man’s realization of God, his Creator. He awakens in him the profound conscious discovery of the reality of the creature and the Creator, the servant and the Lord. Realization of God (maarifah) is the essence

essence of religion. The position of maarifah in God’s religion is that of the seed. Just as a seed grows gradually into a full tree, similarly maarifah shapes the entire personality of a person. Without

spirit. Maarifah of God means that man discovers God by deep pondering upon and contemplation of His signs rather than by rumination upon His being. The source of the realization of God is, in the words of

you so that you may fear God. (The Quran, 2:183) What does it mean to fear God, taqwa? Taqwa or fearing God means that man should acknowledge his helplessness vis-a-vis God’s greatness. When one fasts

realizes one’s own helplessness vis-à- vis God’s greatness. The truth is that the acknowledgement of one’s helplessness is the beginning of imaan. When a person realizes God, at that point, he is overwhelmed by

by the feeling of his helplessness, termed as ijz. Belief in God is, in fact, to discover this boundless greatness of God. And one who discovers this boundless greatness will be overwhelmed with the feeling

God and the Life HereafterCreation is in itself a proof of its Creator The universe is such a highly meaningful phenomenon that it is unthinkable that it could have come into existence without having

is not between the universe with God or the universe without God. No, indeed. The real choice is between the universe with God or no universe at all. If we say that God does not exist, then we are also

universe is too obvious a fact for us to deny its existence. So neither can we deny the existence of God. The Meaningful Universe Sir James Jeans once observed that the Creator of the universe was a mathematical

been called jihad—that is to say, making efforts to discover God, attain God-realisation, and search for ways to develop closeness with God. This jihad has no relation with war or confrontation. 2. In

the cause of God. It says: “The believers are only those who have faith in God and His Messenger and then doubt not, but strive, hard with their wealth and their persons for the cause of God. Such are the

the truthful ones.” (49:15) According to this verse, to spend one’s wealth in God’s path is an act of jihad. 3. Likewise, the Quran says: “…do not yield to those who deny the truth, but strive with the

The Heavenly Traveller God requires man to offer up his wealth for God’s sake. In return, He has promised man salvation in the next world. Man evades his responsibilities, excusing himself on the grounds

be availed of to please his Lord. The stumbling blocks which hinder a person in real submission to God are, in fact, openings for spiritual enlightenment. They provide him with opportunities for real progress

path to God. God’s most beloved servant is the one who suppresses his desires for God’s sake; who gives up the comforts of life on His behalf; who surmounts all obstacles in his journey towards God. One

This divine blessing demands that man live on earth as a worshipper of God. The true way to worship God is, in actual fact, to express gratitude for all this bounty. If man were to think of his creation

divine guidance, a life of being grateful to God, of worshipping none other than God as a result of this sincere feeling of gratefulness is what is called a God-oriented life in the true sense. Honour and

jobless prays to God to help him to get a job. This is a common form of prayer. This prayer is rewarded according to the suppliant’s sincerity. It depends upon God whether after hearing such a prayer He

the problem of God Himself. For instance, in ancient Spain, at a time when there had been a drought, the Muslim king, Sultan Abdur Rehman al-Nasir (d. 961 A.D.) said in his prayer to God: “This forehead

drought the rains were held to be a matter of God’s own mercy rather than the solution to the demands of man’s needs. The implication of this is that God being the most merciful of all would not punish

The Quran directly conveys God’s words. It has divine majesty. It intensifies feelings of servitude. It has that divine light which, if it goes within one, brightens up one’s entire inner existence. It

when it enters the heart, it can cause it to fall to pieces, just as Mount Tur fell to pieces where God’s light fell upon it. Recitation of the Quran is not just the mouthing of words. Its impact is such

recitation of books in any simple sense. It is the study of the word of God. It is as if indirectly entering into conversation with God. This being so, the recitation of the Quran should induce that state

submission to God’s will. Submission, in fact, is the name of that natural response from a person to God, the response that is expressed by human beings after their realization of God. It is with this

discovers his relationship with God. In the process, he realizes that he is not free but has to act at God’s behest and be accountable to Him. This makes him live a God-oriented life. He discovers that

is not the end of his life, for, another life begins after death, where he will stand before God, so that God may declare His final decision about his eternal future. This process of discovery continues

The Quran directly conveys God’s words. It has divine majesty. It intensifies feelings of servitude. It has that divine light which, if it goes within one, brightens up one’s entire inner existence. It

when it enters the heart, it can cause it to fall to pieces, just as Mount Tur fell to pieces where God’s light fell upon it. Recitation of the Quran is not just the mouthing of words. Its impact is such

recitation of books in any simple sense. It is the study of the word of God. It is as if indirectly entering into conversation with God. This being so, the recitation of the Quran should induce that state