FROM MAULANA’S DESK
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, born in 1925, in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is an Islamic spiritual scholar who is well-versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern disciplines. The mission of his life has been the establishment of worldwide peace. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the Demiurgus Peace International Award and Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Peace award for promoting peace in Muslim societies. He has been called ’Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world’ and is recognized as one of its most influential Muslims . His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are part of university curricula in six countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality based in New Delhi.
ENTERING THE NEW YEAR
WHEN you get out of bed after a good night’s sleep and see the first rays of the morning sun, you are bound to exclaim, “What a beautiful morning!” And the morning of every new year’s day is not just beautiful, but extra special. In terms of the calendar, New Year’s day is but the start of another year, whereas in terms of human life, it is the day for fresh planning—having new experiences, availing of new opportunities, and fulfilling new ambitions.
For every person memories of the previous year are all about successes and failures. For our magazine, Spirit of Islam, the previous year was its fifth year of circulation and now, it is entering the New Year. During this period we have gone a long way, thanks to our readers having given us feedback on a regular basis. Their contribution has been of the greatest value to us. In consequence, the New Year for Spirit of Islam will be a very special one. Now, in the coming year, we shall be in a position, in the light of all the suggestions readers have made, to further improve the quality of our magazine.
When we look at the previous year in terms of the feedback we have received from our readers, we are convinced that, Spirit of Islam has been like a beacon, guiding us to the path of spirituality. Indeed, many readers have emailed us that they have rediscovered the positive aspect of their lives. They have discovered how to convert negative thoughts into positive ones. They have realized the truth that life is a great gift from the Creator, and so they should not fail to avail of it.
Many readers have acknowledged that for them Spirit of Islam has been more than a magazine. Because, once having been shown the spiritual aspect of life, they have begun receiving the right guidance in leading their lives. As one reader put it, he may have acquired a professional education at the University, but it was Spirit of Islam which had taught him the art of thinking. One lady said that in her childhood she used to get angry when provoked, so her mother tried to make her understand how anger was having a negative effect on her health and how some people, by repeatedly giving vent to their anger, get into psychological problems. But Spirit of Islam has made it very clear that there is nothing negative about anger.
Anger is a mental state in which the mind releases the maximum energy, and such energy can and should be availed of by just remaining silent. If you remain silent in a moment of anger, nature will take its own course and anger will be converted into positive energy. Having grasped the point made by our magazine, she radically changed her thinking, which enabled her to control her anger and direct it into positive channels.
Every day, when the sun rises, it rises with a golden message. Its message, in essence, is spiritual in nature. Every new year should be taken as a period of potential amelioration. For, every new year offers us fresh opportunities to rediscover the positive aspects of life. Every new year, moreover, brings us to a fresh appreciation of the beauty of nature. For this new opportunity to amass all that is good and beneficial, we wish all our readers a very happy, prosperous and positive New Year.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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