In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
(For
the purpose of this article, a man stands for a woman as well.)
A man leading an
Islamic life would have, first and foremost, an unflinching belief in Allah. By
Allah, I mean the Power, without a beginning or an end, that has created the
Universe and everything therein. Allah has absolute control over everything He
has created.
Allah has given a code
of conduct, in the form of the Qur'aan, for man to lead his worldly life. HE
has given man the intelligence to recognize Him without seeing Him. HE has also
given him the freedom not to abide by the Qur'aan, but with the warning that a
breach of the Code could land him into Hell! And abiding by the Code could
fetch him the reward of Paradise. Hell is the place of everlasting suffering,
while Paradise, the place for everlasting joy! Both Hell and Paradise are placed
in the Hereafter. There is life after man's worldly death. That life is the
Hereafter!
The man leading an
Islamic life would therefore be ever vigilant that he abides by the Code. He
would commit no offence against anyone, lest Allah should punish him here or in
the Hereafter. He would necessarily be just and fair in all his dealings with
others. He would never cheat anybody but help anyone to the best of his
ability.
If most men were to
abide by the Code, there would be a virtual Paradise on earth!
I had started this
article with the assertion that a man stands for a woman as well. Man and
woman are two aspects of the same personality. One is made for the other.
They are the two wheels of the cart of mankind. The cart would come to a
grinding halt without any one of the two wheels functioning. Both must be equal
in stature. The Qur'aan gives rights for either one, over the other. Allah
won't forgive a man who ill-treats his wife. An Islamic couple would
necessarily be happy with each other. In Islam, sexual enjoyment is restricted
to the bounds of marriage. To prevent its proliferation outside these bounds,
both men and women are required not to be provocative in their dress and
demeanour in public. There is otherwise no restriction on either man or woman
acquiring any useful knowledge or doing any honourable public service.
Mohammad Shafi
PS: I have grown very
old and weak, and I find it difficult to do any original writing now. So, if I do
continue to live, I would be doing, at most, only a copy-and-paste job from my
past writings. Allah Hafiz!
