Al-Risala (English), Nov-Dec 2000

the misapprehension that the entire country is his personal fiefdom, it would be the gravest blunder on his part to force upon the people his personal ideology. This would be verging on madness, for whatever he then did as a result of his misunderstanding should culminate not in construction but the very opposite. It is good to be an idealist, but it has to be conceded that the attainment of the ideal in social life is seldom within the realms of the possible. The secret of success in restructuring society is for leaders and followers alike to aim at elevated goals, while taking care to subordinate personal idealism to overarching practicalities. Peace is the Name of God I n every religion including Islam God is described as a Being Who is the source of peace. In the Quran we find a number of names for God which are descriptive of the divine attributes. One of these is As Salam (59:23), meaning Peace. This name for God which specifically denotes peace occurs only once in the Quran. But there are many other names which indirectly connote peace. For instance, the word Rahim (Most Merciful) has occurred in the Quran more than two hundred times. Similarly, the word ‘Rahman’ (Most Compassionate) occurs not less than two hundred times. As represented in the Quran, God is All Peace. He is peace in His very being and He desires that His servants live peacefully in this world. They should have peace in their hearts and extend