The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 124
Seventh Friday Sermon Nov 23, 1990 Hearing a sad news, some may become completely overwhelmed and get buried under the weight of their grief. People are usually gripped by fear at hearing some upsetting or frightful news. Referring to this condition of the disbelievers, the H oly Quran says: J-;. :. r_;j They are those who become exceedingly happy at small things and become exceedingly boastful at attaining a minor success. In excitement they jump up and down and proclaim their superiority. In fact, in our everyday life, at any moment when external factor. ; affect us, that is the time to measure up to the demands of Taqwa. At such times one is usually off guard and never critically scrutinises his actions. One seldom ponders as to what should be one's correct and measured reaction as a God-fearing person, in response to one's experience of a treatment or a sudden change in one's circumstances. But a person who lives in the sight of God is always moderate. His reaction never exceeds the prescribed limits. If you are in the presence of an awe-inspiring person and if someone insults you in front of this person, you would never start abusing the offender as you would in the absence of this personage. At such a time, if someone offends you then your reaction would be subdued and minimal, for you would feel that if you over-reacted, this dignified person would be embarrassed. Children react entirely differently in the presence of their parents than otherwise. The reaction of the courtiers, if mistreated in the presence of their King, is completely different from their reaction to a similar event in the streets. WHAT IS MEANT BY FULFILLING THE DEMANDS OF TAOWA Thus Taqwa, and fulfilling the demands of Taqwa means that at any time in your life, when external forces which are likely to disturb your state of equilibrium are operative then, while reacting to those, you must not forget that God is watching you. If you stay in the sight of God in this way then this is Taqwa - another name for which is Islam - that is to say, to be in a state of submission before God at all times, remaining within the bounds of His authority and remaining ever so obedient to Him and completely surrendering to Him. Thus this short verse raises two questions and itself provides the answer lo both of them. But a more detailed exposition is given by the next 124