THIS is the most auspicious night for Muslims all over the world. It is more blessed than a thousand months. For the Muslims it is a special dispensation from Allah, for Allah has said th it a night's meditation at this occasion is equal to that )f thousand nights. For this is the night when Allah revea ed the Holy Quran, through the last Prophet Muhammad (SM), not just for the Muslims to seek guidance from bi t for the entire mankind to be guided by. The Holy Quran, along with the last Prophet of Allah, has come as a redeemer to the Muslims in particular. And it is for the Muslims to internalise and understand the essence of the teachi ig of the Quran, for salvation not only of the soul in the h ereafter, but also of the body in this world.

It is a night of contemplation to see < not only salvation of our body and mind but also to in juire how well and how much have we been able to apph the teaching of the Holy Quran in our lives, both as indii iduals and as apart of society at large.

The glory of Islam and its contribution in the field of human development is unquestione d. It is a religion of peace, brotherhood and equality. Unfortunately, the debt the world owes to Islam and th<■ Muslims have not been acknowledged by a section of v 'estern society. The richness of the Muslim culture has not only been maligned; the dogmatic image creatt d by the actions of the radicals and obscurantist amongst us, that is often projected in the West with more impo rtance, does a great disservice to the rich tradition ofIslan .

But, before blaming others for theii' negative portrayal of Islam, the Muslim Ummah must unite to fight the scourge of extremist and radical elements within the Islamic community.

It is therefore for us the Muslims to strive to project the true teachings of Islam and live by its t rue essence, so that we may reflect those in our actions. That is one of the ways to improve harmony among th • people and peace in the world peace.