Book Review:

Path to a good life

U L A Majeed

The author of this book Mr Ameen called me a few days ago and asked to do a review of a book, which request I happily obliged but I was not told what the book is about. I was on an impression that Mr Ameen has written some books on Muslim law, Wakfs and Quazi Court matters, this book also must of the same kind.

But, it was only when the unbound copy of the book was delivered at my residence night before last, I became aware that this is about some thing different and is about ‘A Path to a Good Life’.

I was really surprised, looking at the heading of the book, when Mr Ameen has become a local Dale Carnegie, the famous writer who has written several books on this line.

The present book I have been asked to review is somewhat different. It is a combination of several matters, such as spiritual, legal, marital and other worldly affairs concerning human life. Mr Ameen has selected some vital matters which can lead a person on ‘A Path to a Good Life’. The book contains 14 Chapters; and for the purpose of my review, I have grouped the contents in the following manner.

Chapter 1 to 5 deal with

(i) Life on Earth
(ii) Life hereafter
(iii) Personal Qualities
(iv) Love the Humanity

and

(v) Peaceful marriage.

The above Chapters contain the qualities necessary for a good life of a person, namely,

(a) Meaning of life in the present world and to get ready for the life hereafter.

(b) Spiritual life

(c) Personal qualities of person that makes him a good person in the eyes of others.

The author while giving the ways to lead a good life, speaks about the following characters one should have.

l Good Conduct: This is most important for a good life. The Holy Prophet (Sal) said ‘Innamal Aghmalu Bin Niyyat’. The conduct of a man depends on the intention.

l Punctuality: The author states that punctuality is a cardinal principle in Islam. For e.g. All the five prayers are performed at the prescribed times. The funeral is taken in quick time, to say within 24 hours of the death of the person.

The author laments that though funerals are taken quickly, weddings are not taking place at the fixed time. He quotes an incident where the invitation said the invitees to be present at 7.45 p.m. He had gone on time. He says the Bride came to hotel at 9.20 p.m. and the bridegroom at 9.40 p.m. and the dinner was served at 10.p.m. This practice must be corrected. He concludes that punctuality is an essential factor for good life.

Hajj pilgrims

We find punctuality in Islam in several other matters also. Compulsory fasting and pilgrimage to Hajj are also done according to set schedules and in particular months.

Under the same headings, the author speaks about criminals and mentions Lombroso’s theory that the criminals are born as criminals. ‘This theory is now rejected and there are no born criminals exist’. But the author says that there are born defectives who become criminals. He says that “in reality, many criminals as normal. They are often more clever than policemen and judges.”

As a matter of fact, it is said that Saints had a past and sinners have a future. This saying is true in many respects. The prison and other authorities take steps to rehabilitate criminals as well as terrorists to bring them back to normal life and to mix with the other people in the society.

But one thing is certain, however much training or rehabilitation programs are conducted for the criminals, unless they themselves have the mind to come back to normal life, nothing will give a good result.

In this respect, some of us know the story of a criminal who killed 99 persons and decided to reform himself and went to meet some one who could guide him. He met a priest on the way and told the priest about his past and that he wanted to become a good citizen.

The priest said “Oh you murderer!, you have killed 99 persons. You will never enter the heaven and hell is the place for you.”. The criminal got angry and killed the priest and made his record at 100. Thereafter, he proceeded to walk further. On the way, he met another priest.

Corrective intention

The criminal told the priest his past story. The priest advised him that he has a good future and told him to go to a nearby village where there are good people with whom he can associate and become a good man.

On the way God had ordered the Angels (two of them) to take his life. Between the two Angels there a difference of opinion as to whether to send his soul to heaven or to hell and finally they decided to measure the length of distance he had already walked and the distance he had to walk.

They found the distance he walked was more than the distance he had to walk. Since he has walked more distance towards a good cause, they decided to send his soul to the heaven.

This story reminds us how a criminal became a good man by his own corrective intention.

Kindness to parents is also another matter the author has gone into. Whilst the author finding fault with children in the affluent families to send their parents to Elders Home, and thereafter they do not take any care of them, which is un-Islamic, he mentions about a story where a son brought tea for his father to drink and found his father was asleep, the son waited till the father woke up and to give the tea as he did not wish to disturb his father’s sleep.

This good habit of the son is a good lesson for our youngsters.

Love the Humanity yet another matter the author has described. He narrates a poem of Jalaluddeen Rumy, one of the most influential mystic in the world in relation to love of humanity. He said ‘to love human beings is to love God’. The poem goes like this:-

“Come, come, let us appreciate each other, beware of the value of Each other,

Because you never knew. We might suddenly be separated.

Now that our Prophet has said: “The believer is the mirror of the believer”.

Why are we turning our face from the mirror?

Grudges and hate darken friendship and injure the heart. Why don’t we tear out and throw away grudges from the heart. (ibid Vol. iii No. 1535)

The writer abundantly speaks about the status of women in Islam and in the pre-Islamic days. How the female children were treated by their parents in the pre-Islamic period and how they were liberated by the Holy Prophet (Sal) and were given equal rights are beautifully described in the book by the author. In this regard it must mentioned here that the last chapter of this group of personal life is ‘Peaceful Marriage’.

Women in Islam

It is generally said that Marriages are decided in heaven. But Islam says, Almighty Allah make the correct partners among men and women. Hence, it is a divine blessing that a man gets his suitable partner and woman gets her suitable husband for their rest of the life. Although a Muslim is allowed to marry four women but there are restrictions to this allowance.

The Author says that “Marriage in Islam is something unique with very special features of both sacramental and contractual nature. It is equally true that the alternative to this casual or temporary extremity is not the other extreme or absolute indissolubility of the marital contract”.

Marriage is a sunnah of Prophet (Sal). Holy Qur’an says, ‘Marry two or three or four provided you can treat them equally in all respects. Thus, it may be said ‘Islam promotes monogamy while it allows polygamy.

“Marry two, four” is misunderstood. The proviso to this Sura, “Provided you can treat them justly” is conveniently forgotten. The author cites a saying of the Prophet (Sal) (at page 16) that “condemned are the men and women who relish the frequent change of marital partners, that is, the ‘tasters’ who enjoy one partner for a while, then shift to another, then to a third and so on”.

Sharia Law

The readers must know what are the impediments of marriage according to the Sharia Law. At page 26. Mr Ameen describes in a nutshell, with relevant authorities, the various legal impediments a Muslim man or woman faces when he or she wants to marry.

Under the topic of Peaceful Marriage, the author gives the readers the duty of a husband and the duty of wife, towards each other and for the family in general.

With regard to married life, the Author in Chapter 8 touches on the question of the husband and wife understanding life each other, about education of the children in Chapter 9 and about children and grand-children in Chapter 10.

Incidentally, this book is dedicated to his newly wedded son Ahmed Al Ameen and his wife Juffriya Naushad. The author has selected the correct time for the publication of this book which, I think, would be more useful to the newly wedded couple as well as the newly wedded couples who have just started their married life in the recent past.

Chapters 6, 7 and 11 deal with Divine Law, Muslim law in general and the Muslim law of Inheritance.

As we are aware, the Muslim law is based on:-

(i) the Holy Qur’an,

(ii) The Hadiths - preaching and practices of the Holy Prophet,

(iii) Ijma - Opinions of Jurists and

(iv) Qiyas - the consensus of his companions and jurists, the analogical deductions of the opinions.

The author has given an illustrious details of the above and the schools of jurisprudence of the Imams who founded the schools.

The Muslim law of Marriage and Divorce is a matter which is now under review by a Cabinet Committee. As the said Committee’s recommendations are still awaited, I do not want to make a review on the matters mentioned about is in the book.

In Chapter 11, the author has gone into the question of Inheritance in the Muslim Law. Every one knows that the Muslim law of intestate succession is a complicated matter as far as the shares are concerned. The Muslim law in this regard is completely different from the Common Law - the Roman Dutch law. If one knows the Muslim Law of succession clearly and thoroughly, he is deemed to know the entire law of succession.

Reading materials

The readers can strengthen their knowledge in this field by reading the materials given in the book. Mr Ameen has reproduced some of the matters in his earlier book on Muslim law of succession.

Whilst Chapter 12 deals with Human Rights, which is a matter commonly talked about the world over in the present days, Chapter 13 deals with SALAT (Prayers).

As everything ends with ‘bites and drinks’, the book too ends with the last Chapter on ‘Good Food and Health’. Like a physician, the author has prescribed good food, especially for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He has also given ideas to have snacks and late dinner.

The author has not only given ideas about good food but also has prescribed medicine to cure various maladies. Readers who indulge in good food and healthy life may have these ideas as guidelines for their good health. In this regard I wish to conclude with saying, which I came to know about taking food, which says, “Eat your breakfast, share your lunch with another and give your dinner to your enemy.”

As a whole the book is treat for readers who indulge in good reading. As I said at the beginning, this book contains interesting materials for all types of people.

I wish Mr Ameen all success in his endeavour and may Almighty Allah give him the strength and good health to publish more books for the benefit of the public.

The writer is a Retired High Court Judge