intolerable. They got very agitated. Finally, this resulted in a deadly riot. According to the Quran, what they should have instead done was to simply avoid reacting to the provocation and refrain from confrontation

treaty as a ‘clear victory’. Two years after this treaty, the whole of Arabia came under the sway of Islam. If Muslims were to act according to this above- mentioned Quranic verse, all of a sudden their history

CLOUDS OF DUKHAN (SMOKE) FROM EAST TO WESTIn another tradition, the Prophet of Islam mentioned ten indicators signaling the approach of Doomsday, one of the last being smoke (dukhan): Hudhaifa bin Usaid

punishment.” (The Quran, 44:10-11) The above Quranic verse and various traditions of the Prophet of Islam predict visible clouds of dukhan or smoke as one of the major signs of the coming of Doomsday. On

of Islam said, “Ask the fatwa from your heart”. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 18006) This hadith refers to intuition. Man faces problems over and over again. He does not have to ask any mufti (Islamic jurist)

regardless of whether others behave well to one or not. According to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam once observed: “Do not become imma‘a, that is, do not say that if people treat you well, you will

away from you, be good to those who harm you and forgive those who wrong you.” (Jami‘ al-Usul 9318) Islam advocates a superior form of moral code which entails being consistently good in one’s behaviour in

have to convey it to the person whom it might benefit. According to Abu Huraira, the Prophet of Islam once observed: “If someone reposes trust in you, you should repay that trust but if someone is guilty

treat him likewise.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1264) Repayment of trust is without doubt a very important Islamic commandment (Quran 23:8). If anyone has had a certain trust reposed in him, he should feel uneasy

amount to a closer adherence to the tenets of their own faith. Where they have actually deviated from Islam is in having allowed themselves to become a problem community. Their converting themselves into a

their true religion. Here, I should like to refer to certain relevant instances from the history of Islam.

the peace, established by nature, from disruption, two important injunctions have been laid down by Islam. One, at the individual level, stresses the exercise of patience, and the other, at the social level

one reacts negatively, the matter will escalate to the point of a head-on collision. That is why Islam repeatedly enjoins us to tread the path of patience. The Quran says: Surely the patient will be paid

war. No one in Islam enjoys the right to wage war against another. There are no grounds on which this could be considered justifiable. There is only one kind of war permitted in Islam and that is a defensive

A RELIGION OF NATURE Islam being a religion of nature, its teachings are based on simple principles of nature. When these principles are earnestly adhered to, the family becomes a cradle of peace and

and amity. Many details have been formulated by the jurists of Islam regarding the relationship between men and women. Here we are not concerned with legal details. I would like here to state only those

basic principles which are laid down in the Quran and the Hadith, which serve as the basis of the Islamic way of life. (Legal details are available in all the standard books, which may be consulted by anyone

But in practical life they were very far from Islam. There was nothing Islamic about them apart from the title of Muslims that they bore. They kept their Hindu names, like Nahar Singh and Bhup Singh; they

Hindus do; they worshipped idols, celebrated all the Hindu festivals and made sacrifices to the pre-Islamic gods and goddesses. Also, on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat they hoisted the flag of Sayyed Salar Ghazi

looting and other such base occupations. Small trifling matters led to prolonged wars such as the pre-Islamic Arab Bedouins had engaged in. They were a brave and sturdy people, but their lack of education and

(57:10) Any other course would lead to self destruction. If Muslims did not strive for the cause of Islam, they would not receive the divine blessing. It is for this reason that spending for the cause of

Aishah once intended to give stale meat in charity. Then the Prophet said: “You are giving in charity what you yourself cannot eat.” (Musnad Ahmad) 2. Whatever is given should be given with fear in