FROM MAULANA'S DESK

have any time whatsoever to get involved in irrelevant things, like the man heading for the interview. In the same way, one who is serious about the Hereafter does not want to get involved at all, in issues that will divert him from his goal of the Hereafter. A passenger who wants to travel from Delhi to Amritsar, in the northwest, will not head in the direction of Kolkata, to the south-east. Likewise, a person who is journeying towards the Hereafter will not want to head off in a direction that will take him far away from his chosen destination. If we consider ourselves as travellers in this world, we can derive inspiration from the above-mentioned example of the young man. But if we think of ourselves as travellers who are journeying towards the Hereafter, we can find inspiration in the example of the Companions of the Prophet who did not let worldly things divert them from their mission. If we follow neither path — being concerned with neither sort of journey — then we will be simply wandering about, without any destination whatsoever. o Maulana Wahiduddin Khan editor@thespiritofislam.org Don’t disturb the mind Missing an opportunity is not a problem. The real problem is that your mind gets so disturbed that you fail to recognize some viable alternative course.