The Prophet in one of his travels with his companions...

The Prophet in one of his travels with his companions ordered the caravan to stop and dismount. Then he dismounted and started walking in a certain direction. Soon he returned, and his companions supposed that he was looking for a suitable place for camping before he could decide about moving to another spot. They saw him approach his camel, take a knee-band from the sack, tie the camel's knees and walk on as before.

They wondered why the Prophet (s.a.w.) had walked so far and back for such a trifling task, and asked him why he did not order them to do it. The Prophet said: "Never seek help from others even for a small piece of work. Try to do it yourself." If the Prophet (s.a.w.) had said this from the pulpit it would not have had such a deep effect, but he said it when it was combined with action.

My purpose is to show that one of the principles of Islamic teachings which revives Islamic thought is action and reliance on action. I want to explain two other points of Islamic morals and educational principles, which are very significant, like a double-edged sword. If they are taught properly the result would be excellent, but if diverted from their course, they will have opposite effects.

In my experience many of the moral and educational ideas in Islam have become perverted in the minds of Muslims. The dynamic concept of reliance on God has an ethical and educational meaning in Islam. The Qur'an conveys an extraordinarily harmonious and heroic sense in endorsing absolute adherence to, and trust in. God. The Qur'an brings man into action and removes all fear from him. It teaches us not to fear, but rely on God and go ahead.

It instructs us to tell the truth without fearing any might of an enemy. When you seek to find this kind of reliance in the minds and hearts of people to-day, you see that it is absent or dead. When we want to be idle, and tend to neglect our duty, we resort to "reliance on God," and use it in a sense quite the reverse of what the Qur'an teaches. Previous…