4. CRITERIA

 

4. Criteria

The word “criteria” appears in the Quran in the following verses:-

“And We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion that ye may be led straight.” 2:53 and 21:48

“Blessed is He Who has revealed unto His servants the Criterion, that he may be a Warner to the people.” 25:1

It should be noted that a distinction has been made between the scriptures and the criterion. The word ‘criterion’ is normally understood as implying the discrimination between good and evil, right and wrong, truth and falsehood, the teaching of which is made necessary because natural discrimination, conscience, has been suppressed in human beings owing to fixations, greed and prejudice. There are three aspects to this, corresponding to the main human faculties, namely those connected with action, motivation and thought. The questions of behaviour and motivation have been dealt with elsewhere in this book. Here we are mainly concerned with the guiding principles by means of which the Quran can be understood.

In order to understand Islam, avoid errors in interpretation, and assess any assumptions or assertions made about it, certain guide lines or keys are necessary. These should be sought for, studied and understood before a study of Islam is made. They should be extracted from the Quran and the Hadith.

Though there may well be others, the following have been found and recognised by the present writer.

 The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said:-

1. “Knowledge in the heart is the beneficial type; and knowledge on the tongue is God’s allegation against human beings.”

To this we may add the following from the Quran:-

“Follow that which is inspired in thee from thy Lord, there is no God save Him; and turn away from the idolaters.” 6:107

“It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle to have any opinion about either decision. And whoever is rebellious to Allah and His Apostle, he is indeed goes astray in manifest error.” 33:36

“ O man! Follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! The hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked. (to give an account).” 17:36

 

2. “Religious Knowledge has three categories, a precise verse, or an established sunna (tradition), or a firm obligatory duty. Anything else is an extra.”

 

3. “The Quran was sent down in seven modes. Every verse in it has an external and an internal meaning, and every interdiction has a source of reference.”

 

4. “Disputation about the Quran is infidelity. It was just on this account that your predecessors perished: They set part of God’s Book against others, whereas God’s Book was sent down only to be consistent; so do not use parts to falsify others. Speak about as much of it as you know, but where you are ignorant entrust it to him who knows.”

 

5. “If anyone interprets the Quran in the light of his own opinion and is right, he has erred.”

 

6. “He who is asked about something he knows and conceals it will have a bridle of fire put on him on the day of resurrection.”

 

7. “The search for knowledge is an obligation laid on every Muslim, but he who commits it to those who are unworthy of it is like one who puts necklaces of jewels, pearls and gold on swine.”

 

8. “ If anyone seeks knowledge to use it in vying with the learned, or disputing with the foolish, or to attract attention to himself, God will bring him into Hell.......If anyone acquires knowledge of things by which God’s good pleasure is sought, but acquires it only to get some worldly advantage, he will not experience the odour of paradise on the day of resurrection.”

 

9. “Two qualities are not found together in a hypocrite: good behaviour and knowledge of religion.....Knowledge from which no benefit is derived is like a treasure from which nothing is expended in God’s path.”

 

10. “The only cure for perplexity is to ask.”

 

11. “In every successive century those who are reliable authorities will preserve this knowledge, rejecting the changes made by extremists, the plagiarisms of those who make false claims for themselves, and the interpretations of the ignorant.”

 

12. “Superiority in knowledge is better than superiority in worship...These ones are praying and supplicating God, who, if He wills may answer their prayers, but, if He wills, may refuse them. Those ones are learning knowledge and teaching the ignorant, so they are superior...The superiority of the learned man over the devout man is like that of the moon on the night when it is full over the rest of the stars... I was sent only as a teacher.”

 

13. “Allah does not take away knowledge by removing it from men, but takes it away by taking away the learned, so that when He leaves no learned man, men will take ignorant men as leaders. Causes will be presented to them and they will pass judgement without knowledge, erring and leading men into error.”

 

14. “Had Allah willed, they would not have been idolaters. We have not sent thee (Muhammad) as a keeper over them, nor art thou responsible for them. Revile not those unto whom they pray besides Allah, lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. Thus unto every nation have We made their deeds seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return, and He will tell them what they used to do.” 6:108-109

15. “Such of our revelations as We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, we bring in place of it one better or the like thereof.” 2:106

The Prophet is also reported to have said:

 “Some of my traditions abrogate others just as some parts of the Quran abrogate others.”

 

16. “Allah said:-‘The son of Adam injures Me by abusing time, whereas I am Time. Authority is in My hand. I vary night and day.”

 

17. The Prophet is reported to have said “I am only a human being. If I tell you something about your religion, accept it. but if I tell you something based on my own opinion, then remember I am but a human being.”

 

18. “There is no compulsion in Religion. the right direction is henceforth distinct from error.” 2:256

“This is a Scripture wherein there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off evil.” 2:2

 

Some comments can be made with regard to each of these points.

1. Ultimately, Islam is not about belief and dogma, or intellectual or verbal knowledge. It is about knowledge of the Heart. It manifests itself in change of being and behaviour. This is sometimes known as Gnosis.

2. Religious Knowledge refers to the three human faculties for thinking, feeling (motivation), and action. It is not purely intellectual. Feeling and action also provide knowledge and the three should be coordinated. A verse has to be understood, the example should be followed, and the instruction has to be carried out.

3. There are seven points of view, seven ways or levels of interpreting the Quran and there is an exoteric (outer, physical) as well as an esoteric (inner, psychological) meaning. The esoteric meaning requires the raising of our level of understanding. The meaning, moreover, is derived from the context, the situation to which the verse applies.

4. The Quran is consistent. If it appears to contradict itself, this is because it has been wrongly understood. It may be that it applies to different situations or aspects. The lesson to be learnt here is that ordinary understanding and mere logic is inadequate.

5. Speculation on the basis of guess work, fantasy and prejudice is valueless. Real knowledge is required. If speculation is used then even if a person happens to be right, this is accidental and there is no way of knowing that he is right. Behaviour should not be based on such uncertainties. We have to distinguish between truth and opinion. The correct attitude in the face of opinions is that we hold them tentatively. We are always willing to discard them and to entertain alternative view points.

6. Islam is not a missionary religion. There is no point in telling someone about something he is not interested in, has prejudices against, or if he has no desire or capacity to understand. But if someone asks, and presumably he then wants or needs to know, he must be given the information. Secrecy and concealment is forbidden. It is an evil. But there is no unsolicited right to know or to give out information. And there is no point in conflict and argumentation. They occur precisely because there is no certain knowledge and do not produce such knowledge.

7. If, however, someone is incapable of understanding something correctly and misinterprets it, or is liable to misuse it to do harm to himself or others by causing distress and confusion, then it ought not to be given to him. There is no guarantee that the possession of information will enable a person to understand it or apply it correctly. Also people often ask for information of which they have no need, and this merely clutters up the mind uselessly. They could have used their minds in more useful ways. The Good is prior to the Truth. The giving of the Truth to those incapable of accepting it, is to falsify it and produce a contradiction. With respect to the right to information, therefore, three criteria exist (a) the need (b) the capacity for understanding (c) the capacity for correct application.

In this connection one of the companions of the Prophet, Abu Huraira is reported to have said:

“I have kept in my memory two large quantities of learning from Allah’s Messenger, one of which I have disclosed among you; but were I to disclose the other, this food tract would be cut.”

He did not, of course, mean a literal execution. Jesus, too, is reported to have said that there was much he could not tell his followers because they were not ready for it. (John 16:12-13). Secular Governments conceal truths for Public Security reasons, but this is usually an abuse of power. The point to be made here is that there is, apart from the transmission of exoteric Islam, another line of transmitted truth, Esoteric Islam, which is not generally available. It is given only to those who have been suitably prepared. It is the obligation for the Muslim to seek knowledge and in its pursuit to make himself worthy of it. The right to know is conditional. However, esoteric knowledge tends to conceal itself because of the absence of the capacity to understand it.

8. The pursuit of knowledge must be objective in the sense that it must have no impure motives. The motive must be nothing other than the love of truth. All ulterior motives corrupt, and do not produce truth. Here again it may be pointed out that even if the person is right when he affirms something, this would be by pure chance, and we would have no way of knowing whether it is true or not.

9. Knowledge must have an application in improving the person. Whereas the aim in ordinary science is the application to technology, to change the environment, the Islamic view is that the application must be for human development. It ought to expand his understanding and adaptation to Reality. The aim itself is integral to what we mean by knowledge, and determines the result of our search. This is because it controls what data we seek, how we interpret, organise and apply it. It is not difficult to see that the real goal of all conscious human activity is to benefit man himself.

10. Asking can be done in three ways:

            (a) To ask someone who knows, e.g. an expert, someone who has studied or is experienced.

            (b) To ask God through study, meditation and prayer.

            (c) To ask nature by observation, experiment and calculation.

 

11. Changes do take place in the teachings and practices of religion owing to the formation of habits, corruption by the infiltration of extraneous materials, forgetfulness, changes in emphasis; changes in experience, language and the conditions of life; the intrusion of prejudices, habits and self-interest, particularly when there is a question of wealth, power or prestige involved; the accumulation of speculations and commentaries built upon one another. And so on. There is, therefore, a constant need for purification, reinterpretation and renewal. But this regeneration cannot be undertaken by ordinary men who possess insufficient knowledge and ability, make little efforts in study or thought, and whose motives may well be faulty. The followers tend to form sects, also forbidden in Islam. Sects have the tendency to adhere to the wording without understanding. They emphasise their differences, thereby causing conflicts. This in itself shows a misunderstanding. The difficulty is in knowing who to follow. There is no other way but to increase one’s own knowledge. The advise given by the Prophet Muhammad is:

“This knowledge is religion, so consider from whom you receive your religion.”

“Among the Quran readers who are the most hateful to Allah are those who visit princes.”

The implication is that those who are impressed by power, wealth and prestige, and who act submissively towards them and try to associate themselves with such people, imitate them or try to please them, are not likely to have the truth. Those who have will manifest it in their behaviour.

12. Most people believe that religion is only concerned with ritual worship and prayer. Islam makes the seeking of knowledge more important. This, too, is an act of worship, a service to Allah. The Prophet is reported to have said:-

“Allah said: I was a hidden treasure. I wished to be known. Therefore, I created the Universe.”

The purpose of existence is to increase knowledge. Knowledge, however, does not refer merely to verbal knowledge, but also to experience and consciousness. This does not, however, mean that the seeker of knowledge can abandon worship. Knowledge allows a person to worship more correctly and effectively. Whereas Christianity makes love the most important element in Religion, people can be mistaken about their motives, they can attribute false motives to themselves, and if they do not possess love they cannot create it. From the Islamic point of view correct knowledge will produce love. If, for instance, you know the suffering of an individual which makes him behave in an aggressive manner, then it becomes possible to act in a tolerant, compassionate and merciful manner towards him. Only if you know yourself can you avoid false motives and reinforce the correct ones.

13. The degeneration of a society depends on the decrease in the number of able men. It does not depend on the absence of knowledge. The decline of the Islamic civilisation does not, therefore, imply that correct knowledge does not exist somewhere. It implies that fewer people have embraced it and applied it, and many more have misunderstood it, misapplied or neglected it.

14. What others believe or worship is no concern of the Muslim. It is an affair between them and Allah. He has created them and will judge them. It is certainly not for Muslims to persecute or ridicule them. They could, after all, with equal justification, on the basis of their own beliefs, ridicule the Muslim. Indeed, this applies to any kind of belief whatever.

 15. Religion is not static. Not only are there differences in the series of religions, but the Quran and the Hadith also include changes. However, we are also warned:-

“To proceed: The best discourse is Allah’s Book, the best guidance is that given by Muhammad, and the worst things are those which are novelties. Every innovation is error.”

It may, therefore, be presumed that changes in religion cannot be brought about by ordinary men, but only by those who possess the higher objective faculties which enables contact with reality. However, the exercise of analogical reasoning is allowed. Similar actions can be applied to similar situations.

“He who innovates a good innovation in Islam has its reward and the reward of those who practice it until the Day of Judgement without lessening any of the rewards of those who practice it.”

“If anyone innovates in our religion a matter which does not belong to it, then it is rejected.”

Thus a distinction should be made between good, bad and neutral innovations.

 

Some other words of the Prophet are also relevant in assessing the popular Islam of today.

“A time is coming to mankind when nothing of Islam but its name will remain and only the written form of the Quran will remain. Their mosques will be in fine condition but will be devoid of guidance, their learned men will be the worst of people under heaven, corruption coming forth from them and returning among them.”

“In the times in which you are living, anyone who abandons a tenth of what he is commanded shall perish; but a time is coming when anyone does a tenth of what he is commanded will be safe.”

“As long as you hold fast to two things which I have left among you, you will not go astray: God’s Book and His Messenger’s Sunna.”

“Do not ask me about evil, but ask me about good.”

“I am only a human being. When I issue a command to you regarding your religion, accept it; but when I issue a command to you based on my own opinion, I am merely a human being.”

“The Quran came down showing five aspects: what is permissible, what is prohibited, what is firmly fixed, what is obscure, and parables.”

It is necessary to realise that the Quran does not speak about sins in the Christian sense, which indulges in self-disgust. It speaks of errors, ignorance, disorientation, heedlessness (defects in attention), unconsciousness and infidelity (to ones own nature, the world and God). The purpose of Islam is to bring man in contact with Allah, and his own real self, directly, without a mediator. There are certain sects in Islam, as also in other religions, which set aside all dogma, rituals and institutions believing that these are obstructions in forming such contacts. This is certainly true when mental or emotional attachments to such things have been made. The Islamic view, however, is that man in his present state, except for the few directly inspired by Allah, is not capable of such contact. He needs appropriate means and techniques to do this. But the means should not be mistaken for the ends. This would be Idolatry. Nor can the means and techniques be invented by ordinary men and women because, having lost contact, they do not know what they are doing. Those who have achieved a higher state of being, however, are also not absolved from following the religious discipline. This is because, though they may not themselves be in need of it, they must continue to set an example for others. If they did not, others may mistakenly think that they, too, are above the law and have grown beyond the need for it. Indeed, without the religious practices they may themselves degenerate.

Although Islam recognises other Messenger, it has certain reservations on the grounds that their messages, and the religious practices based on them, have been corrupted over the centuries. This fate has also been predicted for Islam. There is little doubt that many present day practices in all religions bear little resemblance to the original teachings.

“And of mankind are some who say : We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not. They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none but themselves; but they perceive not. In their hearts is a disease and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.” 2:8-10

“Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget to practice it. And ye are readers of the scriptures! Have ye then no sense?” 2:44

“Woe unto those who write Scriptures with their own hands and then say: This is from Allah: that they may purchase a small gain therewith.” 2:79

“And when it is said unto them: Follow that which Allah hath revealed, they say: We follow that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though their fathers were wholly unintelligent and had no guidance?”” 2:170

“Those who formerly received the scriptures differed only after knowledge came unto them through transgression among themselves.” 3:19

“O people of the Scriptures! Why confound ye truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the truth/” 3:71

“Lo those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and seek to make a distinction between Allah and His Messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way between, such are disbelievers in Truth.” 4:150-151

“And because of their breaking of their covenants, We have cursed them and made hard their hearts. They change words from their context and forget part of that whereof they were admonished. Thou wilt not cease to discover treachery from all save a few of them. But bear with them and pardon them. Lo! Allah loves the kindly.” 5:13

Corruption has occurred not only because additions and subtractions have been made to the teachings themselves, but also because of misinterpretation, changes in context, emphasis and selection of some ideas contained in existing books while suppressing others. Extraneous ideas are often applied to change meanings. Sometimes other books and commentaries may receive more religious attention than the original scriptures. The various books included by Christians in their Bible appear to have been selected for Political reasons. Many others were excluded and repressed. Some have only recently come to light and create a completely different picture of the original Christian teachings. It must, however, also be pointed out that the word, Scriptures, in the Quranic sense, does not necessarily refer to physical Books, but rather to a body of teachings.

It is also necessary to realise that when a new dispensation of religion comes, then because it has to deal with a new age, it replaces the old dispensation. Thus, some of the instructions of Jesus replaced those of Moses and some of the instructions of Muhammad replaced those of Jesus. The Prophet has been reported as having said:-

“If Moses had lived today, he would have found it absolutely necessary to follow me.”

16. Time is a mystery to science. Allah is Time, not in the serial or passing sense, but in the creative sense. Time, in modern science is regarded as a dimension of the space-time continuum in which all things arise and happen. But the Islamic view of Time is different. It is not one of four dimensions since even the three dimensions of space are creations which arose from the Singularity in the Big Bang, the Creative Event. It is supposed by scientists that Time, too did not exist before the Big Bang. But this is not true. If we go back to that event, duration slows down until it becomes zero. This simply means that it has become Eternal. Though the Quran affirms that Allah created the Universe out of Nothing, Nothing does not refer to Allah and the Singularity is not “nothing”. It is a point where all the Laws of physics break down and the world as described by science ceases to exist. Nevertheless, regarding time as a dimension implies that Allah is involved in every event.

The verse also indicates that (a) The Universe may be regarded as a self-revelation of Allah. (b) Conditions change and that there are certain possibilities connected with each stage in evolution which disappears later. “For everything there is a time prescribed.” 13:38. {Quran 3:137, 10:5,50) (c) There should be respect for time. It should not be wasted and its possibilities and opportunities should be utilised.

17. With regard to this point, three things may be said:- (a) There are things which are true, good or useful other than those taught by the Prophet. (b) A Muslim is not required to accept the authority of anyone beyond that in which he has expertise. (c) Authority derives from Allah, and is proportional to the amount of Truth a person possesses. this is distinct from personal opinion. These are most important points.

18. Islam is not a dictatorship or a straight jacket. It is a guidance. Education rather than coercion or mental conditioning must be applied. Islam is interested in the spiritual development of people - the enhancement of their consciousness, conscience and will. This can only take place through personal effort. It cannot be enforced from outside. Coercion or conditioning enslave and cause degeneration.

 

These Guidelines have been used in this work, and should be used in judging this work. The author may be wrong. This book is a suggestion to others as to how Islam may be understood in the modern world. It is not put forward as the absolute truth, nor is it meant to create a following or a sect.

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SYMBOLISM

 

Many parts of the Teachings of the Quran are given in the form of symbolism, similitude, parables or analogies. According to the Prophet every verse of the Quran has an external and an internal meaning. And even in the external meaning we must distinguish between the letter and the spirit. The reason for this appears to be four fold.

Firstly, since religion deals with areas which people are not yet capable of experiencing directly, or what people are not very familiar with, then they can only be understood by describing them in terms which are familiar. Inner psychological phenomena may be described in physical or social terms. Higher social phenomena, that is subtler and more general processes affecting societies may be illustrated by means of particular events.

Secondly, mere description which addresses the intellect alone is of lesser value. What is needed is the transmission of a complete experience which has intellectual, emotional and motor effects. The purpose is to produce a psychological effect and not merely to inform. Some of these effects are subconscious.

Thirdly, when it is necessary to convey a general condition or law rather than particular things then Science uses formulae. Religion uses parables in the same way. A particular story or phrase may be used to refer to some general principle. It is then quite irrelevant whether the story itself is literally true or not.

Fourthly, a real situation has multiple connections with other situations, and itself consists of many elements having many connections with each other. A normal description tends to be linear in that we can only describe one connection followed by the next and so on. Such a description is, therefore, necessarily not true of the real situation. A parable on the other hand shows the multiple connections and has multiple meanings. Though it is read or related in a serial form, its meanings only arise when it is seen as a whole.

Fifthly, experiences and phenomena can usually be classified into types, sets or classes. It is not possible to describe all members of the set as there are too many. We need only describe one and leave it to analogical reasoning to describe or apply it to others. A member of a set, however, is stripped of those characteristics which distinguish it from others.

In order to understand a parable it is necessary to alter our state of consciousness, to see things in a different way. A parable, however, is only a parable when it is recognised as such. If it is not, then it is taken as a literal statement or story. Indeed, a word or a name may well be a similitude. For instance if we use the word “table” it could refer to a particular table, but on the other hand it could refer to tables in general, or to all tables, or to the essential common elements found in all tables, or to the functions which a table has, or its relationships with the makers, users, chairs, crockery, books and rooms and so on.

The Quran is written to be understood by people of all levels. Though it is meant for the simplest of minds, it also has levels of meaning which can only be understood after much study by more sophisticated minds. The following verses may be quoted to establish that the naive and literal interpretation of the Quran is not the only possible source of its teachings.

“And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruits thereof, they say: This is what was given us in bygone times, and it is given them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.”

“Lo, Allah disdains not to coin the similitude even of a gnat. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord; but those who disbelieve say: What doth Allah wish to teach by such a similitude? He misleads many thereby, and He guides many thereby; and He misleads thereby only miscreants.” 2:26 See also 47:15

The description of Paradise is a symbol. But the joys experienced on earth are also symbolic of the joys of paradise. The point to be made here is that miscreants tend to justify themselves, and by doing so mutilate their capacity to see and understand. People are blinded by their own prejudices. Both belief and good works is required.

 The belief which is required is that there exists an area of reality which we cannot see. It is obvious that we cannot know this area. But it is equally obvious that if we do not believe that such an area exists then we cannot make any efforts to know it. The whole point of religion is to get from the position where we are to a higher position. And that is also the purpose of symbolism. If you do not believe that China exists then you will make no journey to it.

“He (Allah) it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - They are the substance of the Book - and others which are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking to cause dissension by seeking to explain it. None knows the explanation save Allah, and those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding will really grasp the message. ” 3:7

One of the main causes of conflict between sects is the different interpretations given to the allegories. The answer to this is that since Allah gave the allegories He alone knows their true meaning. Differences and conflicts on the grounds of opinion prove nothing and are, therefore, quite futile. The implication is that it is not possible to understand them except by His spirit, i.e. as a revelation, an insight or inspiration. It may be the reward for personal efforts. Merely accepting an interpretation given by one person or another is quite valueless. It is the student who has to understand. In some readings punctuation marks are different and we get: “None knows the explanation (or hidden meaning) save Allah and those who are of sound instruction. Say:...”. But even this controversy is unnecessary. Multiple meanings are also possible, and there is no need to take sides.        

“As for these similitudes, We coin them for mankind, but none will grasp their meaning save the wise.” 29:43

“Do you not see how Allah coins a similitude: A goodly saying, as a goodly tree, its roots set firm, its branches reaching into heaven, giving its fruit at every season by permission of its Lord? Allah coins a similitude for mankind in order that they may reflect. And the similitude of a bad saying is as a bad tree, uprooted from upon the earth, possessing no stability.””14: 24-26

“Allah’s is the Sublime Similitude.” 16:60

“Coin not similitudes for Allah.” 16:74

“His is the Sublime Similitude in the heavens and the earth.” 30:27

“And verily We have displayed for mankind in this Quran all kinds of similitudes, but most of mankind refuse aught save disbelief.” 17:89   Also see 18:55; 39:27

 

Symbolism can probably be understood best through the following:-

There are at least three sources of truth:-

1. Those which affect the senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, the muscle sense and sense of balance. These are called external or objective facts and thought of as having a material basis. However, the information comes through some medium such as light, goes through the sense organs, the nervous system to the brain where they are interpreted. The end product depends on the processes at each level and depends on their nature. Something can go wrong at any of these levels. We do not see the electrical vibrations, but colours. An object is a chair or a table to us because we interpret it as such. In fact it is merely a structure of wood or molecules, and even these ideas are interpretations. Thus, these notions are already symbols.

2. Those which have an effect on our minds or intellect. We have a number of concepts such as love, beauty, enlightenment, grief, happiness, knowledge, numerous concepts invented in science, commerce, politics and so on. We often use objective notions to describe these. Words connected with light such as illumination, enlightenment etc do not refer to objective light. When we speak about the heart we do not always mean the physical heart. We have inner sight, hearing etc. Symbols of this kind may not refer to percepts but also to actions. A number of actions and rituals are done not for their outer effects but their inner effects.

3. Allegories refer to complex events, structures, patterns or stories which do not refer to external facts but are used to facilitate understanding, motivation or action. External facts may, however, be used for this purpose. Graphs and formulae etc also have this function.

These three should not be confused with each other, though there is no complete distinction between them but only one of degree.

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LIMITS

 

We must also recognise certain limits to our capacity for knowledge which flow not only from the limitations of our senses, intelligence and consciousness, but also from our motives, attitudes and the fact that we are usually conditioned by our culture and value systems to select and interpret experiences in certain ways. Our actions, too, determine how the environment reacts and, therefore, what experiences we will have.

The world provides virtually infinite data, only a small part of it is known by humanity, and even less by any particular individual. It is claimed by every Religion that there is a higher intelligence in man which is lying dormant. There is sufficient evidence in ordinary life to show that this must be so, because glimpses of it have been reported by many people. Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to assert that every kind of human progress depends on just such flashes of higher intelligence occurring from time to time in people who are judged extra-ordinary because of their achievements. It is the purpose of Religion to awaken this intelligence.

“And if all the trees on earth were pens, and the oceans, with seven more oceans to help it, were ink, the Words of Allah could not be exhausted.” 31:27. Also 18:110

 

It follows that much which Religions deal with is not understood by the ordinary mind. Some has unconscious effects. Some is badly misinterpreted by the rationalising mind. And much which it cannot understand is rejected. Few people actually make any effort to understand, and many of these go about it in the wrong way, using inappropriate faculties. The following verses of the Quran are, therefore, quoted to show that there is quite another level of seeing beyond that from which Islam has been considered in this book.

 

“And when Moses said unto his servant: I will not give up until I reach the point where the two seas meet, though I march on for years. And when they reached the point where the two met, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the waters, being free. And when they had gone further, he said unto his servant: Bring our breakfast. Verily we have found fatigue in this our journey.

“He said: Didst thou see, when we took refuge on the rock, and I forgot the fish - and none but Satan caused me to forget to mention it - it took its way into the waters by a marvel. He said: This is that which we have been seeking. So they retraced their steps again.

“Then they found one of Our Servants, unto whom We had given mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge from Our Presence. Moses said unto him: May I follow thee, to the end that thou mayest teach me something of the higher Truth which thou hast been taught? He said: Lo! thou canst not bear with me. How canst thou bear with that which thou cannot comprehend?

“He (Moses) said: Allah willing, thou shalt find me patient and I shall not in aught disobey thee. He said: Well, if thou go with me, ask me not concerning aught till I myself mention it unto thee.

“So the twain set out till, when they were in a ship, he scuttled it. Moses said: Hast thou scuttled it to drown the folk therein? Thou verily hast done a dreadful thing. He said: Did I not tell thee thou couldst not bear with me? Moses said: Be not angry with me that I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my fault.

“So the twain journeyed on till, when they met a young man, and he slew him. Moses said: What! Hast thou slain an innocent soul who hath slain no man? Verily thou hast done a horrible thing. He said: Did I not tell thee that thou couldst not bear with me? Moses said: If I ask thee after this concerning aught, keep not company with me. Thou hast received an excuse from me.

“So the twain journeyed on till, when they came unto the folk of a certain township, they asked its folk for food, but they refused to make them guests. And they found in the town a wall on the point of falling into ruin, and he repaired it. Moses said: If thou hadst wished thou couldst have taken payment for it. He said: This is the parting between thee and me! I will tell thee the interpretation of that which thou couldst not bear with patience.

“As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working on the river, and I wished to wreck it because there was a (cruel) king behind them who is taking every (sea-worthy) ship by force. And as for the lad, his parents were pious and We feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and infidelity. And We intended that their Lord should exchange him for them for one better in purity and nearer to mercy. And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city; and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them. Their father had been righteous, and thy Lord intended that they should come to full maturity and should bring forth their treasure as a mercy from their Lord. I did it not upon my own accord. Such is the interpretation of that wherewith thou couldst not bear.” 18:61-83

 

There are several lessons to be learnt from this story.

1. Human beings are self-opinionated and always ready to criticise or jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts. This prevents learning.

2. There is a mode of action which is selfless and objective. The verse may be referring to a group of people alive and active in the world who are behaving in this way, manipulating events and attempting to avert some of the man-made disasters in the world.

3. No matter how learned a person might be, truth is much wider than that of which a person has knowledge. It is possible to have a much more global view. Things should be seen and judged in much wider context than we normally employ.

4. It is not merely a question of knowing, but also the ability to bear and tolerate truth or the means to it; of being able to think and understand for oneself. The desire for knowledge is not itself enough.

5. There is a difference between conventional, verbal or formal knowledge and essential knowledge, the knowledge of insight; between outer and inner knowledge. The two can only co-exist if the intellect does not constantly question and criticise the other. Each has its own separate function.

6. Objective good and evil are different from subjective or conventional good and evil.

7. Knowledge and responsibility go together. Facts and Values are two aspects of Wisdom. The term ‘knowledge’ is being used in these verses in a much wider sense than is normally accepted.

8. The apparent is quite different from the real. There are apparent contradictions in life. What seem evil turns out to be good, and what seem good turns out evil.

9. Patience and personal effort is required to increase understanding and knowledge. It is not sufficient simply to be handed an explanation. It does not become one’s own without personal effort.

10. Humility is essential for knowledge. He who thinks he already knows will not make the efforts to acquire knowledge.

11. A teacher or guide is required in order to obtain the higher knowledge.

12. Faith and trust in the teacher are necessary, but the ordinary mind finds them difficult to sustain.

13. The fish is a symbol for knowledge. It has nutritional value. The sea is objective reality. The Fish emerges from and must return to the sea. The fish out of water would die and then represent dead knowledge. In the distractions of life all knowledge is forgotten.

14. Objective knowledge and action is only possible when the individual is not himself involved. He works for Allah.

15. On the journey to Truth fatigue sets in. It becomes necessary to refresh oneself. The fish, even when dead and cooked, was required to break the fast.

16. Moses in the story represents orthodox religion, the religion of conventional ethics, ritual and dogma. But these are not sufficient for higher knowledge and motivations.

 There are a number of other meanings here which is left to the reader to ponder over. Consider the two seas and the buried treasure etc. 

The story may be an elaboration of one found in the Old Testament. After Moses was expelled from Egypt he went to live with Jethro, a priest of Midian, an Ishmaelite. The Arabs, and, therefore, Muhammad are descends of Ishmael, the elder son of Abraham. The Hebrews, including Moses descend from Isaac, another son of Abraham. Moses learnt much from Jethro, and it is during his stay with Jethro that he received his mission at the burning bush.

Some people assume that the teacher was the Prophet Muhammad. Others speak of a legendary teacher of Sufis, Al Khidr. To speculate as to who the teacher was seems to be futile and irrelevant.

 

The limits of knowledge and ability are also mentioned in the following:-

“O Company of jinn and men, if you have power to penetrate all regions of the heavens and earth, then penetrate them. You will never penetrate them save with Our sanction.” 55:33

Thus, it is possible to overcome ones limitations, but only with the help or permission of Allah. Does it also refer to Space Travel?

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We should be warned that there are at least ten sources of error in interpreting the teachings of Islam:-

1. That not all relevant statements have been taken into account.

2. That statements have been taken out of their contexts and placed in a different one, thereby changing the significance.

3. That the statement or instructions may have been addressed to certain types of people in certain times and situations and not to others, namely the Arabs of the time. Or they may have been addressed more generally to all.

4. The connotation or meaning of words has been misunderstood.

5. The intention or purpose of a statement has been misunderstood.

6. An adequate or relevant capacity for experiences and perception is missing.

7. The whole cultural and social situation within which something has meaning and relevance has changed.

8. The field or frame work of reference to which a statement applies has been misunderstood.

9. The attitude of the reader is incorrect – he might be hostile and prejudiced instead of receptive and may not make any efforts to understand but instead reads it in order to criticise.

10. In particular, the instructions in the Quran itself as to how it should be read and understood have not been observed. It is stated, for instance that the Quran is a revelation, not composed by the Prophet, that it is written in Arabic and that it contains no contradictions and that it a reminder to creation, that it should be read with sincerity and reverence, and that it contains a guidance and a healing. If these things are ignored then the meaning and significance of the verses cannot be obtained.

Mistakes can be made by anyone. They can be sincere. They can also be made deliberately or sub-consciously in the service of self-interest or prejudice or even in the presumed interest of some community, religion or other cause. No untruth can be considered to be a service to religion. Misinformation misleads. It destroys adaptation to Reality. Arguments and conflicts can occur because either or both the contestants have made the same or different errors. It is only necessary, in order to avoid such conflicts, to admit that such errors are possible. This requires humility, and humility is part of Surrender.

 

In summary, the guidelines used to interpret Islam in this book are as follows:-

1. To bring to bear all the relevant verses which affect a subject.

2. To take the inner as well as the outer meaning as far as they are understood.

3. To use analogical reasoning. A particular case may be used to illustrate a general principle. Using this general principle the number of particular cases can be multiplied.

4. To study and apply what some authorities have said about the interpretation of various verses.

5. To adapt the teachings to suit the new conditions of the modern world.

6. Not to introduce anything which is contradictory to the spirit of Islam.

7. To recognise and reject that which has entered into Islam and is contradictory to it, but not that which is compatible and useful.

8. To study other scriptures, also recognised by Islam, hoping they might shed more light on what is otherwise obscure.

9. To elaborate and make use of the symbolism, similitudes and allegories.

10. To try to understand the teachings in the spirit and the heart rather than only intellectually.

 

The Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad were sent to a particular people at a particular time and in a particular place - a comparatively primitive and isolated people, with a particular culture, life style and customs; in seventh century Arabia, a hot, deserted, sparsely populated land. Islam has spread throughout the world into quite different lands and peoples. The Conditions of the world have changed considerably since then. The world has become a single place. But apart from what is specific to these people, times and places there is also a much more universal message in these teachings. It is necessary, therefore, to have certain additional guidelines.

1. A distinction must be made between what is universal and what was particular to a place, time and people.

2. The teachings of the Prophet can be regarded as interpretations and applications of the spirit of the Quran for the specific situations he had to deal with. They do not carry the same authority as the Quran and do not necessarily apply to different situations.

3. The importance of the Hadith lies in providing us with guidelines as to how the Quran may be interpreted and applied in changing situations rather in its specifics.

4. We may ask ourselves: If the Prophet had lived in our times how would he have dealt with the problems existing today and what would his teachings have been. Certainly the teachings of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad differ from one another owing to the differences in time, place and peoples. It is not certain that the contemporary mind is even aware what the problems are, much less how to solve them. But the ability to put oneself in the Prophet’s shoes, as it were, depends on a profound knowledge and the development of a considerable amount of empathy.

5. The Prophet Muhammad, according to the Quran 33:40, was the Seal of the Prophets. This could mean three things:-

            (a) That the religious message was completed in him.

            (b) That he confirmed the mission of the series of Prophets and placed the seal of approval on them.

            (c) That he was the last of the Prophets.

 

He did, however, forecast the return of Jesus. This implies that there was another Prophet to come. However, to say that a past Prophet would return is not to imply that there would be a new religion, particularly as he confirmed that Religion had been completed in him. The next Prophet can only confirm the mission of Muhammad and revitalise it.

The Prophet did not leave a successor. The implication of this appears to be that mankind had now left childhood and, having entered adulthood, were to be left to their own devices. They had to assume responsibility for themselves. We cannot expect any guidance except from what has already been received and from our own faculties. But these faculties must be purified.

We must, firstly, be self-aware and self-critical in order to detect and remove the defects which corrupt and plague our faculties.

Secondly we must develop the exclusive love of truth.

And thirdly we must develop adequate techniques for study. And this includes persistence, patience, and the power to overcome distractions.

The Islamic discipline itself provides these.  

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