Nature of Islam - 3
Critic:-
Muslims claim that
Islam is compatible with Science and if it contains the Truth then it must
conform to science which is the only way of reaching truth. The origins of the science,
even empiric, may date from far before Islam.
Comment:-
It is a method of
seeking truth, but not the only one. There are also different kinds of truth
and different aspects which are sought and grasped according to motive and
interest. There is a difference also between a truth, how it is experienced and
how it is verbally formulated and applied. Some truths are useful for different
purposes than others or more comprehensive or more useful than others.
Whereas there may have
been scientists in the past in the sense that they made deliberate observations
- asked Nature as made by God, used mathemaatics and abided by the answer -
there was no science is the deliberate conscious intentional sense. Greek
philosophy based on speculation, pure logical verbal jugglery was the main mode
of intellectual thinking.
Real Science begins
with Islam, though the Western version appears to be a watered down version -
i.e. it is materialistic and not concerned with understanding Reality as a
whole or with whole human adaptation to Reality. Islamic Science sees things in
a Comprehensive Unified Self-consistent Framework that is concerned with
objectivity in perception and in thought as well as in motives and action. This
can be expressed in the formula “to strive to know and serve
Allah”. It is based on the following Quranic teachings:-
“But most of them follow naught but conjecture
(suspicion, fancy, guesswork, speculation); verily, conjecture can by no means
take the place of (or avail against) truth. Verily, Allah is Aware of what they
do.” 10:37
“And some of them there are, illiterate folk,
that know not the Book, but their own fancies, conjectures and idle tales. But
woe to those who write out the Book with their own hands and say "This is
from Allah"; to buy therewith a little price! And woe to them for what
their hands have written, and woe to them for what they gain!.” 2:78-79
The Quran directs
our attention to the processes and rhythms of Nature. (3:190 etc)
The Quran is itself
called "naught else than a reminder to creation." (68:52)
The notion of unity
underlying diversity. (2:163, 2:213, 4:171, 5:73, 10:19, 11:118, 54:50)
The
inter-dependence of things.(because of order and unity) The Lawfulness of the
Universe. (13:15, 14:19 30:30 etc.)
The Universality of
truth. (39:5, 46:3)
The Stages of
development (13:38 10:5 etc.)
Objectivity - the
need to submit to truth and to Allah who is the real.(4:171, 5:77, 6:93, 7:169,
2:42,149,213, 3:17,71 etc.)
The need to search
for and apply knowledge. (6:123 etc.)
The need to observe
and think.
The need to discuss
and reach a consensus. (3:159, 42:38, 65:6)
The need to write
down or record.(68:1, 3:181, 10:21, 19:79, 21:94, 23:62, 29:48, 36:12, 69:19)
The need to test
and abide by the judgement of nature rather than follow our own opinions and
desires. (10:37 etc.)
The need for proof.
(10:37, 17:36, 17:102, 20:133,
21:24, 23:117, 27:64, 28:75,
47:14 etc.)
Not to accept
heresay and tradition.( 2:170)
The notion of
measuring. (54:49, 65:3, 6:152, 11:85, 12:59-60,88, 22:74)
The importance of
language or conceptual systems.(33:70, 14:4, 4:9, 7:169, 16:116, 44:58)
Occam's Razor -
i.e. discouraging the invention of names for which there is no warrant.(7:71)
Skepticism - Not to
attribute anything to Allah which is untrue or for which we have no evidence. (10:18 etc.) We may also call this
the principle of uncertainty as encapsulated in the word,
"Inshallah".
Apart from the
foundations of Science, some of the great scientific theories are also
indicated in the Quran. The Conservation theory ultimately points to something
Self-existent. The Big Bang appears to be implied by 55:50, 10:35, 36:35 21:30 21:104
55:26-27. Evolution is implied by 35:16, 6:134 91:9-10 84:19
4:133 76:1-3. Relativity of time is also indicated in 22:47, 32:5, 70:4. We can see
Evolution as a growth of the Universe through stages and a process of
progressive adaptation to Reality, where adaptation depends on various degrees
of intelligence.
Science is based on
certain assumptions that are not dealt with in science but are based in
Philosophy. This deals with such things as the validity of Logic, the nature of
existence and knowledge, i.e. Metaphysics and Epistemology and with motives and
goals and what is good, i.e. Ethics. However, Philosophy too has limits and
depends on assumptions not included in it but dealt with in Religion. This
concerns the nature of Reality and man and their relationship. The distinction
between these disciplines corresponds to the difference between the physical,
the mental and the spiritual. They require three different methods. One places
emphasis on facts, the data of experience, another relating the data, on
thinking and reasoning and third on their significance and value. One is
concerned with information, descriptive knowledge, the other with understanding
and third with consciousness, living and being. All three are parts of life.
There is a
difference between a fact and how it is understood. One can accept the former
as true without the latter. Human beings do form attachments to things and
become mentally conditioned to forms and words, the letter rather than the
meaning, the vessels rather than
the spirit in it. This is true. But the fact that Islam has universalised
religion indicates that we are required to expand our consciousness and see
that though religions are formulated differently they have the same aim. There
are different medicines for different maladies or even the same one.
It is necessary to
distinguish in knowledge between (i) the data (facts), (ii) the interpretation
(meaning) and (iii) the significance (value) to human beings. Muslims have to
accept the facts as science discovers them. But we do not have to interpret
them the way the Western science does – Islam has its own framework of
interpretation. It is not necessary to interpret events in a mechanically
deterministic manner. This is an unjustifiable assumption. Whereas scientists
might think that the Universe is like a huge computer as is the brain, we can
think of the Universe as a huge brain where all things are inter-connected with
many feedback loops and where all kinds of adjustments and adaptations take
place. These we can define as intelligence which has three aspects - cognition,
motive and action. As for significance this appears to be ignored by Western
science altogether.
Critic:-
The second kind of
belief in potentialities is not really the matter of discussion here. It is not
clear to me what you mean by the third kind of belief. But that does not rule
out using some healthy scepticism when investigating scientific phenomenon or
paranormal claims.
Comment:-
The question for
religion is:- Can you achieve salvation, liberation, paradise? Can you achieve
them by means of the techniques the religions present?
As I said: doubt
arises only when some alternative possibility exists to what one might
otherwise accept. The function of doubt is to take action that will dispel
doubt. Doubt is not a positive but a negative state. Life requires positive
states such as faith, love and hope. However, it is true that we have partial
knowledge and that knowledge can and does increase, therefore, one does not
hold one’s understanding as Absolute Truth. But one, nevertheless, has
faith that the Objective world as made by Allah exists and that one can
interact with it, adjust to it and enhance one’s knowledge.
The third kind of
belief concerns such things as the ability to enhance one’s spiritual
faculties for consciousness, conscience and will so that even potentialities
can be altered or increased.
The Quran gives us
a single self-consistent system so that things can be understood within it and
with respect to each other.
The word
"Ayah", for instance means "sign" and is used in the Quran
to mean the signs of God. It refers to the verses of the Quran as well as to
the phenomena in the heaven and earth, the facts of Nature.
From the Scientific
point of view the Universe, and all things in it including man, can be regarded
as bundles of information. To say that the Universe is a sign of Allah (who is
Absolute Reality - Quran 22:62) is like saying that a Scientific Book is
pointing to Reality. (The Book contains signs, marks that convey information
about something Real).
The "Preserved
Tablet" in Heaven refers to the Blue Print (the Information) on which the
Universe is based. The Quran is said to be part of the Preserved Tablet and
should be understood as such. It is a fact about existence.
"Nay, this is a glorious Quran, (inscribed) in
a Preserved Tablet." 85:21-22
Human beings are
said to be the Khalifas (Quran 2:30). This word refers to a
successor or growing point or focus and is also used as meaning Stewart, Agent,
Vicegerent, Representative, someone in whom Allah has invested some of His
powers, functions and responsibilities. It is the Spirit of Allah in man (Quran
32:9) that makes him into the Khalifa. It is the Trust man has been given
(Quran 33:72). As such Human beings are a reflection or mirror or the focus of
the Universe.
"And when your Lord said unto the angels,
"I am about to place a Vicegerent (Agent, Successor, Inheritor) in the
earth," they said, "Will you place therein one who will do evil
therein and shed blood? While we celebrate Thy praise and glorify Thee."
Said (the Lord), "I know what you know not." 2:30
"Then He fashioned him and breathed into him of
His spirit, and made for you the faculties of hearing, and sight and heart;
little is it that you give thanks." 32:9
"Verily, We offered the trust to the heavens
and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to undertake it, being afraid
of it; but man undertook it. Lo! He has proved a tyrant and a fool." 33:72
If the Universe is
represented by 7 concentric circles (7 Heavens) surrounding the Absolute
central point from which it emanates, then the human individual can be regarded
as a cross section of this. i.e. He too has a centre and 7 levels. This figure
- the 7 concentric circles can be looked att in two ways - in Time and Space.
The centre of generation is Allah and the circles are created in sequence. But
Allah also surrounds all things and the highest heaven contains the next as a
part, which contains the next and so on.
It is a question of
understanding what all this signifies.
Critic:-
Islam seems, to
many people, very formal and legalistic concerned mainly with strict adherence
to rituals and rules. It seems superficial and without depth. Many even
memorise and recite the Quran in Arabic without knowing or understanding the
language. Even their prayer is in Arabic and quite meaningless for them. The whole
thing seems wholly unintelligent and purposeless. What is the purpose of Islam?
Answer:-
It is true that
Islam has rules about ablution, prayer, charity, fasting, food, personal
conduct, social and marital relationships, political and economic matters and
so on. But an examination of the Quran and Hadith and Commentaries such as
those by Ghazali shows that apart from outer actions such as murder, theft,
injury, adultery, lying, oppression, fighting, backbiting, defaming, insulting,
destructiveness, hoarding, and wasting etc., Islam also deals with negative
motives such as greed, lust, pride, vanity, envy, hate, resentment, prejudice,
hypocrisy, cowardice etc. and with positive motives derived from faith, love
and hope such as brotherhood, benevolence, altruism, forgiveness, tolerance,
patience, endurance, trust etc. What is more, Islam is concerned with spiritual
development and therefore, the principles of Truth, Goodness and Justice and
with knowledge and awareness – with consciousness, conscience and will
(self-control), with detachment, personal responsibility, autonomy, inner
peace, stability and integration. There are teachings that inculcate certain
fundamental thoughts and attitudes. Consider verses such as the following that
ought to be deeply studied, understood and applied - verses that provide the
ideal, the goal and define success for man:- 64:16, 59:9, 87:14-17, 91:7-10,
2:156, 3:14, 6:32, 11:7, 29:64, 47:36, 5:105, 10:109, 17:15, 16:99, 30:39, 35:5-6, 43:32, 49:13, 55:26-27, 65:3.
There are several
levels of Islam. What you see depends on the level you are looking at and what
you say depends on the level of people you are talking about.
Islam most
certainly has an outer, a middle and inner aspect – a physical, a mental
and a spiritual one. Whereas Islam presents us with a unified system it also
has economic, political, social, legal, scientific, philosophical aspects as
well as a spiritual one.
It is true that a
large section of Muslims are uneducated and neither knows, understands or practices
their religion. But there are many levels of Muslims and there are degree of
understanding and practice. Islam is about the transformation of the life and
being of a person and there are many degree of being. It is also true that a
discipline always seems to be, and is restrictive, in that it concentrates and
channels effort and energy in a particular direction. We all have a limited
amount of time and resources. As the purpose of Islam is human development, it will, therefore,
prevent man from wasting effort, energy and time as far as possible on things
that are harmful or even useless. A balance must be created between the what a person has as capital,
what he expends, and what he receives or replenishes.
Human beings
require and have faculties for (a) perception, (b) motivation and (c) action
and Islam is concerned with all three, at the physical, mental and spiritual
levels. At the physical level they correspond to sensation, instinct and reflex
action. At the mental level these correspond to thought, feeling and voluntary
action. At the Spiritual level these three correspond to consciousness,
conscience and will. Islam is concerned mainly with the spiritual level as that
is what transcends temporal physical life. But the physical and mental aspects
are means to that end.
The Islamic
discipline does not only require that these faculties (i) should be applied and
exercised but that they (ii) should applied in the most useful manner and
direction and that (iii) they should be enhanced. It is not, therefore, only a
question of outer physical actions, but also mental (emotional and
intellectual) actions and spiritual actions – of concentrating attention,
increasing awareness, cultivating consciousness and will-power (self-control).
Apart from actions, good positive motives, desires, feelings, moods,
intentions, purposes have also to be cultivated and negative ones removed.
Conscious actions depend on and are judged by motives. But motives depend on
perception, on awareness and knowledge and a reading of the Quran shows that is
where the emphasis lies, though the other aspects are not ignored.
Corresponding to the aspects of man, there are three methods:- (i) Physically,
through actions and interactions through the senses. (ii) Mentally, through
thought, empathy and reasoning. (iii) Spiritually, through meditation and inner
awareness, as we are formed by the materials, forces and laws that govern the
Universe and the Spirit of Allah is within us. – “He who knows his
Self, knows Allah”.
Islam is defined as
“Surrender to Allah” and Allah is Truth (Quran 22:62), whose Word
is Truth (3:47 and 6:74),
and who has created all things with Truth (15:85, 16:3, 29:44, 30:8, and
45:22). Islam is, therefore, the Religion of Truth (Quran 9:33 and 61:9). The Messengers
have been sent with Truth (2:176, 3:3 and 17:105) in order to transform human
being (6:123, 7:89, 5:16, 21:112, 24:37, 8:24, 91:7-10).
Truth, which is
carried by the Spirit, refers to something fundamental like order or pattern.
All phenomena exist and are recognised because of it and all changes and
interactions involve Truth transactions. Evolution and Involution are increases
or decreases in Truth.
Truth does not,
therefore, refer to opinions or thoughts or verbal descriptions. But in
relation to human beings, there are three degrees in which it can known –
(i) outwardly, verbally and ritually, (ii) experientially or (iii) by real
transformation of being. People can be Muslim to various degrees because they
accept Islamic teachings to various degrees and behave accordingly. Or they can
experience and understand the teachings to various degrees. Or they are
transformed by it and live accordingly to various degrees – i.e. they are
in a state of surrender.
The first should
lead to the second which should lead to the third stage. The outer ritualistic
aspect is meant to be a vessel or form that can contain and promote the
appropriate experiences which will lead to the transformation of the
individual. The Law should prevent erosion, induce experiences, reinforce the
teachings and be educational. It is not an end in itself. Nor are the
experiences. But people can be pious and sincere in following the ritual to the
letter and imitating the exemplars and saints. This will undoubtedly have its
beneficial psychological effects. It cannot of course be as effective as true
understanding specially when without it harmful superstitions could develop.
Wrong understanding could lead to wrong development so that the aim is negated
and harm results. Such wrong understanding could result from experiences caused
by wrong rituals or wrongly performed ones.
There is also a
difference between (a) people who have mostly an intellectual interest in Islam
(or any other religion or system) and are concerned mostly with the doctrines
and ideas and with thinking, (b) people who have mostly an emotional interest
and are concerned mainly with the miraculous, (c) people who have mostly a
ritualistic interest and are concerned with rites and rules of conduct, (d)
people who are interested mainly in the social aspects (e) people who have
mostly an interest in the mystical experiences, (f) people who are interested mostly in what they
can gain from it or use, physically, socially or psychologically – i.e.
it could be used to gain wealth, power or prestige or even as a crutch or
consolation.
Human beings have
been endowed with intelligence and with consciousness, conscience and will, or
at least the possibility of behaviour accordance with these. This is
undeniable. It is part of reality and an integral part of our existence and
awareness of existence, and we are part of reality from which we arise. It is
true also that behaviour is intelligent if it has a conscious purpose. If it does not then it is mechanical and
dead. Moreover, all things, including human purposes, make sense to intelligent
beings if the Universe, indeed existence, has a purpose. If it does not then
all things are futile. But purpose implies that things are not ends in
themselves but serve something else and are like parts that fit into a greater
pattern. If A serves B, one can always ask: what purpose does B serve? B serves
C and C serves D and so on. One could say that there is a cycle such that D
serves E and E serves A. Or that all the elements interact to form a whole. We could
then ask what purpose does that whole serve and so on. Ultimately one must come
to something that is self existing and self-explanatory, an Absolute One. We
call that Allah (Quran 38:68, 39:4, 4:131, 22:64, 31:12, 57:24, 64:6, 112:1-4).
The ultimate purpose
of all things in the Universe, including mankind is to serve Allah. According
to the Prophet Muhammad (saw):-
“Allah said: I was a hidden treasure and I
wished to be known. Therefore I created the Worlds.”
This can be taken
as a formula that encapsulates the ultimate purpose of the Universe. At this
level purpose and cause are identical. He is the source as well as the goal of
all things.
“Thus Allah creates what He pleases. When He
decrees a matter He says only Be! And It is.” 3:46
“He knows what is before them and what is
behind them; and unto Allah all things return.” 22:76
“And call not upon any other God along with
Allah; there is no God but He. Everything is perishable (or will perish),
except His countenance. His is the command, and unto Him shall you
return!” 28:88
Man has been
created as Vicegerent (2:30) with the Spirit of Allah
in him (32:9) and this gives him consciousness, conscience and will. However,
human beings needed further development and they were put on earth to learn.
“But Satan whispered to him, saying: O Adam!
shall I guide you to the Tree of Immortality, and a kingdom that wastes not
away? ….Adam rebelled against his Lord, and went astray. Then his Lord chose him, and relented
towards him, and guided him. Said He: Go down, you twain, there from
altogether, some of you foes to the other. And if there should come to you from
Me a guidance; then whoever follows My guidance shall neither err nor come to
grief. But he who turns away from
Remembrance of Me, verily, for him shall be a narrow life; and I shall bring
him blind to the assembly on the Day of Resurrection." 20:120-124
“Surely, We have created man in the best of
moulds. Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low; save those who believe
and act right; for theirs is a reward unfailing.” 95:4-6
“And the soul and Who fashioned it, and
enlightened it with what is wrong and right for it! He indeed is successful who
causes it to grow (or purifies it)! And he indeed is a failure who corrupts
it!. 91:7-10
“(Allah) Who created death and life that He
may try you as to which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the
Forgiving.” 67:2
“You shall surely travel from stage to
stage!” 84:19
Human beings have a
duty towards Allah who created them and gave them appropriate faculties,
resources and facilities (2:41, 224, 231, 3:102, 196, 4:1,
5:11, 23:52 and many other verses). This duty as three
aspects:- (i) towards their own souls, (ii) towards their society, families and
fellows with whom they are inter-dependent and (iii) towards the environment
and all creatures, resources and order in it. (iv) They probably also have a
Cosmic function with respect to the whole of creation, the Universe and beyond.
Human welfare and
development depends on how well they fulfil their objective or natural role.
They have the inbuilt desire to seek their own welfare and development, to seek
self-fulfilment, happiness, Paradise, but ignorance, unawareness, addictions,
obsessions, conditioning, habit can does mislead them. That is why Truth must
be sought. That is the gist of Islam.
Question:-
Islam is said to be
concerned mainly with spirituality. Can you explain the difference between the
Spiritual, the Psychological and Physical? Is Psychology just a modern term for
the spiritual?
Answer:-
The word
“psychology” is used in different ways by different people. It is
sometimes regarded as the science of behaviour and sometimes as a science of
the mind - of experiences and sometimes it is simply a branch of philosophy.
When I speak of
Psychology I usually mean the various mechanisms and processes that relate to
the mind - i.e. to thought, motives, emotions, feeling and voluntary action as
distinct from physiology and biology. When speaking of spirituality I mean
things connected with consciousness, conscience and will (self-control) and
connected impulses such as love, faith and hope. However, psychology is
affected by both the biology and the spirituality of the individual to various
degrees. So we cannot wholly exclude these when speaking of someone’s psychology.
The behaviour of
most human beings most of the time unfortunately does not involve spirituality
- consciousness, conscience or will. That is people behave (in thought,
emotion and action) in an automatic way driven by inherent genetic factors and
factors acquired through experiences in the physical, social and cultural
environment. But it is perfectly possible for us to behave in third manner - in
a deliberate conscious way. That is what Islam is mainly concerned with, but
this requires certain preconditions that the environment, the society, culture
and ideology provide. So religion is also concerned with these.
There are several
levels of consciousness from the unconsciousness of death and what is regarded
as dead matter, to the sub-consciousness of sleep, the pre-consciousness of
sopor and reverie, waking consciousness, concentrated consciousness,
self-consciousness, objective consciousness, to cosmic consciousness. One could
think of these as concentric circles of light so that any previous area is a
small part of the next. The area of darkness is greater in the previous level.
The world seen from these different consciousnesses would be different. There
are, therefore, as many levels of existence and of experience and understanding
as there are levels of consciousness.
For ordinary human
beings, by far the most processes take in the unconscious, subconscious
and preconscious regions. We are unaware of most of what affects us, and what
goes on in the environment, in our bodies or minds and what we do or what the causes and effects of our
actions are. We have little control and from a religious point of view we are
"asleep" or even "dead" and need to "wake up" and
be spiritually "resurrected".
“Is he who was dead and We have quickened him
(given him life), and made for him a light, wherein walks amongst men, like him
whose likeness is one walking in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus
is their conduct made seemly to the
disbelievers.” 6:123
"Allah is the patron of those who believe, He
brings them forth from darkness into light. But those who disbelieve, their
patrons are false deities; these bring them forth from light to darkness. Such
are fellows of the Fire, they will dwell therein." 2:257
“Say: I exhort you only to one thing that you awake
for Allah's sake in twos or singly, then ponder. There is no madness in your
companion (Muhammad); he is only a Warner to you before a severe doom.”
34:46
The narrowing down
of consciousness, also called the Fall of Man, is attributed to mental addictions,
obsessions or attachments to sense objects, including the body, and, therefore
to egotism, pride, sensuality, greed, lust, envy and so on and the fear and
hate and conflicts which these engender. These are the main diseases that
afflict mankind that religions, Islam came to cure.
“O mankind! There has come to you guidance
from your Lord, and a healing for the disease in your breasts, and a guidance
and a mercy for believers.” 10:58
It is necessary to
understand that there are three types of thinking:- (a) One can think either in
terms of concepts in a formal but abstract manner or (b) one can think in terms
of social conventions or (c) one can think in terms of natural forces and
processes. The difference between these is like that between (a) people who
think of Law as referring to rules of thought, and (b) those who suppose that
Law means the social regulations or conventions that are enforced by human
authorities or societies and (c) those who think that Law refers to the forces and processes of
Nature.
Islam, according to
the Quran, is the Religion of Truth. It emphasises Truth and is constantly
pointing to the processes in the heavens and earth and within human beings. "And
it is naught but a reminder to creation." 68:52
Objective thinking,
therefore, from the Islamic point of view, is to think in terms of natural
forces - the Laws made by Allah that derive from the Word of Allah. But one
finds that many of those brought up in the Western intellectual tradition find
it impossible or difficult to think in terms of the realities of natural
forces. That would also make it impossible or difficult for them to understand
the Quran.
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