WHY SHOULD WE SUBMIT

TO

ALLAH!

BY

FAQIR HUSSAIN SHAKIR

B.Sc., M.A (Durham), DPSI, DIP.CITT. (Westminster)

CONTENTS

Introduction: …………………………………………. 3

Signs Abound ......................................................... 4

Acquired Knowledge ............................................... 7

Man is a Mystery ..................................................... 10

Man Needs Divine Guidance .................................. 13

The Prophets of Allah ............................................. 14

A Prophet for All Times .......................................... 24

The Quran: The Herald of Truths .......................... 28

The Concept of Worship in Islam ......................... 35

Obedience to God and His Prophet ...................... 35

General Aspects of a Momin's Life ....................... 38

The Purpose of Momin's Life ................................. 41

The Real Rebels ....................................................... 42

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INTRODUCTION

If only we were to look at ourselves and the creation around us with an open mind, we will find the entire cosmos teeming with the Divine Signs of an unspeakable nature at every level. Nature provides the best examples of diversity. Nothing is the same, not even the two leaves of a tree nor the two hands that are holding this book nor the two eyes that are reading it. Yet the most astonishing thing that exists among all creation is the marvellous cohesion and an amazing balance from finite to infinite levels. It is as if everything is not only, intricately, linked together but is also purposefully cooperating with each other for a common goal. These beckoning Signs invite man to reflect upon the Real Purpose of his life on this earth.

19 The blind man is not equal with the seer;20 Nor is darkness (tantamount to) light;21 Nor is the shadow equal with the sun's full heat;22 Nor are the living equal with the dead.

Holy Quran 35 : 19 to 22 The Angels

Our Real Purpose is to relate with the Ultimate Reality for our own good. The nature of this relation determines our success or failure both here in this world and the Hereafter.

F. H. Shakir

Email: fhshakir-islamicwritings@hotmail.com

London: 1987

Revised: July, 2005

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SIGNS ABOUND

1 Ha-Mim

2 The revelation of the Book is from Allah the Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.

3 Verily in the heavens and the earth, are Signs for those who believe.

4 And in the creation of yourselves and the fact that animals are scattered (through the earth), are Signs for those of assured Faith.

5 And in the alternation of Night and Day, and the fact that Allah sends down Sustenance from the sky, and revives therewith the earth after its death, and in the change of the winds,--are Signs for those that are wise.

6 Such are the Signs of Allah, which We rehearse to thee in truth: then in what exposition will they believe after (rejecting) Allah and His Signs?

12 It is Allah Who has subjected the sea to you, that ships may sail through it by His Command, that ye may seek His Bounty, and that ye may be grateful.

13 And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: behold in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect.

Holy Quran 45: 1 to 6 and 12, 13 The Crouching or Bowing the Knee

These verses tell a different story from the one that says that universe came into being on its own and is running on its own and one day it will perish on its own. This is an idea that defies common sense to say the least but this is the idea that has been shaping the practical secular life in many ways from street level to the corridors of power in our modern world. The policy makers of our collective life are not really interested to know whether the universe was created by a Designer or came into existence on its own; they are more interested to exploit the resources of the world for their own self or for their respective flags without any regard for others. The secular idea is to provide “happiness” but the happiness is the one that is lacking in our modern life. Let’s look at some of the Signs inwardly.

The universe is so vast and varied and yet so harmonious that it bewitches the soul with awe and fascination. The more we learn about it the more it becomes apparent that every thing at every level is not only governed by a Supreme System of an

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unspeakable nature but has also a specific purpose in the order of creation. Take for instance the sun and the moon, our next-door neighbours. Had they been travelling with their own will to go wherever they liked, man could not have come into existence on this planet. But instead, they have been orbiting their "commanded paths" like slaves for millions of years without ever going astray

Our earth appears to be placed at a perfect distance from the sun. Yet if it had been without the created layers of zones around the planet to protect it, unlike the moon, the sun's powerful radiation could have destroyed the whole life. Sun’s diffused light through protective layers is put to use to cause the formation of winds, clouds and rains for the growth of vegetation to provide sustenance for all.

The oceans that comprise two-third of the surface of the earth contain undrinkable salty water that also acts as disinfectant for the earth's garbage. And yet it produces highly nutritious delicate food without any harmful effects together with many other benefits for mankind. Furthermore the environment of both the worlds of sea and land is perfectly designed for its respective inhabitants.

14 It is He Who has made the sea subject, that ye may eat thereof flesh that is fresh and tender, and that ye may extract there from ornaments to wear; and thou seest the ships therein that plough the waves, that ye may seek (thus) of the bounty of Allah and that ye may be grateful.

Holy Quran 16 : 14 The Bee

Time could not have been measured without the appearance of day and night. In fact, could have there existed any life at all if there were a perpetual day or a perpetual night?

71 Say: See ye? If Allah were to make the Night perpetual over you to the Day of Judgment, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you enlightenment? Will ye not then hearken?

72 Say: See ye? If Allah were to make the Day perpetual over you to the Day of Judgment, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you a Night in which you can rest? Will ye not then see?

73 It is out of His Mercy that He has made for you Night and Day,--that ye may rest therein, and that ye may seek His Grace; and in order that ye may be grateful.

Holy Quran 28 : 71, 72, 73 The Story

The gravitational force of the earth in relation to the other heavenly bodies is such that we do all our tasks with ease without even realising its presence. Air and water owe their retention to this force; otherwise they could have escaped into space. Any slight change in this force can destroy the planet in one go. It is such a refined system that has kept the density and pressure of air at the precise levels and the same goes for the gases that are essential for life. There is a point to be noted that why there is no air and pressure at higher altitudes, several hundred miles above the surface of the earth.

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Is it because that no man lives "up there"? It is an occasion to reflect and offer thanks to the Wise Sustainer.

Science tells us that our earth is revolving around its axis over one thousand miles per hour - a great speed, but it also astonishes us by stating that earth travels into space around the sun with a speed of nearly sixty seven thousand miles per hour. This is an astounding speed and yet we - the passengers - do not feel even a tiny jerk by the velocity of this giant rocket. The inner furnace of this speed-machine is burning like millions of atomic power stations for millions of years and yet we do not even feel its heat. Whenever it rumbles to show its power, we all know what happens then.. The inner part is molten lava but the outer surface is made soft and tender for vegetation to grow to sustain us and to make our dwellings upon it.

If the earth were like a smooth ball without any land-marks, man could not find his way around. A stranger in a desert, or a boat in the middle of an ocean without any navigational equipment, knows perfectly well what it means! But the Guide of all has created mountains, hills, passes, islands, rivers, valleys, natural highways, deserts, barren and fertile lands, forests, lakes etc. as natural landmarks for man to find his way on the vast expanse of the earth without getting ever lost.

15 And He has set up on the Earth Mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads; that ye may guide yourselves;

16 And marks and sign-posts; and by the stars (men) guide themselves.

Holy Quran 16 : 15, 16 The Bee

In the making of honey by honey-bee, in the delicate pattern of spider's web, in the flight of birds, in the ingenious system of wind and rain, in the growth of vegetation, in the wonders of human body and its genetic code, in fact in each and every thing, one can see the Splendour of a Designer's Power, Knowledge and Wisdom. Never will one ever see the honey-bee making anything else but honey, or a spider making a nest like birds. Similarly every part of man's body is faithfully executing the job which the Designer has given it to do. Never will we ever see the eyes taking over the job of ears, or the blood circulating the wrong way, or the heart taking over the job of kidneys and vice versa.

If only we open our eyes, our hearts will bear witness to a multitude of Signs and "Universal Constants" such as gravity that are faithfully working in perfect harmony to a Designer's grand specification. Any slight deviation in them can cause a catastrophic effect in our solar system let alone the earth. Even the thought of this complex organisation bewitches the best of imaginations. The entire system including man's own creation from a humble sperm into a sophisticated being is too perfect to assign it to a mere chance.

Nothing rebels in nature (except man of course). This is a total submission to the Creator and the Master of all. This is Islam. These are just some of the Signs of Allah for man to ponder upon.

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49 (When this message was delivered), (Pharaoh) said: "Who, then, O Moses, is the Lord of you two?"

50 He said: "Our Lord is He Who gave to each (created) thing its form and nature, and further, gave (it) guidance."

Holy Quran 20 : 49, 50 TA-HA

41 Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah knows well all that they do.

Holy Quran 24 : 41 The Light

18 Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth,---the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace,---none can raise to honour: For Allah carries out all that He wills.

Holy Quran 22 : 18 The Pilgrimage

ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE

Our world is inhabited by billions of individuals who possess varying degrees of emotions, desires, needs, sensitivities and intellect. They react differently from one another, in any given situation, in terms of their prejudices, loves, hates, jealousies, envies, failures and successes. They carry with them their strengths and weaknesses as well as their particular attitudes wherever they go. The same goes for their beliefs, religious or otherwise, and their own vision of Truth and Falsehood that may differ from others in one way or another. We do not really know how many and what kind of "parameters" there are that shape the life of an individual and consequently of the society at large. There are, perhaps, an unaccounted number of parameters or attributes that seem to be inter-related with one another both within and without at microcosm and macrocosm levels. There seems to exist an unspeakable kind of "psychic structure" within man and within the humanity as a whole which is not only highly refined and complex but which also defies a general rational explanation. Man is an enigma. He is still nowhere near the solution of his own mystical composition! He cannot compass, with all his goodwill, the totality of human life with all its infinite number of shades and layers. He cannot know human life, in psychic terms, at his conscious level. Whenever he formulates a system of life with the help of his ever-developing secular sciences, it fails in time. The collapse of Communism is the latest example of such futile attempts. We have no doubt in our minds, as the Holy Quran affirms it; the next in line to collapse is the Capitalist system. The process has already begun if one could see it from the divine side.

The fact is, the psychological composition of man and the humanity as a whole is such and so complex that it is impossible for a group of men or even for the entire mankind

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to design a system of life that would be free not only from all the weaknesses and racial and national prejudices but would also be complete in every way to guide humankind forever for its temporal and spiritual needs.

50 But if they hearken not to thee, know that they only follow their own lusts: And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance from Allah? For Allah guides not people given to wrong-doing.

Holy Quran 28 : 50 The Story

39 But the Unbelievers,--their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: And Allah is swift in taking account.

40 Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!

Holy Quran 24 : 39, 40 The Light

Imam Ghazali wrote the following parable, perhaps, in the foregoing context.

It is like an ant that observes the pen, writing on the paper, and thinks that it is the pen that is the author of these black scribbles on the white surface. If she is intelligent, she will notice the fingers, holding and directing the pen. But if she is genius, she will perhaps see the full hand. But she will fail to know and understand that the hand is attached to an arm and body and the body has a head on top of it and in that head there is a complex brain and in that brain there is stored some knowledge and that knowledge is under the command of will and that will, when it wishes, transforms ideas into concrete words which she is witnessing on the page.

She will never be able to know the truth unless she is told about it. Furthermore, reality does not change no matter what she may think or believe . The same goes for man's humble and conjectural knowledge with respect to God's Infinite and Pure Knowledge.

An important question arises that how can the secular sciences claim to be the basis for the true guidance of mankind when these are not only derived and continue to be derived through a process of conjecture but we do not even know the final outcome of any of these developing disciplines. None of the sciences so far is complete and absolute. A process of confirmation and refutation is always at work with the discovery of new facts and these updated facts expose only a part of the truth.

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One of the most baffling mysteries, yet to be understood, concerns the astonishing equilibrium among the partly discovered truths. We do not know why and how things are inter-related; what kind of mysterious inner balance is at work and what is its true nature? Why the things are the way they are? The problem is so complex that man has not been able even to understand it, let alone to solve it. It seems as if the Nature has put a limit to the flight of man's knowledge beyond which it cannot go. Material sciences, on which we are so proud, may gain access to some truth but its complete and absolute achievement is beyond their reach.

3 He Who created the seven heavens one above another: no want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah) Most Gracious. So turn thy vision again: seest thou any flaw?

4 Again turn thy vision a second time: (thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited, in a state worn out.

Holy Quran 67 : 3, 4 The Sovereignty

A Momin's (Believer) belief on this point is, however, very clear: the total sum of knowledge of everything is with God. He reveals it to mankind whatever, whenever and how much ever He Wills. None can compass His Knowledge, not even the Prophets or angels, but He encompasses everything. He gives certain knowledge as He Wills to His Prophets to guide mankind to His Path. God also guides mankind through inspiration. Past and present (and future) discoveries are part of this worldwide inspiration which He descends upon to whomsoever He Wills. Every one of us must have experienced that rare moment when we "suddenly" find a solution to a complex problem that may have been bothering us for a long time. It is He Who inspires every being including the honey-bee to gather honey.

65 Say: None in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is hidden: Nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up (for Judgment).

Holy Quran 27 : 65 The Ant

188 Say: "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah willeth. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me: I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith."

Holy Quran 7 : 188 The Heights

255 He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth.

Holy Quran 2 : 255 The Heifer

68 And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's)

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habitations;

69 Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious Paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: Verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought.

Holy Quran 16 : 68, 69 The Bee

MAN IS A MYSTERY

It is not a surprise that man has not achieved any significant awareness of his own true nature through secular sciences. As a matter of fact, he has achieved no more than some rudimentary information of his own self. Why? The reason is that his abilities to deal with the spiritual matters are not the same as his abilities to deal with the world of matter. His tiny acquired knowledge of self-awareness through secular sciences has no comparison to his considerable knowledge of the world around him.

The reality is he is not capable on his own to explore his inner self in a meaningful way to know the Eternal Truth. He does not know how to fulfil the demands of his own innate nature and of his spiritual needs.

Who is he? Where has he come from? Why he is here and what is his role? Where is he going and what is his destiny? What is the relationship between him and the creation? How should he know God and Who is He? How should he determine a meaningful relationship between man and woman and the society at large and among the nations of the world? What is the nature of these relations and how should he respond to them? Who should carve out a path for his life? Should he choose it for himself or the other wise men or the society at large? And finally what is the true nature and psychological composition of his own self and what is his position in the order of creation?

Man's own "acquired knowledge" has no satisfactory answers to these and similar questions, for this knowledge is not "qualified" to answer such metaphysical enquiries. He knows that he is "something more" than a mere collection of flesh and bones but he has no accurate knowledge of this “something more”. If, suppose, he were to spend untold ages on the investigation of this "something more" with the help of his secular sciences, he would not be able to uncover more than a shred of his own "reality".

Man is a mystery and this mystery is present with all its manifestations even at the level of a cell which is a tiny universe in its own right. He is composed of billions of such "universes". Furthermore, the diversity is such that every human being is different from others with respect to his physical appearance and personal attributes despite the fact that he shares the same human characteristics. Every person is unique in the world and so is every thing unique in creation. It is as if the Designer of this universe feels it

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degrading to produce a carbon copy of the same thing. The Power, Knowledge and Wisdom of this Designer are, indeed, beyond imagination.

There are, it appears, an unaccounted number of hidden forces that are at work within man. It is not possible for him or his sciences to know them or to determine their precise nature. God, the Creator, is the only One Who knows them and their all needs.

16 It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.

Holy Quran 50 : 16 Qaf

32 He knows you well when He brings you out of the earth, and when ye are hidden in your mother's wombs. Therefore justify not yourselves: He knows best who it is that guards against evil.

Holy Quran 52 : 32 The Star

13 And whether ye hide your word or publish it, He certainly has (full) knowledge, of the secrets of (all) hearts.

14 Should He not know,---He that created? And He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them).

Holy Quran 67:13,14 The Sovereignty

It is He Who has, through His Mercy, given man not only the accurate knowledge of that "something more" but has also provided him with the right answers to all the irritating questions.

3 Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,

4 He Who taught (the use of) the Pen,

5 Taught man that which he knew not.

Holy Quran 96: 3, 4, 5 Read or The Clinging Clot

Yet man, instead of being grateful to this unearned reward, has ignored this pure knowledge to follow his own whims and conjectures that have given birth to a civilisation in which the purpose of life and the position of man are both mutilated. His spiritual needs and natural requirements are not only ignored but are seriously trampled over. The deity of materialism has unleashed dark hidden forces from the stock-pile of base desires to corrupt every fibre of his spiritual and moral being. Man and his modern civilisation are not only incompatible with each other but are also poles apart. He is expert in material sciences but blinkered in self-awareness. This is one of the important reasons for which he has got himself enmeshed in an alarming ignorance about his own self and he is not even aware of it. He is going

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through a disgraceful humiliation which is brought in, entirely, by his own hands.

God subjected the creation to serve man to enable him to fulfil the real purpose of his life. Instead, he has become mesmerised by the glare of matter. He is striving for more comfort, more happiness and yet more power for his insatiable desires. He has become the slave of his own slave.

Let us reflect, briefly, on just two aspects of his contemporary life that has made him more ill before we move on to the next section.

Man has invented thousands of time-saving devices for his home and work-place. Washing machines, instant communications, computers, fast transports are all saving him piles and piles of time. But, ironically, time is the commodity he has been deprived of most. He hasn't got even a moment of it for his close family, old parents, the sick or the needy. He hasn't got it even for himself let alone God and His wonderful beckoning Signs to reflect. He is always in hurry to get somewhere. It does not occur to him to stop for once and ask himself: why and where the hell am I going and for what purpose?

Isn't it strange that although he has surrounded himself with plenty of pleasure-giving activities and an army of ever growing new inventions that are supposed to provide him with peace and comfort, yet peace and comfort are missing from his life! He is more miserable than ever before. Instead of working for his genuine welfare, he is, endlessly, striving to raise his standard of living that knows no limits. His home, his reception room, his fitted-kitchen and bathroom are tastefully decorated. Nothing seems to be out of place, not even his or her hair. Yet his soul and his inner world are both in a state of turmoil. His tired being, clothed in superficial civilities, is crying out for help but he hasn't got a moment to listen to its sobbing. In fact, He does not even know how to enter into his inner world in order to rearrange it for good. Does man not realise what's happening to him?

31 Being true in faith to Allah, and never assigning partners to Him: If anyone assigns partners to Allah, he is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had swooped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a far-distant place.

Holy Quran 22 : 31 The Pilgrimage

This is a powerful verse that sums up the foregoing discussion. Our unrestrained desires, and our secular ideologies, have become our gods. We worship them and this is the meaning of assigning gods with God. These gods of our desires are tearing us apart from limb to limb and are throwing us about from place to place. How can we hope to achieve peace of mind and heart when we have submitted our souls to so many gods?

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MAN NEEDS DIVINE GUIDANCE

Can we, honestly, say that the Guide Who not only guides but also provides sustenance to all living beings even to their tiniest needs would deprive His most noblest creature without any heavenly guidance; so that this wretched man would keep on groping in the darkness of his own ever changing ideologies but would never be able to find one that would work for him for a meaningful existence? Our intuition and common sense, however, suggest otherwise. The reality is that the whole humanity could have been wandering in the intellectual wilderness for untold ages in search of the Straight Path but would never be able to find it on its own. God could have let man go on his adventurous short journey into the world after giving him the best of faculties as a travelling-kit. But the Almighty Guide knows the "limitations" of man's intellect, knowledge and experience that are often overshadowed by his desires. God knows that man cannot find the Straight Path on his own without the Divine Guidance.

It is important to realise that if man could have found this Straight Path on the strength of his own intellectual faculties and experiences, then there would have been no need to send the Prophets and the Heavenly Books. The simple fact is that mankind needs for her guidance a Wise, a Mighty and a Knower who not only encompasses everything from eternity to eternity but also understands all the intricate detail of His creation and is free from all the human prejudices! Can there be any one else but God to claim such disposition?

14 Should He not know,---He that created? And He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them).

Holy Quran 67 : 14 The Sovereignty

75 Allah chooses Messengers from angels and from men: For Allah is He Who hears and sees (all things).

Holy Quran 22 : 75 The Pilgrimage

31 ...For Allah is assuredly---with respect to His servants---well acquainted and fully observant.

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Holy Quran 35 : 31 The Originator

It is God's greatest Mercy that He has established the office of Prophethood for the guidance of mankind; otherwise salvation would have been out of our reach. Even a life-long prostration in gratitude is not enough for His Favour.

THE PROPHETS OF ALLAH

The question of Prophethood belongs to a realm that cannot be handled through logic and intellect alone. How can one explain the astounding balance, progression and commonality in the teachings of God's Prophets who were centuries apart from one another in space and time?

In our ordinary life, do we use unscientific means to solve the scientific problems? We don't. Because we know it will never yield accurate results. In the same way we cannot understand the Reality of Prophethood by using non-religious means. By not understanding this delicate difference accurately, the concept of Prophethood has remained a mystery in a number of diverse and misleading ways throughout the ages. Let us take a look at some of the current ideas as with regard to Prophethood.

1. Some people may say that Prophethood is a kind of soothsaying or clairvoyance at its best. But the question is since when the soothsayers and clairvoyants assumed the role of guiding people to the Path of God in the manner of Prophets and also suffered persecutions in the hands of their oppressors? Since when they solved the moral, social, political, economic and spiritual problems of the human race like the Messengers of God?

People know very well how the soothsayers and clairvoyants talk in allusive terms unlike the Prophets whose divine teachings remain crystal clear for their people to follow with complete satisfaction. The fact is that Prophethood and soothsaying has hardly anything common with each other.

2. Then there are those who think that Prophethood is the most advanced or ultimate state of saintliness. It is as if to say that Prophethood can be acquired through progressive meditation and once that state is achieved, the revelation begins to flow from the heavens. In other words the difference between saintliness and Prophethood is not of the nature of the two but of their ascending grades.

However, the fact is that Prophethood is not acquired through meditation but it is bestowed upon a chosen person from the "Above". The occasion of granting the office of Prophethood to a chosen person may be quite "sudden" as in the cases of Prophet Moses and the Last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them) where both were

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unaware before the glorious moment.

3. Some people are of the opinion that Prophethood is the reaction of those intense feelings that are awakened in a sensitive man with a deep insight after seeing the morally and spiritually decadent state of the society. As a genuine reformer, the Prophet then directs his efforts towards the general reform of his people with all his strength, sincerity and devotion.

However, the question again is that if this person is sincere and truthful then why should he claim to be a Prophet when he is not a Prophet and why should he pretend to receive the divine revelation from God when he is receiving nothing of the kind. A sincere and a truthful person whose heart aches to reform his astraying people will never claim to be a Prophet if he is not a Prophet of God.

4. Some secular experts in psychology are of the opinion that Prophethood is a kind of mental condition in which a person goes through a series of hallucinatory experiences of some fantastic nature. We are really amazed at such a ludicrous suggestion and are very much in doubt about the mental state of these so called "experts" themselves.

Looking at the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the full light of available history, how can it be humanly possible for an unlettered person with a “mental handicap”, as these so called experts say, to present a highly sophisticated balanced way of life with a complete code of conduct not only for himself to follow but also for billions of others to follow, regardless of race, colour or nationality throughout the centuries and for all the time to come? How can it be possible for a “mentally handicapped” person to save the humanity from the darkness of ignorance and guide her to the divine light of righteousness and also achieve the moral and spiritual standards for himself and for his followers to the highest possible stations? How can a “mentally-ill” man not only changes the entire course of history of the world for good and establishes a sublime civilisation that has enriched every culture one way or another during the last fourteen hundred years but also offers firm solutions to all the human problems that people face or will ever face?

In the West, instead of accepting the True Nature of Prophethood, the trend is to find the Reality through intellectual conjectures by means of sensual and scientific experiments. Anything that belongs to the realm of metaphysics is considered doubtful and therefore unacceptable. The secular scholars look at the heavenly books such as the Bible and the Quran from this point of view. The result is the Biblical Prophets are almost degraded to the level of reformers, saints, soothsayers, clairvoyants, geniuses’ even eccentrics. By implications, the teaching of the Prophets is no longer valid for the modern times although it must have been good for the people of the distant past. This is how the German philosophers Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) and Karl Marx (1818-1883) have influenced the contemporary secular social sciences through their Dialectical Theories of “thesis and anti-thesis” in terms of the “Development of Human Thought” and the “Historical Materialism” respectively. Many others have also contributed to this process.

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Now let us reflect on the mission of the Prophets.

The coming of a Prophet is one of the most important events in the life of mankind. It is equally important to realise that a Prophet is the representative of an Absolute Ruler Who only wishes through His Mercy to bring mankind from the darkness of ignorance about herself to the light of knowledge for her own good.

The coming of a Prophet is the coming of blessed rain in a barren land. The rain gives life to the dead earth and the Prophet gives life to the spiritually dead humanity. The following verse from the Holy Quran is full of parables with layers upon layers of meaning. It is more powerful than the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 : 4 to 8 and 18 to 23.

17 He sends down water from the skies, and the channels flow, each according to its measure: but the torrent bears away the foam that mounts up to the surface. Even so from that (ore) which they heat in the fire, to make ornaments or utensils therewith, there is a scum likewise. Thus doth Allah (by parables) show forth Truth and Vanity. For the scum disappears like froth cast out; while that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth. Thus doth Allah set forth parables.

Holy Quran 13 : 17 The Thunder

The rain falls in valleys, rivers, lakes, ponds, rocks, soft earth and in gutters. The rain of Prophetic guidance falls on all kinds of hearts too. There are those who are deaf and blind with hearts like bare rocks where no rain, not even the monsoon helps any growth. Then there are others with fertile hearts that may need only a drop of heavenly guidance to help a tall fruitful growth against every opposition from the barren society in which they live. In the final analysis, every soul takes its fill according to its own capacity

It must be understood from the outset that a Prophet's knowledge is not acquired through skills but is revealed. He knows, instinctively, the eternal truths and reaches to the heart of the matter instantly and thoroughly as opposed to the social or material sciences which may take centuries to arrive at the same conclusions and even then they may be riddled with speculations. The abode of a Prophet is far beyond the worldly sciences. His thought process and intuition belong to a realm which is clearer than the daylight with no shadows of doubt roaming around. The things which are revealed to a Prophet are nothing but facts, no matter how strange they may appear to our parochial minds as conjectures have no room in the office of Prophethood.

6 Say thou: "I am but a man like you: It is revealed to me by inspiration, that your God is One God: so stand true to Him, and ask for His forgiveness." And woe to those who join gods with Allah.

Holy Quran 41 : 6 HA MIM Al-Sajdah or Fussilat

1 By the Star when it goes down,-

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2 Your Companion is neither astray nor being mislead,3 Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire.4 It is no less than inspiration sent down to him.5 He was taught by one Mighty in Power.

Holy Quran 53: 1 to 5 The Star

The Giver of these truths is the God Himself, the Fountain-head of all knowledge. It is the job of God's Prophets to remove the darkness of ignorance and expose humanity to the light of Reality. Man cannot achieve this knowledge by any other means. It is the duty of a Prophet to transmit this pure knowledge to man and establish a system of life which is based on its principles. Man's job is to obey and obey it to the last detail for his own good.

64 We sent not a Messenger, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the Will of Allah...

80 He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah: But if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch over their (evil deeds).

Holy Quran 4 : 64 and 80 The Women

36 It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision: If any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.

Holy Quran 33 : 36 The Confederates

Great Prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and finally the Last Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all), came to the world for the sole purpose of reminding and showing mankind the true Path of God. God chose Prophets from among men, whom He Willed, and sent them to all lands and nations.

36 For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Messenger, (with the Command), "Serve Allah, and eschew Evil":

2 He doth send down His angels with inspiration of His Command, to such of His servants as He pleaseth, (Saying): "Warn (Man) that there is no god but I: so do your duty unto Me:"

Holy Quran 16 : 36 and 2 The Bee

24 Verily We have sent thee in truth, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner: And there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them (in the past).

Holy Quran 35 : 24 The Originator

They taught man the real meaning of his freedom and his purpose of life on earth.

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They showed him, through their own exemplary life, how to attain felicity in this world and the Hereafter, and also warned him against the temptations of the astraying path.

If we study the lives of these Prophets, we will learn that they were at the highest level of righteousness in every way. Their truthfulness was such that no one ever heard them telling a lie in their life. It is quite obvious that how could they tell a lie on God whom they feared and loved so much. At the same time, they were no more than ordinary human beings who needed food, sleep and rest and who experienced pain and sorrows like everyone else.

20 And the messengers whom We sent before thee were all (men) who ate food and walked through the streets...

Holy Quran 25: 20 The Criterion

38 And verily We sent messengers (to mankind) before thee, and We appointed for them wives and offspring.

Holy Quran 13: 38 The Thunder

The Path of the Prophets has always remained the same because the Sunnah of God (The Path of God) never changes. In other words, God's "Home and Foreign Policies" throughout the creation have always remained the same. God has never sent His Ambassadors to earth with contradictory policies. If He did, then man could never have found the True Path even under the direct guidance of the Prophets. Besides, it is not only against the Wisdom and Knowledge of God, it is also against the Just Balance in creation! Truth is Truth. The contradictory and blasphemous ideas that we find in some religions as with regard to the position of Prophets and the other fundamental articles of faith are nothing but expressions of superstitions and ignorance of their followers.

43 But no change wilt thou find in Allah's way (of dealing): No turning off wilt thou find in Allah's way (of dealing).

Holy Quran 35 : 43 The Originator

The Holy Quran emphasises in strongest terms that all the Prophets preached Islam - Path of Nature or submission to the Will of God - because this is the only right way for the whole creation. This is an extremely important point to remember as majority of the non-Muslims, especially in the West, still maintain through ignorance that Islam was "founded" by the Arabian Prophet some fourteen centuries ago. Some even call it "Muhammaden Religion" which is an utter nonsense and an offence to Muslims. We have picked out a few verses from the Holy Quran to throw light on this aspect in the hope of removing this misunderstanding together with understanding the position of Prophets.

67 Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith: And bowed his will to Allah's (which is Islam), and joined not gods with Allah.

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68 Without doubt, among men the nearest of kin to Abraham, are those who follow him as are also this Messenger and those who believe: And Allah is Protector of those who have faith.

Holy Quran 3 : 67, 68 The Family of Imran

130 And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly? Him We chose and rendered pure in this world: And he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the Righteous.

131 Behold! his Lord said to him: "Bow (thy will to Me):" He said: "I bow (my will) to the Lord and Cherisher of the Universe."

132 And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; "Oh my sons! Allah has chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the state of submission (to Allah)."

133 Were ye witness when Death appeared before Jacob? Behold, he said to his sons: "What will ye worship after me?" They said: "We shall worship thy God and the God of thy fathers,---of Abraham, Ismail and Isaac---the One (True) God: To Him we bow (in Islam)."

134 That was the People that hath passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did, and ye of what ye do! Of their merits there is no question in your case.

135 They say: "Become Jews or Christians if ye would be guided (to salvation)". Say thou: "Nay! (I would rather) the religion of Abraham the True, and he joined not gods with Allah."

136 Say ye: "We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we bow to Allah (in Islam)."

Holy Quran 2: 130 to 136 The Heifer

163 We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: We sent inspiration to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms.

164 Of some messengers We have already told thee the story; of others We have not;---and to Moses Allah spoke direct;---

165 Messengers who gave good news as well as warnings, that mankind, after (the coming) of the messengers, should have no plea against Allah: For Allah is

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Exalted in Power, Wise. Holy Quran 4: 163 to 165 The Women

13 The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah---the which We have sent by inspiration to thee---and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely that ye should remain steadfast in Religion, and make no divisions therein: To those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).

Holy Quran 42 : 13 The Consul

One important point to note in the first few verses is the mention of the Prophet Abraham, a father-head, who is revered by the Jews, Christians and Muslims alike but it is only the Muslims who are his true followers. The other two faiths possess nothing of the Prophet Abraham now except his blessed name. They have both invented their own religions namely the Judaism and the Christianity. The latter is much more closer to the ideas of St. Paul than the true teachings of the Prophet Jesus Christ (pbuh) and his faithful disciples. Even the Christian scholars have acknowledged it.1

50 But if they hearken not to thee, know that they only follow their own lusts: And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance from Allah? For Allah guides not people given to wrong-doing.

Holy Quran 28 : 50 The Story

According to the traditions there came some one hundred and twenty four thousand Prophets in different parts of the world in different times. They had no communication facilities of television, telephone, radio or newspapers. They had no means of transport either apart from the riding animals. A Prophet in the East had no chance to get in touch with a Prophet in the West to know his ideas. Yet their Message was the same. Distance of space and time had made no difference to the basic contents of their teachings. They educated their respective people with an absolute confidence of sure knowledge. Prophet after Prophet comes and says the same thing with all the commanding emphasis:

Listen O people! I have seen the Reality; your limited knowledge cannot comprehend it; trust me; I am telling you the truth; it is not my knowledge but it is revealed to me by the Mighty One to pass it on to you; I do not ask anything in return; my reward is with my God; I only wish your welfare both here and in the Hereafter; repent and return to Allah; my whole life is in front of you and you know very well that I have never told a lie in my life, then how can I tell a lie against Allah Who is ever so Watchful and Knower of everything. So fear Allah and obey me.

This is the major theme on the part of the Prophets which runs, consistently, through the pages of the Holy Book. There are too many verses to quote but the interested 1 See the Encyclopaedia Britannica: under Christianity and Trinity, year 2003

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reader may refer to Holy Quran: 11 (Hud) and Holy Quran: 26 (Al-Shuara) for special reference.

All the Prophets, without exception, feared the weight of this heavy responsibility, because the fate of their people - salvation or damnation on the Day of Judgment - depended on its scrupulous execution. They were more grieved in the face of rejection than a father who cannot help his stranded child on the top floor of a burning house. Nations, unmindful of God, not only ridiculed the Prophets but also persecuted them for telling the truth which they did not like.

As an analogy, imagine the response of a people in the distant past to an astronaut of today who goes back (hypothetically speaking) in time and says to them:

Listen O people! I have been to the moon in person; I have come from a world where people talk with each other with ease from a distance of several thousand miles; where live events are instantly transmitted and seen on a small screen from one continent to another; where babies are produced in test-tubes; where heart transplant is a routine operation; where huge machines fly like a bird with tremendous speeds, carrying hundreds of people on board; where missiles and lasers can destroy the enemy although it may be thousands of miles away etc.

What do you think the reaction of those people will be? Will they ridicule him or lock him up or even persecute him for spreading mischief? After all it is not so long ago when such truthful people were used to be burnt alive on the stakes in the West. Remember the Renaissance Movement and the Inquisition Courts?

It is an astonishing act of forbearance on the part of the Prophet Noah (pbuh) who preached for several centuries with very little success and yet he continued his mission with the same determination to the end! What kept him going? Was he looking for honours and rewards? Certainly not, because no worldly reward is worth the humiliating persecution for so long! Were the Prophets insane? Again the answer is no. In fact, they were the most enlightened group of people ever created on the face of the earth. Scholars spend their entire life to understand the wisdom behind the Prophetic injunctions that are not only perfect but are also independent of space and time. They were the most truthful, trustworthy, selfless and God-fearing people created for the benefit of mankind. Ironically, they were also the most persecuted souls just because they revealed the truth that people did not like.

These pure souls, no matter wherever they were, went through an agonising ordeal and some of them were even killed for their divine cause but they still maintained an absolute forbearance. Why did they care so much for the Message and why did they stand so firm against so much opposition in every land and among every nation? The honest answer is only one: they were absolutely certain of the Reality that was revealed to them; and furthermore they were commanded by the Lord of the universe, Himself, to communicate it to mankind without any fear and reservation. They did not have any choice but to obey their Lord. This is one of the common denominators among all the Prophets without a single exception.

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Read the following verses carefully and see how the "Inner Cabinet", as it were, of the Kingdom of God works. Some of the verses have layers of mysteries that are far beyond the imagination.

1 Glory to (Allah) Who did take His Servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,---in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things).

Holy Quran 17: 1 The Children of Israel1 By the Star when it goes down--

2 Your Companion is neither astray nor mislead,

3 Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire.

4 It is no less than inspiration sent down to him:

5 He was taught by one Mighty in Power,

6 Endued with Wisdom: for he appeared (in stately form)7 While he was in the highest part of the horizon:8 Then he approached and came closer,9 And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer;10 So did (Allah) convey the inspiration to His Servant--(conveyed) what He

(meant) to convey.11 The (Prophet's) (mind and) heart in no way falsified that which he saw.12 Will ye then dispute with him concerning what he saw?13 For indeed he saw him at a second descent,14 Near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass:15 Near it is the Garden of Abode.16 Behold, the Lote-tree was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable!)17 (His) sight never swerved, nor did it go wrong!18 For truly did he see, of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest!

Holy Quran 53 : 1 to 18 The Star

75 So also did We show Abraham the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth, that he might (with understanding) have certitude.

Holy Quran 6 : 75 The Cattle

11 But when he came to the fire, a voice was heard: "O Moses!12 "Verily I am thy Lord! Therefore (in My presence) put off thy shoes: thou art in

the sacred valley Tuwa.13 "I have chosen thee. Listen, then, to the inspiration (sent to thee).14 "Verily, I am Allah: There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), and establish

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regular prayer for celebrating My praise.

15 "Verily the Hour is coming---My design is to keep it hidden---for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its Endeavour.

16 "Therefore let not such as believe not therein but follow their own lusts, divert thee therefrom, lest thou perish!"

24 "Go thou to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds.44 "But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear (Allah)."

Holy Quran 20 : 11 to 16 and 24 & 44 TA-HA

26 "He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries---

27 "Except a messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him,

28 "That he may know that they have (truly) brought and delivered the Messages of their Lord: And He surrounds (all the mysteries) that are with them, and takes account of every single thing."

Holy Quran 72 : 26, 27, 28 The Spirits

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A PROPHET FOR ALL TIMES

The dawn of the seventh century C.E. saw a colossal event that literally changed the course of history of the world for ever for good. Mankind was ready, culturally as well as mentally, to receive the Final Reminder from the Heavens. God revealed the same Message but this time in its entirety and for the last time for the benefit of the whole humanity. An Arabian Prophet was chosen on this glorious occasion for the Office of Prophethood. Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last in line or the "Seal of the Prophets" as he is called in the Holy Quran, was assigned this heavy responsibility to establish the Kingdom of God on earth by inviting the entire mankind for all the time to come.

He was unlettered in the literal sense of the word: no schooling of any kind, and no skills of reading or writing either. This is yet another Sign from God of His wonderful works where He picks up an unlettered man in order to educate the entire humanity for all the time to come. The Holy Quran submits it as a clear testimony for the genuine revelation of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In fact it is a living miracle for all those who seriously reflect on the affairs of human life.

48 And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hands: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.

49 Nay, here are Signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge: And none but the unjust reject Our Signs.

Holy Quran 29 : 48, 49 The Spider

He lived among a people, who although brave and hospitable, yet believed in "might is right"; where temporal and spiritual chaos was the norm of the day; where daughters were buried alive for shame; where every evil flourished; where no Warner had come before. Despite this, he was respected and loved by all his people for his compassion, generosity and honesty. They used to call him Al-Sadiq (The Truthful) and Al-Amin (The Trustworthy) for his unblemished life long time before he was called to the Office of Prophethood. He looked so distinct in the chaotic tribal Arabia and yet there was nothing extraordinary about him until the appointed time. It was a time also when the

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Persian and the Roman Empires, the two Super Powers, were busy in butchering each other. Humanity, as a whole, was degraded to its lowest level.

History testifies that he was never heard, even by his closest associates and family, to talk about on any kind of metaphysical subjects until the time of the Prophethood at the age of forty. A quiet man of an excellent character, amidst his utterly undisciplined and uncouth pagan people, suddenly burst into an effusion of supreme ideas of an unprecedented beauty, both in content and form that was never seen or heard in the world before or ever since. The occasion was a lonely cave in a mountain called Hira, outside Makkah where he used to retreat for spiritual peace and where on one blessed night during the month of Ramadan (the month of Fast) the Archangel Gabriel brought the very first Message for mankind from the Lord of the universe. This unexpected encounter with a being other than human and even that with an angel from the Lord God, shook Muhammad (pbuh) to the foundations of his soul. This is what had happened to Moses (pbuh) on the Mount Sinai, on the first occasion, where he was caught unaware by the Grace of God. However, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) soon recovered from this dazzling experience as he eventually realised what had happened. This was followed by a series of revelations like a monsoon rain for the rest of his life.

He declared the Message to his people and told them that those were not his own words but the Words of God, Who revealed to him in the same manner as He did to Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and many other Prophets (pbut) in the distant past. He was persecuted by his own people for more than twenty three years for telling the Truth. The irony is that they still admitted that he was Truthful and Trustworthy. They used to say: "We do not say that you are a liar but your Message about raising the dead on the Day of Resurrection and the account of the souls on the Day of Judgment is a pack of lies because it is not possible". It was a familiar situation which every Prophet faced in the past. He went through an ordeal which would break any man. His sufferings bring tears even to the stone-hard man. But it was the Will of God that His Last Prophet should succeed in the Divine Mission to establish the Kingdom of God in his own life time. He succeeded in a manner which is the only one of its kind in the entire human history.

When we study the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with the help of the Holy Quran and the Hadith, we feel as if we are watching the very events unfolding before our own eyes in all their detail; it is as if we are part of that panoramic scene; we witness the conflict between the Truth and Falsehood with our own presence; our souls breathe that very atmosphere; distance of space and time hinder us no more.

Here we find a complete balance and harmony in life itself, as it were, at its best. He is also known as the "Walking Quran" as he adopted all the teachings of the Holy Book into his own practical life. He practiced to the perfection whatever he preached. Education and purification of his followers went side by side in his blessed company. Almost every deed or a word uttered by the Prophet is scientifically collected and faithfully recorded by his galaxy of companions and their followers in the Hadith Books. "Muhammad lived, preached, and died in the full light of history" as some Western writer puts it. 2 No man has ever lived whose life is recorded in such a faithful intimate detail as the life of the Messenger of God (pbuh). This is yet another Sign and Mercy

2     ? Farah, Caesar E., Islam---Beliefs and Observances , p.3 , Baron's Educational Series.

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from God for the believers so that they may follow the Sunnah (the Path) of the Prophet with full confidence and satisfaction.

21 Ye have indeed in the Messenger of God a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for any one whose hope is in God and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of God.

Holy Quran 33 : 21 The Confederate

He is the only man in the history of mankind who towers above all in imparting with the purest knowledge and who has been constantly influencing humanity for the last fourteen hundred years. He is influencing the lives of even those who do not know him through his indirect teachings. No aspect of human life, whether it is spiritual or temporal, has remained untouched without his sublime influence. He is the one who taught mankind how to live a balanced life. It is he who showed how to fuse the temporal and spiritual life in a perfect harmony to attain felicity in both the worlds.

An Educator, a Ruler, a Commander, a Reformer, a Father, a Husband, a Friend, a Philosopher, an Economist, a Historian, a Sociologist, a Perfect Reader of human nature, a Legislator, an Administrator, a Judge, a Statesman, a Thinker, a Humble Shepherd of people, a True Servant of God, a Forgiver who never took revenge for his own person even from his worst enemies, a Forbearer, a Warner, a Bearer of Good News, a Saviour...and many more attributes are rolled into one giant personality of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with the best ever standards. History confirms it all with humility.

Whatever good we see around in the world, flows from the Fountain of the Prophets and more so from Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, because his Message is alive and intact. He is rightly called in the Holy Quran the blessing for all the worlds. There is no more Prophet to come from God but only saints, reformers and thinkers.

40 Muhammad is not the father of any of your man, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: And Allah has full knowledge of all things.

Holy Quran 33: 40 The Confederates

The principles that he gave are universal. They have always produced fruitful results, no matter wherever and whenever they have been applied on human life. There is not even a single case of failure. This is indeed beyond man to design such a perfect system without the help of God Who is the Fountain-Head of all knowledge. Many of his principles whether they deal with the aspects of law, family life, inheritance, justice, economics, ablution, politics, worship, peace, war, or his guidelines for the inter-personal and international relationships, have influenced the entire mankind. Nations have adopted his principles according to their own vision of life without even being aware of their source.

Humanity owes a lot to this man. He is far above the prejudices of race, colour

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and national boundaries. He is a man who belongs to all for all belong to him. A true universal heritage; A Prophet for all times.

28 And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to all mankind; but most of mankind know not.

Holy Quran 34: 28 Saba

107 We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures.

Holy Quran 21: 107 The Prophets

86 Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this (Quran), nor am I a pretender.

87 "This is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds.

88 "And ye shall certainly know the truth of it (all) after a while."

Holy Quran 38: 86,87, 88 SAD

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HOLY QURAN: THE HERALD OF TRUTHS

The Divine Revelation continued for twenty three years and is preserved in the Holy Quran. The Word of God is not only intact in its pure form but is also free from any human interpolations unlike the previous heavenly Books. The talks and deeds of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) are also faithfully recorded in the Hadith Books but they are kept separate from the Quran. They are distinctly different from the Quranic Revelation in style, diction, beauty, rhythm and terseness. It is yet another proof to the Origin of the Divine Message which is in the purest and clearest Arabic language.

192 Verily this is a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds:

193 With it came down The Spirit of Faith and Truth---

194 To thy heart and mind, that thou mayest admonish

195 In the perspicuous Arabic tongue.

196 Without doubt it is (announced) in the mystic Books of former peoples.

197 Is it not a Sign to them that the Learned of the Children of Israel knew it (as true).

Holy Quran 26 : 192 to 197 The Poets

God has completed His Final argument and favour upon humanity by sending His Last Prophet with the Holy Quran which is based not only on pure knowledge but also contains the cream of all the previous heavenly Books plus much more detailed teachings that encompass the entire human life; from personal ablution to international treaties on peace and war, and from an individual to collective social and spiritual guidance. It is the Final Message for the entire mankind with no more Reminders to come from the heavens.

3 ...This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion AL-ISLAM...

Holy Quran 5: 3 The Table Spread

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It is a Book of Guidance for man which flows from the Fountain of All the Truths. It is the Quran that has exonerated the biblical Prophets such as Lot, Aaron, David and Solomon whose blessed names were blemished by the Bible writers for their own reasons and it is also the Quran that gives the True teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon them all).

There is a good deal of scientific data scattered around in the Quran for mankind to reflect on the Signs of God. The accurate description in the Holy Book of a number of phenomena of scientific nature has confounded many people in recent times. Many disciplines of modern sciences are confirming with amazement the revelations of scientific nature in the Quran. But Quran does not need their confirmation; it is they who need guidance from the Quran. The purpose of such information in the Holy Book is to give man an opportunity to ponder upon the Wonders of God in order to return to Him in complete submission.

The Holy Quran encourages man to explore the hidden treasures of the heavens and the earth for the service of God. The knowledge of material sciences and their development is part of that service. God does not need the treasures for Himself - they are His in any way - but He wants man to use them not for his own lust and greed but for the benefit of the whole mankind according to His Commandments. He wants man to understand the spirit of reality that binds the whole creation together in an absolute equilibrium and then strive to harmonise himself with it to achieve nearness to God. In a sense, Nature is Islam and Islam is Nature.

30 So set thy face steadily and truly to the Faith: (Establish) Allah's handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: No change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah: that is the standard Religion: But most among mankind understand not.

Holy Quran 30: 30 The Romans

The Book will keep on revealing its secrets, as promised by God, with the passage of time.

53 We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things.

Holy Quran 41: 53 HA-MIM Al-Sajdah or Fussilat

However the real purpose of the Holy Quran is far above the material sciences. Its subject is man. It deals with matter as well as metaphysics but only to the extent that is essential for man to know so that he may lead a balanced and harmonious life. It guides and answers all the questions about man in a most illuminating and satisfactory way.

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What is man? Why he is here and what is his destiny? What is life and what is its purpose and how does he achieve it? How should he relate with others and the society and what is his relationship with God and the rest of the creation? What is the best way to attain felicity and nearness to God? What is the meaning of free-will and rebellion? What is freedom?

The Holy Quran rejects dichotomy between the secular and spiritual life. It fuses both together in a meaningful way. The importance and usefulness of secular knowledge cannot be denied for the development of human civilisation. Man has been accumulating this knowledge for thousands of years. But this is not the knowledge with capital K. The right word for it is Information and it is of relative nature3. Two thousand years ago we had far less Information than what we have today and who knows what libraries of Information are stored for us in the next two thousand years. As a matter of fact, the Real and Pure Knowledge is the one that is revealed by God through His Prophets. This Knowledge has remained the same without any so called "progressive development" since the time of Adam, the first Prophet of God (pbuh). It is just as true now as it was then and it will remain so for all the time to come. The Holy Quran is the latest and the Final Reminder containing this pure knowledge. It is par excellence in its form and contents without a speck of conjecture in it. The reason is simple: the Sender of this Book is the One Who encompasses everything to its last detail from eternity to eternity.

52 For We had certainly sent unto them a Book, based on knowledge, which We explained in detail,--a guide and a mercy to all who believe.

Holy Quran 7: 52 The Heights

The Holy Quran has set a perfect criterion to judge the worth of a person in terms of being Knowledgeable or Ignorant. Those who fear God are knowledgeable and those who don't are ignorant. In other words, those who have no reverential fear of God, although they may have a string of academic degrees after their names and may be the best brains on two legs, are certainly ignorant in the sight of the Quran. Likewise, those who fear God most although they may be unlettered in an academic sense are the most knowledgeable persons according to the Quran. It is the Knowing of the Reality and the Realisation of one's own position in the order of creation that tantamount to Real Knowledge.

1 A.L.R. A Book which We have revealed unto thee, in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light--by the leave of their Lord to the Way of (Him) the Exalted in power, worthy of all praise!---

3 See for more detail: “Modern Learning Theories and the Learning in Islam”, an assignment paper written in 1989 for the Westminster University, London by the author.

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Holy Quran 14: 1 Abraham

28 ...Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants, who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.

Holy Quran 35:28 The Originator of Creation

9 Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord--(like one who does not)? Say: "Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.

Holy Quran 39: 9 The Crowds

Secular scholars with little or no interest in religion, pursue their investigations without any reference to God as if they feel ashamed to mention His Holy Name in their work. They want to find the truth without His help and guidance. Although they come across many wonders in their scientific research, yet they would explain away these "miraculous manifestations" in evolutionary terms or in some other way instead of reminding themselves of a Mighty Designer. They see many eye-opening portents with their own two eyes but fail to see the Divine Light behind them. Their two ears fail to hear the Divine Rhythm which is beating in the heart of every atom. It is all because their inner eye has gone blind and their heart has become deaf to the Compelling Call of the Only Reality. They are, indeed, engulfed in the tidal waves of deep ignorance. The irony is they are not only unaware of this glaring Ignorance but are rather proud of their temporal achievements. It is this indifferent attitude towards the Beckoning Call of the Reality that is shaping the life of people in our time. The more "advanced or civilised" a nation is, the further away it is from that Call.

39 But the Unbelievers,--their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: And Allah is swift in taking account.

40 Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: Depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!

Holy Quran 24: 39, 40 The Light

These splendid verses clearly point out as a matter of principle that secular knowledge (Information!) without the Divine Light leads nowhere except to the abysmal of Ignorance regardless of how advanced that knowledge is or how clever its possessors are or how sophisticated their civilisation is.

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Knowledge, in Islam, flows from the Divine Source and ultimately returns to it. All the branches of knowledge, scientific or otherwise, are inter-related with one another like the branches of a tree. The tree gets its nourishment from the Divine Wisdom that runs through its roots and leaves. It is in Islam where the material sciences (or the things at a lower plane) not only learn manners but also transcend, as it were, to higher intuitional dimensions. Perhaps it is the realm of intuition which is the ultimate of material sciences but we do not fully understand it due to our secular conditioning. However, this is a state from where the Light of Reality holds the hand of a believer and leads him to the One to Whom is the Final Return of all. A believer is always aware of his disposition in the natural order of creation and so his soul is at peace. He finds no dichotomy between material and spiritual, soul and body, and sacred and secular but a perfect harmony of the whole cosmic order.

On the other hand, knowledge, in secular societies, flows from the secular universities or such institutions and ultimately returns to them by travelling, always, on the same crooked "earthly plane", shaping behind it a kind of life that has no choice but to "cling to the earth". This "knowledge" has neither the foresight nor the wisdom nor, in fact, the capacity to leap out of its secular conditioning in order to realise the higher dimensions although man is innately aware of these inner areas of his life.

Modern way of life has not only cut man off from his spiritual life-line but has also created a false image in his mind of his own power and knowledge. He has become a kind of demigod to rule and exploit matter as he wills. He is disposed to a position which does not belong to him like a wrong piece of a jigsaw puzzle. The result, as one would expect, is a grand disorder at every level of his miserable life. Fear and uncertainty of the future together with a large scale degeneration of moral values have brought out all his beastly desires to the surface to gnaw the earth and his own fellow-beings with no mercy. His secular world view, dictated and conditioned by the material progress, has produced a giant spiritual vacuum that has found nothing to be filled with except with more fears and uncertainties. New cults and the revival of pagan beliefs, in modern "enlightened times", is an indicator to this awareness although it is shrouded in yet more ignorance than the true light of knowledge. Let us return to the Holy Book for some reflections.

179 Many are the Jinn’s and men We have made for Hell: They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle,--nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning).

Holy Quran 7: 179 The Heights

57 O mankind! there hath come to you a direction from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts,--and for those who believe, a Guidance and a Mercy.

58 Say: "In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy,--in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard.

Holy Quran 10: 57, 58 Jonah

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1 A.L.R. (This is) a Book, with verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning), further explained in detail,--from One Who is Wise and Well-Acquainted (with all things).

Holy Quran 11: 1 Hud

82 We send down (stage by stage) in the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe: to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss.

Holy Quran 17: 82 The Children of Israel

51 And is it not enough for them that We have sent down to thee the Book which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is Mercy and a Reminder to those who believe.

Holy Quran 29: 51 The Spider

2 This is the Book; in it is guidance, sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah.

Holy Quran 2: 2 The Heifer

113 Thus have We sent this down--an Arabic Quran--and explained therein in detail some of the warnings, in order that they may fear Allah, or that it may cause their remembrance (of Him).

Holy Quran 20: 113 TA-HA

51 But verily it is Truth of assured certainty.

Holy Quran 69: 51 The Sure Reality

2 The revelation of the Scripture whereof there is no doubt is from the Lord of the Worlds.

Holy Quran 32: 2 The Prostration

The Holy Quran invites the entire mankind to come and reflect upon its divine teachings that clearly distinguish between the Truth and Falsehood in a divine manner that appeals the true human nature. It asks them to judge its Message with an open mind. It persuades them with a gentle touch to understand it first rather than to accept it blindly. Whoever accepts it does so for one’s own good.

The Divine Book challenges openly that it has brought nothing but Truth that will remain unchallenged forever. Incidentally, as a point of interest, whatever has been discovered during the last fourteen hundred years as a "scientific fact" has conformed to the Quranic reflections. Water and wind cycles, botany, embryology, astronomy, formation of the cosmos are some of the examples. Its claim will remain true without any doubt in the future too as Falsehood can never be able to challenge it.

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The most terrifying thing for the doubters of the Holy Book ought to be that what will happen if what the Quran says is the Truth especially concerning the “Life After Death and the Day of Judgment”.

It is not a happy prospect for the majority of mankind - past, present and the future - which would rather prefer to forget about it for its own preoccupations or pre-conceived ideas. The thundering warnings by the Divine Book are, however, very explicit for the entire mankind.

10 Say: "See ye if the (Revelation) is (really) from Allah, and yet do ye reject it?

Holy Quran 46 : 10 The Winding Sand-Tracts

41 Those who reject the Message when it comes to them (are not hidden from Us). And indeed it is a Book of exalted power.

42 No falsehood can approach it from before or from behind it: It is sent down by One Full of Wisdom, Worthy of all Praise.

52 Say: "See ye if the (Revelation) is (really) from Allah, and yet do ye reject it? Who is more astray than one who is in a schism far (from any purpose)?"

53 Soon will We show them Our Signs on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things?

54 Ah indeed! are they in doubt concerning the Meeting with their Lord? Ah indeed! it is He that doth encompass all things!

Holy Quran 41 : 41,42,...52, 53, 54 HA-MIM Al-Sajdah or Fussilat

And finally read the following verses with yet more warnings with a 'Certainty of Knowledge' about that 'Sure Reality' which is only a breath away. These terse verses are charged with stunning effects.

1 The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things).

2 Until ye visit the graves.

3 But nay, ye soon shall know (the reality).

4 Again, ye soon shall know!

5 Nay, were ye to know with certainty of mind, (ye would beware!)

6 Ye shall certainly see Hell-fire!

7 Again, ye shall see it with certainty of sight!

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8 Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in)!

Holy Quran 102 : 1 to 8 Piling Up

THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP IN ISLAM

In the Western type of democracies, Sovereignty belongs to people unlike in Islam where it belongs to God alone. It is the people who are the real Sovereign to rule over the subjects. But strangely enough it is the same people who are the subjects too! So who rules over who and how? It is a paradox to which the jurists and politicians have found no satisfactory answer apart from some cosmetic definitions of the word 'people'. It goes something like this: People as a collective body never die. They are a kind of "immortal body". Then there are people who are born and then die. The former is the Sovereign and the latter is the Subject although both are the same in reality. However, the Sovereign people, once elected, make their efforts to fulfil the aims and desires of the Subject people. If the majority of people are in favour of fornication, gambling, alcohol, usury, homosexuality etc. in the name of freedom, then it becomes the law of the land, no matter what God, His Prophets and the heavenly Books say about these acts. In other words, peoples’ capricious desires are obeyed rather than the Commandments of God. So an action which is 'unlawful' today may become 'lawful' tomorrow and vice versa, reflecting the trend and temperament of a nation of the time. But this is not what we find in the immutable laws of nature, otherwise the whole creation would be in a chaotic corrupted state.

71 If the Truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth, and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay, We have sent them their admonition, but they turn away from their admonition.

Holy Quran 23 : 71 The Believers

OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND HIS PROPHET

Nowadays the meaning of worship is, generally, understood to perform, in a place of worship, some set rituals in a particular manner at certain times or on certain days. As soon as the worshippers come out of their holy places, they return to their daily business without mixing business with their worship. In secular societies the worship and practical life are, generally, poles apart. But in Islam, the concept of worship goes far beyond.

God is One and Alone. There is nothing like unto Him in the entire creation. He is the Beginning and the End. All affairs descend from Him and return to Him for disposal

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because all belong to Him. This is the pure Tawhid (the Oneness of God) and this is the very mystery for which the Prophets of Allah came to this little province of His creation to unfold and teach its true meaning to man, the vicegerent of Allah so that he could regulate his temporal and spiritual affairs with his own free-will in tune with the Will of his Sovereign Lord.

In Islam, God is not just the Sovereign Lord to be just worshipped in religious terms but He is the Sovereign Ruler in legal and political terms as well. The Holy Quran together with Hadith (acts and sayings of Prophet Muhammad) is the foundation of Islamic Law that covers the entire spectrum of day-to-day Islamic life. So there is no paradox here, unlike the Western-style democracies, of who rules over whom. Man's authority over the rest of creation is not his own but belongs to his Sovereign Ruler Who has delegated him just a tiny portion of it for practical reasons to accomplish his purpose of life on this planet for his own good. When he follows his purpose conscientiously, he is at peace but when he transgresses his bounds, he is at war both within and without.

Religious obligations such as the regular Zakah (poor-due), Ramadan (one month's fasting every year), Pilgrimage to Makkah once in a life time if possible, but especially the Five daily prayers, are merely a kind of highlighted spiritual reminders to one's own self from God. In reality, every moment of a Momin's (Believer) life is worship till his last breath.

285 The Messenger believeth what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His Messenger. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His messengers". And they say : "We hear and we obey: (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."

Holy Quran 2: 285 The Heifer

21 Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah.

Holy Quran 33: 21 The Confederates

This is in line with the Commandment of God where a believer walks in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) whose code of conduct is preserved in its finest detail for all the time to come. It is not our aim to discuss the Islamic political system as it is outside the scope of this work but a few words may be useful to understand the concept of worship in Islam.

54 Say: "Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger: but if ye turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him and ye for that placed on you. If ye obey him. ye shall be on right guidance. The Messenger's duty is only to preach the clear (Message).

Holy Quran 24: 54 The Light

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36 It is not befitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision: If any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path.

Holy Quran 33: 36 The Confederates

59 O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.

Holy Quran 4: 59 The Women

The first two verses express the core of obedience where the Ultimate Authority lies in the hands of God Who, for practical reasons, appoints his Prophet to teach mankind His Message. Prophet does what God commands him to do through revelation. Therefore the obedience of the Prophet is the obedience of God Himself. A believer follows the Prophet in submission to the Will of God.

The third verse is understood as follows. There is no option but to obey God and His Prophet as a Final Authority. After this, the obedience of those who are in authority is also essential provided they obey God and His Prophet. The authority as such covers the entire spectrum of practical life: from a father who looks after his family to the president of a nation who takes care of his people. In fact, any person who has the power of decision in any matter, must obey God and His Prophet to secure the obedience of the believers. If those who are in authority deviate from the Straight Path, they, automatically, disqualify themselves to be obeyed. "There is no obedience in the disobedience of God and His Prophet" is one of the fundamental principles of Islam.

However, differences of opinion occur in practical affairs of life. In the case of a dispute, the matter is referred to God and His Prophet which, effectively, means the solution is sought in the verses of the Holy Quran and in the Sunnah (Way of Life) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). If any precedent is found then it is applied. But if no precedent or parallels are found, then the pious learned who are not only well-grounded in the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Prophet but who also have a deep insight in human affairs, use the methods of Ijtihaad (Interpretation of the Islamic Law) to find an answer that conforms with the Holy Book and which is within the boundaries set by God and His Prophet.

If nothing is found, then this "silence" means that the believers are free to devise their own rules and regulations as long as they are not conflicting or contrary to the overall spirit of Islam. Thus the Law of Allah marches with time and for all the time to come.

This has nothing to do with the Western idea of Theocracy where the religious leaders design their own laws and then present them to their people as God's Commandments

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in His Holy Name. This is an extremely important point to realise, because the former is God-made and the latter is man-made. But thanks to the blurred secular philosophies and sciences and their adherents both in the East and West who confuse these two opposing ideas as one and the same.

GENERAL ASPECTS OF A MOMIN'S LIFE

23 Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour.

24 And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."

Holy Quran 17: 23, 24 The Children of Israel

Very powerful verses! A Momin looks after his parents, not just because they brought him up with tender care and love but because it is the divine commandment to do so. This is worship. He goes to his wife not merely for sexual pleasure but for the purpose of procreation, and then he brings up his offspring in a virtuous way to fill the earth with righteous people. This is worship. He removes harmful objects from the common path (such as banana skin) because he does not wish the creatures of God to get hurt accidentally. This is worship. He greets people, even his enemies, with a smile and loves his neighbours not that he, occasionally, borrows from them their lawn-mower for his garden, but because it is his divine duty. This is worship. He keeps his body, his clothes, and his home clean and tidy, not because he is fussy about cleanliness but rather God loves purity and cleanliness. This is worship. As far as possible, he does his jobs with his own hands as it is only just and fair but also to demean his hidden pride in order to attain humility, and God loves humble souls. This is worship.

He spends his wealth, if rich, in the cause of God without any restraint. He helps the poor, the needy, the orphans, the widows, not just out of compassion, or that he wishes to be talked of his generosity, or that he wants to satisfy his ego or that he wants to earn a good place in the society, but because he believes the needy have a lawful share in his "entrusted" wealth which he is returning to them with relief and thanks. This is worship.

19 And in their wealth and possessions (was remembered) the right of the (needy), him who asked, and him who (for some reason) was prevented (from asking).

Holy Quran 51 : 19 The Winnowing Winds

If he is destitute, then his patience, which is a virtue to him, reminds one, the patience

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of Prophet Job (pbuh). However, his help is always at hand with his body and soul. This is worship. His sleep is worship because he is comforting his tired body which is given to him by God as a trust.

He may reach the stars in material sciences, and he may have the treasures of the earth under his wings but they are all kept in their proper place; they are seen through the eyes of a believer as a trust; they are used for the good pleasure of God for the benefit of mankind and not for the base desires and selfish aims. No matter in which capacity a Momin is, - a judge, a soldier, a labourer, a businessman, a teacher, a ruler, a scientist, a doctor, a pauper…, - every moment of his life, he believes, is bestowed upon him as a Trust and so he must, diligently, spend it in the service of God. This is worship.

Now let us look at worship from another angle, through the parts of our body and see how they are used in the context of worship and Trust. A Momin uses his feet to walk on the Straight Path of God rather than dusting the hedonic back-lanes in order to wake up the sleepers who may be unmindful to their Lord's remembrance. He uses his hands to give the dues and takes only what is just and right. He uses his ears to listen to the things that are pleasing to God rather than listening to the vain talks. He uses his eyes to right the wrongs and lowers his glances from temptations. He uses his tongue to speak the truth and to glorify God and forbids it from telling lies and back-biting. He restrains his base desires as one would do to a dog on a lead. His time at the dinner-table is worship too where he thanks God for providing food and drink. He even asks God's mercy to relieve him gently from the call of nature and this is no joke. One only has to look at a number of patients in any hospital who cannot relieve themselves naturally for some medical disorder. The Islamic concept of worship disciplines his manners, habits and attitudes to resonate with the Will of God. Worship, worship, worship, this is the best description of a Momin's life.

Momin is, after all, a human being. There are, indeed, occasions in his life when he deviates from the Straight Path for his human weaknesses. It is inevitable. But when it happens, he is quickly alarmed by his sharp, sensitive conscience that keeps a permanent guard over his affairs. It hurts him more than a mortal wound. He returns humbly, in repentance, for God's forgiveness and asks Him for more strength and guidance to help him to execute his duties as a vicegerent on the earth.

112 Those that turn (to Allah) in repentance; that serve Him, and praise Him; that wander in devotion to the Cause of Allah; that bow down and prostrate themselves in prayer; that enjoin good and forbid evil; and observe the limits set by Allah;---(these do rejoice). So proclaim the glad tidings to the Believers.

Holy Quran 9 : 112 Repentance

According to a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the highest level of worship is, when a person feels that he is "watching" God during his prayers. If he cannot achieve this, then he should know that God is watching him. But this is a lower level. The Ascension of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to the Heavens, where he saw some of the Greatest Signs of his Lord with full awareness and then, finally, he entered His Presence to receive important Commandments for mankind, provides an ultimate

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example of spiritual height and achievement.

The Yoga and similar forms of meditations are no more than minor spiritual exercises. It is an attempt to relate to the Ultimate Reality but without, really, attempting to understand the 'inter-relationship' with God. Some participants may be lost forever in the dazzling experiences without actually relating their souls with the Reality in a meaningful way. Similarly a person who is involved in the act of meditation is only concerned about himself. His daily or weekly worship at a certain appointed time may expose him to some inner peace, but more than often, his daily life in the context of his outside secular world may not be much different. If it is, then it can mean only one thing: he is living a kind of ascetic life instead of battling it out with the outside forces. He does not possess and cannot contain the Awareness of Reality at all times. It may come to him in glimpses for he does not comprehend the relationship and its nature with the Reality.

On the other hand, a Momin's life is a twenty four meditation. He understands not only his own disposition in the order of creation around him but also the nature of his relationship with the Ultimate Reality. Five daily prayers bring him only to the climax of his meditation. It is like re-charging of his spiritual battery at certain appointed times for his life-long worship.

He is stronger than a rock against all the evil forces and ideologies that disrupt and corrupt human life. But he is softer than a rose-petal for his fellow believers. If a thing is unlawful in the eyes of God, he will abstain from it and persuade others to do likewise regardless of mountains of temptations. Similarly, if it is lawful and pleasing to God, he will do it regardless of the consequences. He may loose everything, including his own life, in the hands of his persecutors but what an envious way to return the Trust of life back to Allah in His Cause. This is one of the greatest, perhaps, the greatest worships. See the following verse from the Holy Quran.

111 Allah hath purchased of the Believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise): They fight in His Cause, and slay and are slain: A promise binding on Him in Truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Quran: And who is more faithful to his Covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: That is the achievement supreme.

Holy Quran 9 : 111 Repentance

The Holy Bible alludes to this idea as well.

Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee? Hath he not made thee, and established thee?

Deuteronomy 32: 6

The practical implications of this Covenant are enormous for a believer. To become a slave of God is the best ever bargain. It frees him from the slavery of all. When the temptations and fears of others are replaced by the genuine love and fear of One True God in the heart and soul of a

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believing man, then he becomes the most free and the most fearless person on the face of the earth. He is tempted by nothing and is afraid of nothing and yet trembles on the remembrance of God. His head bows down to none but his Master. He stands firm against all the opposing forces of the world because he knows the Power of God is behind him. He will be the most brave, honest, faithful, dependable, trustworthy, patient, grateful, optimistic, helpful, kind, humble, virtuous,--- in short, the most honourable person on the face of the earth. He knows the Power belongs to God Who is the real Ruler and Master of them all. All the others are nothing but His slaves. It is He Who gives and takes away, for it is His to give and take away in the first place. When a Momin walks in the Cause of God, the entire creation walks with him to help.

26 Say: "O Allah! Lord of Power (and Rule), Thou givest Power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off Power from whom Thou pleasest, Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all Good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power.

Holy Quran 3 : 26 The Family of Imran

It is a state where the relationship between the Master and the Slave is at its best. It is a state where man joins in worship with the rest of creation with his own free-will. It is a state where the Will of the Master becomes the will of the slave and vice versa. It is a state where the soul of a believer pulsates with the rhythm of nature in perfect harmony.

THE PURPOSE OF MOMIN'S LIFE.

At this point, the purpose of man's life on earth finds its right term of reference. He is not here for a "good time" but for a specific job. He is here to serve his Master and persuade others to do the same because it is only just and right. He is here to observe the Divine Law, to spread the Good News, to warn those who have gone astray of the Coming of the Big Day and to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. Unlike the ascetics who watch the turmoil of daily life from the roof-tops of their monasteries, the Momin is right in the middle of market-places harmonising the secular and sacred.

When the Momin looks around, he finds the world filled with those who "rebel" against their own Master. A majority of mankind believes in God and the Hereafter as a faith but is mostly unmindful to translate this faith into their practical life. They are too busy in their worldly affairs to listen to the call of their true Master. It is as if they are on board a pleasure-cruise, ahead of which is a huge whirlpool to swallow the ship but they are not even aware of it. The Momin fears the severe consequences of this indifference in the Hereafter. He is restless for his soul is grieved. He cannot help but to warn them of the terrible consequences in their next life regardless of whether they listen or not. It is because it is his divine duty to warn others, for God is certainly going to ask him on the Day of Judgment that where was he and what did he do to stop his

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fellow-beings when he saw them worshipping idols, images and their own desires?

Islam teaches him tolerance. He persuades his fellow-beings, through all his gentle means, to stop abusing the Trust of God. He asks them to become honest and faithful bondmen of their Master and return, in repentance, to His service. For this is what their true nature demands of them. Some listen to him and some ignore but he goes on persevering regardless for this is his divine duty to which he cannot be neglectful.

THE REAL REBELS

The majority of people may be misguided but they may not, necessarily, be the rebels of their Master. However, there has always been a group of people in every age who rebel with a cause without any fear of the Hereafter. These are the one who mostly hold the reins of power in every age. Apart from exceptions, it is these who abuse the Trust of God without His fear. They not only mislead the humanity with tempting devices at a global scale, they also pillage the earth without any regard to its honour and chastity. Throughout the history, it is these who have dominated the masses although they have remained small in number.

They find Momin's ideas repulsive and very dangerous to their empires and secular ideologies. They do not want masses to serve God but rather to serve them. But man, by his fair nature, has an innate need to worship and so the masses are provided with thousands of gods in the form of ideas, images, mythologies, art forms, achievements, inventions, entertainments, possessions, and many more magical divinities that are pouring out of the womb of exploited matter. Read the following verse, in a powerful symbolic language, about the state of a person (or a nation) who indulges himself in the worship of his own fancies which, ultimately, break him into pieces.

31 ...if anyone assigns partners to Allah, he is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had swooped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a far-distant place.

Holy Quran 22 : 31 The Pilgrimage

Such leadership that leads societies has its own grand designs to rule over the masses. They are allergic to the revolutionary ideas of God's Prophets such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all). For this would mean the end of their empires and mastery over the world. But Momin stands on their way. The secular media calls him the 'extremist', the 'fanatic' and now they have coined yet another expression, the 'fundamentalist'. These misleading and sarcastic expressions are manufactured for the consumption of the masses to frighten them off Islam. This goes for many books, articles and, superficially, made documentaries about Islam too.

Such leadership has remained true to its "cause" in every age, and our time is no exception. Although they are very powerful and influential, they are afraid of Momin and his Message. Strange as it may seem that although they fight among themselves,

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they are all united against the cause of Momin with their mighty forces to obliterate him from the face of the earth. They know in their heart that if Momin were to succeed in his aims, he would cut off the roots of their rotten tree that bears nothing but fruits of misery and spiritual starvation for mankind. They fight him in the name of freedom, humanity and to protecting their particular lifestyles.

This is how the Holy Quran describes the feelings of these rebels when Moses and his brother Aaron (peace be upon them) were confronted by the Pharaoh and his court associates.

56 And We showed Pharaoh all Our Signs, but he did reject and refuse.57 He said: "Hast thou come to drive us out of our land with thy magic, O Moses?

58 "But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep--neither we nor thou--in a place where both shall have even chance."

59 Moses said: "Your tryst is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled when the sun is well up."

60 So Pharaoh withdrew: He concerted his plan, and then came (back).61 Moses said to him: "Woe to you! Forge not ye a lie against Allah, lest He destroy

you (at once) utterly by chastisement: The forger must suffer frustration!" 62 So they disputed, one with another, over their affair, but they kept their talk

secret.63 They said: "These two are certainly (expert) magicians: Their object is to drive

you out from your land with their magic, and to do away with your most cherished institutions.

64 "Therefore concert your plan, and then assemble in (serried) ranks: He wins (all along) today who gains the upper hand."

Holy Quran 20: 56 to 64 TA-HA

76 Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject faith fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.

Holy Quran 4: 76 The Women

But Momin knows very well that they are fighting only against their own true nature, for they do not know the Truth. He uses all his gentle means to show them the decadent side of their lifestyle and its eventual terrible consequences, both here and in the Hereafter.

1 By (the Token of) Time (through the Ages),2 Verily Man is in loss,3 Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the

mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

Holy Quran 103: 1, 2, 3 Time through the Ages

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But, instead of listening, the rebels of God start persecuting the Momin to put an end to his Message. This is where the real conflict starts. A Momin, by nature, cannot contain himself from spreading the Word of God. If he does that, he would be guilty of disobedience and dishonesty in the service and Trust of God. He must carry on in his mission regardless. When he finds no way to deliver the Message and is facing persecution for his noble cause, he picks up the sword, and yet again, not to teach them a lesson, but to defend and to make them understand the demands of their own true nature which they may have repressed for their own selfish aims. If they listen, then well and good, he leaves them alone after conveying the Word of their Lord. He uses no coercion to accept the Message for he knows the guidance comes only from God to those who seek it. But he will never let any power to persecute him or to stop him at knocking the door of a person's heart.

99 If it had been thy Lord's Will, they would all have believed,--all who are on earth! Wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!

Holy Quran 10 : 99 Jonah

256 Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.

Holy Quran 2 : 256 The Heifer

143 Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves.

Holy Quran 2 : 143 The Heifer

110 Ye are the best of People, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah...

Holy Quran 3 : 110 The Family of Imran

78 And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline), He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulty on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witness for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector---the Best to protect and the Best to help!

Holy Quran 22 : 78 The Pilgrimage

This magnanimous perseverance covers Momin’s entire life from the ritual worship to the battle-field, from bringing up his family in a God-fearing way to earn his lawful living. He will always put his "utmost efforts to accomplish a lawful task for the good pleasure of God rather than for his own personal desires". This is known as

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Jihad. Even getting up and leaving the warm bed in a freezing winter for dawn-prayer is Jihad. But the ignorant ones with their blurred minds call it the "holy war" to frighten off people from the light of Islam without even trying to understand its true nature and purpose on earth for the benefit of mankind.

2 Verily We created man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts) of Hearing and Sight.

3 We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).

Holy Quran 76 : 2, 3 Time or Man

62 Behold! Verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve; 63 Those who believe and (constantly) guard against evil;--64 For them are Glad Tidings, in the life of the Present and in the Hereafter: no

change can there be in the Words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme Felicity.65 Let not their speech grieve thee: for all power and honour belong to Allah: It is

He Who heareth and knoweth (all things).

Holy Quran 10 : 62 to 65 Jonah

It is the duty of Momin to bring real peace to the world. It is his task to free humanity from the unjust hands of the rebels of God. It is his divine call to convey to the astraying slaves of God, including the rebels, the Message of their Lord. It is his obligation to accomplish this uphill task through his tongue and pen and through his sword, if he is persecuted for his cause.

Momin needs the reins of power to bring the Kingdom of God on earth. Without it, the rebels would not let him accomplish his task effectively.

Thy Kingdom Come,Thy Will be Done,

This is what Jesus (pbuh) prayed for and this is what Muhammad (pbuh), his brother in faith and Prophethood, accomplished.

Islam does not aim to spread its influence to just one country or another, or one continent or two; it aims to spread its blessed wings over the entire planet so that the believers, no matter what colour or nationality they are, may accomplish the Will of God on earth. After all, the earth and everything on it belongs to only One Master, and no master likes his property to be abused. Islam is not interested in the domination of one particular race or colour over others, its aim is to bring all mankind into the slavery of Allah where all are equal in the Sight of their Lord except in piety.

32 Fain would they extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths, but Allah will not allow but that His light should be perfected, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).

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33 It is He Who hath sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it).

Holy Quran 9: 32, 33 Repentance

Any people, who neither accept the Message of Islam nor stand against it, may live in peace under its protection without any fear and with the full freedom of their personal laws. Islam - the God's Way - cannot be subjected to any man-made law. It is not in its dynamic nature to be subjected.

The people who enforce the Islamic Shariah may be white, black, yellow, brown or from any nation or nations as long as they are believers. Believing people choose the leaders according to their piety. If a non-believer becomes Muslim and then attains a high rank in righteousness he may command the entire Muslim world. The pages of Islamic history are witness to this, where the believing men, who were previously slaves, ruled over the Muslim lands. Believers are brothers to one another in faith regardless of their colour or race.

The expression of this fraternity may be seen in the ordinary social life and in the mosques around the world. The best example is provided in the annual Hajj (The Pilgrimage) where two to three million pilgrims gather in Makkah to perform their rituals. It is a ceremony which is four thousand years old. It was started by the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), the father of Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, after he had finished re-building the First House of God on the ancient ruins of Kabah in Makkah. According to the traditions, Kabah was first built on this site by the Prophet Adam - the first man – but later it was washed away in the Noah's Flood and remained so until the time of Prophet Abraham over four thousand years ago. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam which was strengthened by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Kings, presidents, rich, poor, whites, blacks, - people from all races and nations -, wrapped up in two un-stitched sheets of simple white cotton, stand shoulder to shoulder and prostrate together to pray to the Lord of the heavens and earth, with tears running down their faces in humility. It is a place where a stone-hard person cries like a baby. It is a house where every fibre of one's being is charged with Lord's Presence. It is a sight that dissolves all shades of prejudices. It is the universal fraternity and the worship of one True God at its best.

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