A Present to Kings — Page 15
( 15 ) any way help the progress of man. Wherever it invites man to seek religious advancement, there it encourages him to seek the way to worldly progress as well. It urges all men to strive after honour and dignity. There is no useful learning which is discouraged by Islam. On the contrary, both the Holy Quran and the authentic traditions repeatedly urge the Muslims to cultivate all useful learnings. Similarly, as regards advancement in trade, industry and arts, Islam, far from discouraging them has recommended them to the attention of the Muslims. . Islam is a strong opponent of the creed that the rich can not enter the kingdom of Heaven or that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Islam is a common creed for the rich and the poor and does not appertain to any special section. . The principle of Zakat informs us that Islam does not forbid the accumulation of wealth and does not require that one must give away one's wealth in order to enter its fold. It does not say, you must not to-day take thought of the morrow, rather the Holy Quran enjoins Man should to-day take thought of the morrow and should see what provision he has to day made for to-morrow. " It is true that Islam discourages all sorts of fanciful and impracticable idealism, because they act as obstacles in the way of human progress and like canker prematurely infect the human soul. 6+. In short, Islam does not forbid worldly advancement, rather it encourages the same. Still it will be the height of injustice to say that worldly advancement was the objective of. Islam, because this object can as well be achieved without any creed. If Islam had not had its advent, would not have men all the same been striving after the world? As a matter of fact, the Holy Quran would tell us that the whole attention of man was already centred upon the world. For instance it says: "Those who are misguided, their endeavours are after this worldly life," and again "Never so, but rather they love what comes immediate (the world) and abandon what follows after (the next life); and further on "Rather they take to the life of this world, but the next life is better and everlasting. "