Africa Speaks — Page 24
I ~ I I its beauty, grandeur and purposefulness. We can promote this attitude by I instituting courses in religious education at all levels and for all denomi :1 nations and all functioning in an atmosphere of freedom. Religious education should exercise a steadying influence on those undergoing modern education. It may turn the minds of future generations of educated men and women to Allah, our Lord, Creator and SustaineL Just think, what it would mean. It will accelerate the speed of discovery. It will set the search of new knowledge in directions relevant to our well-being: physical, moral and spiritual. It may set us thinking of one another-and of all peoples of the world-as creatures with an equal right to live and prosper, as creatures with duties towards themselves, towards their fellow-beings and towards Allah. Such an attitude will put our pursuit of knowledge in its proper places. So placed, our pursuit of knowledge should make us humble. It should make our lives more significant more useful to ourselves, and to all others. Knowledge we may have but know ledge which fails to do this, fails outright, fails basically. I pray that our Gracious and Merciful Allah may give a proper direction to our efforts for a better life. May He save us from mistakes we are liable to make and forgive the mistakes we nevertheless happen to make. May He bless our good intentions and our little deeds. And whether we deserve or not, may He favour us with His approval and His pleasure. May He re-enter the minds and hearts of those who have forgotten Him and driven Him out of their thoughts and may He save them from the folly of relying only on themselves and the means at their disposal. God of Power and Might; Creator of all things and of all their pro perties; Our Guide and Help! The doors to true and useful knowledge have ever been opened through Your Grace and Mercy. Open these doors to those of us who have been left behind in the quest. Open these doors to us, to our generations. So that we may have insight into the nature of everything You have created: So that we may become aware of what is pleasing to You; and so that we may walk the ways that lead to the fulfilment of purposes for which You have created us. Our Lord, make us love one another, make us serve one another. Above all, make us love You, make us Your true servants, and bind us ever in gratitude to You, and may we become worthy of the quest for knowledge and discovery with which-out of Your wisdom and grace--You have endowed us and may the knowledge we acquire and the discoveries we make, help to bring us nearer to one another and bend us all to Your purposes, Your wishes, Your will. Amin. 23