SHARED WISDOM

However, the status quoism of the Prophet did not simply mean accepting the extant set of circumstances for all time. It meant, rather, carving out a path for oneself by adopting a non-confrontational policy within the existing set-up. Far from leading to a state of inertia, this was a planned course of action. The Prophet of Islam followed this principle in his life at Makkah and Madinah. This is one of the reasons for his achieving such great success—within a short period of twenty-three years—as had perhaps never been achieved by anyone prior to this in human history. The great benefit of such status quoism is that, by adopting this policy, one can instantly avail of opportunities for carrying out one’s projects. One can then utilize one’s energies fully in one’s mission without wasting even one iota of effort. Moreover, by avoiding unnecessary clashes and confrontations, one can devote oneself to constructive activities to the fullest extent. UNIVERSALITY OF RELIGION Universality is an inseparable part of true religiousness. A person starts thinking at the universal level about having discovered God and about having peace and well-wishing for all humankind. A study of the Quran shows that it aims to produce a universal approach in people. Universality means high thinking and an unbiased approach. The Quran addresses us thus: “O