Ramadhan 1435 Hijr

An Individual Person’s Peace and Tranquility by Dr Israr Ahmed

I shall deal with the topic of “The Qur’an and World Peace” at three different levels, viz., the peace and tranquility of an individual person, the socio-political peace of a group, and finally, world peace. An Individual Person’s Peace and Tranquility One may be surprised that I am embarking upon a discussion of world peace by first mentioning an individual’s personal peace and inner state of harmony. But a moment’s reflection will be sufficient to bring home to the reader the all-important truth that the most effective factor in establishing world peace is personal peace and mental satisfaction of an individual. This is so because of the following four reasons:

Firstly, an individual human being is the basic unit of humanity. A wall, however high and long it may be, is after all a complex of bricks. Its strength and stability depends on the strength and good quality of individual bricks. Similarly world peace is unthinkable without the spiritual and psychological peace of a large majority of its inhabitants.

Secondly, man in himself is a “miniature universe” and as such his consciousness reflects the entire cosmos. This important truth has been fully realized by the Sufis of Islam — the greatest researchers into human psychology. That is the reason why I have chosen their term — “miniature universe” or microcosm — to express my meaning. Just as external and environmental happenings influence the inner state of man, it is equally true that man also influences the macro-cosmic physical universe around him. His inner state affects and brings about changes in the vast expanses of the material cosmos. Therefore, the peace and tranquility enjoyed by human individuals necessarily makes its impression on the outer world. In other words, the subjective peace experienced within makes harmony possible in the world outside the individual.

Thirdly, even a cursory glance at world history is enough to show that often the personal disquietude of a few individuals led to disastrous wars resulting in widespread bloodshed and destruction. If we study closely the life-history and personalities of leaders like Hulagu Khan, Genghis Khan, Hitler and Mussolini, we come to know that it was due to their mental disquietude and perversity that the world peace was shattered and innumerable innocent human beings were savagely killed.

          Fourthly, even now if we consider for a moment the few persons in whom tremendous powers are vested (such as those who reside in the White House and the Kremlin), we will be assured that world peace largely depends upon the inner peace and tranquility of these very few individuals. Not to speak of mental disruption, even the nervous tension or anxiety of a single one of these men might spark off an extremely devastating nuclear war. 

Source:(Book) "The Qur'an and World Peace" by Dr Israr Ahmed

                                               

The Qur’an and World Peace - Intro

The Qur’an and World Peace
 

by

Dr. Israr Ahmad 

 

Translated by Dr. Absar Ahmad


 Markazi Anjuman Khuddam-ul-Qur’an

Lahore

2002

First Edition

1st Printing July, 1980  2000 Copies

2nd Printing July, 1982  2200 Copies

3rd Printing Nov., 1987  2000 Copies

4th Printing Dec., 1992  2000 Copies

5th Printing May, 1994  2000 Copies

Second Revised Edition

Printing Nov. 1998  2200 Copies

Third Revised Edition

Printing Oct. 2002      2200 Copies

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Translator's Note

Man’s most fundamental needs can be summed up as the need for knowledge, 
the need for peace and harmony, and the need for a way to salvation.

That these needs have many degrees and modes and that they are closely related to one another cannot be denied. It is with these very questions that the Holy Qur’an — the last of the Divine Books — deals. Mostly people from outside look at it as a book containing some instructions about certain facts and principles of life and conduct. It, however, is not so. There are guiding principles regarding all vital issues, and one can unfold any number of valid interpretations.

Many of the best minds devoted to burning questions such as ecological problems, pollution, feeding of mankind, conquest of disease, bridging the gap between rich and poor and, in particular, world peace, have been inspired by the faith and tenets of Islam. And rightly so. Belief in One God brings us to believe in the oneness of mankind and on the unity of mankind is built the concept of human dignity and brotherhood. On the metaphysical existential plane, many would concede today that true human happiness (in contradistinction to sensuous pleasure), mental peace, and tranquility are not possible to attain without some sort of spiritual orientation. When man follows Divine Guidance, he becomes free from any fear for the present or the future, and any grief or sorrow for the past (khauf and huzn in the Qur’anic terminology).

According to the Qur’anic teachings, it is shirk (assigning partners to Allah) and kufr  (repudiation and disbelief in Allah) that causes fasad  (colossal wrongness) across the world — the corruption and disorder in which people indulge in this world, an active perversity which degrades things and depraves men. Iman  (staunch religious belief), on the contrary, grants a believer serenity of spirit and heart, resultant upon faith and prayer, the awareness of the Divine sufficiency and inner tranquility. A truly believing and practicing Muslim experiences in his heart sakinah  (the Scheehinah  of the Old Testament), the token of Divine Presence and the peace it brings with it. Needless to say, true faith and belief also entails ceaseless vigil on purity of motive and inner integrity.   Dr. Israr Ahmad, the author of this tract, firmly believes that the deep trouble and distress in today’s world may have a simple cause that we humans — and we must also add, we Muslims too — have not properly obeyed God’s essential instructions and thereby have missed our main goal. In his own modest way, Dr. Israr Ahmad has been actively busy in propagating and disseminating the Qur’anic message for the last twenty years. The present tract is based on a speech which he delivered on several occasions at well-attended meetings of students and general public with the sole purpose of calling people back to the Qur’an. I pray to the Almighty that this humble effort may serve the purpose of bringing entire humanity in the fold of genuine religious fellowship. 

DR. ABSAR AHMAD

Director, English Department

Qur’an Academy, Lahore  

Source:(Book) "The Qur'an and World Peace" by Dr Israr Ahmed

                                                 

Muhammad The Prophet of Islam and The Qur'an

Source- Muhammad The Prophet of Islam by Prof.K.S.Ramakrishna Rao