be rewarded by God. Believers have the assurance of God that if they give to others, whatever they give will be returned to them many times over in the next world; their trust in God’s promise is complete

well-being. In its external form then, zakat is an annual tax. But in essence, it is the principle on which God and his creatures have a right to a share in one’s property.HajjHajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is

pilgrims then have a sense of belonging to a unified whole. The ideal of all men living on earth as God’s servants, and therefore as equals, is expressed in the wearing of ihram

anyone other than God; for Paradise is the domain of those chaste souls who reserve their adoration for God alone, who delight in hearing God’s praise and find solace in the sight of God’s majesty. No one

experience, far from being a bad dream, must have been a sign that he had been chosen by God. “It cannot be,” she said, “God will surely never humiliate you. You are kind to your relatives; you always give the

praying. He asked his cousin what they were about. The Prophet told him that this was God’s religion, the path that God had chosen Himself. It was to call people to this path that He had sent His prophets

the Prophet was visited by Gabriel, God’s angel. He said to the Prophet: ‘O Muhammad, God has sent you peace (salam)’. On hearing this, the Prophet of Islam replied:’ God is peace, peace is from Him and to

with the desire for these beneficent conditions to be established in the world with the succour of God. The true man is one who can think of peace even in times of war, whose heart is filled with feelings

experience, far from being a bad dream, must have been a sign that he had been chosen by God. “It cannot be,” she said, “God will surely never humiliate you. You are kind to your relatives; you always give the

praying. He asked his cousin what they were about. The Prophet told him that this was God’s religion, the path that God had chosen Himself. It was to call people to this path that He had sent His prophets

God is bountiful and feels unhappy if He has to refuse to grant a wish. He feels embarrassed when a man holds out both his hands before Him, and He has to disappoint him by turning him away empty-handed

who is assaulted by his people until the blood runs. He wipes the blood from his face and says, “O God, forgive my people for they know not what they do.’” HADITH OF BUKHARI AND MUSLIM. 1. THE ALLUSION

to ask you this selfsame question. Both men and women have the same God, and you are God’s Prophet to both men and women. For men, God has ordained the holy struggle, and if they are successful in it, they

they will have their reward; if they are slain, they will be raised up in God’s presence, where they will be abundantly provided for. But what has been ordained for us women?” The Prophet replied: “For

truth is loyalty and disregard for truth is treachery. … Obey me so long as I obey God and His Messenger. But if I disobey God and His Messenger, you owe me no obedience.”

be dutiful to God and bearer of just witness. Do not allow your hatred for other men to turn away from justice. Deal justly! Justice is nearer to true piety. (5:8). History shows us that most failures

be coloured by such negative emotions, they will surely drift on to the wrong path. If, however, God’s fundamental guidance were kept in view, so that man succeeded in raising his thinking from the ‘animal’

of the unbelievers, God sent down His tranquillity on His Messenger and the faithful and made the word of piety binding on them, for they were most worthy and deserving of it. God has knowledge of all

of Japan for the last 15 centuries. Japanese used to address their king a Kami—god. The king was supposed to have the godly attributes. But after the Second World War the Japanese have come to regard their

people. Their godly king was accepting defeat. It was hard for them to believe. But the truth dawned upon them and they realized that their king too was a human being and not the incarnation of god. This incident

frustration. It has spiritually lost its source of confidence. The Japanese are in search of a new god today and this search is their most important issue at hand. This state of affair, more or less, is