Al-Risala (English), May-June 2000

Khayl to Zayd al Khayr, meaning Zayd the Good. He died in 9 A.H. in Madinah. This incident demonstrates the true spirit of Islam. The goal of Islam is not to turn a man into Zayd the horse racer, but Zayd the Good. In ancient Arabia, horse racing and the wielding of the sword were considered feats of heroism. But the Prophet of Islam corrected this way of thinking by instilling in people the idea that our true goal should be to become the bearers of Good. Rather than try to kill people, we should bring them the gift of life, for the feats really worthy of our esteem are performed in the field of virtue. In today’s jargon the main goal of Islam is to “produce creative human beings.” For belief in God does awaken creativity within the individual. In all respects, he becomes a new man— his thinking rising above the mundane and his moral fibre far surpassing the commonplace. While as yet living in this world, he becomes a heavenly soul. In short, a believer’s goal should not be to emulate Zayd al Khayl but Zayd al Khayr. Virtue should be the essence of the believer’s personality. □ The Oneness of Humanity O n April 5, I took part in a Seminar at Rishikesh attended by a number of highly educated Hindus. At one session on this occasion, there was a good group discussion, which is stated here in brief. The subject of the discussion was how to produce an atmosphere of mutual tolerance and respect in human society.