Spirit of Islam, Apr 2015

Sir Thomas Carlyle, a well-known and celebrated British writer once wrote: A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge. T HIS saying is extremely meaningful but its meaningfulness cannot be properly understood unless these words are added to it, 'Loving, despite there being a cause for hatred', for in this world the factors of hatred are always present. No one can love other human beings without demonstrating that they are broadminded enough to love people despite experiencing their hatred and ill-will. Thomas Carlyle’s life itself serves an example. The crusades as hatred between Muslims and western nations, with the result that the latter failed to recognize the Prophet. For centuries they held the Prophet to be an evil person. But Thomas Carlyle rose above the cloud of hatred in the wake of the crusades and studied the life of the Prophet objectively. He became so impressed that he held him to be the hero of all the Prophets, acknowledging the worth of his personality with the highest of praise in his book Heroes and Hero worship. To develop a heart within one, which may love despite hatred amounts to taking oneself to the height of morality. To develop a heart within one, which may love despite hatred amounts to taking oneself to the height of morality. This high morality is the only ground on which the plant of knowledge grows and develops into a lush green tree. o LOVE AND KNOWLEDGE Love, Despite Hatred Change Yourself Adjustment is based on the formula: ‘Save yourself’. When you are not in the position to change others, change yourself. It is this behaviour that is called adjustment.