4. TWO DAYS IN NIZAMUDDIN

4. TWO DAYS IN NIZAMUDDIN ~ 121 ~ into conflict with other ideologies in the world. It is challenged at various points, and to defend it and maintain its intellectual and material status, we have to deal with a great diversity of situations in different ways. Sometimes it becomes urgent to make peace, as at Hudaibiyya, and sometimes defence is urgently called for, as at Badr and Hunain. At other times we have to take recourse to rational arguments when religion comes face to face with such thoughts as subvert its very basis, as has happened in the past when Muslims were exposed to Greek thought. The former demand concerns the essence of religion and is permanently to be desired; the latter is a relative part of religion determined by the circumstances. At times the relative part assumes the same importance as the real; but when the need vanishes it loses its importance. If this interpretation is acceptable, I think we can relate all parts to a cohesive whole, bringing together all of them on one platform in order to work for the same cause. Thus all of us can share in the revival of religion according to our capacities. What we all