Those who have imbibed the essence of religion in their lives will never take to violence, however great be the provocation, as they know for sure that truth can never be defeated by force. By Brahmakumar Nikunj We live in a world where violence has become so pervasive that most of us don’t even know,…
Every virtue that we are to develop in ourselves through our actions towards others has its origin and perfection in God. “Let us turn again to the Divine Names, this time recalling our discussion of what Islam requires of man. As we make our way through the Qur’an, we are reminded persistently of the attributes…
“Truth is simple. But for the very reason that it is simple, people will not take it; because our life on earth is such that for everything we value, we have to pay a great price and one wonders, if truth is the most precious of all things, then how can truth be attained simply?…
The journey through life has many valleys that we can’t just skip over, and also many mountains to climb that we can’t just jump over. It is also true that we need the space and the freedom to make our own mistakes. Trial and error seem to be the only way we can learn and…
Here are some portions from Paul Jackson’s English translation, from letter number 97, on Death: Hazrat Sharafuddin bin Yahya Maneri (b. 1263), also known as ‘Makhdum Sahib’, was one of the most famous Muslim Sufis of India. He belonged to the Firdausi Sufi order. Qazi Shamsuddin, the governor of Chausa in western Bihar, had frequently…
How many times has anyone had the experience of being advised before the start of the prayer to focus his thoughts on the prayer and avoid being distracted by the many things that occupy his head most of the time? By Louay Fatoohi Like any collective activity, the Muslim congregational prayer (salÄt al-JamÄ’a) must have…
Most people feel they are treated unjustly, because they struggle to surrender and accept God’s Will for them. By Nigar Some days ago, my friend Sarah called me to say that one of our common friends, Ramya, was not answering her sms-es and phone calls. “Why doesn’t she keep in touch with friends, as she…
The Blind expect only understanding and empathy from the sighted people, and not arrogance and sympathy. By Azeem Bolar When I first became blind, some felt I was an alien and that my blindness could be contagious, others wanted to shower pity, but instead, made a mess of the situation, because I do not deserve…
I found the inner joy that I could not enjoy when I was sighted. I became non judgmental, and blindness taught me to be proud of what I had achieved. By Azeem Bolar Blindness? What does it really mean? What does it entail? These are some of the questions I had asked myself. To some,…
My transition from being a hotelier to a counselor was a spiritual journey for me. Being a giver, brought a feeling of inner peace and joy, as opposed to being a taker who in the end could end up becoming selfish. By Azeem Bolar I started my Hotel Management education back in 1987, from France…
