Islamic creed. This is absolutely wrong. A theory of life, which is
based upon the freedom of the human will, cannot possibly have
anything to do with fatalism. Human freedom and fatalism are
mutually contradictory concepts.
A mango stone embedded in soil, if properly looked after and
nourished, has the capacity to grow into a mango tree, which will
eventually yield the mango fruit. The realisation of this potentiality
of the mango stone is called its taqdeer. To be more precise, taqdeer
means measure. The true measure of the mango stone is the mango
tree; if a stone does not grow into a tree, it does not conform to its
measure. On the other hand, no mango stone can grow beyond its
measure: this is the destiny of the mango stone.
Man has been endowed with manifold potentialities. If he
follows the right path in life, and adheres to it, his potentialities are
gradually realised, and his personality is so developed that he is
enabled to attain the perfect human stature in this life and to cover
the evolutionary stages yet to come beyond this world. This
development of the individual is called his taqdeer.
- Taqwa The common English equivalent, namely, piety,
does not properly express the real meaning of the word. Deviation
from the path of right conduct leads man to ruin; taqwa helps to
keep him on the right path and thus save him from ruin. But merely
saving oneself from ruin is a negative virtue, whereas the Qur’an
regards the positive aspect of life as of fundamental importance. In
the context of the Qur’an, therefore, taqwa involves not only saving
oneself from the forces of destruction but also stabilising one’s
personality through the preservation and enforcement of the laws
of God. To be more concrete, it means the faithful and efficient
performance of all the duties that God has enjoined upon man
through Revealed Guidance. This meaning is wide enough to
include loftiness of character and purity of conduct. One who leads
a life of taqwa is called Muttaqee. - Tauheed exclusive obedience to the laws of God. As
already indicated under “Qur’an,” these laws are embodied in the
Qur’an. - Taubah When on his way to a particular place, a
person reaches a crossing, there he takes a turn and goes along. But
after a short while he realises that he had put himself on the wrong
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 32