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their conduct and morals grew un-Islamic and their hearts got bereft of faith and righteousness the world has developed a prejudice against Islam itself.

In fine, we should realize the truth of it clearly that the daily life of Muslims, their social and moral and spiritual conduct and behaviour, is the biggest testimony and the chief measuring rod with regard to Islam. If the practical life of Muslims is good the world will form a good opinion about Islam, and if it is bad the opinion the world will acquire about Islam will also be bad. In later case, the preaching of Islam among non-Muslims is destined to be fruitless. Hence, the success of all the efforts aimed at the propagation of Islam among non-Muslims as well is dependent on the condition that Islamic life, i.e., the life of faith and righteous action became the chief attribute of the entire Muslim community. From this point of view also it is necessary to strive first for the guidance and reformation of Muslims and to launch the struggle with all our might for popularizing the values of Islamic life among them before we turned our attention to others.

The Quran has given the task of religious preaching, reform and guidance the name of Jihad-e-Akbar, the great Jihad. If it is undertaken in the right spirit, with sincerity and selflessness and solely for the sake of winning Divine approbation, this work, definitely, is a very great Jihad in the sight of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa).

Many people suppose that Jihad means only a war, which is waged in the path of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and according to the rules and instruction laid down for it in the Shariat. But this is not correct. The truth is that whatever endeavors that can be made at a particular time for the preaching of Islam and the moral and spiritual correction and guidance of mankind is the Jihad of that age.

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) remained in Mecca for about twelve years after the mantle of Apostleship had fallen upon him. During this period the Jihad of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his Companions consisted altogether in adhering steadfastly to the faith in-spite of the terrible persecution unleashed on them by the enemies of Islam and in doing all that lay in their power, openly as well as secretly, to spread the Divine message of Islam and to reform morally and spiritually those who lived around them.

To devote oneself to the noble task of guiding the ignorant, the way-ward and the

thoughtless to the straight path of Islam and of bringing them nearer to Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa), to spend one’s time and money on it, and to sacrifice one’s comfort, all this, in case, is Jihad in Divine estimation. In fact, it is the Jihad of the present age.

The rich reward that awaits those in the Hereafter who engage themselves in this lofty endeavor as well as the dreadful punishment that is going to fall to the lot of those who neglect it and do not participate in it can well be imagined from the Traditions we give below:

“A person who guides another to a deed of virtue shall receive the same recompense for it as the doer of the deed and there will be no reduction in the reward of the doer himself because of it.”

What the Tradition means is that suppose ten persons, or even five, were reformed through our effort and they came to believe in Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and to observe the Divine commandments- they began to offer the Namaz and to carry out other religious duties and