SPIRIT OF ISLAM AUGUST 2O13

33 Spirit of Islam Issue 8 August 2013 This revolution in human thought came about for the first time through the influence of the followers of Islam, i.e. those believing in the unity of God. This revolution of thought opened to humanity the door of constructive activities and development, which had remained closed to it for thousands of years. Islam taught the world the lesson of realism freeing people from superstition and causing humanity to enter a new era of progress. Man in ancient times was living in the group of polytheistic thinking. Every department of life had become subordinate to polytheism. In reality, polytheism is another name for believing in superstitions. And where people are of a superstitious temperament or, in other words of an unscientific temperament, there can never be real progress. In the shape of the Islamic people, the world for the first time had the experience of a human group whose thought was based on the pure unity of God. It was completely free of polytheism and superstition. Accordingly, through Muslims, the world learned the lesson of realism for the first time. It became possible for people to free themselves from superstition and construct their lives on the basis of the laws of nature. This is the special gift of Islam which caused the history of humanity to enter a new era of progress. While that new era of progress began for the rest of the world fourteen centuries ago, progress in this country had come to a standstill. Indeed, it is still waiting for the Islamic people to spread the message of the unity of God, so that history may repeat itself. Only then can true progress be made. o Welcoming Failures If you want to be a success in this world, the first thing you have to do is display enough courage to welcome failures.