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Islamic Renaissance: The Real Task Ahead
1.
Global Domination of Western Thought
The present age can
rightly be described as the age of the predominance of Western
philosophical thought and learning. The Western ideas about the
nature of man and the universe are strongly upheld all around
the world. Having taken shape roughly two hundred years ago,
these ideas were continuously affirmed and reinforced by
theorists and philosophers. Though politically the present-day
world may be divided into number of blocs, one single
philosophical point of view prevails throughout. This attitude
has colored all human civilization and culture at the global
level. No doubt there are also found here and there some
alternative view points, but they are of marginal importance.
The people both in the Occident and in the Orient who really
have a say in public affairs, political as well as social and
cultural, are without exception adhering to this viewpoint. The
dominance of Western culture and philosophical thought is so
pervasive and universal that even the point of view of such
people as are struggling against it in some countries turns out
on closer examination to be itself greatly influenced by the
West. Indeed, they are themselves to a great extent Western in
their approach and method and even in their purported ideology.
They too think in terms of Western philosophy and ideology with
the result that they lose their impact and efficacy to oppose
it.
2.
The Fundamental Point of View
The thought pattern
which is operative at the basis of present-day culture and
civilization was not hatched in a day, nor is it a simple and
abstract phenomenon. Over the past hundred and fifty or two
hundred years European philosophers developed a number of
schools of thought about the nature of man and human life, but
one central attitude that persisted all through these variegated
philosophical theories and went on gaining momentum was the
disregard for ideational and transcendental concepts. Concrete
fact and physical phenomena became the core and object of human
inquiry and philosophical quest. God, soul, and the Hereafter
gradually disappeared from the spectrum of thought, yielding
place respectively to discussions about the nature of the
physical universe, matter, and human terrestrial existence.
Though at the academic level it was said that we neither affirm
nor reject the doctrines about God, soul, and life-after-death,
yet this avowedly agnostic position quite understandably led to
the gradual elimination of these ideas from philosophical
inquiry and discussion.
God
has imbued man with a great many capacities and mental faculties
to exploit to his benefit any field or domain in which he
applies them. Every earnest research worker can explore a new
world in the domain of his selected field of inquiry. Compared
with the vastness and grandeur of the universe the shining sun
itself is nothing more than a tiny speck, while a tiny particle
of dust may open up for a scientist realms hardly less in
complexity and fascination than the shining sun. Similarly, the
universe, matter, and terrestrial existence may look extremely
trivial in contrast to God, the soul, and the life Hereafter,
but if these mundane concerns are made the subject of study and
research, they may lead to boundless vistas of knowledge.
This
actually happened in Europe. When the universe and matter were
brought under scientific investigation, man gradually discovered
to his utter astonishment a clue to power and energy in
apparently dead and inert material phenomena. And this led to a
new revolution in the realm of knowledge and technology. A
series of scientific discoveries led to greater control and
exploitation of nature, and a wealth of new inventions made
Europe an invisible power. The great impact and efficacy of the
properties of matter became reasons for focusing attention on
physical laws in place of the spirit. As against the age-old
discussions about God, His attributes, and spiritual entities,
the physical universe and exploitation of natural forces were
given prime importance in human inquiry.
3.
Political and Ideological Onslaught of the West on the Islamic
World
The newly acquired
scientific knowledge and technical know-how gave to the West
tremendous superiority in arms and military equipment. Its
political power swept across the world in a very short time.
Eastern nations and their governments crumbled before it like
sand castles. Since the Muslim states of the Near and Middle
East bore the brunt of this attack, the onslaught of the West
struck Islam and Muslim nations the severest blow. The whole
Muslim world was subjugated by Western imperialist powers in a
matter of a few decades.
The
West´s occupation of the Islamic world was two-fold, military
and political as well as ideological and cultural. But since the
European attack was primarily and initially political, the
reaction against it in the Islamic world contained in its early
stages a sense of revolt against political repression only. The
painful realization by the Muslim world of the fact of European
domination and the fragmentation of its own strength, either in
the form of direct political rule and annexation or in the guise
of indirect involvement and support of puppet governments, was
expressed in heart-rending poems. The nostalgic memory of the
glorious past and the passionate desire to regain the old
strength and solidarity, indeed the desire to set the clock
backward, expressed itself at one time in the volatile
personality of Jamaluddin Afghani and at another in the form of
Tehreek-e-Khilafat. But reality prevailed over emotions and the
political domination of the West became an established fact.
Immediately after consolidating its political hegemony, Europe
started disseminating her ideological principles and point of
view with a missionary zeal so as to capture and control the
ideas and thoughts of Muslim nations. The material and
scientific progress of the West had already dazzled the eyes of
the world´s conquered people. Moreover any superior nation must
have some fundamental human qualities which help her to achieve
her expansionist goals. The apparent evidences of Europeans´
superiority contributed greatly to infuse defeatism in the minds
of Muslims, and a vast majority of them began to appropriate
Western ideas and values uncritically. Since the Europeans had
themselves many schools of thought in the field of philosophy
and social sciences, there was some scope of debate,
counterposition, and selective adoption in these fields. But as
the findings of science had an element of certainty and its
results were practical and tangible, they were not open to
dispute. Science was therefore received with as much enthusiasm
as should be accorded to Divine Revelation, and a large number
of educated men in the Islamic world consciously or
unconsciously accepted a secular and materialistic point of
view. The entire Islamic world, including its deeply religious
core, started giving more importance to material existence and
worldly life, and less importance to God, the spirit, and the
life Hereafter. A radical change of emphasis from transcendental
themes to material and worldly pursuits occurred not only in
Islamic society in general, but also in its religious leaders
and scholars.
4.
The Early Defensive Attempts and their Achievements
The
Islamic world made a number of attempts to meet the Western
ideological onslaught, and many convinced and devout Muslims
worked wholeheartedly to protect their faith and religion. These
attempts to defend and safeguard Islamic values were of two
types, the first being limited to mere protection but others
sought apologetic compromise and attenuation.
The
merely defensive efforts to protect religious values and beliefs
can be described, to quote Maulana Manazir Ahsan Gilani, as the
following of Ashab-e-Kahaf´s Attitude. They fled from the
mainstream of social life in order to hold fast to faith. Even
though this might appear to be sheer escapist in motivation, it
was in fact based on the realistic acceptance of the truth that
the Muslim world was not able to mount a direct frontal
offensive on the West. The only was that remained open was to
keep away from the flood tide of secularism and hold fast to
religious faith, caring little for those who derided this
approach. As a matter of fact, whatever meager success was
achieved in the defense of faith was made possible through this
approach. The faith of a section of the Muslim community was
saved from atheistic influences and a few candles of faith were
left alight in the darkness of crass materialism. The structure
of the faith and religious law was maintained through sermons
and the teachings of the Qur´an and Hadith. The most important
phenomena of this type of struggle in the Indo-Pak subcontinent
was the establishment of a Dar-ul-Uloom at Deoband. In name a
mere scholastic institution, it was in reality the harbinger of
a great revivalist movement.
The
fundamental principle of the more aggressive approach was to
keep up with the changing times without loosing faith. To
achieve this they undertook to sift the sound from the
fallacious in modern ideas and to construct a modernist version
of Islam in order to prove its veracity as well as its capacity
to meet modern challenges effectively.
At
first, sings of defeatism were manifest in those who took up
this work. A number of pseudo-scholastic thinkers of India and
Egypt started to test the fundamental tenets of the Islamic
faith in the light of the new rationalism of the West. As a
result of this, religious beliefs were attenuated and their
metaphysical concepts were reinterpreted in purely scientific
terms. Sayyid Ahmed Khan in the Indo-Pak subcontinent and Mufti
Muhammad Abduh in Egypt and their acolytes attempted to
formulate a modern interpretation of Islam to save it from
anachronism and allow believers to make headway on the path of
scientific progress like the Europeans. Their motives may have
been sincere and their dedication genuine, but thorough these
attempts Islam undeniably lost its very spirit and élan. The
influence of Western materialism resulted in a non-religious
version of Islam. Thus these attempts served only a negative
purpose: saving of those who were already completely
Europeanized in culture and life-style from being called
“un-Islamic.” Their inclusion in the fraternity of Muslim
brotherhood remained unchallenged, and this new version of Islam
was presented to the West on their behalf as an “apology.”
5.
The Development of the Social Sciences
The fundamentals of
Western philosophy, disguised as suspension of judgment or
agnosticism, were in fact the denial of God and the life
Hereafter. They caused the physical universe to replace the
transcendental concepts of God and soul from the center of human
concern and inquiry. Numerous scientific discoveries and
inventions naturally followed from this exclusive emphasis on
worldly interests. Eschatological doctrines of life-after-death
were completely rejected as topics of research in favor of the
immediacy of world existence. As a result of persistent and
exclusive thinking about the multifarious aspects of worldly
life, a number of sociological and politico-economic theories
were conceived and put forward. These theories gradually
developed into full-fledged ideologies and world-views. Confined
to strictly academic discussion in the earlier stages, these
world-views were later made the social, political, and economic
basis of nations. The age-old political systems based on
traditional feudalism were replaced by nationalism,
dictatorship, and democracy, and ancient economic system by
capitalism and socialism. A number of new political and economic
movements emerged in the wake of these changes.
6.
The Idea of an “Islamic Way of Life” and the Twentieth Century
Islamic Movements
The world of Islam
also received the impact of Western ideas in the field of social
sciences, and Muslims began to propound Islam as a system of
life. Islamic teachings were projected as an all-embracing
“system of life,” and movements in different lands were launched
to implement and put into practice this system of life.
These twentieth century revivalist movements started almost
simultaneously in Muslim countries from Indonesia to Egypt. They
were similar in a number of ways. Indeed it would not be far
from true to say that they were all animated by a single
conception of religion. It must be admitted, in all fairness,
that these efforts imparted credibility to Islam as a code of
life superior to other ideologies, and have weakened the
influence of the West upon the young.
There were other factors which helped to limit the influence of
Western ideas and culture. The sweeping military and political
victories of the Western colonial powers were checked with the
passage of time and in many countries were met with forceful and
sustained nationalist freedom movements. Consequently Western
countries were forced to withdraw their political hegemony from
occupied lands.1
Though political influence and economic domination in the form
of defense pacts or military and monetary aid programs are still
very much there, almost the entire Muslim bloc has got ride of
the yoke of direct rule by imperialist powers. In many Muslim
countries nationalist freedom and self-rule movements were
launched, and these invariably appealed to religious sentiments
of the people for sparking off feelings of nationalism. There
was no alternative to this, as Muslim nationalism had no
anchorage other than Islam. This appeal to religion, however,
was more like a slogan than an existential concern for the
Islamic faith. Yet it did strengthen the idea of the revival of
Islam. At the same time, the hollowness of Western civilization
has been clearly brought out by the two disastrous world wars,
so that even the West has come to consider the foundations of
its own culture as ill-conceived and misguided. Materialistic
atheism reached its logical culmination in the forms of
socialism and communism, and moral as well as religious values
were reinterpreted in purely economic terms. This alarmed
Western peoples themselves, and they began to propound a new
philosophy of humanism which was quite sympathetic to spiritual
values. In the realm of science new physical theories shook the
very foundations of Newtonian physics and Euclidean geometry.
Matter was no longer considered as something permanent and
tangible, and the former absolute faith in mechanical laws gave
way to less rigid views of the universe. This made easier to
affirm metaphysical beliefs, and gave support to religion.
Supported by these factors, movements for “Islamic Renaissance,”
“establishment of government according to the Will of God,” and
“enforcement of the Islamic system of life” were started in
various Muslim countries. Of all these, the Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslemoon,
which began in Egypt was the most prominent in point of
quantitative strength and emotional fervor. The Indo-Pak
subcontinent´s Jama`at-e-Islami however, occupies a
distinguished place among these movements, based as it is on a
solid and strongly defended thought-system.
These movements have been active in Muslim countries for more
than thirty years and a substantial number of Muslim youth has
been influenced by them. But it is an irony of history that
practically none of these movements has achieved any remarkable
success. Rather it seems as if they have outlived the span of
their lives, and the moment is not yet ripe when the fond hopes
for the renaissance of Islam can be realized. Egypt´s Al-Ikhwan
Al-Muslemoon has met almost complete disintegration within the
country, and its few remaining members are scattered all over
the Middle East and Europe. The Indo-Pak subcontinent´s
Jama`at-e-Islami fared no better, a greater portion of its
potentialities having been spent up in the politics of Pakistan.
At the moment it has hardly any program other than joining hands
with various political parties in the struggle for democracy.
One
may think that the real cause of the failure of these revivalist
movements lies in the impatience of their leaders. That is to
say, they perhaps hastily, without first changing the minds of a
considerable number of the country´s intelligentsia, took part
in active politics, which resulted in premature clash with the
national leadership and the so-called “progressive” elements.
But in truth their failure is a direct result of their
misconceived notion of faith and the error in their view of
Islam.
7.
The Error of their Interpretation of Islam
These movements´ understanding and view of Islam are based on
the same Western standpoint, preferring material existence and
worldly pursuits to spirit and the life Hereafter. Though the
metaphysical beliefs of Islam which collectively constitute
Islamic faith are affirmed in their studies of Islam, they have
not been properly stressed. Their gaze has been exclusively
fixed on the teachings and precepts which Islam has laid down
for the multifarious practical aspects of life and to which they
have given the name of Islami Nizam-e-Hayat. Their
interpretation of Islam affirms all the religious beliefs but it
lacks the inner state of deep faith in God (Iman Billah) which
alone makes us know Allah as the only absolutely powerful agent
and the ultimate cause within us and in the cosmos. The belief
in the Hereafter is asserted but it is practically devoid of the
living faith, which was described by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
when he commanded: “Live in this world like a stranger or
wayfarer.”
Similarly, the prophethood of Muhammad (SAW) is not denied, yet
there is no real love or heart-felt attachment to him. For the
more progressive elements, the Prophet had a role hardly higher
than that of a postman or a leader of the social life of the
Muslim community.2 And even those who hold the Sunnah as
definitive and fundamentally important in religious matters,
have created a loop-hole in it by making a distinction between
Sunnah adat and Sunnah risalat. This bifurcation has made it
possible for its propounders to live freely at least their
private lives in harmony with the fashionable trends of the
times. In a word, faith is upheld only to the extent which
suffices for one to be called a “Muslim” in the legal sense of
the term. The inner experience of faith which truly fulfills and
validates the propositions of Islamic belief is not present.
Indeed nobody seems to be aware of its importance and
indispensability.
It
is an outcome of this very standpoint that the practice of the
Islamic faith has come to be regarded as synonymous with the
State, and worship (Ibadah) simply equivalent to obedience (Ita`ah).
The Prophet´s statement that prayer (Salat) is the spiritual
ascension of the believer is completely disregarded. The
attachment of the human soul to prayer to the degree that it
becomes the only source of inner happiness and peace is nowhere
to be seen. 3 Contrary to this, the more progressive elements
have identified the canonical prayer with the social order of
the community. Some others assign importance to it only in so
far as it is a comprehensive method for the organization of the
Muslim community. The power of Zakat, the annul poor due, to
develop and purify the soul is regarded as secondary to its role
in the Islamic economic system or national welfare scheme.
Fasting is commonly said to be an exercise in self control, but
its potency to vitalize the soul by relaxing the shackle of the
corporeal body upon it is either not fully realized or left
unexpressed. The Prophet´s saying (Al Saum Al-Junnah) 4 is often
reiterated in religious writings and sermons and a good deal of
time is spent in its explanation. But the holy traditions (Al-Saum
li...) 5 is mentioned briefly and cursorily if at all. Similarly
it is common knowledge about Pilgrimage that this provides the
pivot of worship around which a vast universal brotherhood is
organized. But its deeper religious significance and the
spiritual blessings it brings are seldom expressed.
This
new interpretation of Islam is a direct result of the universal
domination of Western philosophical thought which has completely
secularized the point of view of Muslims. Consequently the soul
and its inner life is wholly discarded in favor of the affairs
of worldly life which constitute the sole object of thought and
reflection. This has resulted in a materialistic interpretation
of faith and religion. Though at the theoretical level it is
said that Islam is a comprehensive system of human welfare,
concerned with both this world and the Hereafter. But since
their eyes are firmly fixed on the problems of this-worldly
existence. Islam is in the final analysis reduced to a political
and social system. Theological beliefs are considered as no more
than a “veil,” facade, or outer crust.6 The real mission they
have set for themselves is the enforcement of this system of
life and conduct. The yearning for communion with God, adoration
of Him and humble supplication before Him, which are the real
essence of worship, are relegated to a peripheral status.7
The
import of all these movement is more social and political than
religious. They are more this-worldly than other-worldly. They
are distinguished from other political and economic movements
only in holding the Islamic way of life as a better solution to
human problems than the life systems enunciated by capitalistic
democracy or communism. And this is tantamount to saying that
the task of reviving the real values of Islam has not yet even
started.
This
is the reason why these Islamic revivalist movements are
comparable to ships without anchors drifting to and fro on the
waves. Quite often they behave helplessly like a traveler who
neither knows his destination nor remembers where he started
from.
8.
Revitalization of Faith: The Necessary Precondition of an
Islamic Renaissance
Modern rationalistic and pseudo-scientific interpretations of
Islam are quite alien to Islam itself and lack a direct link
with the original mission of the Prophet (SAW). They are devoid
of the spiritual message that is the heart of the Qur´anic
revelation. They fail to appreciate Islam as a spiritual and
metaphysical tradition. But since Islam is essentially based on
inward faith known in Arabic as Iman, its renaissance can never
be brought about without first reviving and indeed revitalizing
the faith of a large part of the Muslim community. There is no
denying the importance of political freedom and the independence
of Muslim countries and these have undoubtedly contributed to
generate greater awareness of Islamic values and ideals.
Similarly, the idea of an Islamic way of life and confidence in
its superiority over other ideologies has been useful to a
limited extent and deserves our praise. The movements which were
launched in the past or are still engaged in advancing the cause
of freedom are in fact contributing partially and in their own
way towards the revival of the Islamic message. But the most
real and fundamental task in this regard still remains to be
done. It is imperative for the entire intelligentsia of the
Muslim world to pay attention to, and whosoever realizes its
real importance should strive for the cardinal principle that a
forceful movement be launched for reviving and revitalizing the
Iman in the whole of the Muslim Ummah. In this way, Iman must be
transformed from mere verbal attestation (qal) to an inward
existential faith (hal).8
Iman
is essentially attestation of, and inner faith in, some
metaphysical truths. The first step towards attaining this faith
is to believe more firmly in some truths even though they are
not observable or perceptible, and to hold the things heard by
the heart to be more trustworthy than the things heard by the
ear. Belief in the unseen (Iman bil-Ghaib) is the first and
foremost condition of Iman and this requires a radical change in
the thought system and in the point of view of the believer.
According to this new perspective, the whole order of creation
should be taken as nothing more than a fleeting appearance or
shadow, whereas the existence of God should be felt as an
eternally living Reality. Contrary to the view that the universe
is a chain of eternally present and uncreated causes and effects
or the world is governed by “natural” forces and rigid
mechanical laws, the Will of God and His design and purpose
should be “seen” and felt in operation at all times and in all
parts of the cosmos. Matter is looked upon as insignificant, and
the soul is thought to be man´s essence. The locution Insan is
not to be attributed to man´s animal and corporeal body but to
the Divine spirit, the presence of which makes man superior to
angels.9 Worldly life should appear to be transitory and unreal,
and life Hereafter should alone be taken as real and
ever-lasting. The pleasure of God should be held as more
valuable than the attainment of all the riches of this world.
And, according to a saying of the Prophet (SAW) riches of the
world should not be assigned more value than a mosquito´s wing
deserves. Let it be clearly and distinctly understood that
unless and until a major portion of the Muslim Ummah really
undergoes this profound transformation in thought and belief,
the vision and the fond hope of an Islamic renaissance can never
be realized.
The
most effective way to implant and inculcate faith in the hearts
of the Muslim masses is the company and fellowship of such
deeply religious persons whose hearts and minds are illumined by
Divine knowledge and by the light of faith, persons whose hearts
are untouched by conceit, hypocrisy, rancor, and avarice. It was
through ceaseless evangelist and disseminating work, teaching
and exhortation as well as practical examples portrayed through
their conduct of life, that a continuous chain of pious and
God-intoxicated people kept the beacon of faith burning after
the collapse of Khilafah ala minhaj al-Nubuwwah.10 Even though
the winds of Western atheism and materialism are blowing high in
Muslim lands, yet one can find here and there persons whose
hearts and minds are full of certitude and staunch faith. The
need of the time now is that the movement for Islamic faith and
Iman be popularized and extended far and wide so that each and
every inhabited piece of Muslim territory does have a few
dedicated and selfless preachers whose sole aim in life is the
pursuit of Allah´s pleasure, men who, in obedience to the
teaching of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), make religious and moral
guidance of people their sole aim and ambition in life.11
Fortunately, in the recent past there has emerged in the
Indo-Pakistan subcontinent a mass religious movement, the impact
of which is visible on a vast multitude of people. It has led
them to a firm belief in Islam and the radical change of values
that this entails. That is to say, the Creator, spiritual
existence, the human soul and the life Hereafter are held
superior to the whole order of creation and worldly life. This
movement is the Jamaat-e-Tableegh. It is an off-shoot of the
movement of Deoband. It was founded and initiated by persons of
deep and inner religious conviction. Although more than a third
of a century has flown past, its fervor and emotional zeal has
not abated a bit. Though we do not wholly agree with its
approach and methodology, there is no denying the fact that it
has brought about a complete change in the thinking of a great
many people, who have started to feel that it is the Creator and
not the crated objects that should command our attention and
that the uncaused first cause, 12 and not finite causes, is of
prime importance. Similarly they develop a strong belief that it
is not food or water but the Will of God that mitigates hunger
and quenches thirst. Even the minor injunctions and precepts of
the faith start appearing to them as of intrinsic worth and
goodness without being grounded upon any logical argumentation
or considered as part of a system of life or as means to
establish it. The smallest details of the Holy Prophet´s Sunnah
appear to these people as pregnant with light (noor) and
splendor. They content themselves with the minimum material
requirements of life and spend a major part of their time and
energy in the propagation of Islam in their own way.
But
as this movement addresses the sentiments and not the reason of
the people and its main emphasis lies on action and not on
understanding, its influence and efficacy is limited. The
members of a community who hold reason and understanding to be
superior to sentiments and action, remain uninfluenced by this
type of preaching. The very mental constitution of these people
compels them not to appropriate passionately anything that does
not satisfy the test of reason and critical inquiry. They cannot
attain the deeper levels of religious life without first untying
the intellectual knots of their minds. These are the people who
constitute the intellectual minority of a society and who
command leadership over its ideology and policy. A change and
indeed a total revolution in their viewpoint and way of thought
is therefore of paramount importance. If Iman and belief could
not be kindled in their hearts and they remained in the darkness
of disbelief, faith occurring merely in the lower strata of
society could not guarantee Islamization in a real and enduring
sense.
9.
The Real Task Ahead
For this reason the
most essential task to be undertaken is to launch a high-powered
academic movement which brings about a real change in the
educated elite and intelligentsia of the society, taking them
from the darkness of materialism and atheism to the light of
faith and belief. This movement should be aimed at inducing in
them a worshipful attitude and a heightened self awareness.13
This objective can only be achieved at a strictly academic level
through a cogently reasoned presentation of Islamic beliefs and
a strong refutation of atheistic and materialistic philosophies.
In this connection a point must be borne in mind. Since in our
age fast means of communication have considerably increased
mobility and the whole world can be looked upon as one human
family, the aforesaid academic level of discussion will not be
limited to one particular country. Rather it would be required
to come up to the highest standard of sophistication found
anywhere in the world. This colossal work must be extremely
painstaking. But the vision of an Islamic renaissance which does
not fulfill this requirement is like living in a fool´s
paradise.
The
first thing essential for this movement is to get in its fold
such intelligent and talented young men who have a keen desire
for knowledge and whose minds and souls are burning for the
attainment of truth. These young men must experience an inner
feeling that the ultimate reality is far from the realm of
sensuous objects. The passionate desire in them for acquiring
knowledge and discovering truth should be so intense that,
paying no heed to petty cravings for worldly comforts and bright
professional careers, they are prepared to dedicate all their
lives for the achievement of this end.
These young dedicated research-workers will have to take a deep
and critical look into the entire history of human thought from
its earliest stages to the present day. Logic, metaphysics,
psychology, ethics, and theology would become the central
subjects of their study and reflection, though due attention
will also be given to the social and physical sciences. Along
with this thorough and critical study of human thought, it would
be essential for them to study the holy Qur´an, the last and
most comprehensive Divine Revelation, in order to discover its
truths. And if after a long and laborious study of human
knowledge and Qur´anic wisdom, the beacon-bright message of the
Qur´an becomes crystal clear to them, their minds and souls
vibrate with its statements, the Qur´anic teachings about the
nature of the outer world and of their own souls (afaq wa anfus)
satisfy them completely and they experience an inner contentment
as a result of this enlightenment, then they will have attained
the true faith.
Only
these men will possess excellence in true knowledge and wisdom.
Instead of mental disruption and moral lewdness, their knowledge
will lead them to greater fear of God´s justice and punishment.
Their personalities will be embodiments of the Qur´anic verse:
The
fear of God is found only in the hearts of men who have abundant
knowledge. (Al-Fatir 35:28)
Also
their personalities and character will bear witness to the truth
of a poetic line:
Not
merely a reader of the Qur´an, A true Muslim is the Qur´an
personified.
The
essence of the holy Book lies in the particular gnosis which is
called Iman or faith. No doubt the Qur´anic laws and precepts
about the practical aspects of life are of immense importance in
their own right. But compared with the essence which is
constituted by its teachings regarding Iman, the legal aspects
of the Qur´an are of secondary significance. Without the prior
acquisition of this inner faith, deliberation upon the Qur´anic
laws is of hardly any value. This point was very aptly conveyed
in a statement of the Prophet´s Companion, Hadrat Ibn Abbas (RAA):
“We first learned Iman and then we learned the Qur´an.”
The
difficult task of refuting western thought and rooting out its
civilization and culture can only be executed in the real sense
by those who have drunk deep at the fountains of wisdom and
knowledge that flow from the Qur´an. It would be possible for
these men to write a new Refutation14 of the philosophers of
today and mount a crushing attack15 upon modern logicians. In a
word, they will check effectively the flood of atheism and
materialism which has been carrying away the human mind for the
last two hundred years.
Besides this, they will have to undertake the positive task of
initiating a new Islamic philosophical theology or Kalam, so
that the facts discovered in the domains of mathematics,
physics, astronomy, biology, and psychology may be assigned a
proper place in the framework of Islamic beliefs. There is no
inherent contradiction between the facts of these sciences and
the tenets of Iman. The facts of physical sciences point
partially to the same Absolute Reality which is comprehended
through Iman. Forty years ago, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal set a
precedence for this sort of work through the seven lectures
published under the title, Reconstruction of Religious Thought
in Islam. The followers of Iqbal have, however, rather
inappropriately concentrated on the nature of law, Ijma` and
Ijtihad in Islam, which are in fact not directly related to the
religious and philosophical aspect of his book. In fact his real
purpose was the reconstruction and reformulation of the
philosophical theology of Islam and his work is highly
stimulating and thought-provoking in this regard. He did not
claim that his word was final or perfect. He himself observed in
the preface: “As knowledge advances and fresh avenues of thought
are opened, other views and probably sounder views than those
set forth in these lectures, are possible. Our duty is to watch
carefully the progress of human thought and to maintain an
independent critical attitude towards it.” Therefore if this
task had been continued on lines suggested by Dr. Iqbal and some
talented and dedicated men had devoted their lives to Qur´anic
research, making it the hub and center of their intellectual
activity, quite valuable and substantial work would have been
produced by now. Until and unless a considerable amount of
really good quality work is available in the field of Islamic
theology or Kalam, the hope of instilling in the intelligentsia
a deeply religious point of view can never be realized.
After the development and reformulation of religious and
philosophical thought, the second most essential task would be
to elaborate cogently in modern terminology the teachings of
Islam regarding the practical aspects of life such as politics,
jurisprudence, culture, and economics. In this connection, it
was mentioned earlier that during the past forty years or so
some commendable work was undertaken in Egypt and the Indo-Pak
subcontinent. Both the Jama`at-e-Islami and Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimoon
have made “Islamic way of life” and “Social Justice in Islam”
the central themes of their published work. However, this should
only be considered as an appreciably good start in the right
direction. It must be pointed out here that the current wave of
plagiarism and publishing the old material under new titles will
not at all serve the purpose. Pamphleteering by pseudo-scholars
and immature writers and sale of publications among a particular
group of people may bring economic benefit to a few but surely
this will render no positive and lasting service to Islam
itself. In the world of today in which people generally are
pressed for time, persons of high intellectual caliber cannot
possible find time and leisure for superficial and second-rate
literature. It is, therefore, imperative that whatever material
is brought out, it should be of high standard without
necessarily being voluminous. For this task as well, besides
critical knowledge of contemporary world affairs and social
sciences, a deep and sound understanding of the Qur´an and
Sunnah is called for.
10.
A Blueprint for Action
Two things must be
implemented immediately in order to launch the above-mentioned
academic and Qur´anic research movement.
First, an
organization should be established for the mass dissemination
and exposition of the Qur´anic message. This organization should
work for two objectives. It should strive to revive and
revitalize the faith of Muslims in general, to enlighten their
minds and chasten their character. It should also provide,
through study circles and residential camps, practical training
and guidance for the intellectual, moral, and religious
enhancement of the people who respond to its call. It should
convince those who sincerely aspire for an Islamic renaissance
of the supreme importance of the academic movement referred to
above. This organization should also earnestly look for such
brilliant young scholars who are willing to devote all their
lives in the academic task required for them. It is not an easy
job to get hold of young and dedicated scholars in this age of
exclusive pursuit of worldly gains. The problem of earning one´s
livelihood has become so acutely difficult today that most young
men spend all their energies and potentialities in their
professional task. In our society generally when a person is
able to manage his basic necessities, he usually embarks on the
never-ending process of raising his standard of life. But there
are always in the world some pious and God-fearing persons. If
some sincere and courageous men start this work with
single-minded devotion, they are, with the help of Allah, sure
to find a good many intelligent and capable youths, who will, in
accordance with a Prophet´s tradition16 make the learning and
dissemination of Qur´anic wisdom the sole aim of their lives.
The real need for the execution of a momentous task is always a
strong inner urge for action which follows a particular emotion
or idea. Once we have this inner urge, new possibilities or
chances of success come up unexpectedly and the obstacles and
the difficulties envisaged are overcome. What needs to be done
is to propagate with missionary zeal the necessity of the
Islamic renaissance and revival. And if this is undertaken in
right earnest, there is no reason why this movement should not
attract devoted and persevering workers for its noble ideals.
Secondly, a Qur´anic research academy should be established so
that it may start a popular movement for learning and teaching
the Qur´an among Muslims themselves, so that they may develop a
fresh attitude of devotion to the study of the Qur´an. It is
only when they come to cherish true faith and belief with a
deep, inward conviction that the light of the Qur´an will
illumine their hearts and their feeling of reverence for the
Holy Book will become profound. This academy should educated and
train such young scholars who have fully equipped themselves
with both modern knowledge and Qur´anic wisdom, so that they may
progress in the academic task before them.
The
mass communication of Qur´anic teaching will result most
importantly in drawing people´s heart to it. As their faith will
strengthen, their minds will come more and more under the spell
of the Qur´an and their feelings of reverence and devotion for
it will become deeper. Consequently a large number of
intelligent and capable young men will also be attracted to it,
and quite possibly some of these seekers of knowledge will
devote themselves to Qur´anic studies wholly and solely and make
the learning and teaching of the Qur´an the sole aim of their
lives. The major function of this academy would be to instruct
and train those young men to become ardent workers for the cause
of the Islamic renaissance. For this they will require a
thorough knowledge of the Arabic language and its grammar and a
refined literary taste to appreciate the beauty, force, and
eloquence of its expressions. They should acquire a good
grounding in the language in which the Qur´an was revealed by a
critical study of the works of the renowned traditional writers.
They should receive education in other religious studies,
especially in tradition (Hadith) Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh)
and its principles. Every student who joins this academy should
study as elective subjects one or more of the disciplines of
social sciences according to his own taste and aptitude. It is
only then that some of these scholars who are interested in
philosophy and theology, would be competent to level, in the
light of the Qur´an, reasoned criticism against contemporary
philosophical positions and trends. In this way, they would
initiate the new Islamic philosophical theology or Kalam. And
students of various subjects in modern social sciences would be
able to carry out research on the Qur´an in the sphere of their
own choice and present the light and guidance of the Qur´an
effectively to others. Thus they would approach the intellect of
modern man making a judicious use of modern terminology and
sophisticated methods of logical reasoning.
Endnotes
1The
way the British Empire had to vacate one after another her vast
dominion is an eye opener for any thoughtful person
2Ghulam Ahmad Pervez is the leading exponent of this school of
thought in Pakistan. The purpose to mention Mr. Pervez´s
thoughts here is to bring home to the reader the fact that this
type of position is only the next logical step from the error
inherent in most revivalist movements.
3The
Prophet´s saying means that I find inner comfort in Salat i.e.,
the prayer offered five times a day.
4Fasting is like a shield protecting the soul against the sins.
5Holy tradition (Hadith Qudsi) is that tradition in which God
speaks in the first person through the Prophet. There are forty
of these in all. The “holy tradition” mentioned above means that
fasting is for the pleasure of Allah and He will Himself grant
its reward.
6A
statement to this effect has been attributed to a well known
“Kalamist” and advocate of Islam. The actual statement
reportedly reads: “Islam is in fact a socio-political system
onto which a veil of theology has been placed.”
7Even this state of
affair is to be found in rather traditional and conservative
Islamic movements. Otherwise the more liberal and progressive
elements, under the impact of socialism and communism — the
logical consequences of Western thought — have gone beyond
calling Islam a socio-political system and regard it strictly an
economic program. That is to say, for them Islam is co-extensive
with a particular type of nizam-e-rabubiat. In the explanation
of religious metaphysical beliefs and tenets of Iman they take
their start from where Sayyid Ahmad Khan had got at through his
rationalistic strain. By interpreting Paradise and Hell in terms
of the well-being or otherwise of life here on this earth, and
by interpreting Qiyamah in terms of atomic explosions, they have
completely deprived Islam of its very spirit. In my view this is
only the logical terminus of the materialistic interpretation of
Islam. A criticism of this view is not my objective here because
even though it is given the label of Qur´anic thought it is
undoubtedly gross, crass, and naked materialism and anti-Qur´anic
in spirit. This incidental allusion to the so-called “Quranic
thought” has been made in order merely to show as to what extent
secular version of religion can be pressed. A Persian verse
depicts this situation very graphically thus: If a mason lays
the foundation in a wrong way, The wall goes defective up to the
summit.
8The
terms Qal and Hal are often found in the literature of Tasawwuf
or Islamic mysticism. Generally speaking, when the avowed
attestation of Iman, something spoken and verbal, develops
inwardly and permeates the entire being and activity of the
believer, the Qal deepens and enriches into Hal.
9This refers to the Qur´an verse of Surah Al-Baqarah, according
to which Allah ordered the angels to prostrate before Adam.
10This is an alternative expression for Khilafate-e-Rashida, the
“Rightly Guided” Khilafah of Hadrat Abu Bakr, Hadrat Umar,
Hadrat Uthman and Hadrat Ali (May Allah be pleased with them
all).
11This refers to the saying of the Prophet: “If Allah guides a
man to the right path through your effort and struggle, this is
better for you than the costly brown camels.”
12This is how philosophers have traditionally conceived of God
as Necessary and Ultimate Being existing independently and in
its own right.
13According to Quranic Philosophy, a true knowledge of one´s own
deeper self necessarily leads to awareness of the ultimate Self
or God. There are also Prophet´s sayings to this effect.
14This refers to Iman Ghazali´s book Refutation of Philosophers
in which he tried to refute the rationalistic philosophies of
the eleventh century.
15Here the allusion is to Imam IbnTaimiyya´s book entitled
Attack on the Logicians in which he criticized and conclusively
refuted the argument advanced by the logicians of his time.
16The Prophet´s saying reads: “The best amongst you are those
who learn the Qur´an and teach and impart it to others.”
Written By: Dr. Israr Ahmad (Tanzeemi Islami) |
