SPIRIT OF ISLAM AUGUST 2O13

9 Spirit of Islam Issue 8 August 2013 T HE two basic source books of Islam are the Quran and the Hadith . The Quran is believed to be the word of God, and the Hadith is the compilation of the sayings of the Prophet of Islam. he Quran contains about 6,500 verses while the Hadith contains about 25,000 sayings of the Prophet of Islam. Islamic teachings cover almost all the aspects of human life like belief, worship, morality, spirituality, social structure, etc. Here are ten references from the Quran and Hadith that may be considered universal principles suitable for every man and woman, irrespective of religion and/or culture. They are formulae for life or an art of life management. Mutual Respect How to live in a multi-religious society? The Quranic answer to this question is found in this verse: “For you your religion; for me mine.” This principle is based on religious tolerance. It may be formulated in a sentence as ‘Follow one and respect all.’ Reconciliation and Adjustment How to behave at the time of conflict? The Quran says, “Reconciliation is the best.” It means that at the time of conflict, we have to adopt a conciliatory rather than confrontational course of action. Peace The Prophet of Islam said, “God grants to non-violence what He does not grant to violence.” In other words, peaceful methods are always far more effective than violent methods. Practical Wisdom According to a Hadith the general policy of the Prophet of Islam was that whenever the Prophet of Islam had to choose between two options he always chose the easier option rather than the harder one. This was the general policy of Islam in every matter. Positive Response A person once came to the Prophet of Islam and asked, “O Prophet, TEN PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM