ISLAM’S ORIGINAL SOURCES

thought of eternal bliss and truly yearn for it with every fibre of their beings will be the ones to learn from the Prophet’s example. Why should this be so? The reason is that one has to be sincere in one’s search for truth if one is going to find it. If one “looks to God and the Last Day,” one will be sincere with regard to them. Sincerity will enable one to see the life of the Prophet in true perspective, and draw the right lessons from it. This is the relevance of the Sunnah for a believer. Therefore, there is a need to rediscover Islam through its original sources—Quran, the word of God, and the Sunnah, the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. It is imperative that for any study of Islam to be objective, distinction must be made between the source of Islam and the practice of Muslims. Today, there are many misconceptions prevalent about Islam and we must take an objective view of each misconception judging them in the light of original Islamic sources rather than by the conduct of Muslims to reveal the true face of Islam. For the seeker who wants to know more about Islam, the following is a concise yet comprehensive course that can be followed. 1. The Quran 2. Biography of the Prophet by Ibn Kathir 3. Mishkat al-Masabih, a book of Hadith 4. Lives of the Prophet’s Companions by Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalvi These are well-known and readily available books. Though originally written in Arabic, they have been translated into and published in several languages. They can be acquired and read in the language of one’s choice. o The most important practice of the Prophet's personal life was preaching the word of God. A person will appear as an enemy if that is how you see him. If you do not view him with animosity, he will surely be amicable in return.