Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | May 15, 2016 | p. 12

For over a hundred years now, Muslims have been beseeching God to bring down destruction upon their oppressors.

This is rather like sending for the fire brigade and then asking them to fan the flames rather than pour water on them.

They will not comply with such a request, for the request does not fit the situation. Similarly, God ignores entreaties to annihilate Muslim oppressors, for while He is always disposed to listen to prayers for assistance and to give His divine succour where it is merited.

He is not prepared to give help where it involves the ruination of others. Such a prayer does not fit the situation.

The only aspirations which are of value in His eyes are those which are pious in intention.

A man may aspire to God’s favour, but he may not aspire to the destruction of his enemies: God will turn a deaf ear to prayers which are all about sending enemies to hell, with no mention of their salvation.

He will listen to people’s prayers only if, on behalf of their adversaries, they seek divine guidance.

People all too frequently invoke divine wrath upon others.

If they were just to stop and think for a moment that they themselves could easily become the objects of that wrath, they would soon give up consigning their enemies to hellfire and damnation.

If they truly feared God themselves, they would realize that the only ones to escape God’s punishment on Day of Judgment would be those who have sought to rescue others from that fate.

A little introspection on this subject would indeed be very welcome and also serve in doing them a world of good.