NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE

NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE Dear Readers, Greetings of Peace! This is the beginning of the ninth year of the publication of Spirit of Islam. We are grateful to God for its continuity in the face of many challenges, the most trying one being the pandemic which made us convert this magazine into an e-magazine. I feel honoured for the opportunity to share my takeaways from this magazine as a part of the editorial committee. An aspect of Spirit of Islam that fascinates me is that many of its articles are, as if, a commentary on a powerful verse in the Quran: “Those who believe love God most.” (2: 165) In his book 'The Vision of Islam', Maulana Wahiduddin Khan writes that the purpose of religion, its rituals, moral exhortations and injunctions, is for a person to develop a relationship of strong affection with his Creator who fashioned him, brought him into existence and sustains him throughout life. This personal bond with God is brought to life in the pages of this journal. There are innumerable journals on science, religion and humanities. Spirit of Islam is very special in that it fills a void, one so prominent these days. This is a void left deep within the soul that hasn’t yet recognized its Creator and has given the special space in its heart meant for the Creator to something other than the Creator, only to be disappointed. Spirit of Islam seeks to redirect the attention of the readers to their Creator. It helps them reflect on the wisdom enshrined in God’s religion and inspires them to have an experience of nearness to Him. The selection of articles evokes love and awe for the Creator. The feelings that overwhelm a person when he remembers his Lord in solitude find expression in the words of the journal. The paramount feature of Spirit of Islam is that it presents the concept of God not as an abstract idea, but as a living force, guiding one through the variety of life’s experiences. There is a certain scientific spirit that the journal strives to instil in the believers. An article that struck me from the December 2020 issue explains that if a religious community accepts or rejects a person’s opinions depending on his affinity to its group, it signals its close-mindedness and decline. Believers must cultivate the scientific temperament, which is to objectively ascertain the merit of a person’s