Belief
Question:-
Belief is obviously essential to Islam - In
the Quran Muslims are called "Believers".
But will Non-Muslims or Muslims be punished and rewarded for their deeds or
beliefs? Why?
What is the difference between belief and faith?
Answer:-
We like any other
entity, exist in a world with which we interact. That is, we receive an input
from it according to its and our nature; we process this and produce an output
which modifies the environment and also our selves. That is the reality about
existence. We have a built-in motive to benefit ourselves and avoid what is
harmful.
However, human
beings have a mind which has a limited awareness but also governs human
behaviour. We are not necessarily aware of what is beneficial or harmful. There
is a distinction between (1) the Reality, R (2) Thoughts about it, T (3)
Motivation, M and (4) action, A.
Though there is a causal continuity R > T > M > A, they are
different things. There can be contradictions between any of these. In Reality
everything is connected with everything else directly or indirectly, forming a
single system. But the mind can be disintegrated into several compartments or
complexes (Quran 39:29), so that there are several systems of thought that may
be comprehensive, integrated and mutually exclusive or linked to different
degrees. Thoughts can be about external Reality or about oneself, or about
motives or about actions. But thought can exist without leading to motives and
action.
Belief refers
mainly to thoughts. They can be true or false and they can be beneficial or
harmful, harmonious or disharmonious, particular or general. As degree of
awareness varies in different people and in the same person at different times
and under different circumstances, there are also various degrees of belief.
However, we could distinguish between four kinds of belief – (i) that connected with the reality of our existence and
behaviour which we may not be aware of; (ii) that of thought; (iii) that of
motives; (iv) that of action. The word
“Faith” refers to a belief that is a combination of these four
aspects, something on which a person’s life is based, or on which he
bases his life consciously.
The word “Iman” as used in Islam refers to Faith which has the
following characteristics:- It refers to what is:- (1)
True not doubtful or false. (2) Good - beneficial not harmful or indifferent
– It is not just the case
that facts can be stated in several ways, some more usefully than others, but the
Universe is evolving and man as part of this is creating facts by his actions. Faith
is based on and creates values and goals. (3) Economical – fundamental
and comprehensive and powerful. (4) Harmonious – without inner and outer
contradictions. It enables a state of being that is at-one with Reality and has
inner psychological integrity (unity) as manifest through thoughts, intentions
and actions and also produces a way of life that enables social integration and
harmony with the physical environment.
Motives can have
several levels - There are primary built-in ones connected with the need for
self-fulfilment; secondary ones that are means to that
end; tertiary ones that means to the secondary ones; and so on. The conditions
of the person and the environment affect how the motives are channelled. When
motives appear in thought we have “intention”. The intention may
not be compatible with the motive.
As actions connect
a person with the environment both of his own body and the outer environment,
they depend on inner and outer limitations. Actions can take place without
intention owing to impulse, automatic conditioned reaction to events or habits
and automatism. The
action may not conform to motive or intention, and the consequences of an
action cannot be wholly attributed to the person. The outcome of an action
depends on the rest of existence, ultimately on Allah. However, there is a
distinction between the effort or striving and the consequences. It is the
effort that modifies the person beneficially or harmfully. However, there are
certainly processes where determinable effects follow from existing causes and
knowledge of these exist or can be acquired to various degrees. The effort to
do so is attributable to the person. A Muslim is required to make efforts that
are spiritually beneficial and avoid and counteract spiritually harmful ones.
Muslims are by definition, those who
surrender to God. But there are many degrees of surrender. In fact, all things
are in a state of surrender to God unconsciously (Quran 13:15, 22:18)
But human beings are required to surrender
consciously. We could say that they all surrender to different degrees - we all
have the spirit of Allah in us (32:9) and are exhorted to behave according to
our inherent nature (30:30. The Quran also says:-
"Verily, those who believe and those
who are Jews, and the Sabaeans, and the Christians,
whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, and does what is right, they shall
not fear, nor shall they grieve." 5:69
It is righteousness and unrighteousness,
which are states of being, that earn reward or punishment (2:25, 3:15,
4:69, 28:83).
Belief, like actions, is part of
righteousness. (Quran 2:177, 3:114, 43:35). But there are degrees of
righteousness. (3:163)
Islam is submission to Allah and this could
be (i) in declaration, (ii) in action, (iii) in
belief or (iv) in the state of being. (8:2-4, 9:71,111, 10:58,101, 49:15)
Whereas these four are obviously different
things and can exist without each other, it can be asserted that:-
A declaration is also an action of a certain
kind - it is a subset of actions. Declaration is verbal and requires thought. A
thought about something, even if it refers to knowing, is not the same thing as
understanding it or awareness of it. Understanding requires processing the idea
by linking it with other experiences. According to Quran 2:171 belief is
equated to understanding as opposed to merely making sounds as those made by
shepherds which sheep do not understand. Declarations are similarly like
slogans without belief. Unbelief is likened to being inwardly deaf, dumb and
blind. Awareness is the assimilation of an experience and a product of the
state of being, though there are degrees of it. Awareness and the state of
Being refer to the Truth inherent in things.
There are degrees of belief depending on
whether they refer to physical, mental or spiritual truths. We can retain the
word belief for physical truths that are given to outer experiences. But we
also have mental processing that give us concepts and ideas in which have
various degrees of confidence. These tend to follow from the definitions. The
word faith ought to be reserved for the certainty that comes from that which is
in conformity with our inherent nature - in religious terminology: it is
discerned by the heart. It is a spiritual impulse. (48:4)
A verbal declaration is not understood unless
there is an appropriate experience that comes from action and perception. It
could, therefore, be false. That is, the statement can be misunderstood or the
truth could be misstated. It is not possible to be certain about one's beliefs.
To say one believes something is not the same as believing something, but
implies that one knows a truth about oneself - it might not be so. (6:60,
6:165, 9:105-106). In any case one believes because of the mercy, guidance and
power of God and as long as He wills.
The validity of belief can be judged by actions.
But lack of action does not necessarily contradict or invalidate declaration or
belief - A person may strive to act according to his declaration or belief but
fail because of inner or outer difficulties. Religious actions can be automatic
and ritualistic, but even so require some kind of belief.
Belief tends to be mixed with doubt to
various degrees and the balance between them varies. Beliefs have various
degrees of conviction.
Belief is reinforced by the frequency,
strength and personal significance of its confirmation by experience and
undermined by the frequency, strength and personal significance of its
contradiction by experience.
When behaviour is based on belief then we
have faith. Belief without attending action or declaration is incomplete faith.
Faith can be regarded as inner activity. An outer action can be regarded as a
subset of faith. A declaration can be a subset of Faith.
The State of Being includes faith and action, but not necessarily
declaration.
Declaration should lead to action. Action
should lead to belief and belief should lead to a state of being.
Actions are judged
by intention based on faith which is judged by the truth of the thoughts and
the religious doctrines properly understood.
It is not,
therefore, only about action and intention but also about thought as one can
see from Quran 41:22-23, 8:29, 48:6 etc.
We have several levels of Islam:- (1) Declaration only - Islam allows this because we
cannot judge a person's inner state. (2) Declaration and action (3) Action (4) Belief
(5) Declaration and belief. (6) Faith - belief and action (7) Faith and
Declaration, (8) The State of Being in Surrender, (9) Being and declaration -
At this level the Muslim becomes a teacher who can demonstrate as well as
verbally communicate.
It is necessary to understand that there are
three kinds of religious obligations:- (1) Spiritual ones that only God can
judge. (2) Social ones that concern outer obligations with respect to which
there are legal rules. (3) Personal ones where privacy is respected and each
person has to make their own judgements. However, they are not completely
independent and do affect each other. The whole society may suffer when
spiritual obligations are flouted and individuals may suffer spiritually when
social laws are flouted. What people do privately may modify them in ways that
their behaviour affects the rest of the community.
The question is often asked whether or not
persons under a given set of circumstances would enter Hell or Paradise - suffering or self-fulfilment. But this question cannot be answered
as it is Allah, who knows all things outwardly and inwardly, is the sole judge.
As all are judged with justice according to what they do, there are many
degrees of Heaven and Hell. It is only for us to understand and strive as best
we can. (4:40, 5:105, 6:118, 9:121, 10:109, 17:15, 18:31, 27:25)
It is also essential to realise that not all
actions or states are equal but have different weights. And it is not any
specific action that earns the final punishment and reward but that people are
judged by the balance of the good and evil they do. (7:7-9, 23:102-103)
With respect to belief, nine conditions
exist:- (1) Positive belief in the truth of something. (2) Disbelief which
usually means negative belief - belief in some thing contrary. (3) Doubt
usually because alternatives are available. The purpose of doubt, because it is
uncomfortable is to stimulate a person to action that will dispel it. But this
can be done in reality or in fantasy or in a perverse manner. (4) Ignorance of
something that might require belief or not. (5) Indifference (6) Cynicism -
disbelief or rejection of all beliefs and ideologies. (7) Tolerance - allowing
validity of rival beliefs. (8) Pragmatic attitude that a belief is to be judged
by whether it is useful and beneficial or not. (9) Hypocrisy.
Nine kinds of hypocrisy can be
distinguished:- (1) Hypocrisy of declaration - when different things are
declared to different people. However, as events and objects have several
aspects and relationships it is possible to be truthful even when contradictory
statements are made. One can encourage a person in despair or calm one who is
over-enthusiastic about something by pointing out opposite things. (ii)
Declaration without conforming efforts in action (iii) Declaration without
belief. (iv) Declarations that are contradicted by the truth of a person's
being - (v) Action that contradicts action - e.g. an apparently good action
contradicted by one that harms. Charity could be given in order to humiliate. (vi)
Action that contradicts belief - the action might seem good but it was
impulsive or the good results were accidental. Charitable works are often done
by businesses in order to obtain a good name and increase profits. (vii) Action
contradicted by the state of being e.g. apparent compassionate work without
having compassion. (vii) Existence of contradictory beliefs - a person may be
unaware of this because of inadequate thinking and apply these in different
circumstances as convenient. (viii) Contradiction between belief and the State
of being. It involves Self-deception.
(The reader is encouraged to expand this
article by entering the quotations from the Quran that have been referred to.)
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