The Teachings of Islam

assumption that it is supreme. All of these paths are crooked and diverge from the true way. No one who chooses such a path can ever hope to reach his true goal in life. It is a sad fact that one tends to stray from the straight path whenever one is obsessed with some thing, person or idea other than God. Whenever one’s efforts are directed elsewhere, one is embarking on a detour which can never bring one back to God. Such deviation from the true path can cause man to go totally astray. The only sure way to spiritual success is to focus one’s attentions and efforts on God alone. This is the straight path and involves total attachment to God and a life lived out in complete accordance with His will. Any path which is not directed towards God is a wrong turning, and will never lead Man to his true destination. Islam—An Integral Part of Life When a stone is dropped into a glass of water, it descends to the bottom and settles to one side. It is in the water but separate from it. On the other hand, if dye is put into the same glass, the dye and water combine. Now the water is not separate from the dye. Both have intermingled in such a way that no one can detect any difference between the two. The relationship between Islam and a person should be like that of dye and water, not of stone and water. Islam should not just be an accessory to a Muslim’s life: it should merge with his whole being. It should enter into his thoughts, moulding his intellect in its own fashion. Islam should become the eye with which he sees, the tongue with which he speaks, the hands and feet with which he performs his day-to-day functions. Islam should so take possession of a person that it excludes all else. Every statement should bear the stamp of Islam and every action should be dyed in Islamic colours. If Islam is like a stone in water, then it is not Islam at all. Faith should be absorbed in a person like dye dissolved in water. Just as the emotions of love and hate are felt by the whole body so, when one adopts Islam in the real sense of the world, it should become an issue affecting one’s whole existence. The Muslim and Islam should become inseparably attached.