Badges mark quoted or attributed material (Qur'an, hadith, another author, an opposing view). Unbadged passages are Maulana Wahiduddin Khan's own words.
Great tasks call for unity, for they cannot be undertaken by single individuals. They require the concerted efforts of many people. And it takes a leader to co-ordinate these efforts. Young people must therefore accept their leaders, and the leaders must also give respect to the young people. p. 287
A senior person is like a general and the young people are like the army. Both the general and the army are equally important. And any great target can be achieved by the combined efforts of both. p. 287
The Process of Purification p. 288
Rain is a unique and natural phenomenon, which is referred to several times in the Quran. One such reference is given in the chapter Qaf; its translation is as follows: p. 288original + quote
And We have sent down from the sky blessed water with which We have brought forth gardens and grain to be harvested. (50:9) p. 288Qur'an
‘Blessed water’ in this verse means fresh water. This is purified water that comes down as rain, giving vital nourishment to all the greenery on the surface of the earth. Without rain all the land surface becomes like a vast desert. p. 288
Everyone should learn the art of dematerialization; everyone must learn the art of extracting the spiritual content from the material content. Only through this process can we develop our faith. p. 288
Purified water means desalinated water. The original source of this water is the salt water stored in the seas and oceans that are spread over three-fourths of the earth’s surface. This stored water is saline, nature having mixed 3.5 percent of salt in this water as a preservative. However, salt water is useful neither for man nor for agriculture. p. 288
It is nature that initiates a global process of desalination. It is desalinated water that, by the established law of nature, rises in the form of vapour and forms clouds. Then from the clouds there is a downpour of fresh water. It is this blessed water, or desalinated water, that descends and fulfils the needs of humans
and agriculture. p. 288
It is a demonstration by nature of how we can purify ourselves. By following this natural pattern, we have to process things around us through contemplation, and then make this serve as a tool for the purification of the soul (tazkiya). p. 289