FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Prof. Farida Khanam is an author, editor, translator, public speaker and former professor of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Among her books are ‘A Simple Guide to Sufism’ and ‘A Study of World’s Major Religions’. She has translated into English many books authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently the chairperson of CPS International, she is a regular contributor of articles to various publications. Prof. Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his Urdu commentary of the Quran into English. She can be reached at hub@thespiritofislam.org IN SEARCH OF MEANING T HE AUSTRIAN neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Emil Frankl (1905–1997) authored a book in 1946, called Man’s Search for Meaning. Many authors over the years have written books with similar titles. During more than three hundred years of the printing press, millions of books have been published in different languages. If a common title were to be suggested for these books, it would, without doubt, be: In Search of Meaning. A human being, by nature, is a seeker of meaning. Everyone is born with an enquiring mind. Everyone tries to find the answer to the quest of finding the truth and meaning behind their existence. And, it is this quest which has resulted in the writing of so many books, both fiction and non-fiction. All are directly or indirectly related to the subject of the quest for truth. When a person reaches the age of maturity, his first concern is earning his livelihood. He opts for various kinds of jobs or engages in different types of economic activity. When he becomes engaged in some work, he goes through a period of satisfaction. Then, gradually, a time comes when he realizes that his job is not giving him what he had been in search of. Certainly, he gets his “bread”, but as Jesus Christ rightly said: “Man does not live by bread alone.” (Matthew 4: 4) To earn one’s “bread” is everyone’s first need. But bread can satisfy only one’s physical requirements; it fails to give any intellectual satisfaction, or add meaning to one’s life. This is the main cause of frustration and despair experienced by almost everyone today.