THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST Vol. XXI No. 11 November 2019 Post Box No. 93 Nadwatul Ulama Tagore Marg Lucknow – 226 007 U.P. (INDIA) Ph. No. : 0522 - 2740406 E-mail: [email protected] Fax : (0522) 2741221 E-mail: [email protected] Rs. 25/- THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, November, 2019 The Fragrance of East Man Most Suitable for Founder: Managing the World S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (RAH) When Allah created Adam and made him His vicegerent on earth, the angels who are innocent and do not Patron: commit sins, submitted to Allah that as man was inclined to quarrel and S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi shed blood on earth, the vicegerency might be granted to them as they glorified Him and remained engaged Advisory Board : in worshipping Him all the time. Allah replied the angels that they did not Mohd. Hamza Hasani Nadwi know the matters of the world. He then tested Adam and the angels by asking Shah Ebadur Rahman them certain questions relating to the Shamsul Haque Nadwi world. As Adam was made of dust and had a natural interest in the world, he answered Allah’s questions correctly Editor: whereas the angels lacking this natural interest in the things of the Shariq Alavi world failed. Thus Allah established that in spite of all weaknesses man alone was most suitable for managing the world. In fact, his natural Asstt. Editor: weaknesses themselves qualified him for this position. If the world were run Obaidur Rahman Nadwi by angels, most gifts of God put into it, which were discovered and developed by man due to his interest and need, would have remained unkno’.vn and unused.n [ 2 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, November, 2019 CONTENTS 1- Three Features of The Ibrahimi - S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi 7 Culture 2- Characteristics of Prophet - S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi 10 Muhammad (SAW) 3- Concept of Society And Social - K.K. Usmani 14 Justice 4- Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar - Sultan Shakir Hashmi 17 5- Religion And Reason - Abdul Bari Nadwi 23 6- Qari Mushtaq Ahmad - A Selfless - Obaidur Rahman Nadwi 33 Servant of The Qur’an 7- Pages From Islamic History - 35 [ 3 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, November, 2019 Wisdom of Qur’an Pearls From the O Believers! If you fear Allah, He will make for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) you a distinction and will expiate for you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the It is related by Jabir that he heard the owner of mighty grace. Apostle of God say a month before his (ai-Anfäl 8:29) death: “You ask me about Resurrection and A Muslim has two roles. As an ordinary its appointed time is known only to God, human being he is born in this world according and I can swear by God that there is no to the divinely-ordained laws of nature. He resembles any other human being in his body, living person on the face of the earth on limbs, human weaknesses and physical whom a hundred years pass and he is still ailments. He has all these features in common alive at that time.” with all other men. In line with the laws of — Muslim nature, once again, he grows into an adult and Commentary—It appears from the turns old. At his appointed hour, be it in youth Quran as well as the Traditions that people or old age, he will die, no matter whether he be a devout person, a great scholar, a distinguished often used to ask the Prophet about the writer, philosopher, thinker, intellectual, or Resurrection as to when it was to come. spiritual master. He has to leave this world. The reply of the Prophet always was what For Allah has declared that man is mortal. is contained in this Tradition, i.e., its Given this, Muslims are not an exception to previously fixed time was known -only to divine law. God and He alone was aware of the year, In other respects, however, a Muslim month and day on which it was going to attains uniqueness and distinction if he take place. He had not granted its adheres to his faith. In this case he develops proximity with Allah. Allah may thus suspend knowledge to anyone. or defer for the time being His laws in such a The Prophet has made another person’s case. For Allah grants a true believer observation in the above Tradition besides honour, victory and fame for he is true to his answering the question that was put to him. pledge with his faith and the Shari’ah, and if he He has said that those who were alive in instinctively obeys divine commands. the world at that time would all be dead Faith and piety may be gained within a hundred years. It shows that the consciously. One is not born with these. It depends on one’s intention and effort to develop appointed time of the Resurrection, when such faith and piety. An instance in point is of everything that exists will be destroyed, was a torch and its battery. With the latter the former not known to him. It was only in the works very well, far better than an empty torch. knowledge of God. What he had, however, It is called a torch only when the battery is revealed to the Prophet was that the inside it. A torch, it goes without saying, existing generation would come to an end provides light and overcomes darkness. within a hundred years and those who were Equipped with a torch and led by its light one alive then would be dead before the is not likely to stumble in darkness. Nor will one collide with a wall on the way, or mistakenly passage of a century. Thus, for them it trample on someone. A torch, is thus of much could be said that the Last Day would come assistance. n within a hundred years. n [ 4 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, November, 2019 Editor’s Note @ Ignorance Our national song was composed by Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali language. It was a patriotic song and our Constituent Assembly accepted it as a National Song without any difficulty in 1950. Ever since it is very reverentially sung on important occasions. To inculcate patriotic feelings in educational institutions it has been made mandatory that it should be recited before classes for instruction begin. There is no bar that any other patriotic song may not be sung before school begins its teaching programme. Recently a very interesting situation developed in one of the Primary School in western Uttar Pradesh. The Head Master of the school allowed his students to sing a traditional Urdu prayer in their morning assembly after the national song. The Urdu song was in praise of God and a request to Him by children to make them a learned and pious entity. This song was composed by Sir Mohammad Iqbal who has composed “Sare Jahan Se achcha Hindustan Hamara”, in 1902 it is reproduced below: Lab pe aati hai dua ban ke tamanna meri,/ zindagi shama ki surat ho khudaya meri/ Door duniya ka mere dam se andhera ho jaye, [ 5 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, November, 2019 har jagah meri chamakne se ujala ho jaye/ Ho mere dam se yun hi mere watan ki zinat,/ jis tarah phool se hoti hai chaman ki zinat/ Zindagi ho meri parwane ki surat yarab,/ ilm ki shama se ho mujhko mohabbat yarab/ Ho mera kam gharibon ki himayet karna,/ dardmandon se zaeifon se mohabbat karna/ Mere allah burai se bachana mujhko,/ nek jo ah ho usi rah pe chalana mujhko. (To the lips comes my wish turned into prayer, be my life O God like a candle. May the darkness of the world be eliminated by my efforts, be every place illuminated by my light? May I so adorn my homeland as flowers adorn a garden? Be my life like a moth, God, may I love the candle of learning? Let my mission be helping the poor, loving the sufferers and the elderly. Save me from evil, O God, lead me to the path that’s virtuous). It is unfortunate that without understanding that it disseminates the pure and pious message someone reported to authorities that Head Master is forcing students to sing a religious song. The poor teacher is now in trouble. May God help him. n S.A. We solicit articles for publication in The Fragrance of East. Suitable remuneration will be paid to writers. We prefer receipt of articles on: e-mail: [email protected] along with a hard copy, duly signed, by post. [ 6 ] THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, November, 2019 Three Features of The Ibrahimi Culture - S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi The Ibrahimi Culture has three called as first words in his ears, making distinctive features: faith in the Being of thus the baby hear and learn the name Allah and its constant awareness, faith of Allah even before his own name. in the Oneness of Allah (as taught by the When he is seven days old, his Prophets and laid down in the Quran), Aqeeqah (shaving off the head) is and belief in the nobility of mankind and performed and an Islamic name is given their inherent right to equality and justice. to him. Such names are preferred which To my best knowledge, these reflect man’s bondsman ship to Allah characteristics, which inspire the true and Allah’s Oneness. Babies are spirit of the Ibrahimi Culture, are not sometimes also given the names of the found with such a clear projection in any Prophets, who were the greatest other culture.