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Friends,
Finally, fourteen
centuries have come to an end. Just as no one has ever returned after death,
the 511,000 days and nights of the fourteen centuries are also gone, never to
return. It is incumbent upon us to call to account what we have gained, and
what we have lost, in these 1400 years.
The ever-increasing
scientific progress has given new heights to the pursuit of knowledge. Now, it
is conceivable that man is about to enter that sphere of control over the
universe where matter attains a negative value. It has become an observed fact
that man is an embodiment of countless lights which adorn him, and it is this
adornment of light on which material existence is based. From a superficial
perspective, it would seem that man today is much more advanced than the man of
1400 years ago—so advanced that not only has he discovered the wavelengths of
sound, but has also mastered the techniques of decreasing or increasing those
wavelengths. He has command of sounds with wavelengths above 1600
cycles/second. He has the ability to transmit as waves, that aura of lights
which represents the real person, and show it on screen, thousands of miles
away, with every feature of that person intact. Space has condensed so much
that within a one-inch space (of a microfilm) an entire hook consisting of
hundreds of pages can be saved. As far as progress in relation to time is
concerned, distances of thousands of miles can be travelled within hours.
But when we consider
the outcome of all this amazing research and progress, how heart wrenching it
actually is!
Friends, what
progress! Every face of today is an image of sorrow and despair. Despite all
the provisions of comfort and luxury, man is troubled. This progress has
disturbed the peace of mankind. Humanity searching for peace is inflicted with
so many new diseases. Everywhere one hears the same cry, that man is busy
poisoning his fellow man's life. When we compare the undeveloped past of our
ancestors with the present time, we experience a deep sense of loss, knowing
that they lived with patience and forbearance, and did not fall victim to
extremes, as is common today. Granted, they did not enjoy amenities like
television sets, VCRs, refrigerators, and other such modern day advances; they
did not have clothes as comfortable as we wear today; nor did they have such
grand houses as we live in today; but they lived in peace, and were healthy and
happy, and were able to sleep peacefully. Each man is his own mirror. The other
side of the mirror shows how a few men of "genius" gave so much
importance to a tiny atom that it gained more significance than hundreds of
thousands of human lives.
Horrific cylinders
have been invented by man which can, at the push of a button, deprive an entire
city of oxygen, condemning its population to death. While searching for peace,
as sleep deprivation took over, the invention of sleep-inducing drugs caused
such a state of self-deception that, instead of bringing restful sleep, these
drugs drove people out of their senses. The utilization of atomic power gave
rise to such diseases as are untreatable, and that are so horrific that their
name alone is enough to bring a terrifying death.
Allah the Exalted
had said:
O,
Adam, dwell you and your wife in heaven, and eat therein plentifully, wherever
you will." [Holy Quran chapter 2: verse 35]
'Wherever you
will" is indicative of the fact that heaven is free from the confines of
time and space. In heaven, Adam has the same ability to free himself of time
and space, which science has employed to break free of the confines of space.
This is the same ability which has enabled man to venture into the vastness of
outer space. This is the same ability which has removed distances.
Since this ability
was employed to show one's superiority over others, it has become the cause of
worry, inconvenience and hardship for the entire world. If this progress comes
with only enough change that it advances purely for the sake of Allah, to serve
Allah's creatures, then according to Allah Almighty's statement, the following
will come to pass:.
"Eat
therein plentifully wherever you will."
Within these
fourteen centuries, we have come closer to the heavenly ability which frees us
from the confines of time and space, but we have gone farther away from that
heavenly ability which gives peace of mind and contentment. May God enable the
growth of this ability in the fifteenth century—the ability which brings
happiness and joy to us at each and every moment —and may we become the living
commentary of this verse of the Holy Quran:
O dear ones,
Whatever is present
in the world is for your sake. All these Images, adorned with light and colour,
are made for us. God has no need for food or drink, clothing or shelter, or
provisions of any kind. All these things have been placed at our command so we
may enjoy them and prosper from them. But our state is such that we have,
instead a servant to this wealth and its benefits. This is the way of thinking
we have adopted in these fourteen hundred years.
Come let us promise
that in the fifteenth century we will not worship wealth. Instead, we will
employ wealth as our servant and slave- a servant known to be unfaithful to all
and one that, if it becomes the centre of attention, causes painful torment trails
and affections.
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
Science has made immense progress, yet many believe that, even with all of the modern tools at our disposal, human beings function at no more than 10% of their mental capacity. This leads to the question of what exactly it is that comprises the remaining 90%. Yet another question that arises is this: If it has taken man four and a half billion years to be able to apply only 10% of his ability, how long will it take for him to make use of the remaining 90%?
