Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | July 31, 2016, p. 12

What is religion? The essence of religion is spirituality. Religion is in fact another name for spiritual science. Whereas, other sciences are external in nature, religion is a science which studies the internal human being.

A person has two facets of personality at the same time – body and soul. Both need sustenance for their health and progress. Material things—food and water—sustain the body. If someone is deprived of food and water for long, he will lose physical health. If such deprivation continues for a long period of time, then he or she will be starved to death. If a person does not receive the spiritual food, he will be starved spiritually. Religion boosts one’s inner personality. Religion is a guarantee to one’s spiritual life.

Everyone is in need of religion, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless. Religion provides man a starting point for one’s life. One who is deprived of religion, will also be deprived of the starting point of his life. Religion is the answer to the question, ‘Who am I?’ Religion tells one the secret of creation. It providesa philosophy of life. It is a guide book of life, bringing a person out of the darkness of ignorance, and ushering him to the light of reality. Religion makes man a good citizen. It gives a person a moral code which helps him to lead his life in society as a truthful human being. It enables one to become a no-problem person for others. It makes one a giver and not just a taker. Religion is one’s companion, in his difficult times. It is an art of crisis management. It saves one from falling victim to crisis, making one derive intellectual sustenance from crises. Religion is a sign of intellectual health. It enables one to convert negative experiences into positive results; to change his minus into plus; to see the thorns in the form of flowers; to turn the enemy into a friend.