SELECTIONS FROM MAULANA'S DIARY

October 30, 1985 A verse from the Quran is: So that you may not grieve for what has escaped you, nor be exultant over what you have gained. God loves neither the conceited nor the boastful. (57: 23) While discussing this verse, Abdullah ibn Abbas, a Companion of the Prophet said: There is no person who does not get gloomy or does not feel happiness. However, a believer exercises patience in the face of adversity, and he offers thanks to God when the going is good. When grass enters the body of a cow, its internal system converts it into milk and the grass comes out of it as milk. Similarly, a believer has a special psychological system. This system turns trouble into patience for God and relief into gratitude for God. In this way, both conditions become a blessing in his favour. In this narration, the act of conversion expressed in the words ‘exercises’ and ‘offers’ are very meaningful, that is, a believer converts his grief into patience instead of putting it on a negative path. August 16, 1985 The American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) wrote: Build a better mousetrap and the world would beat a path to your door. The most important thing to people is quality. Everyone wants their products to be of high quality. It should be the best in every way when used. This temperament of the people is the biggest stepping stone for a man in today’s world. Anyone who wants to have a place of honour and progress in the world should do only one thing. Whatever he does, he should do so keeping a high standard. The world itself will be forced to give him the place he wants. September 11, 1985 The most important thing for man is ‘discovery’. Discovery brings progress in this world and discovery brings progress in the Hereafter. SELECTIONS FROM MAULANA'S DIARY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES