Siddiqui Abdur Rashid - Interpersonal Relations

Inter Personal Relations

An Islamic Perspective

Khurram Murad

Inter Personal Relations

An Islamic Perspective

Edited by
Abdur Rashid Siddiqui

THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION

Published by

The Islamic Foundation
Markfield Conference Centre
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Leicestershire, LE67 9SY, United Kingdom
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Copyright The Islamic Foundation, 2005/1426 H

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Murad, Khurram
Inter-personal relations: an Islamic perspective
1. Interpersonal relations Religious aspects Islam
I. Title II. Siddiqui, A. R. III. Islamic Foundation (Great Britain)
297.57

eISBN 9780860376859

Cover/Book design & typeset: Nasir Cadir

Dedicated to

My Brother

Said Ramdn

Khurram

Transliteration Table

Arabic Consonants:

Initial, unexpressed medial and final:

Vowels, diphthongs, etc.

Contents

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

I HAVE GREAT PLEASURE in presenting the English translation of Brother Khurram Murads popular book, that has attained classic status. It has been in print for the last 37 years, ever since its publication. Tahrk-i-Islm main Krkunu ke Bhm Taaluqt (Inter-personal Relationships among the Workers of the Islamic Movement) was first serialised by Mawln Mawdd in his prestigious journal Tarjumn al-Qurn. It was published as a book in 1958. It is still prescribed reading for the workers of the Islamic movement in many countries and has been translated into languages of the Sub-Continent.

With his freshness in approach and style, Brother Khurram presented those adorable characteristics which promote harmony among human beings. He also identified those detestable traits that mar friendships and create discord. Then there are the social obligations prescribed by Allah and His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), regarding which it is our duty to try to fulfil. Although Brother Khurrams primary addressees were the workers of the Islamic movement, these duties of brotherhood are the hallmark of Islamic teachings. Hence the title of this edition has been changed so that it can be read by all.

Prof. Khurshid Ahmad, a lifelong close friend and colleague, contributed the foreword to this book when it was first published, I am grateful to him to write a new foreword for this English translation despite his heavy commitments. The sincere dedication of this book to Dr Said Ramdn, the renowned Ikhwn leader has been retained in this translation. This indicates Brother Khurrams heart-felt love and affection for him.

In an age when there is so much discord and disharmony among Muslims, the guidance provided by this book should help us improve our inter-personal relationships. I pray that Allah may bless the soul of Brother Khurram and elevate his status in Jannat al-Firdaws. (mn)

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

I N A WORLD TORN by rivalries and conflicts, polluted by discrimination and dehumanization and tormented by terror and wars the healing touch can come only from re-establishment of the supremacy of the moral values and re-discovering civilization and promotion of compassion, brotherhood, fellow feeling, tolerance and graceful acceptance of each other as members of human fraternity. Hatred can only beget hatred. It is love and grace that can heal the wounds and mend the fences. Evil can be subdued by evil. It is only good that can replace it. The Qurn beautifully sums up this milieu in the following words:

Behold! Good and Evil cannot be equal. Repel the evil with something that is better and lo! he between whom and yourself was enmity (may then become) as though he had (always) been close unto you, a true friend.

(Fuilt 41:34)

My dear brother Khurram Murads small in size but large in content book Inter-Personal Relations is a pioneering effort in spelling out the foundation as well as the rules of conduct to build a society that approximates towards this ideal. Francis Bacon in his beautiful essay Of Studies says: Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. I have no reservation in saying that Inter-Personal Relations is a book that deserved to be chewed and digested, to become a part of ones being, and an aspect of ones very identity. Whoever could imbibe its message and spirit would become a better Muslim and a better human being. That is the recipe for making a better society and a better humanity.

This book has a history behind it. It brings me back to our student days when in the Islm Jamat-e-alabah Pakistan we, a group of youth dreaming of a glorious Islamic future, were trying to develop an elaborate training programme for ourselves and our colleagues. It was in the pursuit of this objective that brother Khurram whose devotion to the Qurn and Sunnah was the greatest in our group, was requested to develop course material for interpersonal relationships in an Islamic Movement. We tried to avail ourselves of all available sources, particularly the writings of Mawln Sayyid Abul Al Mawdd, Mawln Amn Asan Ilh, Mawln Abul asan Al Nadv along with the works of Imam asan al-Bann Shahd, Br. Said Ramdn and material used in Nizm alUsr. This blue-print was developed in 1953-55 and introduced in our training programme. It was a tremendous success. Br. Khurram was asked to write down the lectures he gave and this became part of our training manual. For wider benefit we thought to publish it in book-form and sent the manuscript to Mawln Mawdd, lest the young scholar might have missed some aspects or erred somewhere. We were waiting for a response when Khurram and all of us were wonder-struck to see that Mawln Mawdd had decided to print the manuscript in Tarjumn al-Qurn, his monthly magazine an honour and recognition no one had ever dreamt. This is how this book was developed and saw the light of the day. Since then it has been published dozens of times and now al-hamdulillah its English translation is appearing almost fifty years after it was written. It is the truth of its content that makes the book as fresh as tomorrow morning. I had the honour of writing the Foreword to its publication in 1958. Br. Khurram is not with us now; but his love, his remembrances, and his words are the prize of one being even today. I regard myself lucky to contribute this Foreword which also assimilates most of what I wrote fifty years back.