The Moral Vision
The Secret of Success
~ 101 ~
placed upon religious activities). This freedom,
however, carries with it a tacit proviso, i.e. that
propagation of the faith must not take place by
coercion, but by gentle persuasion. One reason for
this is that so long as one does not use force, there
will be no serious opposition to such activity. Perhaps
a more important reason is that everyone should
enjoy the same freedom of belief; the forcing of beliefs
upon others is tantamount to encroaching upon that
freedom, nay, destroying it. Failure to respect this
condition means misusing the opportunity which
presents itself;
Dawah
activity carried on in this way
would eventually prove counter-productive. After
such an abuse of another’s privilege, there would be
nothing to stand between us and God’s punishment,
for it is He who has provided us with this unique
opportunity to bring other people within the fold. It is
an opportunity to be seized, not wasted.
Missed opportunities spell ruin. That is the way of the
world. And that is the will of God. (114:10-11)
At the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles in July
August 1984, about 62 Indian sportsmen participated.
When the games were over and they returned to New
