Liberalism
A political philosophy advocating personal freedom for the individual and a democratic form of government.
In religion, it is ascribed to a movement in Christianity that advocates a broad interpretation of the Bible and a freedom from any rigid doctrine.
Some philosophers equate it with secularism.
Its usage is primarily in politics. It is the view that the autonomy and dignity of the individual should be protected and not infringed by the state.
Consequently, liberalism holds, we have certain civil and political liberties and rights that it is the duty of the government to uphold, and the government derives its authority to govern by the consent of the governed.
The main elements in liberalism are democracy, and a free market economy, which is capitalism.
These are usually contrasted with a monarchy system of government and a socialist form of government and economy.
Liberalism as a philosophy and ideology is not acceptable in Islam. However, Islam does not oppose a democratic form of government and a free market economy, as long as it is not practiced on the principles of interest (riba’) and a monopoly of wealth and injustice to the poor.
Muslim scholars usually compare a democratic form of government with the system of shura (consultation, counsel) as being practiced by our Prophet Muhammad SAW and the four caliphs that came after him.
“It is part of the Mercy of God that thou dost deal gently with them. Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee: so pass over (their faults), and ask for (God’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast taken a decision put thy trust in God. For God loves those who put their trust (in Him),” (3:159).
Wednesday 25 March 2009
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Lecture 12
Globalization
Globalization literally means a series of events that occurs in a global scale, i.e., around the earth, and it is opposite to localization or regionalization, which only concerns with specific problems and issues that only affected a small part of the earth.
It is a complex process of social change that involves several dimensions of human endeavors including social, political, economic, cultural, religious, linguistic and technological.
However, the study of globalization usually examines and focuses on the emergence of a global culture system which is heavily dominated by many Western perspectives and ideologies, e.g., secularism, materialism, capitalism and consumerism.
Some of the examples of the emergence of globalization: the existence of a world-satellite information and communication system, the emergence of global patterns of consumption and consumerism, the emergence of global sport such as the Olympic Games, the emergence of world-wide political and economic bodies such as UN and WTO, the growth of a global military system such as NATO, the recognition of a world-wide ecological crisis such as global warming and natural disasters, and health crisis such as AIDS and bird-flu virus, H5N1.
Four dimensions of globalization:
Economical dimensions: A free flow of goods and capital which are mostly dominated by Western corporations. Less than 20% of industrialized populations are in control of about 80% of total manufactured goods internationally traded.
Social and cultural dimension: Free movement of information and ideas around the globe due to easy access of global transportation and the advancement of information and communication technology. However, it is the Western cultures and lifestyles that are mainly being propagated, while other cultures are gradually losing their influences on the future generations. The impact of globalization in language, for example, made English as the dominant language of the globalized world, and it is predicted that perhaps 90% of the language spoken today will become extinct in the next century.
Political dimension: Propagation of Western style of democracy and liberalism. Political authority of non-industrialized countries is heavily supported by powerful Western countries in order mainly to protect the economical and political interests of the latter.
Environmental dimension: Global environmental crisis that is affecting the whole globe, which is mainly due to the over-consumption of material resources and lack of concern of preserving the environment that marks the beginning of the Industrialized Revolution in many of the industrialized countries. Many of health disasters that occur nowadays are due to the improper utilization and management of resources and technology that leads toward many new illnesses and propagation of the old ones such as AIDS, SARS, H5N1, various kinds of cancers, various kinds of respiratory illnesses, and water-borne diseases.
Globalization literally means a series of events that occurs in a global scale, i.e., around the earth, and it is opposite to localization or regionalization, which only concerns with specific problems and issues that only affected a small part of the earth.
It is a complex process of social change that involves several dimensions of human endeavors including social, political, economic, cultural, religious, linguistic and technological.
However, the study of globalization usually examines and focuses on the emergence of a global culture system which is heavily dominated by many Western perspectives and ideologies, e.g., secularism, materialism, capitalism and consumerism.
Some of the examples of the emergence of globalization: the existence of a world-satellite information and communication system, the emergence of global patterns of consumption and consumerism, the emergence of global sport such as the Olympic Games, the emergence of world-wide political and economic bodies such as UN and WTO, the growth of a global military system such as NATO, the recognition of a world-wide ecological crisis such as global warming and natural disasters, and health crisis such as AIDS and bird-flu virus, H5N1.
Four dimensions of globalization:
Economical dimensions: A free flow of goods and capital which are mostly dominated by Western corporations. Less than 20% of industrialized populations are in control of about 80% of total manufactured goods internationally traded.
Social and cultural dimension: Free movement of information and ideas around the globe due to easy access of global transportation and the advancement of information and communication technology. However, it is the Western cultures and lifestyles that are mainly being propagated, while other cultures are gradually losing their influences on the future generations. The impact of globalization in language, for example, made English as the dominant language of the globalized world, and it is predicted that perhaps 90% of the language spoken today will become extinct in the next century.
Political dimension: Propagation of Western style of democracy and liberalism. Political authority of non-industrialized countries is heavily supported by powerful Western countries in order mainly to protect the economical and political interests of the latter.
Environmental dimension: Global environmental crisis that is affecting the whole globe, which is mainly due to the over-consumption of material resources and lack of concern of preserving the environment that marks the beginning of the Industrialized Revolution in many of the industrialized countries. Many of health disasters that occur nowadays are due to the improper utilization and management of resources and technology that leads toward many new illnesses and propagation of the old ones such as AIDS, SARS, H5N1, various kinds of cancers, various kinds of respiratory illnesses, and water-borne diseases.
Wednesday 11 March 2009
Lecture 11
Extremism
Islam is a balance and just religion. It is the most perfect religion that covers all aspects of life of a human being; nothing is left in the Holy Qur’an and in the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad SAW in order to guide our lives either for the benefit in this world or for the rewards in the hereafter.
“Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced, that you might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves….,” (2:143).
Islam opposes any kinds of extremism and calls upon Muslims to exercise moderation.
3 important characteristics of extremism:
Ghuluw (excessiveness): This is usually practices by the Jews and Christians who are being excessive in their religion, and they, including the Muslims alike, have been warned against this kind of extremism,
“Say: “O People of the Book! Exceed not in your religion the bounds [of what is proper], trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by who misled many, and strayed [themselves] from the even Way,” (5:77).
After reaching Muzdalifah—during his last Hajj— the Prophet SAW requested Ibn Abbas to gather some stones for him.Ibn Abbas selected small stones. Upon seeing the stones, the Prophet SAW approved of their size and said: “Yes, with such [stones do stone Satan]. Beware of excessiveness in religion.”
Tanattu’ (transgressing): Our Prophet SAW prohibit tanattu’ as in this hadith: “Ruined were those who indulged intannattu’.” Imam Nawawi said that the people referred to here are those who go beyond the limit of their utterance as well as in their action.
Our Prophet SAW once addressed a person who cursed an alcoholic who had already been punished several times for alcoholism: “Do not curse him; he loves Allah and his Messenger.”
The Prophet SAW also said, “When a Muslim calls another Muslim kafir, then surely one of them is such.”
Tashdid (strictness): Islam does not allow excessiveness and strictness in ibadah by negating the needs in this world, as our Prophet SAW said, “By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I do fasting and break my fast, I sleep and do night prayers and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my Sunnah is not with me.”
Islam also does not prohibit tayyibat and beautification (zinah), as in
“O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer. Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not those who waste. Say: who has forbidden the beautiful gifts of Allah which He has produced for His servants, and the things clean and pure which He has provided for sustenance?” (7:31-32).
Islam is a balance and just religion. It is the most perfect religion that covers all aspects of life of a human being; nothing is left in the Holy Qur’an and in the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad SAW in order to guide our lives either for the benefit in this world or for the rewards in the hereafter.
“Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced, that you might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves….,” (2:143).
Islam opposes any kinds of extremism and calls upon Muslims to exercise moderation.
3 important characteristics of extremism:
Ghuluw (excessiveness): This is usually practices by the Jews and Christians who are being excessive in their religion, and they, including the Muslims alike, have been warned against this kind of extremism,
“Say: “O People of the Book! Exceed not in your religion the bounds [of what is proper], trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by who misled many, and strayed [themselves] from the even Way,” (5:77).
After reaching Muzdalifah—during his last Hajj— the Prophet SAW requested Ibn Abbas to gather some stones for him.Ibn Abbas selected small stones. Upon seeing the stones, the Prophet SAW approved of their size and said: “Yes, with such [stones do stone Satan]. Beware of excessiveness in religion.”
Tanattu’ (transgressing): Our Prophet SAW prohibit tanattu’ as in this hadith: “Ruined were those who indulged intannattu’.” Imam Nawawi said that the people referred to here are those who go beyond the limit of their utterance as well as in their action.
Our Prophet SAW once addressed a person who cursed an alcoholic who had already been punished several times for alcoholism: “Do not curse him; he loves Allah and his Messenger.”
The Prophet SAW also said, “When a Muslim calls another Muslim kafir, then surely one of them is such.”
Tashdid (strictness): Islam does not allow excessiveness and strictness in ibadah by negating the needs in this world, as our Prophet SAW said, “By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I do fasting and break my fast, I sleep and do night prayers and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my Sunnah is not with me.”
Islam also does not prohibit tayyibat and beautification (zinah), as in
“O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer. Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not those who waste. Say: who has forbidden the beautiful gifts of Allah which He has produced for His servants, and the things clean and pure which He has provided for sustenance?” (7:31-32).
Wednesday 4 March 2009
Lecture 10
Man in the al Quran and the Sunnah
Islamic Vision of Man
The concept of man is very important in Islamic worldview. It is important to know who we are, where have we come from and where we are going to in order for us to have a meaningful and a satisfactory life on earth.
These three important questions has been occupying the minds of man since the dawn of history, and has been answered in various ways either in a terms of religious worldview, philosophical worldview or scientific worldview.
All these worldviews agree that man is different from any other kind of animal. Man has been distinguished to have these three important characteristics: knowledge and creativity, virtue and morality, free choice and discretion.
From the western scientific worldview, however, although man possesses all these characteristics, another characteristic that is more important than these is the animal nature of man. Man, ultimately, is just like any other animal, and the origin of man is also from an animal.
This theory is called the theory of evolution and one of the important founder of this theory is Charles Darwin (d. 1882), with his work such as Origin of Species and The Descent of Man.
The Islamic worldview, on the other hand, accepts that man has this animal nature, which is called النفس الحيوانية (the animal soul). This part of man is what man shares with other animals, but he has another part that is more important than this, which is called النفس الناطقة (the rational soul). It is this latter part of man that differentiate man from animal, and which carries those distinguished characteristics: knowledge, virtue and freewill.
Some of the important characteristics of man in the Islamic worldview:
We are born clean, with our natural disposition (فطرة), with the best disposition (95:4), and God himself breath His Spirit into our body (15: 29).
“Allah then perfected the creation of man and breathed into him of His Spirit. It is Allah who created your hearing, your sight and your discerning heart. Little do you feel grateful” (32:4).
“When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam—from their loins—their descendents, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): “Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?”—They said: “Yea! We do testify!” (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgement: “Of this we were never mindful,” (7:171-172).
Our Prophet SAW said, “There is no child but is born upon nature (فطرة ). Then his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian,” (Mishkat al-Masabih, 3:131).
All human beings share this fitrah, since all of us come from the same origin, and has been created by the one and only Creator, Allah SWT, as in “O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you all of a single soul,” (4:1).
Each human being share these qualities of fitrah:
“By the soul, and the proportion and order given to it. And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right,” (91:9-10).
Fitrah is a quality of our soul, which Muslim scholars called it by various terms: ruh, qalb, nafs and aql.
“When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit,” (15:29).
Our Prophet SAW said, “Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart,” (al-Bukhari).
“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding.” (2:269)
The term nafs is used in three different categories of the soul:
Some scholars divided the nafs into two parts: النفس الناطقة (the rational soul), which is derived from the word نطق (nataqa), to talk, to speak, to articulate, and النفس الحيوانية (the animal soul).
“Truly he succeeds that purifies it. And he fails that corrupts it,” (91:9-10).
Man is an honorable creature: “We have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of Our creation,” (17:70).
Human beings are being honored to be created from His own Spirit (15:29), and being endowed with wisdom and knowledge of all existing things, as in “And He taught Adam the nature of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: “Tell me the nature of these if ye are right,” (2:31).
And the angels have to bow down to a human being, our Prophet Adam AS, “And behold, We said to the angels: “Bow down to Adam” and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: he was of those who reject Faith,” (2:34).
We are honored to represent all Allah’s creation in this universe as His vicegerent (خليفة ): “Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” They said: “Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? While we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?” He said: “I know what ye know not”,” (2:30).
All Allah’s creatures are subjected to man, “Seest thou not that God has made subject to you (men) all that is on the earth, and the ships that sail through the sea by His command?” (22:65)
The most honorable position that a human being must attain to is to be an ‘abd or servant of Allah SWT: “I have not created the jinn and humankind but to serve Me,” (51:56).
All our actions in life should be as an act of ibadah towards Allah SWT.
Our Prophet Muhammad SAW was accorded this highest honor when he is referred to in this verse as a servant of Allah SWT, “Yet when the servant of God stands forth to invoke Him, they just make round him a dense crowd,” (72:19).
“Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (God) Most Gracious as a servant,” (19:93).
Only human beings have being honored to carry His trust (الأمانة ), excluding all other creatures of Allah SWT, “We did indeed offer the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; he was indeed unjust and foolish,” (33:72).
To uphold amanah is to perform all our duties and responsibilities as a human being in the most justly manner, which is in the most perfect manner, i.e., at the level of ihsan (احسان), which is in the manner of our Prophet Muhammad SAW.
The word امانة comes from the root verb امُن (amuna), which means to be faithful, to be trustworthy, and امن (amina), which means to be safe, to feel safe. And to be trustworthy is امين (amin).
Hence, failing to uphold this trust is zulm (ظلم ): “How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their iniquities, setting up in their places other peoples?” (21:11), “They said: “Ah! Woe to us! We were indeed wrongdoers!” (21:14).
“On no soul do We place a burden greater than it can bear: before Us is a record which clearly shows the truth: they will never be wronged,” (23:62).
We are also being honored to be His khalifah. Khalifah comes from the root word خلف (khalafa) which means to succeed, to come after, to substitute, to replace.
Being a khalifah of Allah SWT implies two important criteria:
We are representatives of Allah SWT on His other creatures. We are being honored to be able to utilize other creatures of Allah SWT, but at the same time we are their guardians, and have the responsibility of managing their affairs. Other creatures of Allah SWT include other human beings and the natural world.
Our relation to other creatures of Allah SWT must be in accordance with the rules and order that has been set by Him.
Allah’s Rights on us is over our rights on other human beings. Allah’s Rights on us is over our rights on the natural world.
These duties and responsibilities to other human beings and the natural world have been set by Allah SWT, which in Islam is called as muamalah.
Hence being a khalifah is an ibadah towards Allah SWT, i.e., as being His ‘abd.
Thus the role of being a khalifah is subsumed under the role of being an ‘abd.
But we are also forgetful ( نسيان ) and heedlessness (غفلة ). We forget our covenant (ميثاق ) before we come to this world, that Allah is our one and only God, (Surah al-A’raf, 7: 172).
The term insan (انسان) comes from the root انس (anisa), which means to be companionable, to be sociable, to be friendly, and also from the root نسى (nasiya), to forget, as the Prophet (SAW) says, man is composed of forgetfulness ( نسيان ) and in Surah Ta Ha (20: 115).
Islamic Vision of Man
The concept of man is very important in Islamic worldview. It is important to know who we are, where have we come from and where we are going to in order for us to have a meaningful and a satisfactory life on earth.
These three important questions has been occupying the minds of man since the dawn of history, and has been answered in various ways either in a terms of religious worldview, philosophical worldview or scientific worldview.
All these worldviews agree that man is different from any other kind of animal. Man has been distinguished to have these three important characteristics: knowledge and creativity, virtue and morality, free choice and discretion.
From the western scientific worldview, however, although man possesses all these characteristics, another characteristic that is more important than these is the animal nature of man. Man, ultimately, is just like any other animal, and the origin of man is also from an animal.
This theory is called the theory of evolution and one of the important founder of this theory is Charles Darwin (d. 1882), with his work such as Origin of Species and The Descent of Man.
The Islamic worldview, on the other hand, accepts that man has this animal nature, which is called النفس الحيوانية (the animal soul). This part of man is what man shares with other animals, but he has another part that is more important than this, which is called النفس الناطقة (the rational soul). It is this latter part of man that differentiate man from animal, and which carries those distinguished characteristics: knowledge, virtue and freewill.
Some of the important characteristics of man in the Islamic worldview:
We are born clean, with our natural disposition (فطرة), with the best disposition (95:4), and God himself breath His Spirit into our body (15: 29).
“Allah then perfected the creation of man and breathed into him of His Spirit. It is Allah who created your hearing, your sight and your discerning heart. Little do you feel grateful” (32:4).
“When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam—from their loins—their descendents, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): “Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?”—They said: “Yea! We do testify!” (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgement: “Of this we were never mindful,” (7:171-172).
Our Prophet SAW said, “There is no child but is born upon nature (فطرة ). Then his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian,” (Mishkat al-Masabih, 3:131).
All human beings share this fitrah, since all of us come from the same origin, and has been created by the one and only Creator, Allah SWT, as in “O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you all of a single soul,” (4:1).
Each human being share these qualities of fitrah:
- The capacity to acknowledge the existence of God.
- To differentiate between good and bad.
- To have all the important characteristics that distinguished him from all other animals: knowledge, virtue, freewill, love, empathy, and aesthetic qualities.
- Biological instincts such as appetitive and sexual desires, and emotional instincts such as anger and ferocity.
“By the soul, and the proportion and order given to it. And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right,” (91:9-10).
Fitrah is a quality of our soul, which Muslim scholars called it by various terms: ruh, qalb, nafs and aql.
“When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit,” (15:29).
Our Prophet SAW said, “Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart,” (al-Bukhari).
“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding.” (2:269)
The term nafs is used in three different categories of the soul:
- Al-nafs al-ammarah bi ‘l-su’: “Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful,” (12:53).
- Al-nafs al-lawwamah: “I do call to witness the Resurrection Day. And I do call to witness the self-reproaching spirit,” (75:1-2).
- Al-nafs al-mutma’inah: “(To the righteous soul will be said:) “O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back thou to thy Lord,—well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him!” (89:27-8)
Some scholars divided the nafs into two parts: النفس الناطقة (the rational soul), which is derived from the word نطق (nataqa), to talk, to speak, to articulate, and النفس الحيوانية (the animal soul).
“Truly he succeeds that purifies it. And he fails that corrupts it,” (91:9-10).
Man is an honorable creature: “We have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of Our creation,” (17:70).
Human beings are being honored to be created from His own Spirit (15:29), and being endowed with wisdom and knowledge of all existing things, as in “And He taught Adam the nature of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: “Tell me the nature of these if ye are right,” (2:31).
And the angels have to bow down to a human being, our Prophet Adam AS, “And behold, We said to the angels: “Bow down to Adam” and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: he was of those who reject Faith,” (2:34).
We are honored to represent all Allah’s creation in this universe as His vicegerent (خليفة ): “Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” They said: “Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? While we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?” He said: “I know what ye know not”,” (2:30).
All Allah’s creatures are subjected to man, “Seest thou not that God has made subject to you (men) all that is on the earth, and the ships that sail through the sea by His command?” (22:65)
The most honorable position that a human being must attain to is to be an ‘abd or servant of Allah SWT: “I have not created the jinn and humankind but to serve Me,” (51:56).
All our actions in life should be as an act of ibadah towards Allah SWT.
Our Prophet Muhammad SAW was accorded this highest honor when he is referred to in this verse as a servant of Allah SWT, “Yet when the servant of God stands forth to invoke Him, they just make round him a dense crowd,” (72:19).
“Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (God) Most Gracious as a servant,” (19:93).
Only human beings have being honored to carry His trust (الأمانة ), excluding all other creatures of Allah SWT, “We did indeed offer the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; he was indeed unjust and foolish,” (33:72).
To uphold amanah is to perform all our duties and responsibilities as a human being in the most justly manner, which is in the most perfect manner, i.e., at the level of ihsan (احسان), which is in the manner of our Prophet Muhammad SAW.
The word امانة comes from the root verb امُن (amuna), which means to be faithful, to be trustworthy, and امن (amina), which means to be safe, to feel safe. And to be trustworthy is امين (amin).
Hence, failing to uphold this trust is zulm (ظلم ): “How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their iniquities, setting up in their places other peoples?” (21:11), “They said: “Ah! Woe to us! We were indeed wrongdoers!” (21:14).
“On no soul do We place a burden greater than it can bear: before Us is a record which clearly shows the truth: they will never be wronged,” (23:62).
We are also being honored to be His khalifah. Khalifah comes from the root word خلف (khalafa) which means to succeed, to come after, to substitute, to replace.
Being a khalifah of Allah SWT implies two important criteria:
We are representatives of Allah SWT on His other creatures. We are being honored to be able to utilize other creatures of Allah SWT, but at the same time we are their guardians, and have the responsibility of managing their affairs. Other creatures of Allah SWT include other human beings and the natural world.
Our relation to other creatures of Allah SWT must be in accordance with the rules and order that has been set by Him.
Allah’s Rights on us is over our rights on other human beings. Allah’s Rights on us is over our rights on the natural world.
These duties and responsibilities to other human beings and the natural world have been set by Allah SWT, which in Islam is called as muamalah.
Hence being a khalifah is an ibadah towards Allah SWT, i.e., as being His ‘abd.
Thus the role of being a khalifah is subsumed under the role of being an ‘abd.
But we are also forgetful ( نسيان ) and heedlessness (غفلة ). We forget our covenant (ميثاق ) before we come to this world, that Allah is our one and only God, (Surah al-A’raf, 7: 172).
The term insan (انسان) comes from the root انس (anisa), which means to be companionable, to be sociable, to be friendly, and also from the root نسى (nasiya), to forget, as the Prophet (SAW) says, man is composed of forgetfulness ( نسيان ) and in Surah Ta Ha (20: 115).
Wednesday 25 February 2009
Lecture 9
Al-Akhirah and Its Implication For Human Life
Islamic Vision of Life and Death (الآخرة )
Believing in the hereafter (الآخرة ) is the 5th principle of Arkanul Iman.
There are two types of the hereafter: القيامة الصغرى which is death and believing in البرزخ (the life in the grave), and in the reward and punishment in the grave (فتنة القبر ).
The second type of the hereafter is القيامة الكبرى , which is the total destruction of all of Allah’s creation, and we must believe in all the major and minor signs of القيامة , the resurrection and gathering in front of Allah (الحشر ), accountability (الحساب ), intercession (الشفاعة ), the balance (الميزان ), the bridge (الصراط المستقيم ), paradise and hell (الجنة و النار ).
Life in Islam is an everlasting journey, and al-Qur’an declares that all humans must pass through these four stages of life:
1. The world of spirits ( ارواح ) before coming to this physical world,
“O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you all of a single soul,” (4:1).\
“When your Lord took from Bani Adam their progeny from their loins and made them testify concerning themselves, Am I not your Lord? They replied, yes! We do testify, That you may not say on the day of resurrection, we were ignorant of this,” (7:172).
The world of spirits is our origin (مبدأ ) from Him, and death is our returning (معاد ), “To Him is your going back, all together—God’s promise in truth. He originates creation, then He makes it return, so that He may justly compensate those who have faith and do wholesome deeds,” (10:4).
2. Life in this temporary physical world.
Life in this world is only a transit or a stopping place before we go into the next world. This world is nothing compares to the next world, and it is meaningless if the connection with the next world is disconnected or severed.
“Surely the abode of the next world is life, did they but know,” (29:64).
“The life of this world is naught but a sport and a diversion,” (6:32).
“Whatever you have been given is the enjoyment and adornment of this life of this world, but what is with God is better and more subsistent. Will you not use your intelligence?” (28:60).
Human beings are honored to be put in this world to carry the trust (أمانة ) as being His ‘abd and khalifah, (17:70), (33:72), and He is near to us than our jugular vein (50:16-18).
The returning (معاد ) does not necessarily occur at the time of death. Since Allah SWT is already so near to us, the returning of meeting Him can even happen in this world. This is the third component of Hadith Jibrail, which Prophet Muhammad SAW definedihsan as “to worship God as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.”
Hence human beings has the option either “to see Him” in this world or meeting Him in the next world.
“Surely death from which you flee, shall encounter you. Then you shall be taken back to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, and He will tell you what you have been doing,” (62:8).
“If you could only see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death and the angels are stretching out their hands: “Give up your souls!”” (6:93).
Every action, either internal or external, in this world, is recorded by the two angels, Raqib and ‘Atid, and it will be shown and retributed accordingly.
“Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it.” (99:7-8)
The Prophet SAW said, “As soon as a sin is committed, a black impression falls on the pure soul. If it is not removed, it remains and thus hundreds of black impressions make the whole region of the heart black. It is the duty of every man to remove these black impressions by washing them with the water of tears and repentance.” (Mishkat al-Masabih, 3:760).
The retribution of either rewards or punishment can happen either in this life or in the next life.
The Prophet SAW said, “For every misfortune, illness, anxiety, grief, or hurt that afflicts a Muslim even the hurt caused by the pricking of thorn – God removes some of his sins.” (Sayyid Sabiq, Fiqh us-Sunnah, 5:1)
3. Life after death, i.e., the world in the grave which is called برزخ .
Literally it means interval, break, or partition. “Till, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, return me; perhaps I will work wholesomeness in what I left behind.” No, it is but words he speaks. And behind them is a barzakh until the day they shall be raised up,” (23:99-100).
All human beings will encounter death since our life on this earth has been given within a fixed appointed time (أجل ).
“Nor can a soul die except by God’s leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude,” (3:145).
“We granted not to any man before thee permanent life (here); if then thou shouldst die, would they live permanently? Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must ye return,” (21:34-35).
Death is usually called as القيامة الصغرى or the minor Qiyamah.
In the grave, the human being will be asked by the two angels Munkar and Nakir about his God, his Prophet, and his religion.
If he is able to answer correctly, then his grave will be made spacious and comfortable and he enjoyed the blessed life in the grave until the end of the world or القيامة الكبرى .
If he is not able to answer the questions, then his grave will be made tight and he will received all sorts of punishment in accordance with his acts of disobedience.
As the Prophet Muhammad SAW said, “People are asleep, and when they die, they wake up.”
“(It will be said): “Thou wast heedless of this; now have We removed thy veil, and sharp is thy sight this Day!”” (50:22).
“And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the Day of Judgement,” (19:95).
The eternal life after resurrection (خلود ), “Their Lord gives them good news of mercy from Him and good pleasure; for them await gardens wherein is lasting bliss, therein to dwell forever; surely with God is a tremendous wage,” (9:21-22).
This is القيامة الكبرى , which is the total destruction of the whole universe including all the creatures that Allah SWT has created.
There are some minor signs ( علامات الصغرى ), such as the spread of zina, the drinking of liquor, the spread of war and the killing of innocent people, and the loss of knowledge due to the death of knowledgeable and qualified scholars.
There will be major signs such as the rising of the sun from the west, the appearance of Dajjal, and the coming of Imam Mahdi and Prophet Isa AS.
Then the angel Israfel will blow the Trumpet signifying the total destruction of this whole universe, “On the day the Trumpet is blown, whosoever is in the heavens and the earth will be terrified, excepting whom God wills. Everyone shall come to Him, all utterly abject. You shall see the mountains, that you supposed fixed, passing by like clouds,” (27:87-88)
“When the sun is enfolded, when the stars are darkened, when the mountains are taken away, when the pregnant camels are abandoned, when the wild beasts are mustered, when the seas are set boiling, when the souls are paired (with their deeds), when the buried infant is asked for what sin she was slain, when the scrolls are unrolled, when the heaven is pealed back, when hell is set blazing, when the Garden is brought near, then a soul will know what it has made present,” (81:1-4).
4. The resurrection and gathering:
Then the angel Israfel will blow the Trumpet for a second time, and all the creatures of Allah SWT will be resurrected and brought out of their graves, and everyone will be resurrected in their bodily forms.
“The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! From the sepulchers (men) will rush forth to their Lord! They will say: “Ah! Woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?”….. (A voice will say:) “This is what (God) Most Gracious had promised. And true was the word of the messengers!” (36:51-52).
“Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tip of his fingers,” (75:3-4).
All the living creatures will be gathered together at one place called al-mahshar (المحشر ) including the angels, jinn, man and animals.
“The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed), even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfill it.” (21:104)
“That Day shall a man flee from his own brother. And from his mother and his father. And from his wife and his children. Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others,” (80:34-37).
Then comes the time of accounting (الحساب ), where even the organs of the human body will testify on behalf of the owner, “Ye did not seek to hide yourselves, lest your hearing, your sight, and your skins should bear witness against you! But ye did think that God knew not many of the things that ye used to do!” (41:22).
On that difficult day, Allah SWT will provide a shade for some group of people, which includes:
All the deeds of a believer will be put on Allah’s scale of justice. Heavier good deeds will be rewarded with paradise and light good deeds will bring the person towards hell and punishment.
“We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgement, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account,” (21:47).
“Then he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy, will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light, will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit,” (101:6-7).
Islamic Vision of Life and Death (الآخرة )
Believing in the hereafter (الآخرة ) is the 5th principle of Arkanul Iman.
There are two types of the hereafter: القيامة الصغرى which is death and believing in البرزخ (the life in the grave), and in the reward and punishment in the grave (فتنة القبر ).
The second type of the hereafter is القيامة الكبرى , which is the total destruction of all of Allah’s creation, and we must believe in all the major and minor signs of القيامة , the resurrection and gathering in front of Allah (الحشر ), accountability (الحساب ), intercession (الشفاعة ), the balance (الميزان ), the bridge (الصراط المستقيم ), paradise and hell (الجنة و النار ).
Life in Islam is an everlasting journey, and al-Qur’an declares that all humans must pass through these four stages of life:
1. The world of spirits ( ارواح ) before coming to this physical world,
“O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you all of a single soul,” (4:1).\
“When your Lord took from Bani Adam their progeny from their loins and made them testify concerning themselves, Am I not your Lord? They replied, yes! We do testify, That you may not say on the day of resurrection, we were ignorant of this,” (7:172).
The world of spirits is our origin (مبدأ ) from Him, and death is our returning (معاد ), “To Him is your going back, all together—God’s promise in truth. He originates creation, then He makes it return, so that He may justly compensate those who have faith and do wholesome deeds,” (10:4).
2. Life in this temporary physical world.
Life in this world is only a transit or a stopping place before we go into the next world. This world is nothing compares to the next world, and it is meaningless if the connection with the next world is disconnected or severed.
“Surely the abode of the next world is life, did they but know,” (29:64).
“The life of this world is naught but a sport and a diversion,” (6:32).
“Whatever you have been given is the enjoyment and adornment of this life of this world, but what is with God is better and more subsistent. Will you not use your intelligence?” (28:60).
Human beings are honored to be put in this world to carry the trust (أمانة ) as being His ‘abd and khalifah, (17:70), (33:72), and He is near to us than our jugular vein (50:16-18).
The returning (معاد ) does not necessarily occur at the time of death. Since Allah SWT is already so near to us, the returning of meeting Him can even happen in this world. This is the third component of Hadith Jibrail, which Prophet Muhammad SAW definedihsan as “to worship God as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.”
Hence human beings has the option either “to see Him” in this world or meeting Him in the next world.
“Surely death from which you flee, shall encounter you. Then you shall be taken back to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, and He will tell you what you have been doing,” (62:8).
“If you could only see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death and the angels are stretching out their hands: “Give up your souls!”” (6:93).
Every action, either internal or external, in this world, is recorded by the two angels, Raqib and ‘Atid, and it will be shown and retributed accordingly.
“Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it.” (99:7-8)
The Prophet SAW said, “As soon as a sin is committed, a black impression falls on the pure soul. If it is not removed, it remains and thus hundreds of black impressions make the whole region of the heart black. It is the duty of every man to remove these black impressions by washing them with the water of tears and repentance.” (Mishkat al-Masabih, 3:760).
The retribution of either rewards or punishment can happen either in this life or in the next life.
The Prophet SAW said, “For every misfortune, illness, anxiety, grief, or hurt that afflicts a Muslim even the hurt caused by the pricking of thorn – God removes some of his sins.” (Sayyid Sabiq, Fiqh us-Sunnah, 5:1)
3. Life after death, i.e., the world in the grave which is called برزخ .
Literally it means interval, break, or partition. “Till, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, return me; perhaps I will work wholesomeness in what I left behind.” No, it is but words he speaks. And behind them is a barzakh until the day they shall be raised up,” (23:99-100).
All human beings will encounter death since our life on this earth has been given within a fixed appointed time (أجل ).
“Nor can a soul die except by God’s leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude,” (3:145).
“We granted not to any man before thee permanent life (here); if then thou shouldst die, would they live permanently? Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must ye return,” (21:34-35).
Death is usually called as القيامة الصغرى or the minor Qiyamah.
In the grave, the human being will be asked by the two angels Munkar and Nakir about his God, his Prophet, and his religion.
If he is able to answer correctly, then his grave will be made spacious and comfortable and he enjoyed the blessed life in the grave until the end of the world or القيامة الكبرى .
If he is not able to answer the questions, then his grave will be made tight and he will received all sorts of punishment in accordance with his acts of disobedience.
As the Prophet Muhammad SAW said, “People are asleep, and when they die, they wake up.”
“(It will be said): “Thou wast heedless of this; now have We removed thy veil, and sharp is thy sight this Day!”” (50:22).
“And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the Day of Judgement,” (19:95).
The eternal life after resurrection (خلود ), “Their Lord gives them good news of mercy from Him and good pleasure; for them await gardens wherein is lasting bliss, therein to dwell forever; surely with God is a tremendous wage,” (9:21-22).
This is القيامة الكبرى , which is the total destruction of the whole universe including all the creatures that Allah SWT has created.
There are some minor signs ( علامات الصغرى ), such as the spread of zina, the drinking of liquor, the spread of war and the killing of innocent people, and the loss of knowledge due to the death of knowledgeable and qualified scholars.
There will be major signs such as the rising of the sun from the west, the appearance of Dajjal, and the coming of Imam Mahdi and Prophet Isa AS.
Then the angel Israfel will blow the Trumpet signifying the total destruction of this whole universe, “On the day the Trumpet is blown, whosoever is in the heavens and the earth will be terrified, excepting whom God wills. Everyone shall come to Him, all utterly abject. You shall see the mountains, that you supposed fixed, passing by like clouds,” (27:87-88)
“When the sun is enfolded, when the stars are darkened, when the mountains are taken away, when the pregnant camels are abandoned, when the wild beasts are mustered, when the seas are set boiling, when the souls are paired (with their deeds), when the buried infant is asked for what sin she was slain, when the scrolls are unrolled, when the heaven is pealed back, when hell is set blazing, when the Garden is brought near, then a soul will know what it has made present,” (81:1-4).
4. The resurrection and gathering:
Then the angel Israfel will blow the Trumpet for a second time, and all the creatures of Allah SWT will be resurrected and brought out of their graves, and everyone will be resurrected in their bodily forms.
“The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! From the sepulchers (men) will rush forth to their Lord! They will say: “Ah! Woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?”….. (A voice will say:) “This is what (God) Most Gracious had promised. And true was the word of the messengers!” (36:51-52).
“Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tip of his fingers,” (75:3-4).
All the living creatures will be gathered together at one place called al-mahshar (المحشر ) including the angels, jinn, man and animals.
“The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed), even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfill it.” (21:104)
“That Day shall a man flee from his own brother. And from his mother and his father. And from his wife and his children. Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others,” (80:34-37).
Then comes the time of accounting (الحساب ), where even the organs of the human body will testify on behalf of the owner, “Ye did not seek to hide yourselves, lest your hearing, your sight, and your skins should bear witness against you! But ye did think that God knew not many of the things that ye used to do!” (41:22).
On that difficult day, Allah SWT will provide a shade for some group of people, which includes:
- A just king or ruler, who has been just and responsible towards his subjects.
- A young person who used to worship God constantly and intently during his youth.
- A person whose heart is always towards the mosque and frequently performed his ibadah at the mosque.
- Two persons who love each other for the sake of Allah SWT. They joined and met for the sake of Allah SWT and they separated also for the sake of Allah SWT.
- A man who refuse to commit adultery due his fear towards Allah SWT.
- A person who gives charity but the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand has given.
- A person who remember Allah until he cries.
All the deeds of a believer will be put on Allah’s scale of justice. Heavier good deeds will be rewarded with paradise and light good deeds will bring the person towards hell and punishment.
“We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgement, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account,” (21:47).
“Then he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy, will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light, will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit,” (101:6-7).
Wednesday 18 February 2009
Lecture 8
Prophethood and Its Relevance to the Muslim Life
Prophethood (النّبوة )
Prophethood is an appointment of selected servants of Allah SWT, who has been appointed and selected to receive His revelation and guidance, and it is being sent through the intermediary of His angel Jibrail AS.
Prophethood begins with the first human being, Prophet Adam AS, and ended with the Seal of the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad SAW.
There are two types of prophethood: نبي (a prophet) and رسول (a messenger).
A prophet is a selected servant of Allah SWT who has been given His revelation which includes the knowledge of His Oneness (tawhid) and the right and the correct way to worship Him and to obey His rules and laws.
It is not his task and his responsibility to call to other human beings to accept this message, and the revelation that has been given to him is not in the form of a Book.
Their number is unknown, and it could be many of them, that it is reported that there are 124, 000 prophets.
A messenger is also a prophet, and he is a selected servant of Allah SWT who has appointed him to receive His revelation, and make the message known to other human beings, i.e., to call them towards this message of Tawhid, and to instruct them on the correct way to worship Him and to obey His laws.
The revelation that is being sent to him is usually in the form of a Book.
“O Messenger! Proclaim the (message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission. And God will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For God guideth not those who reject Faith,” (5:67).
“Whoever follows the revelation which has just come from Allah is rightly guided. This will be reckoned for him. Whoever goes astray does so at his own cost. I [Muhammad] was not sent to compel you to follow me [but to persuade and warn],” (10:108).
“He it is Who hath sent among the unlettered ones a messenger of their own, to recite unto them His revelations and to make them grow, and to teach them the Scripture and Wisdom, though heretofore they were indeed in error manifest,” (62:2).
“We have sent no messenger save with the tongue of his people,” (14:4).
It is reported that Allah SWT has appointed 313 messengers and 25 of them are mentioned in the Qur’an.
The Necessity of Prophethood:
Human mind, by itself cannot know the Truth. A human being needs guidance and a direct revelation from his Creator and the message is conveyed through many of His Messengers.
Although all human beings come from the one and only Creator and we are born with the same fitrah, these are not enough to guide us to carry the responsibility to be his ‘abd and khalifah of Allah SWT.
We need transcendental messages for the following reasons:
Truthfulness, (23:70). They must be truthful in their words and deeds, since they carry the message and exemplify the message in their actions.
Trustworthiness. They are trustworthy in teaching the message, by exemplifying it in the best perfect manner (ihsan).
They must convey or transmit all the messages to their people (tabligh), (4:165), (5:67).
They must be smart and intelligent (fatanah). In carrying and imparting the message, it is important that they must have the wisdom on the best way to argue and make his people convince with the message, (16:125).
Moreover, a prophet and a messenger are just like any other human being. They do and act like any other humans, eating, drinking, marrying, raising one’s family, and dealing with other human affairs, (18:110).
Characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad SAW:
He is the last Prophet and Messenger to the humanity until the end of the world.
“And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind; but most of mankind know not,” (34:610).
“O Prophet! Lo! We have sent thee as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And as a summoner unto Allah by His permission, and as a lamp that giveth light,” (33:45-46).
“We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples,” (21:107).
His followers believe in all the previous Prophets and Messengers, and all the previous revealed Books.
His message addresses the human as a whole, i.e., everything about the human being, his origin, his purpose of life, his beliefs, his thoughts, his actions, and the world after his death.
Prophet Muhammad’s greatest miracle is the noble Qur’an. It is an ongoing miracle, being preserved perfectly as guidance for all humanity until the end of the world.
“O you who have faith! Have faith in God and His messenger and the Book He has sent down on His messenger, and the Book which He has sent down before,” (4:136).
“And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah or the like thereof, and call your witnesses beside Allah if ye are truthful,” (2:23).
“That (this) is indeed a noble Qur’an. In a Book kept hidden, which none toucheth save the purified, a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds,” (56:77-80).
Prophethood (النّبوة )
Prophethood is an appointment of selected servants of Allah SWT, who has been appointed and selected to receive His revelation and guidance, and it is being sent through the intermediary of His angel Jibrail AS.
Prophethood begins with the first human being, Prophet Adam AS, and ended with the Seal of the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad SAW.
There are two types of prophethood: نبي (a prophet) and رسول (a messenger).
A prophet is a selected servant of Allah SWT who has been given His revelation which includes the knowledge of His Oneness (tawhid) and the right and the correct way to worship Him and to obey His rules and laws.
It is not his task and his responsibility to call to other human beings to accept this message, and the revelation that has been given to him is not in the form of a Book.
Their number is unknown, and it could be many of them, that it is reported that there are 124, 000 prophets.
A messenger is also a prophet, and he is a selected servant of Allah SWT who has appointed him to receive His revelation, and make the message known to other human beings, i.e., to call them towards this message of Tawhid, and to instruct them on the correct way to worship Him and to obey His laws.
The revelation that is being sent to him is usually in the form of a Book.
“O Messenger! Proclaim the (message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission. And God will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For God guideth not those who reject Faith,” (5:67).
“Whoever follows the revelation which has just come from Allah is rightly guided. This will be reckoned for him. Whoever goes astray does so at his own cost. I [Muhammad] was not sent to compel you to follow me [but to persuade and warn],” (10:108).
“He it is Who hath sent among the unlettered ones a messenger of their own, to recite unto them His revelations and to make them grow, and to teach them the Scripture and Wisdom, though heretofore they were indeed in error manifest,” (62:2).
“We have sent no messenger save with the tongue of his people,” (14:4).
It is reported that Allah SWT has appointed 313 messengers and 25 of them are mentioned in the Qur’an.
The Necessity of Prophethood:
Human mind, by itself cannot know the Truth. A human being needs guidance and a direct revelation from his Creator and the message is conveyed through many of His Messengers.
Although all human beings come from the one and only Creator and we are born with the same fitrah, these are not enough to guide us to carry the responsibility to be his ‘abd and khalifah of Allah SWT.
We need transcendental messages for the following reasons:
- To impart and remind us again the message of Tawhid, i.e., the Oneness of Allah SWT, (112:1-4).
- To interpret the entire being, and answer the metaphysical and cosmological questions, (10:5).
- To guide people to the right path, and teaching them who is their Creator, including His Names and Attributes, (14:1)
- To establish moral bases and values in human society, (6:151).
- To correct the direct impression of human senses towards the physical world, and to make distinction between truth and fallacy, (3:71).
- To make humans capable for questioning and accounting, (4:165).
- To bring about the social justice in life, (4:135), (5:8).
- To bring peace and harmony to human community (49:13).
- Important Characteristics of the Prophets and Messengers:
Truthfulness, (23:70). They must be truthful in their words and deeds, since they carry the message and exemplify the message in their actions.
Trustworthiness. They are trustworthy in teaching the message, by exemplifying it in the best perfect manner (ihsan).
They must convey or transmit all the messages to their people (tabligh), (4:165), (5:67).
They must be smart and intelligent (fatanah). In carrying and imparting the message, it is important that they must have the wisdom on the best way to argue and make his people convince with the message, (16:125).
Moreover, a prophet and a messenger are just like any other human being. They do and act like any other humans, eating, drinking, marrying, raising one’s family, and dealing with other human affairs, (18:110).
Characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad SAW:
He is the last Prophet and Messenger to the humanity until the end of the world.
“And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind; but most of mankind know not,” (34:610).
“O Prophet! Lo! We have sent thee as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And as a summoner unto Allah by His permission, and as a lamp that giveth light,” (33:45-46).
“We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples,” (21:107).
His followers believe in all the previous Prophets and Messengers, and all the previous revealed Books.
His message addresses the human as a whole, i.e., everything about the human being, his origin, his purpose of life, his beliefs, his thoughts, his actions, and the world after his death.
Prophet Muhammad’s greatest miracle is the noble Qur’an. It is an ongoing miracle, being preserved perfectly as guidance for all humanity until the end of the world.
“O you who have faith! Have faith in God and His messenger and the Book He has sent down on His messenger, and the Book which He has sent down before,” (4:136).
“And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah or the like thereof, and call your witnesses beside Allah if ye are truthful,” (2:23).
“That (this) is indeed a noble Qur’an. In a Book kept hidden, which none toucheth save the purified, a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds,” (56:77-80).
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Lecture 7
Concept of Sunnatullah (مفهوم سنة الله )
The Arabic word Sunnah in its literal sense means habitual practice, customary procedure or norm. It stands for consistency and order.
Sunnatullah is the systematic order that Allah SWT created to govern the movement of His creation and make everything function in a consistent and organized way. It is also called the pattern of God, or the order of God in nature or the laws of God.
These systematic order or the laws of Allah SWT in all His creation are the ones that make everything in the universe move and function perfectly, with no chaos or imperfection in their physical manifestation, as in Surah al-Mulk, “There is no lack of proportion in the creation of God. So turn your eyes (and look around). Do you see any defect? Again, turn your sight (and examine) a second time. But your eyes will come back to you dull and frustrated in a state worn out.” (67:3-4).
“It is the law of Allah which hath taken course aforetime. Thou wilt not find in the law of Allah any change,” (48:23).
The term Sunnah was employed in the Islamic literature to describe the way that established by the Prophet Muhammad SAW while he was applying the Qur’anic commands and practicing Islamic teachings. Sunnah of the Prophet is, therefore, the idealistic and practical reflection of Qur’anic revelation that to be followed by all Muslims as an example.
“Hast thou not seen that unto Allah payeth adoration whosover is in the heavens and and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah scorneth, there is none to give him honour. Lo! Allah doeth what He will,” (22:18).
Sunnatullah is inherent in the two kinds of His creation:
Human beings: “We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things,” (41:53).
Sunnatullah in the human domain is described in the Qur’an as “Ayatul Anfus”, which means Alllah’s Signs within human self.
“He has inspired the human self with its wickedness and its piety,” (91:8).
“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding.” (2:269)
This is the fitrah that we share with other human beings, regardless whether they are Muslims or not, “O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you all of a single soul,” (4:1).
“Turn your face to the primordial religion as a hanif. That is the natural religion which Allah made innate to all humans. This pattern of Allah is immutable. It is the worthy religion; but most people do not know,” (30:30).
This fitrah must be strengthened and guided by revelation so that all actions of the human being are submitting to the Divine Law (Syari’ah) of Allah SWT.
Allah SWT has revealed to us Divine Books and revelation, so that we may know His pattern, laws and ruling that concern our beliefs and actions. All this guidance, revelation, legislation of Allah is consider as Allah’s laws, patterns in religion and guidance. This is called Sunan Shar’iyyah.
However, for the people who rejected the Signs of Allah SWT, either the Signs in themselves or the Ayat of His revelation, then Allah’s punishment is due upon them, “Systems have passed away before you. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for those who did deny (the messengers),” (3:137).
“Say (unto the disbelievers): Travel in the land, and see the nature of the consequence for the rejecters,” (6:11).
In the natural world and in the universe:
The whole world that surrounded us can be categorized into two types, the visible world or the seen world, and the invisible world or the unseen world.
The visible world is governed by scientific formulation that can be discovered by the human mind, while the invisible world is governed by formulation that is not directly perceivable by the human mind.
Sunnatullah in the natural phenomena, termed by the Qur’an as “Ayatul Aafaq”, is known as Sunan Kawniyyah (universal laws), because it includes the most general laws that govern the cosmic order, such as the creation of everything in pair and creation of everything in precise measures.
Sunnatullah for humans:
It is the Divine Law or Shari’ah that is due upon every human being.
Literally it means a waterhole, a drinking place. It is used in the Qur’an in Surah al-Jathiyah, “Then We put thee on the (right) Way (شريعة) of Religion: so follow thou that (Way), and follow not the desires of those who know not,” (45:18).
Shari’ah is the total sum or rules that God ordains for His servants, encompassing their belief, worship, morality, dealings and all other affairs relating to various facets of their lives, with the overriding objective of maintaining their well-being in this world and in the hereafter.
It is universal, comprehensive and practical for all human beings regardless of his location and time on earth.
It is the responsibilities and duties that are due upon human beings.
Allah’s Rights ( حق الله ) are our responsibilities:
Fardhu ‘Ain (فرض عين). This responsibility includes all the religious commands that each Muslim has to perform.
Fardhu Kifayah (فرض كفاية). Not all Muslims are required to perform this responsibility, for example being a doctor, a businessman, farmer, scholar and other various professions.
Responsibilities towards ourselves and other human beings. حق الأدم is a part of حق اللّه .
Responsibilities towards ourselves physically and spiritually since Allah SWT has created us in the most perfect manner, as in Surah al-Tin (95:4-6), “We have indeed created man in the best of moulds, Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low, Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: for they shall have a reward unfailing.” Responsibility towards ourselves also include responsibility towards our working professions.
Responsibilities towards other human beings including our parents, our children, husbands, wives, immediate families, our neighbors, our working colleagues, the Muslims ummah, and the whole humanity.
Our responsibility towards the natural environment. This is also a part of حق اللّه . Hence our utilization of the natural world should be in accordance with our role as His khalifah on this world.
Sunnatullah in nature:
Nature in Islamic vision is an ayah or an open book that guides or stands as a Sign for its Creator.
Nature has been created malleable, i.e., capable to serve mankind, the feature which al-Qur’an terms as taskhir, “See ye not how Allah hath made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and hath loaded you with His favours both without and within? Yet of mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah, without knowledge or guidance or a Scripture giving light,” (31:20).
The whole universe is operating by certain patterns of laws, termed by the Qur’an as taqdir, and it is observable to mankind, “Indeed, We have created everything with a measure,” (54:49,15:21), and “He gave everything its creation and then its guidance,” (20:50).
These laws are unchangeable, and have the characteristic of exactness and preciseness, so that human beings can predict certain natural phenomena.
The order of nature is not merely material order of cause and effect, rather it is the Will of a Wise and Omniscient Creator. Therefore, the Qur’an considers nature as always worshipping and glorifying Him (Tasbih).
In other words, nature is operating through the indirect patterns of causation law, but Allah SWT is behind all these patterns, therefore He manifests His Will and Power, sometimes, through the direct patterns which the Qur’an called as the law of Kun fa Yakun, means, when Allah wills He just say be to anything, so it be.
The Arabic word Sunnah in its literal sense means habitual practice, customary procedure or norm. It stands for consistency and order.
Sunnatullah is the systematic order that Allah SWT created to govern the movement of His creation and make everything function in a consistent and organized way. It is also called the pattern of God, or the order of God in nature or the laws of God.
These systematic order or the laws of Allah SWT in all His creation are the ones that make everything in the universe move and function perfectly, with no chaos or imperfection in their physical manifestation, as in Surah al-Mulk, “There is no lack of proportion in the creation of God. So turn your eyes (and look around). Do you see any defect? Again, turn your sight (and examine) a second time. But your eyes will come back to you dull and frustrated in a state worn out.” (67:3-4).
“It is the law of Allah which hath taken course aforetime. Thou wilt not find in the law of Allah any change,” (48:23).
The term Sunnah was employed in the Islamic literature to describe the way that established by the Prophet Muhammad SAW while he was applying the Qur’anic commands and practicing Islamic teachings. Sunnah of the Prophet is, therefore, the idealistic and practical reflection of Qur’anic revelation that to be followed by all Muslims as an example.
“Hast thou not seen that unto Allah payeth adoration whosover is in the heavens and and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah scorneth, there is none to give him honour. Lo! Allah doeth what He will,” (22:18).
Sunnatullah is inherent in the two kinds of His creation:
Human beings: “We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things,” (41:53).
Sunnatullah in the human domain is described in the Qur’an as “Ayatul Anfus”, which means Alllah’s Signs within human self.
“He has inspired the human self with its wickedness and its piety,” (91:8).
“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding.” (2:269)
This is the fitrah that we share with other human beings, regardless whether they are Muslims or not, “O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you all of a single soul,” (4:1).
“Turn your face to the primordial religion as a hanif. That is the natural religion which Allah made innate to all humans. This pattern of Allah is immutable. It is the worthy religion; but most people do not know,” (30:30).
This fitrah must be strengthened and guided by revelation so that all actions of the human being are submitting to the Divine Law (Syari’ah) of Allah SWT.
Allah SWT has revealed to us Divine Books and revelation, so that we may know His pattern, laws and ruling that concern our beliefs and actions. All this guidance, revelation, legislation of Allah is consider as Allah’s laws, patterns in religion and guidance. This is called Sunan Shar’iyyah.
However, for the people who rejected the Signs of Allah SWT, either the Signs in themselves or the Ayat of His revelation, then Allah’s punishment is due upon them, “Systems have passed away before you. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for those who did deny (the messengers),” (3:137).
“Say (unto the disbelievers): Travel in the land, and see the nature of the consequence for the rejecters,” (6:11).
In the natural world and in the universe:
The whole world that surrounded us can be categorized into two types, the visible world or the seen world, and the invisible world or the unseen world.
The visible world is governed by scientific formulation that can be discovered by the human mind, while the invisible world is governed by formulation that is not directly perceivable by the human mind.
Sunnatullah in the natural phenomena, termed by the Qur’an as “Ayatul Aafaq”, is known as Sunan Kawniyyah (universal laws), because it includes the most general laws that govern the cosmic order, such as the creation of everything in pair and creation of everything in precise measures.
Sunnatullah for humans:
It is the Divine Law or Shari’ah that is due upon every human being.
Literally it means a waterhole, a drinking place. It is used in the Qur’an in Surah al-Jathiyah, “Then We put thee on the (right) Way (شريعة) of Religion: so follow thou that (Way), and follow not the desires of those who know not,” (45:18).
Shari’ah is the total sum or rules that God ordains for His servants, encompassing their belief, worship, morality, dealings and all other affairs relating to various facets of their lives, with the overriding objective of maintaining their well-being in this world and in the hereafter.
It is universal, comprehensive and practical for all human beings regardless of his location and time on earth.
It is the responsibilities and duties that are due upon human beings.
Allah’s Rights ( حق الله ) are our responsibilities:
Fardhu ‘Ain (فرض عين). This responsibility includes all the religious commands that each Muslim has to perform.
Fardhu Kifayah (فرض كفاية). Not all Muslims are required to perform this responsibility, for example being a doctor, a businessman, farmer, scholar and other various professions.
Responsibilities towards ourselves and other human beings. حق الأدم is a part of حق اللّه .
Responsibilities towards ourselves physically and spiritually since Allah SWT has created us in the most perfect manner, as in Surah al-Tin (95:4-6), “We have indeed created man in the best of moulds, Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low, Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: for they shall have a reward unfailing.” Responsibility towards ourselves also include responsibility towards our working professions.
Responsibilities towards other human beings including our parents, our children, husbands, wives, immediate families, our neighbors, our working colleagues, the Muslims ummah, and the whole humanity.
Our responsibility towards the natural environment. This is also a part of حق اللّه . Hence our utilization of the natural world should be in accordance with our role as His khalifah on this world.
Sunnatullah in nature:
Nature in Islamic vision is an ayah or an open book that guides or stands as a Sign for its Creator.
Nature has been created malleable, i.e., capable to serve mankind, the feature which al-Qur’an terms as taskhir, “See ye not how Allah hath made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and hath loaded you with His favours both without and within? Yet of mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah, without knowledge or guidance or a Scripture giving light,” (31:20).
The whole universe is operating by certain patterns of laws, termed by the Qur’an as taqdir, and it is observable to mankind, “Indeed, We have created everything with a measure,” (54:49,15:21), and “He gave everything its creation and then its guidance,” (20:50).
These laws are unchangeable, and have the characteristic of exactness and preciseness, so that human beings can predict certain natural phenomena.
The order of nature is not merely material order of cause and effect, rather it is the Will of a Wise and Omniscient Creator. Therefore, the Qur’an considers nature as always worshipping and glorifying Him (Tasbih).
In other words, nature is operating through the indirect patterns of causation law, but Allah SWT is behind all these patterns, therefore He manifests His Will and Power, sometimes, through the direct patterns which the Qur’an called as the law of Kun fa Yakun, means, when Allah wills He just say be to anything, so it be.
Wednesday 4 February 2009
Lecture 6
Tawhid and its Implication on Human Life.
Tawhid is to believe that there is no other god but only one God, Allah SWT, and to believe in all His Attributes and all His Beautiful Divine Names as mentioned in the al-Qur’an, and also believing that Prophet Muhammad SAW is His Messenger.
It is the essence of Islam, the heart of Islam. The message that has been revealed to our Prophet Muhammad SAW and to all the other Prophets before him.
Tawhid is the opposite of kufr (unbelief) and if we associate Allah SWT with other gods then this is considered as shirk(polytheism, idolatry).
Tawhid is usually described into three parts: Unity of Lordship (توحيد الربوبية ), Unity of worship (توحيد الألوهية ), Unity of His Names and Attributes (توحيد الأسماء والصفات ).
Unity of Lordship: It means we believe certainly and accept that there is only one God, who is the Creator of everything in this world. He is also the Sustainer and Manager of the affairs of the whole universe. He is the one who gives life and takes it away. He knows all the affairs of His creation and He is Merciful in creating and sustaining them since everything in the seen and unseen world dependent on Him.
“Allah is Creator of all things, and He is Guardian over all things,” (39:62).
“And if thou wert to ask them: Who created the heavens and the earth, and constrained the sun and the moon (to their appointed work)? They would say: Allah. How then are they turned away?” (29:61).
“And if thou wert to ask them: Who causeth water to come down from the sky, and therewith reviveth the earth after its death? They verily would say: Allah. Say: Praise be to Allah! But most of them have no sense.” (29:63)
Unity of worship: It means we believe certainly that God is the legislator and the one who sent revelation and messengers. He is the one who deserves to be worshipped. He is the one, who deserve to be thanked, prayed and feared. He is the one who set the way on how to worship Him, and we should follow His instruction and the Shari’ah as He ordered and instructed us to do.
According to Muslim scholars, “The difference between a Muslim and a kafeer is in unity of worship. A Muslim acknowledges the unity of worship; he accepts that God has given him many gifts including his best creation, the creation of the universe with all its beauty and source, and the sending of guidance and revelation. He is thankful and grateful to Allah by worshipping Him and follows His instructions. A kafeer accepts only the gifts of Allah, but in return, he is not thankful to Allah. He denies and rejects the unity of worship. He doesn’t want to show that He is the servant of Allah.”
“Surely pure religion is for Allah only. And those who choose protecting friends beside Him (say): We worship them only that they may bring us near into unto Allah. Lo! Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Lo! Allah guideth not him who is a liar, an ingrate,” 39:3.
“Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves objects of worship which they set as rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like (that which is the due) of Allah (only). Those who believe are stauncher in their love for Allah, that those who do evil had but known, (on the day) when they behold the doom, that power belongeth wholly to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment!” (2:165).
“Whoever follows the revelation which has just come from Allah is rightly guided. This will be reckoned for him. Whoever goes astray does so at his own cost. I [Muhammad] was not sent to compel you to follow me [but to persuade and warn],” (10:108).
Unity of His Names and Attributes: It means we should believe in all His Attributes and Beautiful Names as mentioned in the al-Qur’an. We should worship Him and do supplication to Him using His Beautiful Names and Attributes.
We should only know Allah as He has referred to Himself in the al-Qur’an and as mentioned by Prophet Muhammad SAW.
There is no similarities between His Attributes and ours, and the knowledge of these Names and Attributes are hidden from us except what He has revealed in the al-Qur’an and to our Prophet Muhammad SAW.
“The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.” (49:13)
Implication of Tawhid on human life (Individual and collective level):
Kufr (كفر )
Means to cover, to hide, not to believe in Allah, to become an infidel, to be ungrateful.
It is the opposite of Iman and gratitude (شكر ). Faith is nothing but a form of gratitude, and gratitude is a form of faith.
Iman begins with the recognition of the truth in the heart. Hence kufr begins with denial of the truth in the heart.
Kufr is the rejection of the Truth and refusal to abide by them.
A kafeer is a truth-concealer and a person who is ungrateful. Someone who is ungrateful, conceal the good that has been done to them by not mentioning it.
Shirk (شرك)
Shirk means “to share, to be a partner, to make someone share in, to give someone a partner, to associate someone with someone else.”
Shirk means to give Allah SWT partners, and worshiping them along with Him.
“Worship God, and do not associate any others with Him” (4:36)
“Do not associate others with God; to associate others is a mighty wrong.” (31:13)
“God forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with God is to devise a sin most heinous indeed,” (4:48).
Shirk in Lordship: It means any acts or deeds that attempt to associate Allah SWT with other partners. It is the act of accepting and acknowledging that there are many gods, or accepting that Allah SWT is not perfect and cannot do any act by Himself and He needs someone to assist Him, or share with Him His power, knowledge or mercy.
For example, the concept of trinity is a form of shirk. Saying that Jesus AS is the son of God is shirk. Worshipping many gods in Hinduism is a form of shirk.
Accepting that other creatures, either human or jinn or shaytan can cause harm or benefit to you without the Will of Allah SWT isshirk.
Believing in all kind of superstition and attributing power and ability to certain objects can cause harm or benefit to people is another form of shirk.
Shirk in worship: It means to worship any other god or gods except Allah SWT is a form of shirk.
Worshipping Allah SWT and practicing rituals other than those mentioned in the Syari’ah and accepted by Allah SWT is shirk.
Rendering obedience to any authority against the Will of Allah SWT is a form of shirk:
“They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of God, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One God: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)” (9:31).
“Have you seen the one who has taken his own vain desire as his god? Knowing that, Allah left him astray and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Now who will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn His guidance)?” (45:23)
Shirk in Allah’s Names and Attributes: It means to deny any Names and Attributes of Allah SWT or to give Him any other Names that have not been authorized by the Syari’ah.
To make similarity between the Names and Attributes of Allah SWT and those of His creatures is an act of shirk.
To describe Allah SWT with many human qualities such as eating, drinking, marriage, having children, being jealous of one another is a form of shirk.
Other forms of shirk:
Ash-shirk al-asghar or riya’ : It means any acts of worship or good deeds being done in order to gain praise, fame, or it is intended not for Him but for other things.
A companion of the Prophet SAW reported as follows: “The Prophet came out to us from his house while we were discussing the Antichrist. He said, “Shall I tell you about something that is more frightening to me than the Antichrist?” The people replied that he should. He said, “Hidden shirk. In other words, that a man should perform the salat and do it beautifully for the sake of someone who is watching.”
Ash-shirk al-khafi (The inconspicuous shirk): This type implies being inwardly dissatisfied with the inevitable condition that has been ordained for one by Allah SWT; conscientiously lamenting that had you done or not done such and such or had you approached such and such you would have had a better condition.
Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “Ash-shirk al-khafi in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous than the creeping of black ant on black rock in the pitch-darkness of the night.”
Hence, we asked from Allah SWT to protect us from these two great sins, kufr and shirk, by saying “O Allah! I take Your refuge from that I should ascribe anything as partner in Your worship, being conscious of that, and I beg Your pardon for that sin which I am not aware of.”
Allah SWT is the most Merciful, the most Compassionate, “With My punishment I visit whom I will; but My Mercy extendeth to all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practice regular charity, and those who believe in our Signs,” (7:156)
Tawhid is to believe that there is no other god but only one God, Allah SWT, and to believe in all His Attributes and all His Beautiful Divine Names as mentioned in the al-Qur’an, and also believing that Prophet Muhammad SAW is His Messenger.
It is the essence of Islam, the heart of Islam. The message that has been revealed to our Prophet Muhammad SAW and to all the other Prophets before him.
Tawhid is the opposite of kufr (unbelief) and if we associate Allah SWT with other gods then this is considered as shirk(polytheism, idolatry).
Tawhid is usually described into three parts: Unity of Lordship (توحيد الربوبية ), Unity of worship (توحيد الألوهية ), Unity of His Names and Attributes (توحيد الأسماء والصفات ).
Unity of Lordship: It means we believe certainly and accept that there is only one God, who is the Creator of everything in this world. He is also the Sustainer and Manager of the affairs of the whole universe. He is the one who gives life and takes it away. He knows all the affairs of His creation and He is Merciful in creating and sustaining them since everything in the seen and unseen world dependent on Him.
“Allah is Creator of all things, and He is Guardian over all things,” (39:62).
“And if thou wert to ask them: Who created the heavens and the earth, and constrained the sun and the moon (to their appointed work)? They would say: Allah. How then are they turned away?” (29:61).
“And if thou wert to ask them: Who causeth water to come down from the sky, and therewith reviveth the earth after its death? They verily would say: Allah. Say: Praise be to Allah! But most of them have no sense.” (29:63)
Unity of worship: It means we believe certainly that God is the legislator and the one who sent revelation and messengers. He is the one who deserves to be worshipped. He is the one, who deserve to be thanked, prayed and feared. He is the one who set the way on how to worship Him, and we should follow His instruction and the Shari’ah as He ordered and instructed us to do.
According to Muslim scholars, “The difference between a Muslim and a kafeer is in unity of worship. A Muslim acknowledges the unity of worship; he accepts that God has given him many gifts including his best creation, the creation of the universe with all its beauty and source, and the sending of guidance and revelation. He is thankful and grateful to Allah by worshipping Him and follows His instructions. A kafeer accepts only the gifts of Allah, but in return, he is not thankful to Allah. He denies and rejects the unity of worship. He doesn’t want to show that He is the servant of Allah.”
“Surely pure religion is for Allah only. And those who choose protecting friends beside Him (say): We worship them only that they may bring us near into unto Allah. Lo! Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Lo! Allah guideth not him who is a liar, an ingrate,” 39:3.
“Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves objects of worship which they set as rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like (that which is the due) of Allah (only). Those who believe are stauncher in their love for Allah, that those who do evil had but known, (on the day) when they behold the doom, that power belongeth wholly to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment!” (2:165).
“Whoever follows the revelation which has just come from Allah is rightly guided. This will be reckoned for him. Whoever goes astray does so at his own cost. I [Muhammad] was not sent to compel you to follow me [but to persuade and warn],” (10:108).
Unity of His Names and Attributes: It means we should believe in all His Attributes and Beautiful Names as mentioned in the al-Qur’an. We should worship Him and do supplication to Him using His Beautiful Names and Attributes.
We should only know Allah as He has referred to Himself in the al-Qur’an and as mentioned by Prophet Muhammad SAW.
There is no similarities between His Attributes and ours, and the knowledge of these Names and Attributes are hidden from us except what He has revealed in the al-Qur’an and to our Prophet Muhammad SAW.
“The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.” (49:13)
Implication of Tawhid on human life (Individual and collective level):
- It gives meaning and purpose to our life.
- It produces strong degree of patient and determination.
- It is generate in man sense of modesty and humbleness.
- It makes man virtuous and upright.
- The believer of tawhid does not broken heart under different circumstances of life.
- It produces in man highest degree of self-respect.
- It creates an attitude of peace and harmony in the community.
- It makes man deals peacefully and effectively with nature.
Kufr (كفر )
Means to cover, to hide, not to believe in Allah, to become an infidel, to be ungrateful.
It is the opposite of Iman and gratitude (شكر ). Faith is nothing but a form of gratitude, and gratitude is a form of faith.
Iman begins with the recognition of the truth in the heart. Hence kufr begins with denial of the truth in the heart.
Kufr is the rejection of the Truth and refusal to abide by them.
A kafeer is a truth-concealer and a person who is ungrateful. Someone who is ungrateful, conceal the good that has been done to them by not mentioning it.
Shirk (شرك)
Shirk means “to share, to be a partner, to make someone share in, to give someone a partner, to associate someone with someone else.”
Shirk means to give Allah SWT partners, and worshiping them along with Him.
“Worship God, and do not associate any others with Him” (4:36)
“Do not associate others with God; to associate others is a mighty wrong.” (31:13)
“God forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with God is to devise a sin most heinous indeed,” (4:48).
Shirk in Lordship: It means any acts or deeds that attempt to associate Allah SWT with other partners. It is the act of accepting and acknowledging that there are many gods, or accepting that Allah SWT is not perfect and cannot do any act by Himself and He needs someone to assist Him, or share with Him His power, knowledge or mercy.
For example, the concept of trinity is a form of shirk. Saying that Jesus AS is the son of God is shirk. Worshipping many gods in Hinduism is a form of shirk.
Accepting that other creatures, either human or jinn or shaytan can cause harm or benefit to you without the Will of Allah SWT isshirk.
Believing in all kind of superstition and attributing power and ability to certain objects can cause harm or benefit to people is another form of shirk.
Shirk in worship: It means to worship any other god or gods except Allah SWT is a form of shirk.
Worshipping Allah SWT and practicing rituals other than those mentioned in the Syari’ah and accepted by Allah SWT is shirk.
Rendering obedience to any authority against the Will of Allah SWT is a form of shirk:
“They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of God, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One God: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)” (9:31).
“Have you seen the one who has taken his own vain desire as his god? Knowing that, Allah left him astray and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Now who will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn His guidance)?” (45:23)
Shirk in Allah’s Names and Attributes: It means to deny any Names and Attributes of Allah SWT or to give Him any other Names that have not been authorized by the Syari’ah.
To make similarity between the Names and Attributes of Allah SWT and those of His creatures is an act of shirk.
To describe Allah SWT with many human qualities such as eating, drinking, marriage, having children, being jealous of one another is a form of shirk.
Other forms of shirk:
Ash-shirk al-asghar or riya’ : It means any acts of worship or good deeds being done in order to gain praise, fame, or it is intended not for Him but for other things.
A companion of the Prophet SAW reported as follows: “The Prophet came out to us from his house while we were discussing the Antichrist. He said, “Shall I tell you about something that is more frightening to me than the Antichrist?” The people replied that he should. He said, “Hidden shirk. In other words, that a man should perform the salat and do it beautifully for the sake of someone who is watching.”
Ash-shirk al-khafi (The inconspicuous shirk): This type implies being inwardly dissatisfied with the inevitable condition that has been ordained for one by Allah SWT; conscientiously lamenting that had you done or not done such and such or had you approached such and such you would have had a better condition.
Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “Ash-shirk al-khafi in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous than the creeping of black ant on black rock in the pitch-darkness of the night.”
Hence, we asked from Allah SWT to protect us from these two great sins, kufr and shirk, by saying “O Allah! I take Your refuge from that I should ascribe anything as partner in Your worship, being conscious of that, and I beg Your pardon for that sin which I am not aware of.”
Allah SWT is the most Merciful, the most Compassionate, “With My punishment I visit whom I will; but My Mercy extendeth to all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practice regular charity, and those who believe in our Signs,” (7:156)
Wednesday 28 January 2009
Lecture 5
The Main Characteristics of Islam
Divine Nature of Islam (الربانية )
The totality of Islam has its origin from the Word of Allah SWT, the Noble al-Qur’an, and its message is brought and manifested through the words and deeds of our Prophet Muhammad SAW, as his wife, Aisyah RA said, “The character of the Emissary of God was al-Qur’an.”
Al-Qur’an , the principle source of Islam, has remain intact, untouched by foreign pollutants, and without any mixture of falsehood in its truths, “Surely We have sent down the Message, and surely We are its guardian,” (15:9).
The duty of the Messenger is to communicate it accurately to others and propagate it faithfully and diligently, without mixing any human ideas—referred to in the Qur’an as ahwa or “whims”—with Divine revelations.
“By the star when it sets, your comrade (Muhammad SAW) is not astray; neither does he err, nor does he speak out of whim. This is nothing but a revelation revealed,” (al-Najm 53:1-4).
“It is true that you will not able to guide everyone you love, but Allah guides whomever He will. And He knows best those who receive guidance,” (al-Qasas 28:56).
Some of the important and fixed principles of Islam:
Comprehensiveness (الشمولية )
Islam is a way of life; hence it covers all aspects of human life and affairs. It deals with spiritual and material aspects, matters of worship, and social, economic, political and cultural aspects of human affairs.
Islam covers all human responsibilities either in relation between Allah SWT and man, between man and man, and between man and the universe.
Islam is a comprehensive religion since it is the final religion and the universal religion.
Islam gives the explanation of the totality of existence, including its beginning, it’s functioning after the beginning, the various changes that take place in it, its growth and development, and its administration, governance and regulation.
Islam connects all these realities in such coherent, natural and logical consequences as appeal to man’s intuition and intellect, indeed to the total personality of man, as self-evident truths and in a deeply satisfying manner.
In Islam, all our actions, even the seemingly trivial ones, must be performed as acts of worship that is performed consciously as constituting a part of God’s universal plan.
The purpose of this life is to permanently and constantly worship Allah SWT in all forms of actions of human life.
Balance (التوازن )
Islam is a religion that gives to each aspect of human life its need without any imbalance or exaggeration. The material, social, spiritual, cultural, and intellectual aspect of human life is treated in a balance manner.
Islam never asks people to focus only on the spiritual dimension of their life or the material, or the moral. But Islam put each dimension in its right place and legislate the necessary instruction to fulfill and meet the need of that dimension of human life.
Islam gives man a balance between what is knowable and what is unknowable, between all the various sources of knowledge available to human understanding and comprehension, between Allah’s Divine Power and Will and human’s free will, between man’s dual responsibility as a khalifah, and as an ‘abd.
Also in relation to the inner qualities of the human soul in relation to his Creator, of finding a balance between fear and hope, anxiety and contentment, of awe and love.
Divine Nature of Islam (الربانية )
The totality of Islam has its origin from the Word of Allah SWT, the Noble al-Qur’an, and its message is brought and manifested through the words and deeds of our Prophet Muhammad SAW, as his wife, Aisyah RA said, “The character of the Emissary of God was al-Qur’an.”
Al-Qur’an , the principle source of Islam, has remain intact, untouched by foreign pollutants, and without any mixture of falsehood in its truths, “Surely We have sent down the Message, and surely We are its guardian,” (15:9).
The duty of the Messenger is to communicate it accurately to others and propagate it faithfully and diligently, without mixing any human ideas—referred to in the Qur’an as ahwa or “whims”—with Divine revelations.
“By the star when it sets, your comrade (Muhammad SAW) is not astray; neither does he err, nor does he speak out of whim. This is nothing but a revelation revealed,” (al-Najm 53:1-4).
“It is true that you will not able to guide everyone you love, but Allah guides whomever He will. And He knows best those who receive guidance,” (al-Qasas 28:56).
Some of the important and fixed principles of Islam:
- Allah SWT, which includes His existence and all His attributes, is unchangeable. His Oneness, His Eternity, His Power, His Will, is all permanent Divine Realities.
- The entire universe is Allah’s creation. Allah Most High willed its existence and it came into being.
- All of Allah’s creation, that is, the objects and living beings, are in a relationship of servitude to their Creator, who alone is the Master.
- Action without faith in Allah is just as useless as faith without action. Islam demands submission in the heart, and submission in actions.
- In the sight of Allah only Islam is the true religion and Allah does not accept any other faith or way of life.
- Man, as a species, is the noblest of all the creatures on earth, because he is the khalifah and the ‘abd, servant of Allah SWT as well.
- All the people on earth came from one origin, and hence in this regard, they are all equal. They acquire merit and rank with respect to each other through their faith, consciousness of Allah, and good deeds.
- The ultimate purpose of man’s existence is the worship of Allah, in the sense of complete obedience to Allah alone. All deeds of a Muslim are considered as worship as long as his intention is directed towards Allah SWT, the action is not prohibited in Islam, and it brings benefit to the doer and His other creatures.
- In Islam, the basis of human groupings is belief and adherence to the way of Allah, not ethnicity, or nationality, or country or race, or any other earthly cause.
- The life of this world is a test of belief and action, and the life in the Hereafter is a product of accounting and reward.
Comprehensiveness (الشمولية )
Islam is a way of life; hence it covers all aspects of human life and affairs. It deals with spiritual and material aspects, matters of worship, and social, economic, political and cultural aspects of human affairs.
Islam covers all human responsibilities either in relation between Allah SWT and man, between man and man, and between man and the universe.
Islam is a comprehensive religion since it is the final religion and the universal religion.
Islam gives the explanation of the totality of existence, including its beginning, it’s functioning after the beginning, the various changes that take place in it, its growth and development, and its administration, governance and regulation.
Islam connects all these realities in such coherent, natural and logical consequences as appeal to man’s intuition and intellect, indeed to the total personality of man, as self-evident truths and in a deeply satisfying manner.
In Islam, all our actions, even the seemingly trivial ones, must be performed as acts of worship that is performed consciously as constituting a part of God’s universal plan.
The purpose of this life is to permanently and constantly worship Allah SWT in all forms of actions of human life.
Balance (التوازن )
Islam is a religion that gives to each aspect of human life its need without any imbalance or exaggeration. The material, social, spiritual, cultural, and intellectual aspect of human life is treated in a balance manner.
Islam never asks people to focus only on the spiritual dimension of their life or the material, or the moral. But Islam put each dimension in its right place and legislate the necessary instruction to fulfill and meet the need of that dimension of human life.
Islam gives man a balance between what is knowable and what is unknowable, between all the various sources of knowledge available to human understanding and comprehension, between Allah’s Divine Power and Will and human’s free will, between man’s dual responsibility as a khalifah, and as an ‘abd.
Also in relation to the inner qualities of the human soul in relation to his Creator, of finding a balance between fear and hope, anxiety and contentment, of awe and love.
Wednesday 21 January 2009
Lecture 4 Part 4
General Overview of Islam
Ihsan
The Prophet SAW defined ihsan as “to worship God as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.”
It derives from the word husn, which designates the quality of being good and beautiful.
To be aware that Allah SWT is seeing us is taqwa, but to be able to see Him is ihsan.
Ihsan is subsuming taqwa and all the other good characters of a Muslim. In other words a Muhsin is the one who is able to see the Will of Allah SWT, His Will manifesting in all the other good characters of a Muslim.
“And unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, that He may reward those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good with goodness,” (53:31).
“Indeed Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him and those who are doers of good,” (16:128).
Imam Nawawi, in his commentary of the hadith of the angel Jibrail AS, said “This is the station of the true vision (maqam al-mushahadah). Whoever is able to directly see the King shies away from turning to other than Him in prayer and busying his heart with other than Him.”
Ihsan
The Prophet SAW defined ihsan as “to worship God as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.”
It derives from the word husn, which designates the quality of being good and beautiful.
To be aware that Allah SWT is seeing us is taqwa, but to be able to see Him is ihsan.
Ihsan is subsuming taqwa and all the other good characters of a Muslim. In other words a Muhsin is the one who is able to see the Will of Allah SWT, His Will manifesting in all the other good characters of a Muslim.
“And unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, that He may reward those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good with goodness,” (53:31).
“Indeed Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him and those who are doers of good,” (16:128).
Imam Nawawi, in his commentary of the hadith of the angel Jibrail AS, said “This is the station of the true vision (maqam al-mushahadah). Whoever is able to directly see the King shies away from turning to other than Him in prayer and busying his heart with other than Him.”
Lecture 4 Part 3
General Overview of Islam
Taqwa
All these performances of ibadah are done only for the sake of Allah SWT, for the sake of being near to Him, and for the sake of only remembering Him.
It is about acquiring one of the most important virtues in Islam, which is taqwa, as as in Surah al-Hujurat (49:13), “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.”
“If you do what is beautiful and are God-wary – surely God is aware of what you do.” (4:128).
“Be wary of God, and know that God sees what you do” (2:233).
“Be wary of God. Surely God knows the thoughts in the breasts.” (5:7)
“Whoso fulfills his covenant and is wary of God-surely God loves the God-wary,” (3:76).
Taqwa usually carries various meanings such as dutifulness, piety, righteousness, good conduct, guarding against evil, God-fearing, and God-consciousness.
All these Ibadah are performed to make our hearts lessened the love for this world as in Surah al-Ankabut, “What is the life of this world but amusement and play? But verily the Home in the Hereafter, that is life indeed, if they but knew” (29:64).
Imam al-Ghazali said the love of this world is the origin of every fault, the basis of all corruption, the source of all the diseases of the heart such as jealousy, backbiting, cheating, ostentation, arrogance, anger, pride, greedy, stinginess, laziness, and etc.
These are the inward sins, as Allah SWT says in the Qur’an, “Leave the outwardness of sin and its inwardness,” (6:120). The good characters would be sincerity (اخلاص), truthfulness (صدق ), contentment (رضى), remembrance (ذكر ), watchfulness (مراقبة ), generosity (كرم), God-fearing (تقوى), gratefulness (شكر), humbleness (تواضع) , modesty (حياء), courage (شجاعة) and etc.
Taqwa
All these performances of ibadah are done only for the sake of Allah SWT, for the sake of being near to Him, and for the sake of only remembering Him.
It is about acquiring one of the most important virtues in Islam, which is taqwa, as as in Surah al-Hujurat (49:13), “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.”
“If you do what is beautiful and are God-wary – surely God is aware of what you do.” (4:128).
“Be wary of God, and know that God sees what you do” (2:233).
“Be wary of God. Surely God knows the thoughts in the breasts.” (5:7)
“Whoso fulfills his covenant and is wary of God-surely God loves the God-wary,” (3:76).
Taqwa usually carries various meanings such as dutifulness, piety, righteousness, good conduct, guarding against evil, God-fearing, and God-consciousness.
All these Ibadah are performed to make our hearts lessened the love for this world as in Surah al-Ankabut, “What is the life of this world but amusement and play? But verily the Home in the Hereafter, that is life indeed, if they but knew” (29:64).
Imam al-Ghazali said the love of this world is the origin of every fault, the basis of all corruption, the source of all the diseases of the heart such as jealousy, backbiting, cheating, ostentation, arrogance, anger, pride, greedy, stinginess, laziness, and etc.
These are the inward sins, as Allah SWT says in the Qur’an, “Leave the outwardness of sin and its inwardness,” (6:120). The good characters would be sincerity (اخلاص), truthfulness (صدق ), contentment (رضى), remembrance (ذكر ), watchfulness (مراقبة ), generosity (كرم), God-fearing (تقوى), gratefulness (شكر), humbleness (تواضع) , modesty (حياء), courage (شجاعة) and etc.
Lecture 4 Part 2
General Overview of Islam
Islam
Arkan al-Islam is the pillar of the religion which is called Islam. A pillar is a support, something that holds up a structure; hence everything else in Islam depends on these five pillars.
Islam means submission to Allah’s Will, and hence it demands action, either internal or external, in accordance to the Will of the Creator. As Aisyah RA said, “The character of the Emissary of God SAW was the Qur’an.”
Thus the whole purpose of Islam is about following and emulating the actions and deeds of our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW, as he said “I was sent only to perfect the noble qualities of character.”
The First Pillar; The Shahadah:
The first pillar is the fundamental act upon which all Islamic activity depends. It is to acknowledge verbally that one accepts the reality of Allah SWT and the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad SAW. Hence, the latter part is also including an acceptance of the Message that was brought by Prophet Muhammad SAW, which is al-Qur’an.
It is the most basic act of being a Muslim, that is simply to say the two sentences, “There is no god but God” (la ilaha illa’llah) and “Muhammad is God’s Messenger” (Muhammadun rasul Allah), with the words “I bear witness that” (ashhadu an) are added before each sentence.
“God bears witness that there is no god but He-and the angels, and the possessors of knowledge-upholding justice; there is no god but He, the Inaccessible, the Wise,” (3:18). “The religion before God is Islam……” (3:19).
The Second Pillar; Salat:
Salat or ritual prayer comes as second most important after shahada. But for a Muslim it is the most fundamental act; the Prophet SAW said that salat is the “centerpole” of the religion, suggesting the image of a tent with a single pole holding it up in the middle and with other poles as secondary supports.
In the Qur’an, there are at least four forms of salat:
Hence, a salat that is performed with a total humility (خشوع) would prevent that individual Muslim from any shameful and unjust deeds.
Moreover, salat is a way of purifying oneself physically and spiritually, as in the Prophet SAW said, “Tell me, if one of you had a river at his door in which he washed five times a day, would any of his filthiness remain?” The people replied, “Nothing of his filthiness would remain.” He said, “That is a likeness for the five salats. God obliterates sins with them.”
The Third Pillar; Zakat:
It is commonly translated as “alms tax”, and is defined as a certain percentage of one’s acquired property or profit for the year that is paid to the needy, “The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise,” (9:60).
In another verse, “And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His Messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Indeed Allah is Mighty, Wise,” (9:71). “Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf,” (9: 103).
Hence, zakat is also a way of purification from one’s sins; even the word itself has the meaning of purity, justness, integrity, honesty etc.
The Fourth Pillar; Fasting:
Fasting or sawm is to abstain from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse and other things that break the fast, with the intention of worshipping Allah SWT from the first crack of dawn (Fajr) until the setting of the sun (Maghrib) during the month of Ramadhan.
“O you who believe! Fasting has been made obligatory upon you just as it was made obligatory upon those who were before you, so that you may have Taqwa,” (2:183).
Fasting is an ibadah that is done strictly between the individual Muslim and Allah SWT, since nobody would know that he is fasting unless he said so. It is a way of disciplining the one who fasts from his idle desires, as the Prophet SAW said, “When any of you is observing sawm (fasting) on a day, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor should he raise his voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him, he should say, I am observing fast.” Fasting will help a person to curb his anger, and be more patient and tolerant.
The Prophet SAW said, “Five things break the fast of the faster-lying, backbiting, slander, ungodly oaths, and looking with passion.”
The Fifth Pillar: Hajj:
Hajj is a pilgrimage to the Masjidil Haram in Mecca beginning on the 8th and ending on the 13th day of the last lunar month, Dhu’l-Hijjah. Muslims are required to make Hajj once in their lifetimes, but only if they have the means to do so.
“And Hajj to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can find a way there,” (3:97).
“For Hajj are the months well-known. If anyone undertakes that duty therein, let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj. And whatever good ye do, (be sure) God knoweth it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me, O ye that are wise,” (2:197).
The Prophet SAW said, “Whoever makes pilgrimage (Hajj) to this House (the Ka’bah) and he does not have sexual intercourse, nor does he commit any transgressions, he will come out of his sins just like the day that his mother gave birth to him.”
Islam
Arkan al-Islam is the pillar of the religion which is called Islam. A pillar is a support, something that holds up a structure; hence everything else in Islam depends on these five pillars.
Islam means submission to Allah’s Will, and hence it demands action, either internal or external, in accordance to the Will of the Creator. As Aisyah RA said, “The character of the Emissary of God SAW was the Qur’an.”
Thus the whole purpose of Islam is about following and emulating the actions and deeds of our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW, as he said “I was sent only to perfect the noble qualities of character.”
The First Pillar; The Shahadah:
The first pillar is the fundamental act upon which all Islamic activity depends. It is to acknowledge verbally that one accepts the reality of Allah SWT and the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad SAW. Hence, the latter part is also including an acceptance of the Message that was brought by Prophet Muhammad SAW, which is al-Qur’an.
It is the most basic act of being a Muslim, that is simply to say the two sentences, “There is no god but God” (la ilaha illa’llah) and “Muhammad is God’s Messenger” (Muhammadun rasul Allah), with the words “I bear witness that” (ashhadu an) are added before each sentence.
“God bears witness that there is no god but He-and the angels, and the possessors of knowledge-upholding justice; there is no god but He, the Inaccessible, the Wise,” (3:18). “The religion before God is Islam……” (3:19).
The Second Pillar; Salat:
Salat or ritual prayer comes as second most important after shahada. But for a Muslim it is the most fundamental act; the Prophet SAW said that salat is the “centerpole” of the religion, suggesting the image of a tent with a single pole holding it up in the middle and with other poles as secondary supports.
In the Qur’an, there are at least four forms of salat:
- Allah SWT and the angels perform a salat whereby they bless His servants: “It is He who performs the salat over you, and His angels, that He may bring you forth from the darknesses into the light,” (33:43).
- All creatures in the heavens and the earth perform salat as the expression of universal islam: “Have you not seen that everyone in the heavens and the earth glorifies God, and the birds spreading their wings? Each one knows its salat and its glorification,” (24:41).
- Every Muslim performs the salat, which is to say that the term is applied to one of the specific forms of worship revealed to all the Prophets: “And We delivered [Abraham], and Lot…….And We gave him Isaac and Jacob as well, and everyone We made wholesome …… And We revealed to them the doing of good deeds and the performance of the salat,” (21:71-73).
- In the most common usage of the term, salat refers to the specific form of ritual that is the second pillar of Islam: “Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds, and remembrance of God is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And God knows the (deeds) that ye do,” (29: 45).
Hence, a salat that is performed with a total humility (خشوع) would prevent that individual Muslim from any shameful and unjust deeds.
Moreover, salat is a way of purifying oneself physically and spiritually, as in the Prophet SAW said, “Tell me, if one of you had a river at his door in which he washed five times a day, would any of his filthiness remain?” The people replied, “Nothing of his filthiness would remain.” He said, “That is a likeness for the five salats. God obliterates sins with them.”
The Third Pillar; Zakat:
It is commonly translated as “alms tax”, and is defined as a certain percentage of one’s acquired property or profit for the year that is paid to the needy, “The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise,” (9:60).
In another verse, “And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His Messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Indeed Allah is Mighty, Wise,” (9:71). “Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf,” (9: 103).
Hence, zakat is also a way of purification from one’s sins; even the word itself has the meaning of purity, justness, integrity, honesty etc.
The Fourth Pillar; Fasting:
Fasting or sawm is to abstain from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse and other things that break the fast, with the intention of worshipping Allah SWT from the first crack of dawn (Fajr) until the setting of the sun (Maghrib) during the month of Ramadhan.
“O you who believe! Fasting has been made obligatory upon you just as it was made obligatory upon those who were before you, so that you may have Taqwa,” (2:183).
Fasting is an ibadah that is done strictly between the individual Muslim and Allah SWT, since nobody would know that he is fasting unless he said so. It is a way of disciplining the one who fasts from his idle desires, as the Prophet SAW said, “When any of you is observing sawm (fasting) on a day, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor should he raise his voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him, he should say, I am observing fast.” Fasting will help a person to curb his anger, and be more patient and tolerant.
The Prophet SAW said, “Five things break the fast of the faster-lying, backbiting, slander, ungodly oaths, and looking with passion.”
The Fifth Pillar: Hajj:
Hajj is a pilgrimage to the Masjidil Haram in Mecca beginning on the 8th and ending on the 13th day of the last lunar month, Dhu’l-Hijjah. Muslims are required to make Hajj once in their lifetimes, but only if they have the means to do so.
“And Hajj to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can find a way there,” (3:97).
“For Hajj are the months well-known. If anyone undertakes that duty therein, let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj. And whatever good ye do, (be sure) God knoweth it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me, O ye that are wise,” (2:197).
The Prophet SAW said, “Whoever makes pilgrimage (Hajj) to this House (the Ka’bah) and he does not have sexual intercourse, nor does he commit any transgressions, he will come out of his sins just like the day that his mother gave birth to him.”
Lecture 4 Part 1
General Overview of Islam.
Iman
Derives from the verb amuna, to be faithful, reliable, trustworthy, and from the verb amina, to be safe, to feel safe.
It is the essence of tawhid, i.e., a faith confirming that there is no other god but Allah SWT, and the Prophet Muhammad SAW is His Messenger.
It is the fitrah of all human beings that have made the covenant with Allah SWT before they come into this world.
The Prophet SAW defined the word iman by saying, “Faith is knowledge in the heart, a voicing with the tongue, and an activity with the limbs.”
There are six principles of Iman:
Believe in Allah SWT and all His Divine attributes and names.
He is the Creator and Sustainer of everything that exists, either in the invisible world or in the visible world.
He is Unique in His Attributes, Eternal, Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.
He is the Creator of the universe, the Creator of cause and effect, the Creator of all natural laws.
He is All-Powerful, All-Wise, All-Knowing, All-Seeing.
He is free from every flaw and weakness and none may have the power to interfere with His work. He is the Creator, Controller and Governor of the entire universe.
He is the only One, and none can be compared with Him.
Believe in Allah’s Angels:
The Arabic word for angel, malak, or malaikah, means “messenger”.
They are messengers in the sense as the one who carries the message from Allah SWT, or carries the order or command of Allah SWT (35:1).
They were created from light, and their first function is only to glorify Him.
Their number is numerous, and they carry various other functions such as reciters, glorifiers, dividers, casters, pluckers, writers, watchers, envoys, and etc.
There are angels who always carrying the Throne of Allah SWT (40:7). Others who circle around the Throne, always praising and glorifying Him.
They witnessed the creation of Adam AS (2:34), and they are also entrusted to carry the human soul to the embryo in the womb. And there are angels who provide our sustenance (2:98). And when death comes, they are the one who is entrusted to take our souls, and the one who will question the souls in the grave.
Believe in all the Revealed Books:
There are many revealed scriptures being revealed to many of the Prophets before Prophet Muhammad SAW. The important ones are the Books of Ibrahim AS, the Taurah of Musa AS, the Zabur of Daud AS, and the Injil of Isa al-Masih AS.
These books are part of our faith and we must believe in them as much as we believe in the Last Revelation, the Word of Allah SWT, al-Qur’an.
Al-Qur’an is a Divine miracle, and it has been preserved in its pristine purity, unlike the other books which only exist in the form of translation and has been mixed with words created by man.
Believe in all the Prophets:
There are 124, 000 Prophets and there are 25 important of them mentioned in the Qur’an.
5 of the Prophets are considered as أولو العزم : Prophet Nuh AS, Prophet Ibrahim AS, Prophet Musa AS, Prophet Isa AS, and Prophet Muhammad SAW.
The Prophets have been appointed to guide his people, and were being given revelation in the tongue of his people, as in the Qur’an, “We have sent no messenger save with the tongue of his people” (14:4).
The essence of the message is the same, which is to guide people to confess Tawhid, i.e., the Unity of Allah SWT, and submit to the only One Lord. However, the details of the message is different, “To every one of you (Messengers) We have appointed a right way and an open road. If God had willed, He would have made you one nation” (5:48).
Believe in the Life after Death:
That the life of this world and all of that is in it will come to an end on an appointed day. Everything will be annihilated. That day is called Qiyamah, i.e., the Last Day, or Qiyamah al-Kubra.
That all the human beings who have lived in the world since its inception will then be restored to life and will be presented before Allah SWT Who will sit in judgement on that day. This is called Hashr (Resurrection).
That the entire record of every man and woman—of all their doings and misdoings—will be presented before Allah SWT for final judgement. The one who excels in goodness will be rewarded; one whose evils and wrongs outweigh his good deeds will be punished.
That those who emerge successful in this judgement will go to Paradise, and those who are condemned and deserve punishment will be sent to Hell.
There is also Qiyamah al-Sughra, the lesser qiyamah or the world of barzakh (23:99-100) and (25:53). It is the next life in the grave where there will be immediate questioning, reward and punishment.
Our Prophet SAW said, “People are asleep, and when they die, they wake up.”
Believe in Predestination (Divine Decree):
Allah SWT has created and decreed everything in its specified measurement, all the natural laws, and all the good and evil of human actions.
Believe in قضاء (divine decree, destiny) and قدر(divine foreordainment, predestination).
Qada’ is a divine decree on all human beings. It is a decree in the womb concerning which the angel is ordered to foreordain one’s sustenance and term of life, and whether he shall be unfortunate or prosperous. It is also a decree of Allah SWT on the good and evil that befall on human beings at times appointed by Him.
Such decree may be changed as Allah SWT said, “Allah erases what He will, and He consolidates what He will, and with Him is the Mother of the Book” (13:39).
Qadar is a divine foreordainment on all His creatures, that everything is decreed in its specified measurement: “Surely We have created everything with a measuring out,” (54:49), and “With Him are the keys to the Unseen; none knows them but He. He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. Not a grain in the earth’s shadows, not a thing, fresh or withered, but it is in an explicit Book,” (6:59).
Two different schools of theology, Qadariyyah and Jabariyyah, which have 2 opposite views on human freedom and Allah’s Over-powering Will.
Iman
Derives from the verb amuna, to be faithful, reliable, trustworthy, and from the verb amina, to be safe, to feel safe.
It is the essence of tawhid, i.e., a faith confirming that there is no other god but Allah SWT, and the Prophet Muhammad SAW is His Messenger.
It is the fitrah of all human beings that have made the covenant with Allah SWT before they come into this world.
The Prophet SAW defined the word iman by saying, “Faith is knowledge in the heart, a voicing with the tongue, and an activity with the limbs.”
There are six principles of Iman:
Believe in Allah SWT and all His Divine attributes and names.
He is the Creator and Sustainer of everything that exists, either in the invisible world or in the visible world.
He is Unique in His Attributes, Eternal, Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.
He is the Creator of the universe, the Creator of cause and effect, the Creator of all natural laws.
He is All-Powerful, All-Wise, All-Knowing, All-Seeing.
He is free from every flaw and weakness and none may have the power to interfere with His work. He is the Creator, Controller and Governor of the entire universe.
He is the only One, and none can be compared with Him.
Believe in Allah’s Angels:
The Arabic word for angel, malak, or malaikah, means “messenger”.
They are messengers in the sense as the one who carries the message from Allah SWT, or carries the order or command of Allah SWT (35:1).
They were created from light, and their first function is only to glorify Him.
Their number is numerous, and they carry various other functions such as reciters, glorifiers, dividers, casters, pluckers, writers, watchers, envoys, and etc.
There are angels who always carrying the Throne of Allah SWT (40:7). Others who circle around the Throne, always praising and glorifying Him.
They witnessed the creation of Adam AS (2:34), and they are also entrusted to carry the human soul to the embryo in the womb. And there are angels who provide our sustenance (2:98). And when death comes, they are the one who is entrusted to take our souls, and the one who will question the souls in the grave.
Believe in all the Revealed Books:
There are many revealed scriptures being revealed to many of the Prophets before Prophet Muhammad SAW. The important ones are the Books of Ibrahim AS, the Taurah of Musa AS, the Zabur of Daud AS, and the Injil of Isa al-Masih AS.
These books are part of our faith and we must believe in them as much as we believe in the Last Revelation, the Word of Allah SWT, al-Qur’an.
Al-Qur’an is a Divine miracle, and it has been preserved in its pristine purity, unlike the other books which only exist in the form of translation and has been mixed with words created by man.
Believe in all the Prophets:
There are 124, 000 Prophets and there are 25 important of them mentioned in the Qur’an.
5 of the Prophets are considered as أولو العزم : Prophet Nuh AS, Prophet Ibrahim AS, Prophet Musa AS, Prophet Isa AS, and Prophet Muhammad SAW.
The Prophets have been appointed to guide his people, and were being given revelation in the tongue of his people, as in the Qur’an, “We have sent no messenger save with the tongue of his people” (14:4).
The essence of the message is the same, which is to guide people to confess Tawhid, i.e., the Unity of Allah SWT, and submit to the only One Lord. However, the details of the message is different, “To every one of you (Messengers) We have appointed a right way and an open road. If God had willed, He would have made you one nation” (5:48).
Believe in the Life after Death:
That the life of this world and all of that is in it will come to an end on an appointed day. Everything will be annihilated. That day is called Qiyamah, i.e., the Last Day, or Qiyamah al-Kubra.
That all the human beings who have lived in the world since its inception will then be restored to life and will be presented before Allah SWT Who will sit in judgement on that day. This is called Hashr (Resurrection).
That the entire record of every man and woman—of all their doings and misdoings—will be presented before Allah SWT for final judgement. The one who excels in goodness will be rewarded; one whose evils and wrongs outweigh his good deeds will be punished.
That those who emerge successful in this judgement will go to Paradise, and those who are condemned and deserve punishment will be sent to Hell.
There is also Qiyamah al-Sughra, the lesser qiyamah or the world of barzakh (23:99-100) and (25:53). It is the next life in the grave where there will be immediate questioning, reward and punishment.
Our Prophet SAW said, “People are asleep, and when they die, they wake up.”
Believe in Predestination (Divine Decree):
Allah SWT has created and decreed everything in its specified measurement, all the natural laws, and all the good and evil of human actions.
Believe in قضاء (divine decree, destiny) and قدر(divine foreordainment, predestination).
Qada’ is a divine decree on all human beings. It is a decree in the womb concerning which the angel is ordered to foreordain one’s sustenance and term of life, and whether he shall be unfortunate or prosperous. It is also a decree of Allah SWT on the good and evil that befall on human beings at times appointed by Him.
Such decree may be changed as Allah SWT said, “Allah erases what He will, and He consolidates what He will, and with Him is the Mother of the Book” (13:39).
Qadar is a divine foreordainment on all His creatures, that everything is decreed in its specified measurement: “Surely We have created everything with a measuring out,” (54:49), and “With Him are the keys to the Unseen; none knows them but He. He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. Not a grain in the earth’s shadows, not a thing, fresh or withered, but it is in an explicit Book,” (6:59).
Two different schools of theology, Qadariyyah and Jabariyyah, which have 2 opposite views on human freedom and Allah’s Over-powering Will.
Wednesday 14 January 2009
Lecture 3
Selective Contemporary Ideologies(Secularism, materialism, and postmodernism.)
Secularism
There are two definition of secularism:
First, it is a system of doctrines and practices that disregards or rejects any form of religious faith and worship. This is a total rejection of any religious beliefs. The person who professed this is either called as atheist or agnostic.
Second, the belief that religion should not enter into the affairs of the state and the public, e.g., in politics, in education, and in economics.
In other words, religion is a private matter and it is practiced by individual for their own individual and personal reasons.
Religion is still accepted according to different individuals and has its own practical benefits for that person who professed that religion.
But outside the realm of private matters, religion does not have any importance and only some religious principles are being used if they are deemed to be worthy based on various individual judgement. Hence, the overarching system is the secular system that is totally based on human reason and desires.
The term secular comes from the Latin word saeculum, which means ‘this age’ or ‘the present time’, and this age or the present time refers to events in this world; hence, it also means ‘contemporary events’.
Secularism is an ideology, which means it has its own set of values or perception of the reality and its main tool for understanding this reality is through human reason that is not guided by a true revelation.
Any values that come from religion are only useful or practical according to human needs that can change from time to time.
Ultimately, religion should be banished from the realm of human affairs either public or private.
Secularization is the process towards secularism. It is defined as the deliverance of man “first from religious and then from metaphysical control over his reason and his language.”
It relativises all values and produces the openness and freedom necessary for any kind of human action.
All actions of man are relative to that particular time period, all values become relative. Goodness and badness have less sacred values, and there is less sense of accountability, since accountability has now become relative.
There are three main components of secularization:
Materialism
In materialism, there is only one reality, which is this physical universe as being described and interpreted in accordance with scientific principles and methodologies.
Anything that cannot be measured and quantified to be existed “materially” is deemed to be non-existent. Metaphysical problems such as God and moral values are considered to be non-existent in materialism.
Everything that exists in this world moves and changes in accordance with the immutable laws of science; hence, everything then can be conceived like a machine, and can be manipulated by man, who is the most complex kind of machine.
Even in the human being, his emotions and his consciousness are part of the biological machine of the human body, and these must be proven to have some sort of substantial existence based on scientific observation and experiment.
Only the physical body exists, and hence the needs and wishes of the body have a paramount importance in materialism. Materialism is the foundation of the modern world view.
Some of the characteristics of the modern world view:
Postmodernism
When science was becoming so confidently and convincingly true and the Western man was becoming so successful in utilizing his scientific knowledge in conquering the natural world and the rest of the world through their Industrial Revolution and Imperialism, one of their philosophers, Immanuel Kant (d. early 19th century), began to criticize the foundation of that scientific worldview itself with his famous work Critique of Pure Reason.
Kant was able to formulate and criticize that there is no such thing of knowing the universe with a total objectivity. Man only knows objective reality of the universe precisely to the extent that reality conforms to the fundamental structures of the mind.
What man knows is a world permeated by his knowledge, and causality and the necessary laws of science are built into the framework of his cognition. Observations alone do not give man certain laws; rather, those laws reflect the laws of man’s mental organization. In other words, the mind does not conform to things; rather, things conform to the mind.
Space and time are “a priori forms of human sensibility”. They are not drawn from experience but are presupposed before that experience. And so with the law of causation. The mind does not derive cause and effect from observations, but it is already predisposed in our mind’s intellectual cognition.
Hence, the foundation of the scientific worldview is based on a shaky ground, i.e., science couldn’t claim anymore that it has the real objective truth about the universe and about life itself.
Hence, nothing actually in the possession of the mind of the Western man that can bring him nearer to the Truth: not even in his religion, in his philosophy, or even in his science.
Hence, the birth of Postmodernism, as being articulated by its founder Friedrich Nietzsche (d.1900), who has already anticipated the coming of nihilism in the Western worldview.
Some of the characteristics of postmodernism:
Postmodernism’s impact to other human cultures:
Although postmodernism relativizes all values, the Western scientific dominating worldview is still at its core. It acts like a double blade that seek to destroy the foundation of other cultures and values, and at the same time promoting and continuing Western domination towards other non-Western people, either in economy, in politics, in education and in many other cultural and traditional elements.
One of its tools is globalization, which is a way of ensuring that Western worldview will always remain colonizing the mind, body and spirit of the rest of the world.
Secularism
There are two definition of secularism:
First, it is a system of doctrines and practices that disregards or rejects any form of religious faith and worship. This is a total rejection of any religious beliefs. The person who professed this is either called as atheist or agnostic.
Second, the belief that religion should not enter into the affairs of the state and the public, e.g., in politics, in education, and in economics.
In other words, religion is a private matter and it is practiced by individual for their own individual and personal reasons.
Religion is still accepted according to different individuals and has its own practical benefits for that person who professed that religion.
But outside the realm of private matters, religion does not have any importance and only some religious principles are being used if they are deemed to be worthy based on various individual judgement. Hence, the overarching system is the secular system that is totally based on human reason and desires.
The term secular comes from the Latin word saeculum, which means ‘this age’ or ‘the present time’, and this age or the present time refers to events in this world; hence, it also means ‘contemporary events’.
Secularism is an ideology, which means it has its own set of values or perception of the reality and its main tool for understanding this reality is through human reason that is not guided by a true revelation.
Any values that come from religion are only useful or practical according to human needs that can change from time to time.
Ultimately, religion should be banished from the realm of human affairs either public or private.
Secularization is the process towards secularism. It is defined as the deliverance of man “first from religious and then from metaphysical control over his reason and his language.”
It relativises all values and produces the openness and freedom necessary for any kind of human action.
All actions of man are relative to that particular time period, all values become relative. Goodness and badness have less sacred values, and there is less sense of accountability, since accountability has now become relative.
There are three main components of secularization:
- The disenchantment of nature, which is to dispel nature (i.e. all the existing things around us including man and the natural world) from being attached to any kind of supernatural and animistic beliefs or any kind of metaphysical realities, other than what has been proven true and certain from scientific empiricism and quantification. Nature is only understood in naturalistic interpretation and changes in accordance to natural laws and causes.
- The deconsecrating of values from any kind of transcendental and religious attachment, i.e. values are then being determined by human reason that is not guided by revelation. Values then become relativised and changes in accordance to human needs and fancies.
- The desacralization of politics: Political authority has a lot of power in determining public affairs such as the education system, the management and distribution of wealth and ensuring law and order. Hence, in secularization, religion has very limited control in managing public affairs. In Islam, however, any kind of ruling authority in Islam has its legitimization only when it is in total conformity with the Syari’ah of Allah SWT.
Materialism
In materialism, there is only one reality, which is this physical universe as being described and interpreted in accordance with scientific principles and methodologies.
Anything that cannot be measured and quantified to be existed “materially” is deemed to be non-existent. Metaphysical problems such as God and moral values are considered to be non-existent in materialism.
Everything that exists in this world moves and changes in accordance with the immutable laws of science; hence, everything then can be conceived like a machine, and can be manipulated by man, who is the most complex kind of machine.
Even in the human being, his emotions and his consciousness are part of the biological machine of the human body, and these must be proven to have some sort of substantial existence based on scientific observation and experiment.
Only the physical body exists, and hence the needs and wishes of the body have a paramount importance in materialism. Materialism is the foundation of the modern world view.
Some of the characteristics of the modern world view:
- The universe is an impersonal phenomenon, governed by regular natural laws, and understandable in exclusively physical and mathematical terms. God has withdrawn from any direct activity in the universe, since the universe is conceived like an elaborate working of a clock.
- The human mind is capable by its own rational faculties of comprehending the order of the universe, and that order was entirely natural. Human reason and empirical observation replaced religion as the principal means of comprehending the universe. And that universe can be known objectively by the human mind.
- However, on the same stroke, that human mind is incompetent and beyond its faculties to understand life and the universe beyond what has been proven to be true by scientific empiricism and experimentation. Religion and metaphysical problems gradually being put aside as a personal occupation and it is fundamentally distinct from the public objective knowledge of the empirical world.
- This world and this life are more real and have more claims towards existence than the other world as conceived in many traditional religions. Embracing this world in its fullest sense is the ultimate aim of the modern man since it is this life that can be confirmed to really exist.
- Hence, understanding the whole of existent should be independent from any religious constraints in order for man to decide for himself any matters regarding his life and destiny. He is the master of his own destiny who is capable to decide what is best and good for him.
Postmodernism
When science was becoming so confidently and convincingly true and the Western man was becoming so successful in utilizing his scientific knowledge in conquering the natural world and the rest of the world through their Industrial Revolution and Imperialism, one of their philosophers, Immanuel Kant (d. early 19th century), began to criticize the foundation of that scientific worldview itself with his famous work Critique of Pure Reason.
Kant was able to formulate and criticize that there is no such thing of knowing the universe with a total objectivity. Man only knows objective reality of the universe precisely to the extent that reality conforms to the fundamental structures of the mind.
What man knows is a world permeated by his knowledge, and causality and the necessary laws of science are built into the framework of his cognition. Observations alone do not give man certain laws; rather, those laws reflect the laws of man’s mental organization. In other words, the mind does not conform to things; rather, things conform to the mind.
Space and time are “a priori forms of human sensibility”. They are not drawn from experience but are presupposed before that experience. And so with the law of causation. The mind does not derive cause and effect from observations, but it is already predisposed in our mind’s intellectual cognition.
Hence, the foundation of the scientific worldview is based on a shaky ground, i.e., science couldn’t claim anymore that it has the real objective truth about the universe and about life itself.
Hence, nothing actually in the possession of the mind of the Western man that can bring him nearer to the Truth: not even in his religion, in his philosophy, or even in his science.
Hence, the birth of Postmodernism, as being articulated by its founder Friedrich Nietzsche (d.1900), who has already anticipated the coming of nihilism in the Western worldview.
Some of the characteristics of postmodernism:
- Postmodernism rejects all truth claims. Nothing has an intrinsic nature which may be expressed by or represented. Everything is a product of time and change. Truth is relative and nothing is absolute, except for absolute relativism.
- There is no ultimate Reality. Reality is what has been created in each epoch by various groups of people, and none of them can claim to have the real Truth.
- Human existence and the existence of the universe are purposeless. There is no meaning to our existence except what we would like to construct it for our own various practical reasons.
- It accepts multiplicities of truths either in science, religion, philosophy, or anything that the human mind can conceived of.
- It generates doubt in all perspectives, since no one can claim to have the absolute truth.
Postmodernism’s impact to other human cultures:
Although postmodernism relativizes all values, the Western scientific dominating worldview is still at its core. It acts like a double blade that seek to destroy the foundation of other cultures and values, and at the same time promoting and continuing Western domination towards other non-Western people, either in economy, in politics, in education and in many other cultural and traditional elements.
One of its tools is globalization, which is a way of ensuring that Western worldview will always remain colonizing the mind, body and spirit of the rest of the world.
Wednesday 7 January 2009
Lecture 2
Types of Worldview:
Scientific Worldview:
Scientists share certain basic beliefs, attitudes, and practices on how to view and gain knowledge about the natural world.
The world is understandable:
Science presumes that the things and events in the universe occur in consistent patterns that are comprehensible through careful and systematic study.
They believe that through the use of the intellect, and with the aid of instruments that extend the senses, the human mind can discover the natural laws that govern the universe.
Scientific knowledge is changeable:
Science is a process of gaining knowledge about the natural word.
The process depends on making careful observations of the natural phenomena and then formulates theories out of those observations.
Changes in scientific knowledge are inevitable because new observations may challenge prevailing theories.
Scientific knowledge is durable:
Although scientists reject the notion of attaining absolute truth and accept some uncertainty as part of nature, most scientific knowledge is durable.
The modification of theories is the norm in science, as powerful constructs tend to survive and grow more precise and to become widely accepted.
Science cannot provide answers to all questions:
There are many matters that cannot be scrutinized under scientific practices, especially the metaphysical questions, e.g., the existence of God, good and evil, freedom and freewill, mortality, the purpose of life, and etc.
Science demands evidence based on these three methodologies:
Empiricism: Everything should be based on empirical research experimental analysis.
Rationalism or logical reasoning: That is by using the principles of logic and reason.
Skepticism: Nothing is accepted as a final fact. Every fact is questionable until it is proven true by the two methods above.
Science is based on two tools: hypothesis and experiment:
Hypothesis is the first stage of research which then has to be confirmed with experimentation.
Through experiment science engages in discovering a series of causes and effect.
Then a certain formulae are formulated so that almost all events in nature can be described with a quantitative mathematical analysis.
Next is,
Advantages of scientific worldview:
Scientific research is exact and precise since it is formulated in a quantitative mathematical language.
It gives man lots of data and information about our physical world.
Through its formulation, it can predict quite accurately many natural phenomena, and assist man in the invention of various kinds of machines.
Science enables man to control and dominate nature with the application of technology.
Shortcomings of scientific worldview:
Science is not a complete way or the only way to interpret life and the universe. Its research is only concern with the “primary qualities” of nature, and not the “secondary qualities.”
From scientific viewpoint, the purpose of existence (universe & life) is not known. Thus scientific worldview is knowledge of the part, and not the whole.
Science is theoretically unstable and less enduring, so it is incapable to provide a firm, eternal, and unshakable foundations for a belief in the unseen world.
Science is not capable of providing a comprehensive and consistent explanation on life and the universe. This is mainly due to the limitation of its tools (hypothesis and experiment).
As a result of its limitation, Western science considered the natural world as something separate from the Creator. His intrusion into the running of the world and His continuous sustenance of it are not accepted in the modern scientific worldview.
Since the physical consequences of scientific research is manifested in the application of technology, and the bearer, i.e., the one who carries the responsibility of this application is the human being himself, then he has the moral responsibility to ensure that the technology does not harm him and the natural world.
However, since the activities in science does not concern about moral responsibilities, then the application of scientific knowledge depend on the moral values of the scientists and the engineers which sometimes can have harmful consequences.
Philosophical Worldview
The term philosophy comes from the Greek word philosophia, which is a compound of philos and sophia, the former meaning love, the latter, wisdom. Therefore, philosophia means love of wisdom.
Philosophical worldview depends on reason, which based upon self-evident principles that is undeniable to the mind.
It uses method such as logical reasoning, deduction and induction.
Both philosophical and scientific worldviews are conduce to action but in different ways:
Religious Worldview:
Religious worldview is based on supernatural and transcendental beliefs. Both religious and the philosophical worldviews, by contrast with the scientific worldview, cover the same domain, both seeking the answers of the totality of being and the universe.
Revelation and unseen are sources of the religious worldview, while mere reason is the source of philosophical worldview.
Philosophical reasoning is a tool in Islamic worldview. Its application is subservient to the overarching Islamic worldview.
To answer some of the metaphysical and cosmological questions, Islamic worldview relies to some extend on reason, and support facts of the Qur’anic revelation with reasonable demonstrations of the intellect (أدلة عقلية ).
Religious worldview is more stable than the scientific and philosophical worldview in terms of having certain and unchangeable principles that cover the belief system, the practical part on devotion and other human activities including the ethical, social and economical.
Religious worldview gives sanctity towards its belief system and practices.
Scientific Worldview:
Scientists share certain basic beliefs, attitudes, and practices on how to view and gain knowledge about the natural world.
The world is understandable:
Science presumes that the things and events in the universe occur in consistent patterns that are comprehensible through careful and systematic study.
They believe that through the use of the intellect, and with the aid of instruments that extend the senses, the human mind can discover the natural laws that govern the universe.
Scientific knowledge is changeable:
Science is a process of gaining knowledge about the natural word.
The process depends on making careful observations of the natural phenomena and then formulates theories out of those observations.
Changes in scientific knowledge are inevitable because new observations may challenge prevailing theories.
Scientific knowledge is durable:
Although scientists reject the notion of attaining absolute truth and accept some uncertainty as part of nature, most scientific knowledge is durable.
The modification of theories is the norm in science, as powerful constructs tend to survive and grow more precise and to become widely accepted.
Science cannot provide answers to all questions:
There are many matters that cannot be scrutinized under scientific practices, especially the metaphysical questions, e.g., the existence of God, good and evil, freedom and freewill, mortality, the purpose of life, and etc.
Science demands evidence based on these three methodologies:
Empiricism: Everything should be based on empirical research experimental analysis.
Rationalism or logical reasoning: That is by using the principles of logic and reason.
Skepticism: Nothing is accepted as a final fact. Every fact is questionable until it is proven true by the two methods above.
Science is based on two tools: hypothesis and experiment:
Hypothesis is the first stage of research which then has to be confirmed with experimentation.
Through experiment science engages in discovering a series of causes and effect.
Then a certain formulae are formulated so that almost all events in nature can be described with a quantitative mathematical analysis.
Next is,
Advantages of scientific worldview:
Scientific research is exact and precise since it is formulated in a quantitative mathematical language.
It gives man lots of data and information about our physical world.
Through its formulation, it can predict quite accurately many natural phenomena, and assist man in the invention of various kinds of machines.
Science enables man to control and dominate nature with the application of technology.
Shortcomings of scientific worldview:
Science is not a complete way or the only way to interpret life and the universe. Its research is only concern with the “primary qualities” of nature, and not the “secondary qualities.”
From scientific viewpoint, the purpose of existence (universe & life) is not known. Thus scientific worldview is knowledge of the part, and not the whole.
Science is theoretically unstable and less enduring, so it is incapable to provide a firm, eternal, and unshakable foundations for a belief in the unseen world.
Science is not capable of providing a comprehensive and consistent explanation on life and the universe. This is mainly due to the limitation of its tools (hypothesis and experiment).
As a result of its limitation, Western science considered the natural world as something separate from the Creator. His intrusion into the running of the world and His continuous sustenance of it are not accepted in the modern scientific worldview.
Since the physical consequences of scientific research is manifested in the application of technology, and the bearer, i.e., the one who carries the responsibility of this application is the human being himself, then he has the moral responsibility to ensure that the technology does not harm him and the natural world.
However, since the activities in science does not concern about moral responsibilities, then the application of scientific knowledge depend on the moral values of the scientists and the engineers which sometimes can have harmful consequences.
Philosophical Worldview
The term philosophy comes from the Greek word philosophia, which is a compound of philos and sophia, the former meaning love, the latter, wisdom. Therefore, philosophia means love of wisdom.
Philosophical worldview depends on reason, which based upon self-evident principles that is undeniable to the mind.
It uses method such as logical reasoning, deduction and induction.
Both philosophical and scientific worldviews are conduce to action but in different ways:
- The scientific worldview conduces to action by giving human the power and capacity to control the world. But philosophical worldview conduces to action by giving the reason for action and the criteria for human choice in life.
- The philosophical worldview is seeking answers to the basic metaphysical and cosmological questions.
- The philosophical worldview is influential in the way man encounters and responds to the universe. It guides man to shape his attitude and his outlook towards being and the universe, giving him meaning to his life, or leads him away into nothingness.
Religious Worldview:
Religious worldview is based on supernatural and transcendental beliefs. Both religious and the philosophical worldviews, by contrast with the scientific worldview, cover the same domain, both seeking the answers of the totality of being and the universe.
Revelation and unseen are sources of the religious worldview, while mere reason is the source of philosophical worldview.
Philosophical reasoning is a tool in Islamic worldview. Its application is subservient to the overarching Islamic worldview.
To answer some of the metaphysical and cosmological questions, Islamic worldview relies to some extend on reason, and support facts of the Qur’anic revelation with reasonable demonstrations of the intellect (أدلة عقلية ).
Religious worldview is more stable than the scientific and philosophical worldview in terms of having certain and unchangeable principles that cover the belief system, the practical part on devotion and other human activities including the ethical, social and economical.
Religious worldview gives sanctity towards its belief system and practices.
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