From Stones to the Quran

Muslims of the first phase entered Egypt, the Egyptians at that time spoke the Coptic language and practiced idol worship. Under the influence of the Quran, they not only changed their religion, but they also adopted the language of the Quran. A British Egyptologist, Sir Arthur Keith, puts this development in a nutshell when he says: “The Egyptians were conquered not by the sword, but by the Quran.” The Quran once again can play this effective role, provided that the believers in the Quran abandon non-Quranic activities and convey the peaceful message of the Quran to the world. The Spring of Islam On a visit to Kashmir in June 1989, I was reminded by a Kashmiri of how I had once said at a meeting in Srinagar that I could envision the spring of Islam in Kashmir. I had not made this remark in view of the actuality of Kashmir but rather in terms of its potential. Certain unwise leaders have caused a flare- up of negative feeling in the Kashmiris and have then engaged them in emotional politics. But this has never been in line with the actual temperament of the Kashmiris, who are by nature a peace-loving people. If the Kashmiris can be given right guidance, then certainly the ‘autumn’ will be replaced by ‘spring’. The hot air of violence will give way to the cool, pleasant air of peace. Here, once again, political Islam will be replaced by Rabbani Islam. There is full potential for unleashing a dawah revolution in Kashmir, but this potential cannot become a reality on its own. As such, what is required is that the peaceful teachings of Islam should be spread in this region. A movement of intellectual re-engineering should be launched to bring about awareness among the people. They have to be made to understand that hatred and violence are not an option for them. Their only option is love and peace. Therein lies for them success in this world and the next. The Dream of Kashmir In August, 2008 a young Muslim from Delhi went to Kashmir, where he stayed for three weeks. During his stay he kept a diary to record his daily experiences. When he came back from Kashmir, he showed me the following entry in his diary: On August 4, 2008 I From Stones to the Quran