Quran and Hadith Constitute the Basic Sources That Are Essential To Understand Islam

By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam

7 July 2022

There Are Muslims Who Follow Rituals Of Islam Judiciously, But Then Harm Others With Their Words; These Ritualistically Pious Muslims Create Problems For Others And Wrongly Thinks That They Are Inheritor Of Heaven, But After Death Are Confronted With Hell

Main Points:

1.    Life has its vagaries and Prophet (pbuh) and his companions responded to them as humans.

2.    The sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions describe the real lived realities and how they responded to them.

3.    The discrimination on the basis of gender, race, region, sect and caste has been discouraged.

-----

An Islamic Treasury of Virtues: A Collection of Inspiring Thoughts, Stories, Quotes and Sayings of The Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) And His Companions

Author: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Publisher: Goodword Books, Noida, India

Pages: 298 Price: Not mentioned

ISBN: 9789196174986

-----

The best understanding of Islam is to engage with the Holy text, Quran, sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Hadith and that of his companions, Sahaba. They constitute the basic sources that are essential to understand Islam. Anyone who engages with them critically will develop a correct understanding of Islam and its spirit. The sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions describe the real lived realities and how they responded to them. Life has its vagaries and Prophet (pbuh) and his companions responded to them as humans. The need is to understand and engage with their response to different situations and how lessons for the same can be drawn from them.

The book has been compiled by the prolific writer on Islam, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and is divided into seventeen themes that helps us understand multiple facets of Islam. The leadership qualities and personal conduct of the Caliphs of Islam is depicted throughout this collection. The merciful nature of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) while dealing even with his enemies, how he attended and resolved his personal and collective problems are quite an interesting read. Numerous issues are created while people interact with each other. It is bound to happen, people clash, their interests clash, they get exploited and also help each other. So each situation demands that human vices be curtailed and curbed while good qualities be promoted and encouraged.

Humans like to be praised as it boosts their ego and they come to believe that they are better than others. The person who gets flattered quite easily with praise will certainly develop a flawed personality. Praise destroys a person and he wrongly believes that he possess the qualities that sycophants create a mirage about. It further evolves to arrogance and that leads to Hell. Then we have a Muslim who is following rituals of Islam judiciously, but then he harms others with his words. This ritualistically pious Muslim creates problems for others and wrongly thinks that he is inheritor of heaven, but after death is confronted with Hell. So even some apparently heaven bound Muslims can find themselves in Hell, because of the vices they displayed in this world.

This world has been created as test for humans, those who follow the guidelines that have been enshrined in the Holy Texts and life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will become inheritors of paradise in the afterlife and those who rebel against the same are destined for Hell. So being sincere in words and deeds becomes essential. This quality renders one to focus on individual sins and flaws rather than counting those of others. To attain and maintain piety, numerous battles with one’s own self and outside have to be fought. Pious individuals constitute a pious family. Materialism and hedonism if rendered the sole concern of life will certainly lead to anarchy.

The eating habits and what is a healthy eating habit can be found in the book. How to speak without disgracing or rebuking even an opponent is found in the lives of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions. Giving honour and respecting others, speaking truth, controlling the tongue from speaking evil and propagating lies, opting for great values, spending money in charity and indulging in philanthropy are the timeless lessons that constitute the core of the book.

Islam emphasizes not only earning for sustenance but for charity too. Zakah is an important pillar of Islam, so a Muslim who is not able to give Zakah is not fulfilling an important obligation of Islam. Being aloof, not earning anything or staying in retreat is not in consonance with Islam, as it believes in work. A giving hand is much better than a receiving hand. Also spending in the way of God is bound to increase wealth in multiple ways not famishing it. Islam has its own values and ethics that are evident from each page of this book.

Islam intends to forge unity among Muslims, so for that unity it expects Muslims not to look down upon on some other Muslims. The discrimination on the basis of gender, race, region, sect and caste has been discouraged. It was this vehement criticism of Islam against these discriminations that the first generation of Muslims transcended them all and wrote a great chapter of the history of Islam. Justice is also a basic pillar of the Muslim social milieu. A Muslim is expected not to be unjust when it comes to dealings with other fellow humans. An unjust person and society creates hate, anger and violence. It ultimately sabotages any efforts towards unity.

Every Muslim is an ambassador and representative of God on earth. He/she is supposed to spread the message of Islam and invite others towards truth and God (read Islam). This call can have various forms and most graciously it can be conveyed through implementing the values of Islam. The dynamism of Islam is reflected only when it is practiced by Muslims. Only then preaching will take a back seat, otherwise mere preaching will not do any good. Unless Islamic values are not being reflected in the action of Muslims, the message of Islam will not find fertile ground. During our times, the actions of Muslims have become a great impediment in the propagation and spread of Islam among non-Muslims.

Overall this book is a very good addition to understand Islam from the sayings and virtues of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions. The sayings collected in this book reflect the extensive and voracious reading of Maulana, who selected them from various books and then compiled them under different chapters. The reference of each saying is quoted and Maulana has not offered any interpretation and analysis of these sayings as they are self explanatory. So the pristine purity of these sayings has been preserved. It is a nice addition to the texts focused on understanding Islam. 

-------

A New Age Islam columnist,  M.H.A. Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir

URL:   https://newageislam.com/books-documents/quran-hadith-sources-essential-/d/127425

New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism