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1. NATURE OF RELIGION

The word “Religion” has certain unfortunate connotations for some people, who associate it with bigotry, fanaticism, persecutions and wars. The word “Islam” sometimes triggers off certain nasty ideas in the West where people have heard rumours and stories spread by persons motivated by sectarian impulses. Or they may associate it with certain ritualistic or alien practices of people living in certain areas of the world about which they have little knowledge. Cultural conditioning and isolation makes it very difficult for people to understand other cultures and ideas, especially when accompanied by national pride. People who have remained educationally backwards may understand their religion in a most naive way. A self-appointed priesthood which is in the depths of ignorance and superstition may hold sway over the population there.

Though it is perfectly true that Islam, in common with other religions, has degenerated as far as the majority of people is concerned, this degenerate form of it, and the beliefs and practices of the ignorant can hardly be called “Religion”. Certainly it bears little resemblance to what its teachings and original intentions were. The malpractices, or supposed malpractices of other people should, in any case, not concern or prejudice an individual who seeks the truth. The sectarian when he indulges in comparative description of religions, tends to be deliberately dishonest, or, at least unconsciously unjust, and ignorant of the deeper significance of the things he criticises. He compares the malpractices of the adherents of other religions with the sublime teachings of the one which he himself has acquired owing to the accident of birth or circumstance. He does not realise that this process can be reversed.

We have a semantic problem here. Do we use the term “religion” to describe the popular version of it or the original teaching? Do we include in it the ritualism, ceremonies, dogmatism as outwardly manifested without the presence of understanding? Do we refer to the version presented to us by the uneducated and simple, or to the version spoken off by sophisticated Theologians and Philosophers, or to that which is presented to us by the Saints, or by a Priest Class? Do we also include in the term such phenomena as the conflicts, struggle for power and wars between sects and religions which have taken place down the ages and in all lands? Do we include the use of emotional slogans, emblems and terminologies which trigger mindless reactions, bigotry and prejudice? Are regimentation, brain-washing and persecution also Religion? Is the existence of superstition or the opposition to scientific research or technological progress part and parcel of religion? Or are some of these things merely attributable to human nature, to special circumstances, stresses and political ambitions?

Observation shows that, in fact, most of the people who indulge in sectarian conflicts neither practice their religion nor know or understand it, or even desire to do so. It is precisely the absence of religion which is responsible for the lack of self-restraint. The fact that someone professes a particular religion does not imply that all his behaviour is determined by that Religion. We cannot blame religion for human perversity. On the contrary, it is the presence of this perversity which makes religion necessary as a counter measure. It is well known now that though the influence of religion has collapsed the amount of human cruelty and prejudice is just as great if not greater. Racialism, Nationalism and secular Ideologies have produced the same conflicts. Every advance in science takes place against the opposition and disbelief even of other scientists who are conditioned by traditional ideas or motivated by commercial or political interests, or by egotism. Such interests pervert the truth, though in some cases science and technology have advanced rapidly because such interests were served. Insufficient attention has been given to an opposite fact. These same interests and prejudices give rise to, and establish other sets of ideas which may be totally false and even harmful. Superstitions are being created even now though the term is used only to refer to ideas which have been discarded.

The term “Religion” cannot, with justice, be applied in this way. We must go to the original teachings. It cannot apply to anything which has been forced into people by compulsion or conditioning without the participation of their understanding. Nor can it refer to dogma, rationalisation, sentimentality, mimicry, automatism or fantasy. To say that one believes in something when that something is misunderstood or not understood at all is to say that one believes in something quite different. It may as well be gobbledygook. Suppose for instance that a person professes to believe in God. But by God he understands that there is a man with a long white beard sitting in the sky looking after him; One who has nothing else to do but to make the sun shine if he asks him to, or to make it rain at other times when requested. It cannot then be said that he believes in God, at least, not in the God as understood by the religions. The person who denies that God exists when he understands God in this way, is, I think, even more absurd. This is because he first sets up a concept implying that it refers to something that exists, and then proceeds to deny it. There is a self-contradiction here.

The word “religion” comes from a root meaning “to bind back to ones source”.

The word religion, as used in this book, should not be confused with its popular, conventional or superstitious use. Reality is a Unity, in which all things, having arisen from a Unity, interact, Then for purposes of thought both a distinction and a relationship arises between three things:- Allah (The Origin), the Creatures and Religion which connects the two. The word “Religion” is used here as referring to the Unity of life and existence. It has three levels:-

(a) The whole relationship a person or community has with Reality as a whole, conscious, sub-conscious or unconscious. People are, therefore, only partly aware of their religion and to different degrees.

(b) In so far as people are conscious, it refers to their whole life, their thought, feeling and action; ideas, motives and behaviour; their system of facts, meaning and values. These may be integrated, comprehensive or emphasised to various degrees.

(c) It has three aspects:- the Cosmic, the Social and the Psychological. That is, it has an outer or objective, an inner subjective or personal, and an interactive or collective aspect. Emphasis may be placed on different aspects to different degrees by different people.

All aspects of life should be considered as beings parts of religion. But, in so far as these aspects are separated out they are not religion.

Human beings find themselves a small part of a vast Universe from whose substances, forces and laws they are formed, with which they have to interact, on which they are dependent and to which they must adjust. They do this consciously, sub-consciously and unconsciously. They have been given three faculties:- for cognition (consciousness, intellect to think and sensations), for affect (conscience, motivation, feeling and emotion), and for action (will, volition, reflexes and instincts) . Religion is concerned with the effort of human beings to make sense of, adjust to and find their place in the whole scheme of existence. Since consciousness, intelligence and reason are part of the essence of a human being, then religion is integral to being human. It has, therefore, existed among all human beings everywhere since the very beginning.

The need for adjustment to the world applies also to all other objects and living things. From the Islamic point of view, therefore, all things have a religion though this lies at the subconscious or unconscious level.

Religion has three inter-connected aspects corresponding to the three faculties:-

(a) Mysticism - this refers to cognition. But this has unconscious, sub-conscious as well as a conscious aspect. The word “mysticism” is derived from the word “mystery”. The implication is that people are only vaguely conscious of certain aspects of reality and that they cannot fully understand those who are more fully conscious of it.

(b) The Social aspect which can be divided into (i) ethics, morality, ideals and law (ii) worship - awe, glorification, adoration, celebration, (iii) The institutions, organisation, dogmas, rituals, ceremonials, festivities, customs etc.

(c) Magic. This word is used here to refer to actions or techniques designed to create changes either in the environment, the society or psychologically within the person himself. Prayers and rituals have this function. The word should not be confused with its popular meaning which either means superstition or else something super-natural. Superstition simply means a belief which is not only false but unreasonable. The word magic is not used in this sense. Indeed, any modern technology would be magic to a primitive person who does not have the knowledge required to understand it. Phenomena may be super-normal in that they rarely occur, but never super-natural.

The word “Religion” tends to be used to refer to only the second of these aspects. But in this work it will be understood as having all three aspects.

Religious attitudes are of three types or undergo three phases:- (a) The desire and effort to know and find out. (b) the desire and effort to change things. (c) Acceptance, cooperation and surrender.

As far as cognition is concerned, all religions recognise something as supreme, whether it is a being, principle or a force. This is because the wholeness of existence and life must be explained, not merely matter but also life and consciousness, not only facts but also meanings and values. It is not merely an intellectual concept but also informs feelings and action. The word “God” is applied to this.

As far as motivation is concerned, religions provide an ideal. In so far as religion is concerned with adjustment to something greater and beyond man they are concerned with self-extension and growth. Ultimately, an ideal can only have three aspects connected with the three faculties - the increase in Wisdom, Compassion and Power (ability - consciousness, conscience and will).

As far as action is concerned human beings can behave in three ways:- (a) automatically according to inherent or built-in mechanisms e.g. instincts (b) conditioning or learning from experiences in contact with the environment owing to the existence of memory. (c) by deliberate intelligent conscious efforts.

Religion may be defined as “a conscious, deliberately constructed way of life based on knowledge and a definite objective goal”, as opposed to an automatic, accidental and un-directed way of life.

Religious behaviour, therefore, differs from (a) that which arises from accidentally formed habits and automatisms, (b) mechanical reaction to events conditioned into us by the circumstances of life, (c) attachments, addictions, obsessions, greed and the psychological mechanisms based on these such as rationalisations, fantasies, projection, introjection, prejudices, self-interest, substitution and so on.

It is not the case that these are necessarily bad since training, for instance, leads to fast and efficient reactions and provides a basis on which further psychological structures can be built. They are bad only if they arise arbitrarily without purpose, obstruct adjustment and development, and cause an atrophication of consciousness and intelligence. These three can be called the Worldly or Subjective Impulses while the Religious are Spiritual or Objective Impulses. They are also distinguished as the Diabolical and the Divine. There is usually a conflict between them. A third or neutral category of behaviour also exists which is connected with human limitations, that is, with ignorance, partial knowledge and misunderstanding, mistakes and errors due to lack of ability and control, misinterpretation of ones needs and motives. It is these which lead one to adopt either of the other two.

Religion has three parts. A distinction should be made between what can be broadly called Culture, Politics and Economics. Economics concerns itself purely with making a living and, therefore with relationships of man with the sub-human. Politics concerns itself with human relationships and organisation. The word culture is here understood as including the sciences, arts, philosophy etc, and, therefore, with relationships with the universal and supra-human. These are typically human activities which also affect the economic and political systems. These three were part of religion but have gradually separated out and become independent, thereby destroying religion which united them. When we speak of an organised religion having its own officials and priest class, we are speaking of politics. When we speak of the buildings, monasteries, properties and commerce or industry of religious sects we are speaking of economics. When we consider the theologies, arts and crafts etc of a religious sect we are speaking of its culture. None of these should be confused with religion itself.

Religious behaviour may be of three kinds:- (a) Any outwardly ordinary daily behaviour such as that involved in following a trade, but having a different inner attitude. (b) The modification of ordinary behaviour as when moral considerations restrict, stimulate or channel various features of it. (c) Extra-ordinary behaviour which is recognised as specifically religious such as prayer and ritual.

From the Islamic point of view Religion and Islam are synonymous.

“Lo, Religion with Allah is The Surrender. Those who formerly received the Scriptures differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves... and if they argue with thee (O Muhammad), say: I have surrendered my purpose to Allah and so have those who follow me. And say unto those who have received the scripture and those who read not: Have ye, too, surrendered? If they surrender, then truly they are rightly guided; and if they turn away, then it is thy duty only to convey the message.”3:19-20

Religion is, therefore, defined as “Surrender to Allah”, Allah being the fundamental Reality, the source of all things. All actions, feelings and thoughts which are motivated by this are religion. It is not a question of habit or of mere intellectual belief. Faith is required, and this refers to commitment. It includes belief, motivation as well as action. It has intellectual, emotional and motor ingredients. Hence,

“And whoso seeks a religion other than The Surrender (unto Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the hereafter.”3:85

“Surely pure religion is for Allah only. And those who choose protecting friends besides Him say: We worship them only that they may bring us near unto Allah. Lo, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Lo, Allah guides not him who is a liar, an ingrate.”39:3

“And they (mankind) were commanded naught else but this that they serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright, and to establish worship and to practice charity. That is true Religion.”98:5

“And they say: No one enters paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian. These are their own desires. Say: Bring your proofs if ye are truthful. Nay, but whosoever surrenders his purpose to Allah while doing good, his reward is with his Lord; and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. And the Jews say the Christians follow nothing true; and the Christians say the Jews follow nothing true. Yet both are readers of the scriptures. Even thus speak those who know not. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differ... and the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo, the guidance of Allah (Himself) is Guidance (enough).”2:111-113,120

In other words there is only one true religion, Islam, Surrender to Allah. This should not be misunderstood. It is not being asserted that Islam (understood as a sect, one among many) is the only true religion, but that wherever there is a true religion whatever its name, it is Islam. While the word “religion” may be applied to all kinds of practices, the technical name for true religion is Islam. Its purpose is service to Allah, the Lord of the Universe.

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There is an evolutional process throughout the Universe. That is, Creativity has not stopped, but has a cumulative effect and there is a process of an increase in order. It affects all things. Man and his consciousness is a product of it. Once consciousness has developed then the process of evolution also becomes conscious. And this is embodied in Religion. It is integral to the structure of the Universe and man, though it has to be formulated in human language for the purpose of attention and communication. Though evolution was unconscious before, it should now become intelligently, deliberately and consciously directed.

Religion is the translation of the Creative or Evolutional process into human understanding.

“This Quran is naught else but a reminder unto creation unto whoever of you wills to walk straight. And you will not, unless Allah wills, the Lord of Creation.”81:27-29

Religion, therefore, creates a conscious, deliberate way of life by which psychological evolution is facilitated. It does this through a discipline which requires that the higher, evolutionally superior, more comprehensive faculties should be exercised and strengthened, and that they take control over the lower more primitive ones.

“Nay, but those who do wrong follow their own lusts without knowledge. Who is able to guide him whom Allah has sent astray? For such there are no helpers. Set thy purpose for religion as a man by nature upright - the nature framed by Allah, in which He has created man. There is no altering the laws of Allah’s creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not - turning unto Him only; and be careful of your duty unto him, and establish worship, and be not of those who ascribe partners unto Him; of those who split up their religion and become schismatics, each sect exulting in its tenets.”30:29-32

Apart from the capacity to see and know reality, man can also manipulate the data of inner and outer experience. He can be creative. But this power means that he can invent as well as lie. But the limitations of his sense organs and other faculties restrict the amount and kind of data available to him relative to the total data existing around him. And even within this area the individual himself is selective of the data he admits or deals with, or the value he gives them. He is biased in favour of certain types only. This selection is governed by his interests, activities and assumptions. And these, in their turn, may depend on his inherent personality, his circumstances, or the manipulations of others. His faculties and motives can also become distorted and diseased.

Accordingly, we must distinguish between three kinds of behaviour:-

(a) Objective, which is in accord with Nature, both inner and outer. This is True Religion.

(b) Subjective, which is the result of invention, partial knowledge, fantasy, attachments, habits of thought, self-interest. This often produces Man-made Religion and perverts the others. It is these which divide religion into sects, each having only a different part of the truth or having distorted it in a different way.

(c) Perverse, which flouts nature, and comes from a diseased or distorted mind. This tends to invert values. It produces False Religion. The cause of the difference is mutual hatred, rather than the reverse.

“Mankind were one community, and Allah sent unto them Prophets as bearers of good tidings, and as Warners, and revealed, therewith, the Scripture with the truth that it might judge between mankind concerning that wherein they differed. And only those unto whom the scripture was given differed concerning it, after clear proofs had come unto them, through hatred of one of another.”2:213

Corruption of a true religion occurs because of the following factors:-

(a) The limitations of the human mind and superficial studies.

(b) the demands, ambitions and desires of the individual arising through life in the world create a tendency to interpret everything in terms of self-interest, that is greed, pride, vanity, lust etc.

(c) Social conditioning produces acquired tastes, and distortion or artificial channelling of motives.

(d) these desires also create conflicts and hatred, which then affect interpretation.

(e) the distractions created by life in the world divert attention from religion.

(f) the formation of habits produce automatic and mechanical instead of intelligent and conscious behaviour.

(g) the absence of a permanent incorruptible record of the teachings. As long as ideas are handed down from person to person and generation to generation, changes and dilution of the message are inevitable. This can easily be established by experiment. There is even a game to illustrate it. People sit in a circle. A message is whispered by one person into the ears of his neighbour. He passes this on to the next person, and so on. When it returns to the originator it is found to be quite different.

The tendency towards distortion makes Religion cyclic in nature. A spiritual or conscious impulse is introduced into a community by a Prophet or Teacher. This impulse tends to spread its influence throughout the world like the ripples when a stone is thrown into a pond. These ripples spread in ever increasing circles, but with reducing power as distance and time increases, until it has covered the whole pond. The nature and resistance of the waters of the pond itself dilute this impulse. The religion degenerates, and a new impulse brought by another Prophet has to be introduced. And so on.

To prevent such degeneration it was necessary to provide a permanent written record.

A Prophet, having brought a spiritual impulse, produces a new consciousness, renewed understanding by means of a new formulation, new motives and new patterns of behaviour. This gives rise to a new civilisation. The civilisation produces new economic and environmental conditions, a new material structure. The distinction between Heaven and Earth often refers to the distinction between the Spiritual or Psychological on the one hand and the Physical or material on the other, the inner and the outer. Civilisations decline as the Spiritual force is used up. But they may continue to create environmental changes from the force of habit, or the momentum of the processes already set in motion.

However, while changes are taking place in the environment and in the social structure, the habits which have been formed leave people unadapted to these changes. There is an ever increasing contradiction between the outer and the inner life. Tensions, frustrations and suffering gradually increase. As these increase, more and more people, according to their sensitivities, break out of the prison of their conditioning. They begin to search and invent alternative ways of living and thinking. This is when all kinds of cults and pseudo-religions begin to flourish. It is also the time when the genuine religion, in its new formulation or dispensation, can arrive and make headway. It cannot do so while the people are still fully conditioned by the old formulation. The new dispensation is always opposed by the old, and those who have acquired advantages under its sphere of influence. This is because those who are best conditioned and adapted to it are also those who have the most power, wealth and influence. Not only are they driven by the desire to retain these advantages, but their conditioning makes them unable to understand and accept the new dispensation. They may genuinely believe in the truth of their position and the falseness of the new. However, for many:-

“Those unto whom We have given Scriptures recognize this revelation as they recognize their own sons. But lo! a party of them knowingly conceal the truth.”2:146

There is a cumulative effect. Each impulse raises the level of humanity to a new height. However, these cycles occur within greater cycles. Mankind as a whole has degenerated and risen, probably several times. The present cycle, therefore, is an example of a much more general rule. It is implied in the story of the Fall of Adam from Paradise. The end of a previous cycle is probably represented by the Flood of Noah. The present cycle begins after it. The idea that ancient peoples were primitive mentally and culturally does not stand up in the light of modern research. Evolution is not a smooth upward climb as was once thought. It is likely that those who are regarded as primitive today are not relics of ancient times, but people who have degenerated.

Every religion selects the kind of people it admits and the kind it excludes. Islam, for instance, admits those in whom some consciousness of the underlying unity of existence and of life still exists and who can perceive something greater than themselves. It excludes all those who are entrenched in superstition and idolatry of thing, person or idea. All Religions exclude those in whom the sense of the mystery of existence has atrophied.

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In order to understand Religion exhaustively it must be approached from four different points of view - according to the aspects of Allah, i.e. Truth, Goodness, Power and Beauty or the scientific, ethical, economic and aesthetic aspects in their broader sense as defined in another chapter.

1. It can be studied. And this can be done philosophically (e.g. Theology), scientifically like any other phenomena or practically (according to the skills employed and their efficacy and efficiency). It can also be studied from several points of view:- (a) Historical (b) Anthropological (c) Philosophical (d) Theological (e) Sociological (f) Psychological (g) Cosmological.

2. It can be judged:- (a) According to its logical, material or experiential consistency. (b) By its social value, its ethics and morality. (c) Its psychological value, whether it leads to adjustment, health and development.

3. It can be applied, used or exploited for commercial, political, social or psychological purposes. It is applied for social order and psychological development. It is exploited by individuals to gain personal power and advantages over others.

4. It can be practised, participated in, indulged in or identified with. And this can be done at a theoretical level (e.g. this book), a social level (e.g. charitable works, organisation etc) or a practical level (e.g. the rituals and practices).

Religion may be divided into several dimensions:- (1) Beliefs (2) Practices (3) Experiences (4) Knowledge (5). Organisation (6) Responsibilities (7) Rewards. Each of these can be studied separately.

We will take the Cosmological point of view.

As the Universe evolves, three kinds of processes are evident:-

1. At first the fundamental particles were created. These congeal into Electrons and Positrons which congeal into the nucleons such as protons and neutrons. Later we get atoms, then molecules, then crystals or cells and still later aggregates of crystals or multicellular organisms.

2. There is also a condensation into Clusters, Galaxies, Stars, Planets and Satellites.

3. There is a development from radiant matter into inert matter, to life, to consciousness and eventually to integrated or unified consciousness. Religion appears at this last stage. It refers to consciousness of existence as a whole.

From the Historical point of view, it used to be thought that Religion evolves as human consciousness, knowledge and control increases. At first we have animism in which objects were endowed with human qualities. Then we have Totemism where representations of particular animals were made into Tribal protectors. Then we get Polytheism, followed by Pantheism and then Monotheism. Further development as knowledge advances and life becomes more sophisticated, it is thought, brings us to Atheism or Modernism. But this theory could not be sustained for three reasons:-

(a) The higher stages such as Monotheism could be found among very ancient peoples.

(b) Regression to lower stages was also observable.

(c) Such considerations left out universal psychological elements inherent in man. Religious revivals can be found in modern days.

The Islamic position is that Religion is an inherent phenomena derived from the nature of existence and consciousness which unifies and integrates all experiences in a self-consistent manner in order to allow harmonious adjustment within the Cosmos. It exists in the unconscious of all things, and has always existed in a conscious form since the arising of conscious man. But the quality of it varies according to the quality of people. There are ups as well as downs.

A secular scientific study of Religion tries to be objective, uninvolved and neutral. It makes no moral judgements and studies the phenomena as it finds it. It cannot tell whether it is true or false. But from the Islamic point of view this is not scientific or objective at all for the following reasons:-

Firstly, religion is concerned with experience and this requires involvement. Objectivity means the ability to observe ones own experiences. It is not possible to study religion from the outside.

Secondly, it has to do with ethical and moral matters. Value judgements are integral to understanding it.

Thirdly, a distinction must be made in Religion between what is essential and what is corruption, between the original intention of the founders and what it has become in the hands of its followers, just as a distinction is made in medicine between health and disease.

Fourthly, it is essential to recognise not just present realities, but also the inadequacies as well as the potentialities of man. Man, according to the Quran and other Scriptures, fell from the state of Perfection and became alienated from his true, higher integrated Self and consciousness of reality. Religion came to regenerate man. Religion can only be understood as a bridge between these two poles. A study of the doctrines, institutions and practices of a religion are not only valueless but also meaningless without this framework of reference.

Fifthly, religion has intellectual, emotional and motor elements. It is concerned with adjustment to reality. It cannot be studied in a purely intellectual manner.

Plants and Animals are born with certain inherent instincts and they live their lives in accordance with these. These instincts have developed over many generations of adaptation to the environment. Animals also learn from the environment. Their experiences are recorded in their nervous system and this modifies their behaviour. They can, therefore, adapt themselves better to changes. Indeed such changes arise by the fact that they can move from place to place unlike plants. Human beings, in addition, possess self-consciousness. They are able to process their experiences within their minds. They have much greater flexibility in analysis, organisation, synthesis and manipulation of the data of both external and internal experiences. They can explore both outwardly and inwardly. Inward exploration means the ability to gain much more intimate contact with the fundamental materials and forces of which they are made up, and at increasingly deeper levels. Apart from internal and external experiences, human beings live in families and communities and they communicate with each other, not only through language, but also gestures and other kinds of interactions. They learn most in this way. The written word, particularly, allows the accumulation and transmission of ideas, and this leads to ever more analysis, organisation and synthesis. Continuous progress is assured. A human being finds himself a centre of coordination between the inner, the outer and the social worlds. A comprehensive world-view has, therefore, to be established in which each item has its place with respect to others.

Human beings form a model of the world in their minds. They become aware of this only partially because of the limitations of consciousness. It is not surprising, therefore, that as soon as the capacity for awareness arose that such a world view should also arise. Evolution, as it were, becomes aware of itself in man. Those who possess a higher capacity for Consciousness, that is, of integrating their experiences, become the teachers for others in whose sub-consciousness the teaching finds kinship. If this were not the case they would find no disciples. Such teachers are called Messengers in Islam. However, conscious factors, habits of thought and fantasies, often obstruct the links with the subconscious.

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NOTES

Religion provides a unitary view of all existence. Among the so called primitive people religion still includes everything within itself, ideas, social interactions and industry. As human experience, activity and thought developed and became more extensive, elaborate and complex, the limited human mind, not having kept up an equivalent development, became unable to deal with the situation. Differentiation and specialization had to take place. A division of functions first took place along the lines of the three major human faculties. There were those who concentrated their attention mainly on thinking, that is, on Ideas, on Philosophy. Others devoted themselves to actions, to building, agriculture, and the arts and crafts which developed into industry. Others still confined their attention mostly to emotionally related matters involving human relationships and organization. Social Services, Healing, Charities, Management, Administration and Politics arose.

Later, when these functions, too, became extensive, further specialization was necessary. Philosophy, for instance, divided into:- (a) Questions regarding reality, knowledge and thought, Metaphysics, Epistemology and Logic. (b) Questions regarding experience, behaviour and interactions, Aesthetics, Ethics and Political Philosophy. (c) Natural Philosophy which later differentiated into the physical, biological and human sciences such as sociology and psychology. The Separation of Science from Philosophy caused a neglect of Aesthetics, Ethics and Metaphysics. Philosophy has now come to be identified with Logic. The Crafts differentiated into numerous and diverse professions and industries. The Humanities differentiated into politics, administration, management, education, medicine, charities and social services, and so on. It is likely that this disintegration of life, reflected also in inner or psychological disintegration and compartmentalization, prevents the experience and understanding of God who is Unity, thereby leading to the corruption or abandonment of religion.

This kind of specialization brings with it the problems of comprehensiveness, integration and coordination. Each specialty limits itself. But all things are in fact connected and affect each other. Such connections were ignored. This is no longer possible without destructive conflicts and stagnation. An opposite movement to create inter-disciplinary subjects has begun. There is also a movement to extract the common elements from all specialties in order to create a comprehensive view. The Sciences must return into Philosophy together with its other off-springs. And Philosophy must eventually return to religion where the thought, motivation and action once again produce a whole human being. During this journey from unity to differentiation, to re-synthesis and the final unity, a process which resembles the stages in the development of Humanity, and the Universe itself, Religion itself becomes transformed. The Religion of the future will have to be much more sophisticated.

We have seen that the Quran recognizes three categories of Knowledge, namely Ilm-ul-Yaqin, Ayn-ul-Yaqin and Haq-ul-Yaqin which correspond to Reason, Experience and Reality. The emphasis of Religion is on Reality, of Philosophy is on Reason and of Science is on Experience, or a restricted form of it, namely observation and experiment. Thus, though Science appears to be superior to philosophy on this scale, Science gives us “Knowledge” while Philosophy gives us “Understanding” and Religion gives us “Being” by transforming life.

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Humanity began as a single unit and then differentiated into races, tribes and nations. But a recombination into greater and greater units is now in progress. Complete unification is due in not too distant a future. It appears that this was envisaged in Islam. Its teachings were meant for the whole world rather than for a tribe or community. It caters for the differences between diverse peoples by recognizing the teachings of other Prophets as valid. It makes no distinction between these Prophets, and can, therefore, be seen to incorporate all true religions. This was not the case with Christianity and Hebrewism. Their various sects claim the truth as their exclusive property. In order, therefore, to prevent conflicts which would disrupt the society and prevent peaceful progress, States had to subordinate religion to political power. This is probably one of the reasons why the power and influence of religion declined, moral degeneration set in, life disintegrated into many separate departments, and the life-purpose was lost. But it also had a beneficial effect. By removing the power from the priests and the church organizations, it removed the temptation for further corruption, and created the freedom in which some reformation could take place. The Protestant movement in Christianity would have been suppressed if the power of the Catholic Church had remained in tact.

There are three phases in the development of humanity just as there are in the development of the individual. In the first phase, as in the baby in the womb, it is left to develop according to its own inherent processes. This is probably also represented by life in Paradise. In the second phase, when its powers begin to develop and there is the likelihood of mistakes and consequent suffering, as in the child, guidance is necessary by the parent or teacher. This is the period when the Prophets and Messengers arise. But there is the third period of adulthood, when the individual must again be left to his own devices. He has received his instructions and education. His training has been completed. It is up to him to use it wisely. The series of Prophets ends. Muhammad was the last of them.

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Having established what a true religion is, Islam objects to:-

(a) Religion which has been corrupted, misinterpreted and falsified. These are difficult to distinguish from the true religion owing to the fact that it is the same factors which have corrupted them which are also employed to judge their validity.

(b) The various Ideologies which have arisen as substitutes. These may be called Pseudo-religions

(c) Irreligious behaviour. That is, purposelessness without goals, values and standards; automatic, impulsive, mechanical behaviour. Human beings, having greater consciousness and intelligence, ought not to behave like animals.

The difference between a True, a False and a Pseudo Religion is that though all come to us through man, the one arises through the higher or Objective mind, another through a perverse, diseased or distorted mind, and the third through the lower or Subjective mind. We distinguish the Objective and the Perverse by naming them the Divine and the Satanic. It should be emphasized that these words, as used here, have the meaning given here. The reader ought not to assume some other meaning and interpret the statements above according to that.

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Religion has the following functions:-

1. In times of stress, trial and tribulation it provides comfort, patience, endurance and courage, while ensuring some restraint in times of ease, prosperity and self-fulfillment. This allows the fluctuations of life to be evened out.

Tension, anxiety and stress are the major source of unhappiness as well as causes of mental, moral and physical disease. The causes of these are inner contradictions resulting from non-integration. A person taking his religion seriously can acquire immunity from these causes. Conversely, these diseases may be regarded as punishment for the absence of a serious religious attitude. This can be explained quite naturalistically.

The physiological and psychological reactions caused by problems, the fight/flight/escape mechanism and associated tension, has the useful function of drawing attention to the problem, creating the necessary readiness and power to tackle and solve the problem. But three things can go wrong.

(a) These mechanisms exist to deal with occasional problems, not persistent ones. If problems persist, the energy and machinery required becomes exhausted. Social conditions in which such problems have been increased will lead to disease. This will occur where cooperation is sacrificed to intense competition. This not merely requires people to strive for excellence or ascendancy, but also to reduce, exploit or annihilate competitors, and to fight for survival. It produces insecurity.

(b) Problems are increased by creating artificial wants, needs and expectations, or by reducing the possibilities of satisfying these. Propaganda, advertising and many other cultural influences create material, social and psychological wants which have no real biological or psychological function. Value systems may exist which require “keeping up with the Jones”, for instance. The proliferation of laws, rules, restrictions and regulations also produce a great amount of anxiety.

(c) Habits of anxiety and tension may be formed. These have no relationship with presently existing sources of anxiety. On the contrary they search for something to focus on, and control the way experiences are interpreted. This causes a vicious circle. Having interpreted experiences as sources of fear it leads to actions which create the very conditions by which the fears are confirmed. Aggression, for instance, is caused by the fear of aggression, and leads to retaliation by others, which confirms the fear of aggression.

Tension has physical, social and psychological results. Physical disease results from debility, exhaustion, irritability and hypersensitivity, and the damage done by these to the immune system. This leaves a person open to infectious diseases. It also causes organic malfunctions because various organs are over-taxed in an unbalanced way. Anxiety and fear tend to narrow down consciousness, leading to obsessions, phobias, illusions and delusions, and a form of hypnosis. They also create aggression and greed, gullibility and cynicism, rationalization, fantasy and wishful thinking. These have social effects and indirectly affect the environment which again reacts on people.

Tension is caused by inner and outer conflicts and frustrations. This activates the super-renal glands. Adrenalin flows into the organs and this causes the withdrawal of blood from the surface and from internal organs into the muscles to create readiness for fight/flight/defense. The blood pressure, the heart beat and the respiration rate rise and attention is narrowed down to focus on the source of the threat. When this condition persists, then digestive, respiratory and circulatory malfunctions inevitably set in. The functions of the brain and the endocrine system cannot be regarded as independent of these other systems. What a person sees, how he interprets his experiences, his needs and his motives and behaviour are not independent of his physical state.

2. Religion provides a set of values which form a centre in the mind from which control over the natural impulses is achieved. Theft, murder, cruelty, lying, swindling, violence and sexual perversions and other social evils cannot be controlled merely through the fear of being caught and punished by the police as these allow one to take measures not to be caught or punished, or merely to dismiss the possibility from ones mind. This can be done through secrecy, bribery, conspiracies, taking advantage of the letter of the law and its loop holes, employing clever lawyers, and even getting the law changed to one’s advantage. Immediate temptations are usually stronger than distant fears. Religion provides an inner Policeman, as it were from whom one cannot keep secrets, and from whom one cannot escape.

There are five levels at which this can be done.

(a) At the lowest level it is merely a question of mental conditioning or brain-washing where certain phobias or fears, fixations or habits have been made to associate with certain kinds of behaviour. A person is then not in control of himself. He cannot help behaving as he does. Though this may have a limited social advantage, it is psychologically limiting. It is also evident that at this level a person can be conditioned to accept any system of values whatever, good, bad or indifferent. This accounts for the different sets of values in different cultures and strata of society.

(b) At a higher level education allows a person to accept certain values consciously as being sensible and good for himself. Though this leaves a person internally free, human beings differ in the amount of control which the higher faculties have over the lower impulses. Greed, great temptations, fears or hatred may easily overcome their scruples. Self-deception and rationalization, repression and projection, depending on the intelligence of the person, may overcome the arguments which support the system of values. Modern man has found in science an ally against the religious argument, while religious and ethical knowledge has not made any progress.

(c) The usual argument is that God who sees everything will punish or reward a person’s deeds. The Islamic argument is that God is also within a person and can see his thoughts and feelings as well as his actions. There is an inner Self. It is now well known that everything a person does or what happens to him is recorded in the subconscious mind. The punishment and reward consist of the damage a person does to his own psyche. No one can escape his own unconscious mind. The value system can be regarded as a system of mental Hygiene.

(d) Conscience is an inherent human faculty, but usually lies dormant having been over laid by social conditioning or narrow self-interest. It is related to the feelings as consciousness is related to the intellect, and “will” is to action. Techniques exist which revive and maintain its activity.

(e) The total conditions in the Society can be arranged to channel psychic energy. It should be so constructed that it is diverted into the better motives, feelings and behaviour patterns and diverted away from the harmful directions. The Religious Law leads a person to a pattern of behaviour which he would have adopted had he been fully developed. The Law is necessary only while man is unregenerate. Its function is to form a link between the outer man and his inner self, a bridge or a door by which the prisoner can escape his prison, or a person can contact his real nature. The law also prevents him from sliding backwards. Man is a prisoner of his limitations, who if he were free, would behave in accordance with his real best interest.

3. Religions have a social function ;- They provide a common outlook, facilitate cooperation, and remove conflicts. They provide charities which benefit the needy, the disabled and other disadvantaged people. Every human being can suffer from adversity or attain fortune, and not because of his own efforts. Things can be equalized if these are distributed. Envy, hatred, unrest, revolt and revolutions can be avoided. Religions organize festivals and other social events, which provide community gatherings and activities. They overcome the boredom of the mundane and the superficial. They provide relaxation and entertainment while at the same time propagating an awareness of the miraculous, the sacred and the transcendental. They are a force for social cohesion. They create group feelings and a sense of belonging. They provides mutual reinforcement, stimulation, support, and exchange. Unfortunately this also leads to conflicts between different groups. Political Parties, Commercial Organizations and various Clubs and Gangs have to a large extent taken over this role of religion.

4. Religions provide meaning and purpose to life. By doing this they direct and channel the psychic and physical energies which might otherwise be squandered or which might be wasted in self-contradictions, conflicts and destruction. They stimulate the arts and sciences and social organization. Indeed, it is likely that without meaning and purpose, hopelessness would cause communities to degenerate and die out - a kind of racial suicide. Since all things change, and this requires both construction and destruction, life and death, catabolism and anabolism, we may speak of a death instinct which could overcome the life instinct if this is weakened.

5. Religion provides a Doctrine and a framework of reference with respect to which all experiences are interpreted, organized and synthesized. It removes contradictions by providing a comprehensive and self-consistent world view which unlike science includes values and meanings as well as the facts of life. It distinguished him from animals which merely live an instinctive life. When specialization and division of functions began to occur, the unity of life and of the world could no longer be felt. Life of course remains, underneath, a unity, and interdependence has increased rather than decreased. The compartmentalization of life threatens disintegration or imposed external control. This makes it even more necessary that there should be a religion which provides a comprehensive and self-consistent world-view.

6. Religions provide methods of controlling their environments and themselves in order to attain self-fulfillment. These are psychological rather than physical or intellectual techniques which collectively have been called magic. They consist of three forms:-

(a) Methods of healing and removing malfunctions, both mental and physical in the person himself. This consists mainly of introducing and maintaining suitable ideas, attitudes, motives and actions.

(b) Methods of contacting the spiritual or fundamental forces or fields in order to bring about deliberate changes in the physical, social or psychological environment or things in it. Faiths healing of individuals or psychological healing of communities are examples.

(c) Methods of obtaining the fulfilment of material, physical, social or psychological needs and desires through prayerful supplication, meditation, fasting, rituals, selection and arrangement of suitable environments etc.

7. Religions provide techniques for psychological evolution and inner integration. At least they widen the mental horizons so that people remain aware that there is a greater world with many more possibilities than they have access to, and that they have much greater potentialities than are actualized in them. This stimulates at least some people to seek and apply the methods to themselves. Some of these succeed and then transform the whole society.

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We may distinguish between three levels of religion.

1. The word, as ordinarily used, refers to a set of rituals, dogmas and institutions. Religions are said to differ from one another according to these differences. They are named according to their supposed Founders. e.g. Christianity, Buddhism etc. In fact, however, if we enquire into the beliefs of people who profess these religions, we find that, if they do not automatically trot out a string of slogans and dogmas which they have hardly bothered to study, then their views vary quite widely. One person belonging to one sect or religion may well have an opinion which is closer to that of a member of some other sect or religion than to another member of his own sect. The divisions into sects are quite arbitrary and accidental. In fact, there might just as well be as many different religions as there are people. If this were to be recognized then sectarian conflicts would end.

Religion of this kind has very little spiritual content. But it does have a social function. Some of the members of the sects take their religion sufficiently seriously to avoid doing the greater evils such as murder, theft and cruelty. They may do a great deal of charity work. The religious organizations or churches provide festivals and a certain structure to the year, stability to the family and social cohesion. They absorb some of the human energy and channel it into useful or harmless directions. They provide some comfort against adversity and distress and provide a purpose for life.

2. It may refer to an organization or group of priests. Religious institutions are often infiltrated by power seekers. Priests tend to use them for their own aggrandizement. Politicians use them to control the population. Businessmen use them to increase their profits. The organized Church becomes a political and economic force and concerns itself with its own self-perpetuation and growth, forgetting its original purpose. Indoctrination is practiced. Truth and Virtue are neglected. Religion then becomes its own opposite. It propagates superstition, prejudice and bigotry. It practices deception, persecution, atrocity, falsification, exploitation and corruption. All this is History, but still true in some parts of the world where the power of organized religion has not been curbed by the secular power. The religious doctrines and practices which arise from this situation have harmful effects. Religion is a two edged sword. It makes some people worse.

“As for those who believe, it has increased them in faith and they rejoice, but as for those in whose heart is a disease, it only adds wickedness to their wickedness..”9: 124-125

3. The true religion on the other hand being Surrender to Allah is a Surrender to Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Usefulness, and does not place its emphasis on ritualism, dogmatism or institutions, though it may use these as means to a spiritual end.

The word “Spiritual” is used in connection with all religions. But this word is often misunderstood. It is taken to mean emotionalism, sentimentality or adherence to a prejudice. It should refer to the higher faculties of consciousness, conscience and will or the impulses of love, faith and hope. It refers to the possibility of objective thinking, motivation and behaviour. It requires the individual to be passive and receptive. Consciousness implies a unified awareness. Insight, inspiration and revelation are degrees of it. Conscience is the faculty for unified and self-consistent feelings and motives, and arises from the inherent structure of the individual himself. It is essential for the integrity of the individual. Will is distinguished from self-will. When a person lifts his arm then the action of the arm is said to be the result of the will of the individual. But if it lifts itself independently, because of its own mechanisms, then this would be the self-will of the arm. Similarly, will in the individual refers to actions which arise because he is an organ within a greater organism, mankind, the planet, the galaxy, and ultimately Allah. Self-will in the individual arises because of his “rebellion”. This is not unlike a criminal or a cancer cell. The connection between the individual and the greater world is achieved because of the force known as “love”.

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Religious people, priests, preachers of all religions tell us about the need for love and the removal of greed. They lecture and they sermonize without effect. They have misunderstood the nature of religion. A person either loves or does not, he is either capable of love or is not, he is either greedy or is not. This cannot be changed by mere preaching. Certain ways of teaching do have an effect in contacting and stimulating conscience, of creating a resonance in the deeper aspects of the psyche. But this is a deliberate technique designed to produce that effect. An appropriate discipline must be created, applied, and applied correctly.

Hypocrisy too is condemned by all religions. But this, too, is not always understood correctly. When someone who does not feel love nevertheless acts as if he loves, he may genuinely wish to cultivate the faculty for love. He cannot be called a hypocrite. The word applies to motives, and a person is not always aware of them. It is seldom understood that religions consist of techniques whereby the individual becomes accessible to love and the spirit. The religious argument is that love already exists in man, but that it has been suppressed, or that the faculty for it has become atrophied by the development of greed and selfishness. What is required is the regeneration of the faculty through stimulation and exercise. The spirit is a gift from God. It cannot be created by man. This may be understood by comparing it with a radio or television receiver. The instrument has to be suitably constructed and tuned in order to receive the information already existing in the atmosphere.

“Allah guides not the evil living folk.”64:6

“As for such (believers), He has written faith upon their hearts and has strengthened them with a spirit from Him.”58:22

“He casts the Spirit of His command upon whom He will of His servants, that He may warn of the Day of Meeting.”40:15

“As for the disbelievers, whether thou warn them or warn them not, it is all one for them; they believe not. Allah has sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes is a covering.”2:6-7

“Allah changes not the condition of a folk unless they change what is in their hearts.”13:11

“Follow that which is inspired in thee from thy Lord.”6:107.

“Lo, the guidance of Allah Himself is sufficient guidance.”2:120

The word “love”, however, has itself undergone corruption. It is used as if it were identical with sexual desire. In fact it should refer to an objective interest in the welfare and development of something, not for one’s own sake but for its sake; to be devoted to; to be enthusiastic; it includes compassion, beneficence, tolerance; the desire to serve and promote the purposes and interests of something to which we subordinate our self interest. It involves humility, patience and endurance. It is, therefore, essential for the expansion of a person beyond his own limits.

From the Islamic point of view ignorance, heedlessness, unconsciousness, these are the fundamental evils. The vices such as pride, vanity, lust, avarice, envy are results lying at a secondary level though they may also act as causes for the others. The crimes such as murder, injury, theft, deception, injustice, adultery lie at a third level, being caused by the second, though they may also cause them. Therefore, knowledge, Truth, awareness are of primary importance. We have to be aware of how things are and not to suppress it. Man has three faculties, for thinking, feeling and action, and these are interactive and interdependent. It is a truth that human beings are genetically related, that they are inter-dependant and fundamentally similar. The recognition of this truth produces love. Conversely, love creates awareness of this truth. Actions, such as cooperativeness, create love and knowledge; Love and knowledge lead to such actions. The psyche itself is so constructed that it strives for unity and harmony. It tries to remove contradiction. But in so doing it often has to suppress or separate that which is contradictory, by constructing barriers or censors. The reason for the existence of such contradictions is attachment and inadequate processing of the data of experience within the psyche.

Given an aim, it is perfectly possible to attain the same goal through different methods. Religions differ in their methods, but this should not become a cause of conflict. Some methods are more suitable for some people under certain conditions. Some methods are also better than others for the same person or in the same conditions. But this is difficult to judge specially when habit or familiarity with particular systems obstruct judgment.

However, it is the whole foundation upon which religions are built which is being questioned. Not many people know what is meant by the word “true”, and many deny that it has any meaning at all.

If we take the scientific attitude that whatever explanation works that is the truth, then the test of a true religion is by its effects, whether it improves man. Does it increase his consciousness, conscience and self-control, his awareness, his sense of responsibility and capacity for intelligent and appropriate action, his adaptation to reality, his compassion, wisdom and abilities? Does it give him a purpose and goal, does it activate and enliven, provide the three Cs, namely comfort, courage and confidence; does it provide security, love and significance. Does it strengthen and create patience, endurance and persistence. Does it provide faith, love and hope, and create enthusiasm. In short does it make man more than he is? If so it is true.

Ultimately, of course, It is Allah who decides what is true. That is, only those things survive or obtain a dominant position which are best adapted to Reality, though the less well adapted may hold a dominant position for a limited time. For human beings this means people with the best qualities and the ideas which inform them.

“Had Allah willed He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you He made you different. So vie with one another in Good Works. Unto Allah ye will return, and He will then inform you of that wherein ye differ.”5:48

It may, however, be argued that faith in anything whatever may produce such improvements. It matters little what it is that faith is placed in. In fact, it is faith which causes action and these actions produce facts. The acceptance of facts has little value in itself. But we need to say three things about this:-

1. People accept a religion because it satisfies some psychological need. This may be of several levels:- (a) It may be a deep seated need for inner integration or belonging to, and unity with, the whole of existence. (b) It may be a need to understand existence or to control ones life (c) It may be a need to find meaning and purpose. (d) It may be a need for comfort, security, significance or value. (e) It may be a need to belong to a community. (f) It may be a desire for some advantage, some profit, prestige or power.

2. The religion must be able to solve the general social problems which communal living presents and the specific ones presented by the circumstances of the times and place.

3. It has to be sufficiently comprehensive and self-consistent to deal with all aspects of life without contradictions. It has to take into consideration the most fundamental facts which are unalterable, those on which the Universe itself depends. This is equivalent to saying that the only facts we have to consider are those connected with Allah. All others can be altered.

Some religions are better than others in these respects.

It is also necessary to make a distinction between (a) the teachings of the religion (b) the interpretation and application of these teachings (c) the nature of the people who follow the religion, their capacity for understanding and practice. If the people do not follow the teachings or misinterpret it, then there cannot be any effects or the effects will be bad. This cannot be attributed to the religion, except in so far as the teachings themselves are ambiguous or unclear. On the other hand it is probably impossible to formulate anything in such a way that it cannot be misinterpreted or misused by those who want to. this is particularly the case when the ideas are abstract.

There is little doubt that the interpretation, presentation and application of religion depends on the few leaders regarded as experts. The majority simply follow them. They are not necessarily priests belonging to an organization. Cultural, social and economic changes will also change which kinds of people are regarded as leaders. It all depends on what people think is most relevant to their lives.

The collapse of religions in the world took place long before people began to abandon them in large numbers. It is their collapse which was the reason why they were abandoned. But, there has been little to replace the kind of discipline religions provided. The vacuum which was left is filled in various respects by the State, Popular Music, Film Stars, Sports, numerous Cults, Psychiatrists, Political Parties and Ideologies, the Cinema, Agony Aunts, various advisers and experts, and the Social Services. It is true that all these specialists together provide a much more intensive and concentrated satisfaction of needs than the religions could provide in the past, but they lack three things:- Completeness, Consistency and Unity. They leave holes, contradictions, confusion and cultivate superficiality. They do not provide a unified world view or create an integrated person. Crime, delinquency and vandalism is rising; family life is breaking down owing to lack of sexual discipline; incest, child abuse, infanticide, cruelty is increasing; neurosis, inadequacy and personality disorders in the new generation brought up in insecure surroundings is rampant; there is increasing unrest, conflicts, swindling, dishonest dealing, injustice, violence and cruelty; there is almost universal purposelessness, bewilderment, disillusionment, cynicism, lawlessness and lack of standards. The politicians have no solutions except how to catch and punish culprits. But the law enforcement agencies have themselves become corrupt and the judges are more concerned with procedures than with justice. Thinking is in a rut. They want to deal with effects and consequences but never with the causes which produce these. In fact they do not even know. wish to know, or are able to know the real causes because of rationalization, suppression, diversionary thinking and self-deception.

The emptiness of life leads people to seek a purpose. There are in general three types of purpose. One is provided by all the possibilities of science and technology. But not many people can participate in this,. nor does there seem to be any point in having the same life in a more sophisticated environment. Another is provided by Political ideals. Some military adventures and revolutions are justified by the desire to establish a Utopia. Often the most perverse motives and actions are presented in the most virtuous garb. But the effects have been disastrous. Things have been made even worse. While people remain the same, they will necessarily produce the same conditions. The third purpose is economic development, the pursuit of wealth. But the worlds resources are limited. Improvements in one place are obtained at the expense of another.

These ambitions are illusions, but an illusion exists precisely because it is believed.

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