vognoduut275

Muhammad The Prophet
By Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao
Re-printed from "Islam and Modern age",
Hydrabad, March 1978.
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Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao,
is the Head of the Department of Philosophy,
Government College for Women University of Mysore, India
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Part - IX

It is the same practical character of the teaching of Prophet Mohammad that
gave birth to the scientific spirit, that has also sanctified the daily labors
and the so called mundane affairs. The Quran says that God has created man to
worship him but the word worship has a connotation of its own. Gods worship is
not confined to prayer alone, but every act that is done with the purpose of
winning approval of God and is for the benefit of the humanity comes under its
purview. Islam sanctifies life and all its pursuits provided they are performed
with honesty, justice and pure intents. It obliterates the age-long distinction
between the sacred and profane. The Quran says if you eat clean things and
thank God for it, it is an act of worship. It is saying of the prophet of Islam
that Morsel of food that one places in the mouth of his wife is an act of
virtue to be rewarded by God. Another tradition of the Prophet says "He who is
satisfying the desire of his heart will be rewarded by God provided the methods
adopted are permissible." A person was listening to him exclaimed 'O Prophet of
God, he is answering the calls of passions, is only satisfying the craving of
his heart. Forthwith came the reply, "Had he adopted an awful method for the
satisfaction of his urge, he would have been punished; then why should he not
be rewarded for following the right course." This new conception of religion
that it should also devote itself to the betterment of this life rather than
concern itself exclusively with super mundane affairs, has led to a new
orientation of moral values. Its abiding influence on the common relations of
mankind in the affairs of every day life, its deep power over the masses, its
regulation of their conception of rights and duty, its suitability and
adaptability to the ignorant savage and the wise philosopher are characteristic
features of the teaching of the Prophet of Islam. But it should be most
carefully born in mind this stress on good actions is not the sacrifice
correctness of faith. While there are various school of thought, one praising
faith at the expense of deeds, another exhausting various acts to the detriment
of correct belief, Islam is based on correct faith and righteous actions. Means
are important as the end and ends are as important as the means. It is an
organic Unity. Together they live and thrive. Separate them and both decay and
die. In Islam faith can not be divorced from the action. Right knowledge should
be transferred into right action to produce the right results. How often the
words came in Quran -- Those who believe and do good thing, they alone shall
enter paradise. Again and again, not less than fifty times these words are
repeated as if too much stress can not be laid on them. Contemplation is
encouraged but mere contemplation is not the goal. Those who believe and do
nothing can not exist in Islam. These who believe and do wrong are
inconceivable. Divine law is the law of effort and not of ideals. It chalks out
for the men the path of eternal progress from knowledge to action and from
action to satisfaction. But what is the correct faith from which right action
spontaneously proceeds resulting in complete satisfaction. Here the central
doctrine of Islam is the Unity of God. There is no God but God is the pivot
from which hangs the whole teaching and practice of Islam. He is unique not
only as regards his divine being but also as regards his divine attributes. As
regards the attributes of God, Islam adopts here as in other things too, the
law of golden mean. It avoids on the one hand, the view of God which divests
the divine being of every attribute and rejects, on the other, the view which
likens him to things material. The Quran says, On the one hand, there is
nothing which is like him, on the other , it affirms that he is Seeing,
Hearing, Knowing. He is the King who is without a stain of fault or deficiency,
the mighty ship of His power floats upon the ocean of justice and equity. He is
the Beneficent, the Merciful. He is the Guardian over all. Islam does not stop
with this positive statement. It adds further which is its most special
characteristic, the negative aspects of problem. There is also no one else who
is guardian over everything. He is the meander of every breakage, and no one
else is the meander of any breakage. He is the restorer of every loss and no
one else is the restorer of any loss what-so-over. There is no God but one God,
above any need, the maker of bodies, creator of souls, the Lord of the day of
judgment, and in short, in the words of Quran, to him belong all excellent
qualities.