SPIRIT OF ISLAM MAY 2O18

5 Spirit of Islam Issue 65 May 2018 FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Dr. Farida Khanam has been a professor at the Department of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. A Study of World's Major Religions, A Simple Guide to Sufism are two of the books amongst many others, of which she is the author. She has also translated many books on Islam authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently, the chairperson of Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS International), an organization founded by her father Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, she is a regular contributor of articles to journals, newspapers and magazines. Dr. Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his Urdu commentary of the Quran into English. Under Maulana Wahiduddin Khan Peace Foundation, along with the CPS team, she is designing a series of courses on peace- building, countering extremism and conflict resolution. THE QURAN T HE Quran, addressed to humankind, tells us of God’s scheme for human existence—man is placed on earth for the purpose of being tested. The freedom he is given here is not as a matter of right, but as a matter of trial. On the outcome of this test, rests the eternal fate of man. The Quran asserts that human beings are eternal creatures, yet only an extremely small part of their lifespan has been assigned to this present world, the remainder is ordained for the Hereafter. As we learn from the Quran, all the revealed books were sent by God so that man might be informed of the nature and purpose of his life. The teachings of the Quran can be summed up under two basic headings: 1. Believing in one God and worshipping Him alone. 2. Regarding all human beings as equal and according them equal rights. The Quran was revealed as circumstances demanded and not in a purely theoretical way. It enshrines only the basic teachings of Islam. The detailed application of these teachings is to be found in the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.