 3:96-97).
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (19)
Although recognition of the significance of DNA
in describing gene, designation of codon and
characterization of genomes of various spe-
cies including man have gone a long way in
understanding the phenomenon called life, it
still remains a mystery to human intellect. It
may be reminded that we have not defined
‘life’ even when we search for life on other
planets. The search for extraterrestrial life will
be greatly benefited if we have a clear under-
standing of the kind of life we are familiar with
on this planet. The phenomena of life, death,
genetic programme and soul can be explained
through a hybridization of the Quranic mes-
sages with scientific knowledge and consid-
ering the universe as a computer system de-
signed by Allah (Wahid, 1998).
It is now well established that a genetic
programme exists in all living beings and it is
responsible for the life processes and biological
activities. In sexually reproducing organisms, for
example, these activities include biological func-
tions starting from the formation of fertilized egg
(the zygote) through development of a full-
grown individual to death of the organism. All
through the lifespan of the individual, the genetic
programme also takes care of the maintenance
of the system (repair of damages, resistance
THE PHENOMENA
OF GENETIC PROGRAMME, LIFE ,
DEATH AND SOULBy. P.A. Wahid
against diseases, etc.), stipulates its behavioural
pattern, food habit, etc. If we consider a bio-
logical system comparable to a computer sys-
tem, the genetic programme would constitute
its software. The phenomenon of life can there-
fore be defined as the manifestation of the ex-
ecution of the genetic programme in a living sys-
tem. The genetic programme in computer par-
lance may be defined as sets of instructions
(commands) in the right sequences to execute
varius bioprocesses and tasks mentioned above.
The contention that DNA structure (genome
composition) constitutes the genetic programme,
implies that millons of instructions (commands)
and their sequences which in fact from the ge-
netic programme, are the properties of a chemi-
cal structure. Although such a notion is nurtured
to account for the phenomenon of life, no-cor-
respondence of genomic identity with genetic
programme is becoming increasingly evident
from several investigations. Some of these are:
a) Genome is treated synonymously with per-
sonal identity. But the sameness of genome (a
chemical structure) is not found to result in
sameness of persons. For instance, monozygotic
twins, cloned plants and animals are all supposed
to have identical genomes as that of their re-
spective parents. But the individuals developed
Islamic Feature
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (20)
within each of these categories are unquestion-
ably distinct from one another.
b) Studies at the molecular level fail to demon-
strate the expected correspondence between
changes in genome composition and the changes
in the organism in accordance with the Darwin-
ian notion of descent with modification from a
common ancestor”. Evolution by DNA muta-
tion is largely uncoupled from morphological
evolution (Raff and Kaufman, 1983). The most
spectacular example of this is the morphologi-
cal dissimilarity of humans and chimpanzees
despite a 98.7% similarity in their DNA (Wells,
2001). The differences in traits, characteristic
in traits, characteristic behaviour and capabili-
ties between human species (Homo sapiens)
and chimpanzee are far greater than the small
degree of sequence divergence (1.3%) could
account for. Further, the human gene count is
only 35,000 that is much less than that of simple
creatures like the lowly worm (C. elegans). With
the advent of cloning, in which new progenies
are produced by ‘reprogramming’ the genome
of somatic cells from an adult donor, the differ-
ences between genomes and individuals are
becoming even more evident. These revelations,
a direct contribution of the recombinant tech-
nology, cast doubt on the very idea that genome
is the chemical equivalent of genetic programme.
c) We also find that a genome is capable of pro-
ducing two or more different biological systems
without the need for any mutation. Consider the
insect world. We observe in life cycle of an in-
sect, stages or more correctly biosystems that
are totally different and independent of each
other. For instance, the larval and adult stages
of a butterfly are two living systems which have
nothing in common but are different in every re-
spect, be it anatomical, physiological or func-
tional. They are self-sufficient and self-sustain-
ing biosystems in their own right, produced from
a single genetic programme. In terms of a chemi-
cal structure (genome), it is tantamount to ex-
hibiting two contrasting properties by the same
compound. The development of two morpho-
logically, physiologically and functionally differ-
ent systems from a single genetic programme
(genome) is akin to NaCI showing different
properties at different points of time. Such tem-
poral differences in properties cannot be attrib-
uted to a chemical structure.
d) Remarkable similarities are observed in di-
verse species. Species like bee and bat are so
different but yet have a common characteristic
wings, and they can fly. Their wings are quite
different but they perform the same function. In
contrast, the nature of movement of a bat and a
whale is quiet different. Bats fly and whales swim,
yet the bones in a bat’s wing and a whale’s flip-
per are strikingly similar structures performing
different functions (Wells, 2001). The former
similarity is termed analogy, and the latter as
‘homology’ by anatomist Richard Owen in 1843.
Well’s (2001) also observed that Charles Dar-
win explained homology in bats and whales be-
cause they inherited these features from a com-
mon ancestor. If this explanation suits this case,
it does not apply to other structural similarities.
For example, the eye of a mouse is structurally
similar to the eye of an octopus, yet their com-
mon ancestor did not possess such an eye. Ironi-
cally, the post-Darwinian phylogenetic definition
of homology that features are homologous if and
only if they are inherited from a common ances-
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (21)
tor, contradicts Darwin’s own argument for evo-
lution since it requires that a common ancestry
be established (or assumed) before features can
be called homologous (Wells, 2001).
e) Ether treatment of fly embryos with normal
gene for wing development can lead to the de-
velopment of a second pair as though they pos-
sessed the mutant form of the gene (Hall, 1992).
Flies with a mutant form of the eye gene fail to
develop eyes; but if eyeless flies are bred for
many generations, some of their descendants will
develop eyes in spite of the fact that they still
retain the mutant form of the gene. As the prop-
erties of a chemical are determined by its struc-
ture, this assumption implies that the genetic
programme forms the properties of the DNA
structure. The experimental evidence on the
other hand clearly shows that the property of
DNA is to synthesize proteins whose amino acid
compostion is decided by the base sequence of
DNA. This function alone is to be considered
as the property of DNA structure. A gene (a
piece of DNA strand in the genome) thus shows
its chemical property as any other chemical struc-
ture in the cell does. What constitute a genetic
programme are the commands and instructions,
their sequences and their timings for develop-
mental and post-developmental phases of the
organism as well as information such as instincts,
etc. These instructions and information cannot
be explained in terms of the properties of any
chemical structure not only because of the dis-
crepancies and anomalies of the kind mentioned
above but because of other reasons as well. All
efforst so far made to produce life from chemi-
cally synthesized structures such as DNA as well
as from dead tissues (through culture) have been
unsuccessful. If a chemical structre encodes the
genetic programme, it would have been pos-
sible to produce life from it. Secondly, a virus
has either DNA or RNA but yet it is not a free-
living organism. Growth and multiplication of the
particle can occur only if it gets hooked on to
specifion of a living host cell’s DNA. Further,
certain mutations are repaired in the cell. Is it
possible to explain that a chemical structure
(DNA) is ‘aware’ of the change in its constitu-
tion and it reverts itself to the original structure?
One of the characteristics of the chemical struc-
ture is the fixity of their properties. If the genetic
programme (and hence life) is attributed to a
chemical structure, it will not be possible to ex-
plain the phenomenon of death as it amounts to
the loss of properties (life processes) of the
chemical structure at certain point of time. At
the instant death occurs, DNA structure in ev-
ery cell of the body is in tact but still, the organ-
ism loses its properties and becomes no longer
living. If genetic prgoramme were a property of
a chemical structure, the structure would have
continued to show that property so long as it
remains unaltered.
The underlying assumption that a genetic
programme encoded in a chemical structure (ge-
nome) directs embryonic development has been
seriously questioned by developmental biolo-
gists (Wells, 1992). Goodwin (1985) noted that
“genes are responsible for determining which
molecules an organism can produce” but “the
molecular composition of organism does not in
general determine their form”. In a critique of
the notion of genetic programme, Nijhout
(1990) concluded that “the only strictly cor-
rect view of the function of genes is that they
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (22)
supply cells, and ultimately organisms, with
chemical materials.
These observations strongly support the argu-
ment that genetic programme is not the prop-
erty of any chemical structure. It should be
delinked from DNA structure and treated as a
separate entity. The contention that genetic
programme has existence independent of DNA
leads to the inevitable question as to how does
it exist in the cell? To quote Wells (1996), if
similar genes can determine, radically dif-
ferent structures, then those genes are not
really determining the structures at all but
may be funcitioning as binary switches be-
tween alternate developmental fates with the
information for the resulting structures re-
siding elsewhere (emphasis added). It may be
existing as stored matter in certain storage de-
vices possibly chromosomes. This is much simi-
lar to the mechanism of programme and data
storage in our machines, When a programme
or information is stored in our computers, it does
not form an integral part of the chemical struc-
ture of the storage device. The natural evidence
of scuh a mechanism for storage can be found
in the example of brain memory. Human brain
stores data and information without affecting any
chemical structure. The genetic programme (the
unseen component or the software) of a
biosystem would also have been stored in the
cell by the same divine mechanism as brain stores
information. The term ‘gene’ is to be redefined
in this context to mean a ‘programme bit’ rather
than a segment of any chemical structure. It is a
bio-term applicable only to living systems. A liv-
ing cell may be correspondingly considered as
a biochip. Going by this argument, all the chemi-
cal structures including DNA my be considered
to have been produced in the cell based on the
genetic programme for its execution. This would
also imply tha all the chemical structures in the
body singly or in combination constitute the
hardware of the system (Wahid, 1998).
The human genome has been labeled the “Book
of Man” (Nelkin and Lindee, 1995). The hu-
man genome sequence is what dictates our hu-
manness, the blueprint of human nature at the
individual and species levels. In an excellent ar-
ticle “Essays on Science and Society: Is the ge-
nome the secular equivalent of the soul"? Alex
Mauron of Bioethics Research and Teaching
Unit, University of Geneva, compared the con-
cept of genome with the metaphysical idea of
soul (Mauron, 2001). The human soul was
viewed as encapsulating the human essence. He
also cited an earlier thinking in this line by Max
Delbruck a twentieh century pioneer of molecu-
lar biology, who noted how the notion of a ge-
netic programme (borrowed by molecular bi-
ologists from the fledgling Computer Sciences)
had an uncanny kinship with Aristotelian con-
cept of eideos the organizaing principle inherent
in very living thing. Aristotle and medieval phi-
losophers such as Thomas Aquinas regarded the
concept of eidos as closely connected with the
notion of a forma or soul which was believed to
shape matter into the recognizable form of a liv-
ing organism. Forma was seen as imbuing an
organism with individual characteristics as well
as the essence of that species. Thus plants were
viewed as having a vegetative soul, animals a
sensitive soul, and humans an intellectual soul.
This concept of forma still operates in contem-
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (23)
porary bioethical debates about when a human
embryo achieves personhood.
The ‘Ruh’ mentined in the Quran in several
places (Q. 15:28-29) may be considered as the
general term for divine software (Wahid, 1998)
while, ‘Nafs’ indicates either the human individual
(i.e, the biological system with the software) or
the software (genetic programme) alone de-
pending on the context. The problem faced in
science in defining life and death can be effec-
tively solved if these phenomena are explained
in the light of the Quranic pointers. Considering
‘soul’ (the unseen component of a living sys-
tem) as the spiritual equivalent of the genetic
prgramme, the software or the
Microbioprogramme (Wahid, 1998), the phe-
nomenon of life can be defined as the manifes-
tation of the execution of the genetic programme
(Microbioprogramme or the soul). Death can
be therefore explained as the removal of the
software from the body in accordance with the
Quran. The holy Quran informs us that at the
time of death the soul of the individual is re-
moved (Q. 6:93). In effect, the genetic
programme is deleted from the cell memory. A
dead body is thus comparable to a computer
without software. The system has been deprived
of its software and hence in spite of the exist-
ence of all the hardware components (including
DNA structure), the body is incapable of ex-
ecuting its life functions.
This view also supports the argument that a
chemical structure such as DNA is not the soft-
ware (genetice programme) as all the chemical
structures are tact in the cells of the body at
the time of death but yet, it loses ‘life’. The
testability of this argument lies at least in two
predictions; a) life will never be produced in
the laboratory from pure chemicals or from
dead matter; it can only be copied from a liv-
ing thing to another, b) the phenomenon of
death will remain unexplained so long as
chemical structure (e.g, DNA) is considered
the genetic Programme.
Science and religion operate in the domains of
their own. Neither of them can give us a com-
plete and holistic knowledge, but certainly a ra-
tional combination of the Quran and science can.
The need for religio-scientific dialogue is becom-
ing more and more relevant and important to
remove the impasse between religion and sci-
ence. Needless to say the alienation of one by
the other also affects the advancement of our
knowledge of the universe in its totality.
(From Page 28)
on the way towards positive thinking and
behaviour. It is never too late. Soon your life
will turn into a fascinating, wonderful journey.
Wake up every morning with the thought that
something beautiful is about to happen.
Let’s welcome each day with a smile and bid it
farewell with a smile. We thank Allah for His
blessings. Take advantage of our positive en-
ergy and employ them in doing well in this life
and prepare for the next life which is eternal.
Let’s learn, read and after that, we will find the
entire universe will extend to us its heart and the
whole world will hug us with its beauty...
Subhaan Allah!
There is something beautiful in life. You just have
to discover it. Be positive and you will find it.
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (24)
“… and then, when Youri Gagarin came back
to the earth, glorious as he was, surrounded by
thousands of people who wanted to see the hero
of the day, an old babushka came to him and
asked:
“My son, have you then seen God in Heavens?”
I still see, as if it were just yesterday, my mother
standing in the kitchen telling me this popular
story, smiling at me I was eight or nine years of
age smiling at the simple little old babushka who
for sure had no idea that the one who believed
in God would never ever be able to become a
pioneer or a “komsomolez”. Such a shame for
the poor!
This is how I grew up. Pioneers, red flags, athe-
ism, father Stalin, father Lenin, endless chain of
other “fathers”. Easter … well yes, there still
was a kind of Easter. We painted eggs and found
it very exciting but we were forbidden to tell
about it at school (the same reason the desired
title of a pioneer which unless would have been
difficult to obtain).
And then everything changed. “Fathers” were
“defathered” and the whole country started
to search for new idols. Easy money, busi-
ness, western goods. Freedom, freedom and
IF JESUS HAS ALREADY DIED FOR
ALL OF OUR SINS, WHY NOT SIN?
By. Elena Shromova
freedom again. Church slowly gained power,
slowly became in.
I can only say from that time that this mass church
euphoria did not touch me at all. Well, the façade
became more beautiful, more attractive, more
fashionable but it still did not give answers to
the very essential questions. As my logic just
refused to accept the idea of God having a son
and I did not see other ways rather than church
and Christianity I questioned the whole exist-
ence of life after death, the meaning of life, the
meaning of myself in this world.
This was probably the time when I unconsciously
started to search for God, I wanted deadly to
find answers to my questions. I could not live
just like that, just exist without any purpose as it
seemed to me. At times I had an indescribable
fear of death. It was almost a depression.
At these moments I would ask myself again and
gain, well, suppose you will have a happy life
according to the standards: loving husband,
lovely children, good job, good friends, and then
you die would anything from your whole life have
any meaning? Your children and grandchildren
will also one day be gone. The Earth, The Cos-
mos, everything will one day be gone. Why do
I live then? Why making efforts? Where is this
From Darkness to Light
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (25)
line of what is right and what is wrong? Why
being good? Why being bad?
Curiously enough I could never utter the phrase:
I don’t believe in God. I just could not. I felt
that I did believe. Whenever somebody asked
me about religion, I would almost panic and de-
pending on a person asking would either say
that was a very personal question or I would
start a discussion which would practically al-
ways end up with even more questions. The
concept that I should believe without question-
ing did not satisfy me at all. I could not feel any-
thing when my questions stayed unanswered.
Now I understand how desperatedly I wanted
to love God then, I wanted to feel and to be-
lieve and to be sure and to live in peace.
During my whole five years at the University, I
just once came across a bit closer to the word
“Islam”. We had a subject, something, like the
“History of Religion”. One of the textbooks
contained the following phrase “… and it is writ-
ten in the Quran: Kill the disbelievers…” (At-
Tawabah 9:5) I remember I was shocked and
I said to myself if had ever chosen a religion
then not Islam. But Allah knows best!
After finishing University in Russia I went to
continue my studies in Germany, al-hamdu lillah!
I come from a very distant part of Russia, the
Far East. We are almost the end of the country,
the last point before China. Japan, Korea and
China are nearer to my native town than Mos-
cow. 10,000 kilometres was my journey to
Hanover. 10,000 km to get to know and to love
Allah and Islam Is not it a wonder? Is not a
great mercy? Sub'han Allah!
When I look back now, I see so many small
things which like parts of a puzzle give now a
full picture of my journey. My first year in
Hanover-too busy with my studies, learning
German and adjusting myself to a new environ-
ment to occupy myself with existential problems.
Like a small drop in the sea of busy life, I re-
member talking to a student from Turkey. He
was not really a very religius person, but this
is a thing which still fascinates me about Mus-
lims: sometimes even a non-practising person
carries unconsciously a certain feature of a
good Muslim, if it is for generosity,
hospitablity, honesty, or just a firm belief that
there is a God, often Forgiving, most Merci-
ful, a belief which seems odd in the western
consume obsessed society.
So one day we talked about religions and I
came up with my usual unanswered questions
which almost always blocked the entire fur-
ther discussion. I just could not understand
the concept of sin in Christianity. How can a
priest forgive a sin? How could he know if I
was sincere in my repenting? So I can actu-
ally sin everyday and go to the priest every-
day? And if Jesus (Peace be to him) has al-
ready died for all of our sins, why not sin?
The student from Turkey was calm and quiet
and then said: “In Islam we say that every per-
son is born like a clean sheet of paper. Ev-
erything that you do in your life is written down
on that sheet and it is up to Allah alone to
forgive or not.”
I was fascinated. For the first time the dis-
cussion did not have a dead end, I found an
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (26)
answer to my question. I was so confused
before and just a simple phrase made things
so clear and logical and free for understand-
ing and feeling.
But at that point I did not go further in learning
something else about Islam… I bought a book
about the life of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)
and went to France for a language course. The
course was good, the book was even better! I
wanted to learn more.
That was quite a difficult year as I got very ill
and had to be operated. But in everything is
Allah’s supreme Wisdom. I was very lonely and
I had fear of operation but this was the point
where I started to think more and more about
God. Al-hamdu lillah, everything went fine and
somehow I became another person after that.
Everything that happened after is just a logical
consequence. I think at that point in my heart I
was already a Muslim.
For my studies I had an Italian private teacher
for almost a year but through all the problems I
lost the contact. So after having recovered I
decided to continue my Italian lessons and
started to search for a new teacher. One day I
picked up a telephone number out of a dozen
of offers which one can find on an information
desk in a University. I dialed the number and a
very nice Italian woman told me that she would
be happy to give me lessons and was not very
expensive. We arranged a place to meet and
then she told me she would b easy to be recog-
nized because she was wearing a scarf.
A scarf?! Well, I was surprised, but I thought
she was probably an Italian of Arabic origin or
something like that. I have never talked to a
woman wearing a scarf in my life. I just thought
of some of those girls whom I have seen now
and then and who seemed to be Europeans
wearing scarves. I always thought they were not
much educated and that they did all their men
wanted them to do. Well, I did not know much
about Islam and had my own westernized ideas
of how a woman should present herself.
And then I met Nura, AL-HAMDU LILLAH.
His meeting changed my whole life. I saw this
woman, an Italian convert to Islam, very well-
educated, intelligent, beautiful, with bright
sense of humour and wearing a scarf! She had
light, light in her face coming from inside,
Masha Allah! My world was changed. I un-
derstood how prejudiced I was. We started
our lessons, but, to tell the truth, we talked
more about Islam than learning Italian, al-
hamdu lillah!
And then I read the Quran. And I asked myself
why did not I do this before. This should have
been the first step.
I was crying of happiness and joy because I
understood at once, from the first pages, this
is the truth, this is what I was searching for,
this is the answer and the guidance and I don’t
have to fear any more. These words went di-
rectly into my heart and I felt peace. Life has
a meaning and I can do a lot to fulfil this mean-
ing, Insha Allah.
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (27)
Thinking positive can work miracles. You may
have been told to “guard your thoughts, but felt
the advice to be pointless. After all, your thoughts
are private. How can they possibly affect some-
one else? The fact is, thoughts do seem to boo-
merang in some mysterious ways. Science has
not found a way to measure them as they have
invisible sound waves.
In order to understand how positive thinking
works, and how to use it efficetly, it is important
to understand the power of negative thinking.
“Negative thoughts and tensions are like birds.
We cannot stop them from flying near us but,
we can certainly stop them from making a nest
in our mind”.
The mind can be directed towards positive
thinking or negative thinking. The power to
thought is neutral. The way one thinks deter-
mines whether the results are positive and ben-
eficial or negative and harmful. It is the same
about energyacting in different ways.
Persistent inner work can change habits of
thought. You must be willing to put energy and
time to avoid negative thinking and pursue
positive thinking, in order to change your
mental attitude.
THE MIRACLE OF POSITIVE
THINKINGShahnaaz Bemath
Think of those things which are true, hones,
just, pure, lovely in other words, fill your mind
with noble, good thoughts, leaving no room
for negative ones to take root. Always think
good about others.
The Noble Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) re-
ported that Allah, The Most Wise, said: “I treat
my servant as he thinks of Me” (Bukhari/Mus-
lim). In other words, Allah Ta’ala treats His ser-
vant in the way he thinks of Allah, what he hopes
from Him and how he sets his hopes in Him.
So, Those who come postitive with a great hope
to the door of Mercy of the Almighty Creator
will, Insah Allah, not return empty handed.
The most powerful weapon you have at your
disposal is du’a (supplication). Use it most of-
ten. The basis of Supplication is to lift ourselves
and our situations to Almighty Allah. It is an in-
ner act of visualization. A further step is to con-
template on the beautiful teachings of Islam. This
involves controlling and directing our thoughts.
A simple way to think of this is to imagine your
mind to be like a garden. That garden can be
spoilt and overrun by negative and destructive
thought (weeds), or it can become an abode of
peace and harmony by the cultivation of flow-
ers (uplifting thoughts).
Islamic Feature
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (28)
“Your minds is a garden. Your thoughts are the
seeds. You can grow flowers. Or You can grow
weeds.”
Are you prone to depression? Do you see your
life as a hopeless mess… Do you consider your-
self a failure? If you do, then you will close your
mind, see no opportunities, will behave and re-
act in such ways as to repel people and oppor-
tunities. You will let the power of negative think-
ing rule your life. Try replacing such negative
thoughts with positive ones. Talk to your be-
loved Allah. Allah did not create a lock without
a key, and Allah did not give you problems with-
out solutions. Trust Him!
While recognizing these problems, picture your-
self as mastering each one. Visualize yourself
handing each situation creatively, being a suc-
cess; gradually allowing your given potential to
blossom.
The beloved Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) ad-
vised us: if you look forward to good things, it
will happen In Sha Allah.
Thinking positive is a very important in Islam.
Always think that Allah has a plan for you. If
something goes wrong, it will lead you to some-
thing good. He is working things out for you,
teaching you, guiding you, even if you do not
feel it. Have faith and be ever-thankful. Where
faith and hope grows, miracles blossom.
At first, this kind of thought control may seem
like an inner game but you will be surprised at
how, slowly but surely, your outer circumstances
begin to change. For thought precedes action
and the right thoughts precede a chain of good
actions. Destructive thoughts, on the other hand,
act as poisoning agents. They embitter and limit
the thinker, preventing him or her from devel-
oping good relationship, because others sense
the wrong thoughts telepathically and shy way
from such persons instinctively.
Conversely, if you greet people with thought that
they will probably be nice to know, such a posi-
tive thought will affect their response. If you are
afraid of someone, replace that fear with a
thought which recognizes that the person’s given
potential “core” is probably hidden under lay-
ers of unhappiness and ask that his or her true
self be given a chance to manifest.
A friend was once terribly upset because some-
one was spreading false rumours about her. She
could not deny the rumour publicly. All she could
do was pray for the woman, try to think about
her charitably and visualize her acting differently.
She did this consistently for some weeks. One
day, unexpectedly, the woman phoned her to
apologise and say she’d been mistaken.
Subhaan Allah! It seemed like a miracles. Life
has many different chapters for us. One bad
chapter dose not mean the end of the book.
Be positive and keep your faith in Allah. Once
we function in harmony with Allah’s beautiful
laws of love compassion and forgiveness and
this includes spreading good, true and beau-
tiful thoughts and forgiving people our lives
will flower as they were meant to.
“Think positive, Think different. Dot not waste
your precios energy on negative thoughts.”
Decide that from today, form this very moment,
you are leaving negative thinkig behind, and
starting (Cont on Page 23)
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (29)
Title: Valuable Thoughts in Memorable Words
(English)
Author: Zaidur Rahman
Published by: Qalamkar Parishad 10, Star
Residency, Idgah Hills, Bhopal-462001
First Edition: June 2013
Pages: 70
Price: Rs 60= 00
Author’s Address: House No.03, Kankjole Ps:
Kotalpokhar, Distt: Sahibganj, Jharkhand-
816101
Email: [email protected]
Mob: 9545767938
Available at: New Crescent Publication Co.
2035 Mumtaz Building
Qasimjan Street, Ballimaran
Delhi-110006 (India)
In each and every period, the Muslim poets
have written poetry in the praise of Allah, called
Hamd and delineating the qualities of His Last
Prophet (S.A.W.) called Naat.
BOOK REVIEW
The book Valuable thoughts in Memorable
Words is written by a young poet and author.
The author, Zaidur Rahman, a highly qualified
youngman obtained Fazeelat from Jamia
Islamia Sanabal, New Delhi; M.A. from
Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi and other pro-
fessional qualifications from various institu-
tions of higher learning.
The book contains 42 short but inspirational
poems. The author's diction is in accordance
with the grandeur of the subject. What strikes
most is the depth of thought. Zaidur Rahman
knows very well what are the well marked
limits of eulogy in Islam. The author does not
disappoint the literary critics in this regard.
He knows his limits. The Last Prophet
(S.A.W.) himself has warned to that effect in
a well known Holy Tradition.
In a short but interesting preface of the book,
the author while describing the aims to compile
the book, writes: “the intention of this precious
literary work is to serve the world, making the
readers able to know, understand and enjoy this
world in the positive and the optimistic ways I
have also added some poems based on Islamic
Book Review
"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" October, 2013 (30)
teachings and thought. They express the reality
of Islam, the dignity in Islam and the universal
peace in Islam”
The author as a student of various Institutions
of Higher Learning has always seen the students
debating productively and enthusiastically on
different lines. But when it comes to Islamic
topics all become tight-lipped or ultimately say
how one can prop-up Islamic values in this
hi-tech era. This made the author to write the
poems and how his outcome in the form of a
book is before you. The more one goes
through the pages of the book the greater his
enthusiasm becomes. At the end of the book
one finds himself in deep meditation, thinking
of his contribution towards Islamic identifi-
cations and values through his daily activities.
The literary world would ill-afford to ignore
Valuable Thoughts in Memorable Words.
The book is a complete source of inspiration
and enlightens how to build Islamic attitude,
knowledge and skills.
I recommed all especially the youngsters to
go through the book with an eye on becom-
ing a torch bearer of positive thinking.
(Dr. Abul Hayat Ashraf
Editor The Simple Truth)
µµµ
(From Page No.8)
When Dr. Moore first presented his findings in
Toronto it caused quite a stir throughout
Canada. It was on the front pages of some of
the newspapers across Canada.
One newspaper reporter asked Professor
Moore, “Don’t you think that may be the Arabs
might have known about these things-the de-
scription of the embryo, its appearance and how
it changes and grows? Maybe there were not
scientists, but maybe they did some crude dis-
sections on their own-carved up people and ex-
amined these things”. Professor Moore imme-
diately pointed out to him, however, that he had
missed a very important point. All of the slides
of the embryo that Dr. Moore had based his
study upon had come from pictures taken
through a microscope. He said, “It does not
matter if someone had tried to discover embry-
ology 14 centuries ago, they could not have seen
it! Dr. Moore taunted, “Maybe 14 centuries ago
someone secretly had a microscope and did this
research, making no mistakes anywhere. Then
he somehow taught Muhammad and convinced
him to put this information in his book. Then he
destroyed his equipment and kept it a secret
forever? Do you believe that? You really should
not unless you bring some proof because it is
such a ridiculous theory.”
When he was asked “How do you explain this
information in the Qur’an? Dr. Moore’s reply
was, “It could only have been divinely revealed.”