APRIL 19 God and ManAbu Mas‘ud Ansari, a Madinan Muslim, once became angry at his slave and started beating him with a rod. Just at that moment the Prophet passed by his house. Seeing him beat his slave

slave he warned him: ‘O, Abu Mas‘ud, you must know that God has more power over you than you have over this slave.’ At these words, the rod fell from his hand, and he declared that this slave would be set

Prophet’s warning, he found that all matter was one before God. Now he appeared to be on a par with his slave. Both were equally helpless before God. This was reason the rod fell from his hand. The truth

adherence to the Unity of God? Every sound and normal man with his human institutions not perverted either by false philosophy or gross depravity, every man, I say, who is not a hopeless atheist or an

an inveterate agnostic, must readily give his assent to that simple and sublime truth: The Unity of God. All the greatest philosophers of ancient as well as modern times have enunciated it in some shape

and Moses. In Islam, we are not asked to believe in three gods—in One as in the Athanasian creed, or in thirty millions of gods and goddesses as in popular Hinduism, but only in that one great Being who

DEAREST TO GOD ARE THOSE WHO ARE MOST BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLEBy God, he is not a believer, by God he is not a believer, by God he is not a believer whose neighbour is not safe from his mischief.” (Sahih al-Bukhari

humanity. In this regard, the Companions enquired from the Prophet: “Who among the people is dearest to God?” The Prophet replied: “The person who is most beneficial to people.” (Al-Targheeb walTarheeb, v. 3

Congregational prayer brings one closer to God Before the emigration to Madinah, the Prophet sent written instructions to Musab ibn Umair concerning congregational acts of worship. One of the clauses

Fridays, the midday sun begins to decline, seek proximity to God by praying two rakahs.” (AL DARAQUTNI) Self-seeking places one far from God Self-seeking religious scholars are the subject of one tradition

tradition in which the Prophet records these words of God: “The least I will do to them is extinguish the joy of prayer in their hearts.” (JAMI‘ BAYAN AL-‘ILM) A show of piety is not reverence One day

controls its affairs. Everything man owns is a gift from God. If God chooses to withhold His bounty, there is no other being who can give it. God is infinite, while all other things are finite. This is

When a man fully accepts tawheed (monotheism) as his creed, he cannot but attribute all greatness to God Almighty. All other creatures then become lesser beings in his sight, and the hierarchies and forms

human beings take on the same humble status as servants of God, owing their allegiance to one Lord and Master. Before a man has discovered God, he views human beings in relation to himself, and to one another

example, education, the press, the media, economics as well as dawah work, or conveying the message of God to people. Muslims would do well to abandon their political activism and dedicate themselves to the

place in museums.  Right Response Most of us blatantly ignore the innumerable wondrous bounties that God has blessed us with. At every moment we see or experience these bounties, but yet we never acknowledge

bear witness to the fact that he has answered the call of God, set aside the idols of worldly gain and expediency, and devoted himself entirely to God. If one claims inner faith, but does not express it, one

Anyone who puts worldly interests before God cannot ever discover Him. Preoccupation with worldly priorities and prejudices are the very opposite of true submission to God, and two such conflicting states can

their offences and forgive and pardon them, then know that God is Forgiving and Merciful. Your wealth and your children are but a temptation. God’s reward is great. Therefore fear Him with all your hearts

themselves from their own avarice will surely prosper. If you give God a generous loan, He will repay you twofold and will forgive you, for God is Ever Responsive to gratitude and is Most Forbearing (64:13-18)

Wisdom Luqman admonished his son: “My son,” he said, “do not associate others with God; to associate other with God is a mighty wrong.” We have enjoined man to show kindness to his parents, for with much

superior to him; he cannot worship a God who is human like himself. Some religions think of God as no more than a vague spirit. But man is seeking a God who sees and hears and speaks; abstract things like

cases in history of true believers in God committing suicide. The reason for this is that belief in God gives a person hope for his future in the next world. In God’s scheme of things, life is not limited

happiness in the next world. When they despair of the human world, they fix their hopes on the world of God. Thus the distress of a true believer is changed into healthy optimism.