7. PURPOSE OF ISLAM

The purpose of Islam is fundamentally to remember the Creator of all things including oneself and one’s purpose of existence and to live one’s life accordingly. It is given in the name of the religion Islam (Surrender to Allah) and in formula by which one enters Islam, “La Illaha ilallah” (There is nothing worshipping but Allah, where worship means self-subordination, adoration and serving.)

The purpose of genuine religion in general of which Islam is the expression is given in the Quran thus:-

1. "Deemed ye then that We had created you for naught, and that ye would not be returned to Us?" 23:115

2. "The Lord said unto the angels: Lo, I am about to place a vicegerent in the earth." 2:30

"I created the Jinn and humankind only that they may serve Me." 51:56

"Be mindful of your duty to Allah, and seek the way of approach unto Him, and strive in His way in order that ye may succeed." 5:35

"And if thy lord had willed, He verily would have made mankind one nation, yet they ceased not differing, save him on whom thy Lord has mercy; and for that He did create them." 11:118-119

3. "Say unto mankind, O Muhammad, I exhort you unto one thing only: that ye Awake for Allah‘s sake by twos and singly, and then reflect..." 34:46

"Allah it is who has created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof. The commandment comes down among them slowly that you may know that Allah is Able to do all things and that Allah surrounds all things in knowledge." 65:12

4. "He, indeed, is Successful who causes it (the soul) to grow, and he, indeed, is a failure who stunts it." 91:9-10

5. "And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy for believers though it increases the evil doers in naught but ruin...and verily We have displayed in this Quran all kinds of similitudes, but most of mankind refuse aught save disbelief." Quran 17:82,89

6. "Thy Lord, He is the goal." 53:42

"Unto Allah is the journeying." 3:28, 5:18, 24:42, 31:14, 35:18, 40:3, 2:285

7. "I have surrendered my purpose to Allah and so have those who follow me ( Muhammad ). Have ye, too, surrendered? If they surrender, then truly they are rightly guided, and if they turn away, then it is thy duty only to convey the message." 3:20

8. "Lo! Worship preserves from lewdness and iniquity, but verily remembrance of Allah is more important. And Allah knows what you do." 29:45

(See also:- 2:208 3:102 3:164 5:35 6:166 8:24 9:109-112 10:58 61:14 65:11 81:27-29 98:1-5 )

These verses show the following:-

1. Man has been created for certain purposes. That is, he has arisen because he has certain functions in the scheme of things. These are inherent in his nature. Man is required to surrender to these. The purpose of religion is to facilitate these purposes. These are:-

2. To help in the government and regulation of the world, to serve Allah, to be a vicegerent. This is the main purpose. The others are means to this end. These responsibilities arise from the very fact that he possesses the appropriate faculties.

3. To awaken, to become conscious, aware of himself, of other people, of existence, of nature, his surroundings and the things in it, the universe and the relationships, function and purpose of his life with respect to things. The Quran is constantly pointing to nature to arouse such awareness ( e.g. 2:164 etc ). There is an assumption here that, contrary to popular belief, man is not normally conscious. He exists in a state of semi-consciousness, aware of very little, mentally absorbed in himself and his relatively small world of daily interests, problems and ambitions. He does not see things as they are in the larger context. He does not, therefore, recognise his problems and cannot solve them. But he can become conscious. He has the faculty for it, but it lies dormant.

This condition is also known as ‘spiritual death’.

“Is he who was dead, and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walks among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct made fair seeming for the disbelievers.” 6:123

“O ye who believe; obey Allah and the messenger when He calls you to that which quickens you, and know that Allah comes in between the man and his own heart, and that He it is unto whom you will be gathered.” 8:24

True consciousness is other than what man normally supposes it to be. Awakening refers to a faculty which is defined as the ‘divine spirit’ in man. Its characteristics are consciousness, conscience and will. These manifest themselves through the capacity for:- (a) knowledge, (b) compassion and (c) self-control.

Faith, love and hope and Truth, Goodness and Power (the main attributes of Allah and the fundamental values) are connected with these. It will be shown that the whole of Islam, and indeed, any other genuine religion, is concerned with the cultivation of precisely these qualities. They cannot, however, be cultivated directly, but only by the awakening of the appropriate faculty.

4, To develop, grow, evolve.

“Allah verily has shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who recites unto them His revelations, and causes them to grow.” 3: 164

Although physical growth certainly stops on maturity, people can continue to develop in three ways:-

(a) By the expansion of experience, naturally and deliberately.

(b) In their adaptability through knowledge, interests and skills.

(c) In their inner and outer Integration or unity; in Consciousness, Conscience and Will (or self-control); their awareness of Reality and functioning with respect to it.

5. To attain and maintain health and proper functioning. To remove the psychological malfunctions, the disease which obstructs the fulfilment of this purpose. Humanity is regarded as being diseased having fallen from the state of perfection. This is obvious from observation to a great number of people. This psychological disease also (a) produces social, physical and psychosomatic malfunctions, (c) deprives man of a great number of faculties and powers which he should have and (c) leads him to create substitutes which either maintains the condition or even adds further limitations and defects. It prevents him from seeing his true state and leads him to rationalise in order to justify it, thereby preventing a cure.

6. To return to Allah. It is not only the case that human beings must return to their source and be judged, but that Allah is also a goal to be striven for. Since Allah is Unity, Perfection, Truth, Goodness, the goal is to strive for these.

7. It is evident that the above purposes are all different aspects of the same purpose. The immediate purpose is contained in the formula by which a man becomes a Muslim and which he is required to affirm several times a day until it becomes firmly fixed in his nature. This is “La illaha illallah”. It is translated as “There is no god but Allah.” It’s meaning, however, is better given by “there is nothing worthy of worship except that which is worthy of worship.” The implication is that the individual is to be emancipated psychologically from all fears, superstitions, attachments, self-subordination, obsessions, or domination by anything other than the ultimate reality. This condition is a pre-requisite to awakening.

8. All these purposes can be included in a single purpose:- to replace the human ego with Allah, so that he becomes the centre of their lives, both the subject from which initiative flows and the objective of all behaviour.

“Say: Lo, my worship and my sacrifice and my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds.” 6:163

Human beings are ego-centric. That is, they have a subjective idea of ‘self’ which dominates their actions, thoughts and motives. They become self-important and ignore the fact that they are only a small part of the universe and dependant on its laws, forces and materials and on the society. They are self-centred and selfish. Islam is, therefore, not merely concerned with belief in Allah, nor merely with changes in behaviour, but with the transformation of human nature. In order to understand the importance of this consider the following:-

(a) The psychological result of ego-centricity is the narrowing down of thought, motives and actions to a small part of the psyche. Human beings are only part of creation but ego-centricity creates the illusion that they are the centre around which and with respect to which all things happen, His opinions are Truth, and his whims and desires are the only source of values. This leads to false interpretation of experiences, false expectations, and frustration when things do not turn out as expected and so, to much suffering.

(b) The social consequences are competition, conflict, and the creation of barriers between people, self-isolation, and the consequent suffering.

(c) It creates greed, hatred and aggression, owing to rivalry, and fear (of loss because of the greed and the aggression of others). The impulses of hope, love and faith are, therefore, neutralised or reversed. Life is lived in constant tension, stress and suspicion which often amounts to paranoia. This produces all kinds of physical as well as moral and mental malfunctions.

(d) Ego-centricity is connected with Nationalism, Racialism, Tribalism, Sectarianism and all other group conflicts. As a person is part of a particular group then only that group matters. The interests and welfare of all other groups is irrelevant and they can be used for the purposes of his group. Hence ethnic wars.

(e) Ego-centricity is also connected with Anthropocentricity - the idea that mankind, to which the individual belongs, is the only thing important, and that nature, the planet, and all things can be exploited and plundered to serve human whims and treated as he wishes. This has created pollution and ecological disasters

(f) It is also connected with geocentricism. Since man lives on this planet then this planet is the centre of the Universe. This idea has led to an opposition to Science and obstructed its development for many centuries. But despite the advances in Astronomy, egotism has not diminished.

Islam can, therefore, be seen as preparing the way for a future age. It is impossible that the human situation can improve without the removal of egocentricism. No other religion has diagnosed and set out to cure this fundamental human disease. Christianity made a man into God. Though Hebrewism is also based on the Unity and supremacy of God, it was concerned primarily with social welfare and that of the Hebrews only, thereby distinguishing them from other nations. Buddhism, though it recognises that the ego is a dangerous illusion, does not place its emphasis on God. Hinduism has disintegrated the concept of God, where each separate aspect is worshipped as a god, excluding the others. It is, therefore, unable to serve as a centre in the human psyche without disintegrating it also. These criticisms do not refer to the original teachings, but to what has been made of them.

Success and Failure in life are objectively defined by these purposes. They are not connected with the achievement of wealth, power, prestige or any other material, social or ideological accomplishment as is commonly the case.

Firstly, we need to understand the word “purpose”. It does not necessarily refer to a motive. There is a difference between saying:-

(1) “It is my purpose to do such and such or gain such and such an effect” and saying:-

(2) “The purpose of this car is to transport people from one place to another” or saying

(3) “The purpose of my intestines is to digest food”.

In the second case we are speaking of what is integral to the essence of the car, its function and that which justifies its existence. In the third case we are speaking of something which has a natural function with respect to the whole system to which it belongs and it is this system which has caused it to arise for its own purposes. Human beings have a purpose with respect to the world and the Cosmos in this third sense. But human beings are required to treat themselves with a purpose in the second sense, and exhorted to develop a purpose in the first sense.

The objection may be raised that a thing such as a car is different from naturally arising organisms in that it is artificial. It is made by man for his own purposes, while a natural object is not. This distinction, however, is fundamentally, invalid. We do not make such a distinction between a bird and its nest. It is also a natural product since it flows from its naturally arising instincts. Human behaviour and creations are integral to their nature and cannot exist without the forces, materials and laws which operate in it and by which they have arisen. A human organ is a natural product and yet has a purpose with respect to man. Human beings, as all other organisms are organs of the Biosphere, which is an organ of the planet earth, which is an organ of the solar system and so on. The Quran, therefore, distinguishes a false purpose from a true one in the same way as we distinguish between disease and health. (2:9-11).

Pain and Pleasure provide us and all life with a natural purpose or motive, since one attracts and the other repels. We cannot, therefore, argue that purpose is a man made notion. The process of evolution itself is driven by it. However, human beings are intelligent and are not necessarily driven by instincts. Human beings form concepts and general or universal ideas, and the inner life of consciousness is more important for them. The notions of Paradise and Hell are connected with purpose. Paradise is a state of self-fulfilment, bliss, freedom, inner peace or non-conflict i.e inner integration, identification with ones spirit and nearness to Allah from whence the Spirit is derived. Hell is the opposite, a state of suffering, disintegration, inability, remoteness from Allah.

The purpose of Christianity appears to be to obtain salvation from spiritual death or Hell. The purpose of Islam, however, is to achieve Paradise. After describing paradise symbolically, the Quran says,

“Lo! This is the supreme triumph. For the like of this, then let the workers work.” 39:60-61

Though the two approaches appear to be similar in that avoiding hell leads to paradise and aiming for paradise saves from hell, yet one is negative since it tells us what to avoid, while the other is positive because it tells us what to aim for. One is based on fear and other on love. The effects of these are not the same and merely avoiding one pole does not necessary lead to the other.

The purpose of religion is not primarily a social one as has been incorrectly supposed, but psychological. Its orientation is inward as opposed to that of science and technology which is outward, or Politics which is Interactionist, that is, between people. Religion concerns itself with material and economic matters as a means to a Social end, and with social and political matters only as means to the psychological or spiritual end. In ordinary life this triad is reversed. Economic development is the goal, Social conditions are arranged to serve it, and psychological welfare is sacrificed to serve this Social need. The inevitable result is social and psychological malfunctions. The mental orientation of people is outwards. Their lives become purposeless and empty, and they are no longer aware of the true nature of their inner state. The decline of religion leads people to seek and invent a great number of substitutes, including ideologies, entertainments and “spiritual cults”. The word “spiritual”, however, has been misunderstood. It is mistaken for mere emotionality. In fact, it ought to refer to the higher psychological faculties - consciousness, conscience and will.

There is little doubt that the main cause of mental, moral and physical illness and disease in the modern world is tension and stress. These are caused by self-contradiction and conflict, inner (psychological), social (between people) and external (between man and his physical environment). This tension leads to anxiety (fear), hatred (aggression and violence), greed (excessive demands), irritability, exhaustion and debility, fascination and obsessions, prejudices, confusion and frustration.

“They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves, but they perceive not. In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie. And when it is said to them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peace makers only.” 2: 9-11

“And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy for believers though it increases the evil doers in naught but ruin...and verily We have displayed in this Quran all kinds of similitudes, but most of mankind refuse aught save disbelief.” Quran 17:82, 89.

The Social conditions are to a large extent a reflection of the psychological conditions of the people. Conversely, the social conditions affect the psychological conditions. The external (environmental and economic) conditions affect the social conditions and the social conditions affect the external ones. The condition of the environment is not independent of human technology. Human greed, and the economic and industrial system they have set up, is responsible for the transformation of the land, sea and air, the pollution, and the ecological disruption. It is affected by the psychological development of the people, and that in its turn is affected by technology. For example, technological progress stimulates and facilitates education and research as well as the ideologies of people, and by creating a more prosperous economy, releases human energy and attention into more creative fields. On the other hand it also confines attention to the external world, while neglecting inner psychological welfare and values.

We, therefore, have three interactive factors:- the physical, social and psychological. Of these the Psychological is most important since it is both the source of human activity and its goal. Even the scientific theory of Evolution indicates that the function of life on this planet is development rather than environmental change. There would be no purpose in technology if it did not provide self-fulfilment for man. But in so far as people are not aware of themselves and what they need or are doing, their actions produce no useful results, except by accident. That is, though technology proliferates, it produces little satisfaction; it creates no increased happiness. Despite the phenomenal development in science and technology man himself is, on the whole, worse of. Discontent, neurosis, psychosis, crime and disease are rampant. The world, his environment, is also sick.

“Oh, but man is a telling witness against himself, though he tenders his excuses.” 75:14-15

Though the primary concern of Islam is psychological or spiritual development, it is realised that there must be suitable social and political conditions in which this is made possible, and that these, in turn depend on suitable environmental and economic conditions, though these will again depend on the psychological condition of the people. Therefore, Islam, unlike some other religions, concerns itself with all three factors in an overall unity. This feature of Islam is seldom understood by non-Muslims.

The words Success and Failure are further defined in the following verses:-

“And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful.” 3:104

“Be mindful of your duty to Allah, and seek a way of approach unto Him, and strive in His way in order that ye may be successful.” 5:35

“So fear not mankind but fear Me. And barter not My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judges not by what Allah hath revealed such are infidels.” 5:44

(Note:- This verse may be translated something as follows:-

Do not follow human or subjective values, but objective ones, those built into your nature and in the structure of the Universe. This is called fidelity. For those who become conscious of their nature, it comes as a revelation. Others, who are not conscious, have to follow the revelation given to those who have become conscious of these inherent values. Do not allow greed, prejudice or passion to cloud your awareness.)

”Stress not in your Religion other than the Truth, and follow not the vain desires of folk who erred of old and led many astray, and erred from a plain road.” 5:77

(Note:- This advice may well be taken by even the modern seeker. History is full of examples of nations and civilisations which have been destroyed either due to psychological, social or environmental malfunctions. In particular beware of the excesses which fanaticism and sentimentality, or the automatisms which habit or obsessions bring about.)

“Lo! We have placed all that is in the earth as an ornament thereof that We may try them: which of them is best in conduct.” 18:7

(Note:- The world exists for the purpose of development and selection.)

“Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world. But the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord’s sight for reward, and better in respect of hope.” 18:47

(Note:- Since life ends in death, there would be no purpose in life, no hope. But the Law of Cause and Effect ensures that the results of effort do endure. If this were not so then no evolution would be possible.)

“Surely, all true believers when they appeal unto Allah and His messenger to judge between them say only: We hear and we obey. And such are the successful.” 24:51

(Note:- Appeal to Allah and His messenger may be interpreted as the cultivation of objectivity. Success, therefore, depends on:- (a) Observing and learning from the world created by Allah. (b) Cultivating and applying the faculties Allah has given man. (c) Studying and applying the guiding scriptures since these provide us with a framework of reference through which experiences may be interpreted. (d) Cultivating and listening to conscience. It is necessary to emphasise that a messenger is he who is aware of his conscience, that is, who can hear Allah and obeys Him. The word, conscience has a wider and deeper significance than is normally given to it. It does not mean ideas and attitudes inculcated into a person through upbringing, training or conditioning. It means awareness of ones nature.)

“Nay, but those who do wrong follow their own lusts without knowledge. Who is able to guide him whom Allah hath sent astray? For such there are no helpers. So set thy purpose for religion as a man upright by nature - the nature made by Allah in which He hath created man. There is no altering the laws of Allah’s creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not.” 30:30

(Note:- Here we have the distinction between objective knowledge and prejudices, fantasies and rationalisations based on desires. Another definition of Islam is: surrender to ones inherent nature. From this point of view it does not refer to any set of doctrines or practices or institutions at all. Nor does it refer to any person or community. It refers only to a state of being.)

“Lo! The noblest among you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct...” 49:13

“And whoso is saved from his own avarice - such are they who are successful.” 59:9

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

(Note:- Conscience is suppressed in those who persist in living a life which is not inherently good. This is obvious if we consider that evil can be defined as going against ones inherent nature. The inner conflict so caused produces the suffering known as punishment.)

“So keep your duty unto Allah as best ye can, and listen, and obey, and spend: that is better for your souls. And whoso is saved from his own greed, such are the successful.” 64:16

“He is successful who grows, and remembers the name of his Lord, so prays.” 87:14,15

The following definitions are also derivable from the Quran:-

(1) Stupidity is the inability to understand the true nature of success and failure.

(2) Weakness is the inability to control oneself and power is the proportional to self-control.

(3) Poverty is the lack of excellent qualities, and wealth is proportional to the possession of the number of excellent qualities.

(4) Progress is the continuous development of useful qualities.

The words ‘progress’ and ‘success’ have three meanings:-

(a) Material, mechanical or technological progress which is the main goal in the West.

(b) Organic development whereby units combine to form greater wholes with increasing differentiation, complexity of inner organisation and capabilities. This is much more compatible with biological evolution.

(c) Increasing psychological integration. Human consciousness can be regarded as the collective consciousness of the cells of which they are composed, particularly of the brain. The progressive development of higher states of consciousness, a collective consciousness and the integration of this with the Universal consciousness. This may be regarded as the third stage in Evolution.

The purpose of Islam is to aid this process. and to achieve ultimate Unity of Consciousness.

It is obviously a much more difficult goal to understand, pursue and achieve. The Western world has achieved a measure of prosperity, power and stability because of the application of mechanics to all its affairs. But this kind of progress has limits, mainly because it is incompatible both with biological processes and human nature, and these incompatibilities are gradually emerging and producing problems which it is impossible to solve through the same mechanical attitude. It restricts, obstructs and arrest human development. Technology and organisation have to a large extent removed the incentives and stimuli for even biological evolution. The Muslim world, on the other hand, not having achieved the same kind of mechanical development, and not having lived up to its own goals either, finds itself everywhere at a disadvantage and in great turmoil. But the suffering so caused may well lead to correct development both in the Muslim world and elsewhere.

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Synopsis:-

Religion is not primarily about morality, social order, inducing guilt feelings, austerity or repression, as has been erroneously supposed, but about human development, though morality is a means to this end. This can be seen from the fact that Allah forgives sin:-

“If you avoid the great things which you are forbidden, We will remit from you your evil deeds and make you enter a noble state.” 4:31. Also see 53:32

“Allah desires for you ease; He desires not hardship for you.” 2:185

“Whoever is forced by necessity, not by will, to sin, for him Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” 5:3

“O you who believe! Forbid not the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, and transgress not. Verily, Allah loves not transgressors” 5:87

“If you punish, thne punish with the like of that wherewith you were afflicted. But if you endure with patience, it is better for you.” 16:126

“Lo Allah forgives not that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgives all save that to whom He will. “ 4:48 and 116

“Yet whosoever does evil or wrongs his own soul, then seeks pardon of Allah, will find Allah forgiving, Merciful.” 4:110

“Despair not of the mercy of Allah, who forgives all sins. Verily He is Forgiving, Merciful.” 39:53

“Your Lord has prescribed for Himself mercy, that whosoever does evil and then repents and does right, for him Allah is forgiving, merciful.” 6:54. Also 16:119

The notion of growth or development, however, is not connected with the physical nature of man, nor with accumulation of wealth, power or prestige, nor with social progress or technology, but with the notion of Vicegerency and the Soul, the seat of consciousness, conscience and will. A person has to realise his cosmic function and discharge the responsibilities which this bestows. This is possible only when he becomes aware of the fundamental unity of existence.

The doctrines about Allah, the Spirit, the soul and the Hereafter are themselves, apart from the instructions and the arguments, a method of achieving the goal. They become meaningless without the goal. It can hardly be denied that the ability of anyone to fulfil himself depends on adaptation to reality and that this is proportional to his awareness, sense of responsibility and abilities. As man progresses his knowledge, attitudes and abilities change. It can, therefore, be asserted that truth does not refer to what is understood at a given time, but only to the final outcome and that which leads to it. Of these only Allah, not man, can be the judge.

The purpose of Islam is to create (1) an exalted Self-image as a vicegerent (2) a Faith (3) a Purpose to life. It is these which govern human behaviour. The degenerate man can be defined as one who lacks these qualities and, therefore, behaves like an animal.

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Islam appears to have three levels of purposes:-

1. It was addressed to individuals.

2. It was meant to set up a religious community.

3. It was addressed to mankind collectively. Human being are not merely inter-dependant, but form a single organism. Islam, like other religions, introduced an impulse into the world which, like a stone thrown into a pond, sends out ripples in ever increasing circles until all parts of the pond are affected. The ripples, of course, grow weaker with distance and time.

“Your creation and your raising are only as the creation and raising of a single soul.” 31:28.

Hence:-

“Say (O Muhammad): O, Mankind; Lo, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all - the Messenger of Him unto Whom belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no God save Him. He quickens and He gives death.” 7:158

No Religion before Islam addressed itself to the whole of mankind. Moses addressed himself only to the Israelites, as did Jesus. ( “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matt 15:24 and 10:6).

However, though Jesus did ask his disciples later to spread the Word throughout the world, Christians regard only those who accept Jesus as being saved. Thus, though Religion now broke out of its tribal limits, it found other limits.

Islam may be described by ten features:-

1. The world was becoming a single system owing to travel, trade and communication, something which the Prophet Muhammad, who was himself a Merchant, encouraged. This widened the mind and stimulated the development of industry and transport. It led to the exchange and synthesis of ideas and cultures. Islam played a major role in this unification, both directly and through its influences. Unification of mankind is not yet complete. It will probably be complete when there is a World Government, the beginnings of which are to be seen in organizations such as the United Nations. No doubt the Prophet saw that the times were ripe to stimulate and prepare for this next stage in the history of the world. All narrow boundaries of race, nationality and religion had to be transcended. This feature of Islam may be called the Principle of Universality.

2. The main purpose of Islam is to introduce what we have called the Islamic Principle of Objectivity. This implies the recognition that there exists a Reality greater and above man to which human opinions, motives and actions should be subordinated. It is accepted in Science only in the intellectual field. It is not by accident that the Scientific attitude entered Europe through Islam. Francis Bacon is said to be the father of Western Science and studied in the Muslim universities in Spain. Economically, it exists in the recognition of market forces, though governments are always interfering with these. Politically, this principle appears to exist partially only in the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the U.S.A. No laws may be passed which flout the fundamental principles laid down there. These are regarded as self-evident truths lying outside opinions. However, the Constitution is man-made. In Islam the Quran provides such a Constitution.

“So fear not mankind but fear Me. And barter not My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judges not by what Allah hath revealed such are infidels.” 5:44

3. An important feature of Islam is the Principle of Unity. According to this all things derive from a fundamental Unity. All things are inter-connected and inter-dependant. They belong as parts to a whole, and may themselves be divided into parts. The whole is greater and independent of the sum of the parts. The parts are dependant on the whole. And human beings must not only recognize this but cooperate with it and act according to it.

4. A fourth feature of Islam which prepares for this age is what might be called the Principle of Consolidation. It is the emphasis on recording, the written word and particularly on the written contract. To make permanent and objective what was transitory and unavailable for verification and transmission. The Quran having been written down remains the same as originally recorded. All education, the development of Science and Technology, Political and Business administration and the Law, all these depend on the written word. It makes possible communication over long distances, in space and time and in the numbers of people reached, and it creates a more permanent, stable and objective record than the human memory.

“Read: In the name of thy Lord who creates, creates man from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, who teaches by the pen, teaches man that which he knew not.” 96:1-5

However, this verse may also be interpreted as an exhortation to observe and study ( the information recorded in nature and in ourselves, including memories ), rather than merely act on impulse or through instincts, conditioned reflexes and habits. Allah has recorded information and we should do the same.

5. A fifth characteristic of Islam relevant to the modern age is the Principle of Consultation. This can be called Democracy. The Prophet is not a King, Priest or a Dictator, but a guide. He was the last of the Prophets. He appointed no successor, and there is no priesthood in Islam. All men are brothers, and no distinction of race, colour or creed is to be made. There is to be no compulsion, and affairs have to be settled by consultation, openly without secrecy.

The Democratizing process is not to be understood as merely a Political device, but something much more fundamental, something governing the mentality of the people. For instance, in business and commerce, it manifests itself as the attitude that the manufacturer, business man or merchant will provide whatever the customer wants rather than controlling what the customer should or should not have. In science it implies that there should be discussion between scholars and a consensus of opinion should be reached. All new ideas are submitted to such scrutiny, and none has the power to pronounce what should or should not be accepted as true or false. In religion it means that there is no priesthood and no organized church. Each person is responsible for his own spiritual development and that of those with whom he comes into contact.

The Islamic view of Democracy, however, differs from the Western one in that it is assumed that the people are all devoted to objective principles rather than to their own fantasies and prejudices. No benefits to mankind can ensue from the latter.

“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets...” 33:40

“...Say ( O Muhammad ): I am not put in charge of you..” 6:66

“There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error.” 2:256

“And if thy Lord willed all who are in the earth would have believed together. Would you ( Muhammad ) compel men to believe? It is not for any soul to believe save by the permission of Allah. he has set uncleanness upon those who have no sense.” 10:100-101

“..The messenger has no other charge than to convey the message plainly.” 24:54

“... and those who answer the call of their Lord and establish worship, and whose affairs are a matter of consultation, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them.” 42:38

“..So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah..” 3:159

“My people will never agree on a falsehood.” A Hadith

( Note: The phrase ‘My people’ refers to those who follow the teachings of Muhammad, and cannot apply to all and sundry who follow their own whims.)

The implication is that the prophet represents the stamp of confirmation and the completion of all genuine religion. He is the last of the Prophets. In future man was to be left to his own devices having already been given all necessary guidance. Like a child which reaches adulthood, he is to emerge from under the control and protection of parents and assume full responsibility. He now has to learn from his own experiences. It is obvious that though the child in its initial stages does require close supervision, it cannot reach proper maturity and the role of the Vicegerent unless he becomes gradually independent. However, he still needs a contract and a job-description, a system of values or guidelines. Note, however, that the verse distinguishes between Messengers and Prophets. It does not say that there will be no further Messengers but only that there will be no further Prophets. Indeed, Muhammad predicted the return of Jesus. The Guidance of God will not stop.

6. The community is, therefore, not to be regulated by someone regarded as superior or the whims of men but by written laws. Thus, the Rule of a Constitutional Law is a sixth principle. Islam does not merely have moral teachings, but also legislates laws.

7. Islam is based on the community recognizing that no individual exists in isolation, but is formed, interacts with and dependant on a community for his ideas, attitudes, values, food, and other needs and welfare, and that a united community is stronger and more capable than a collection of the same individuals. It, therefore, provides for the very first Welfare State through the institution of Zakat. Hence the Principle of Social Responsibility

8. An eighth Characteristic of Islam is Jihad, the righteous struggle or striving against evil and for the establishment of the good. This may take place within the individual, within society or the world. It is based on the idea that there is an objective purpose in the development of the Universe with which human beings must cooperate. Though Islam is, therefore, regarded as an aggressive religion this depends on how aggression is defined. The conventional view is that aggression refers to the provocation, readiness for, or actual, confrontation and combat with other human beings. In fact aggression is a characteristic required to solve problems. We are not normally aware of anything which is homogeneous and uniform. We become aware only when there is a contrast. This constitutes a problem. The purpose of awareness is to activate us, to supply the effort, a third factor, which will reconcile the opposition and restore unity. Indeed, energy, even in science, may be regarded as the product of a tension between opposites. An opposition may exist between a particular external condition and an inner desire. A problem, by arousing the defense/fight/flight reaction produces fear, anxiety, tension until the problem is solved. Life, in so far as it has inbuilt desires may, therefore, be seen as a problem solving device and a struggle between a goal and inertia. The impulse to restore unity is the reverse of the process of differentiation from which the Universe arose. Evolution is a built in characteristic. There can be no development but by the overcoming of opposition. Muscles do not grow when they do no work, nor do the psychological faculties.

The righteous struggle arises from a problem which is due to the opposition between an objective value and a fact, between a desirable or ideal situation and an actual one, Since the development of things depends not only on ‘what is’ but also on ‘what will be’, the logic of this principle is clear.

It is evident, however, that it is in the West that people have refused to submit to things as they are and have made all the efforts leading to present day developments. However, these efforts have not been in the pursuit of objective values. That is, it has not been a Righteous Jihad.

9. Islam is also known as the Straight Path . To have an objective goal and go straight, single-mindedly, for it without distraction, deviation, hypocrisy, intermediaries or squandering physical, social or psychological energy. All subjective goals, indecisiveness, futility and purposeless meandering is to be avoided. The Favour and the Wrath of Allah refer to psychological advantages or disadvantages.

“Show us Thy Straight Path, the path of those whom Thou hast favoured; not the path of those who earn Thy wrath, nor of those who go astray.”1:5-7

“O you who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point.” 33:70

“It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that you say that which you do not do.” 61:3

“The likeness of those who are entrusted with the Law of Moses yet apply it not, is the likeness of the ass carrying books.” 62:5

10. Islam is also be called the Middle or Balanced Path.

“Thus We have appointed you a justly balanced nation, that ye may be witnesses against mankind, and that the messenger may be a witness against you.” 2:143

The middle path lies between laxity and self-indulgence on the one hand and austerity or asceticism on the other. Islam does not deny the pleasures of the world or of the flesh, but requires the individual to keep these within bounds. The Muslim lands are, of course, also in the middle of the world, between east and west, north and south, thereby carrying influences from each to the other, mingling and re-radiating these influences.

Not all the implications of Islam have been realized. But there is little doubt that the Protestant Churches developed after the impact of Islam on Christianity and are more like Islam than the original Catholic or Orthodox Churches are. Nor is the Islamic idea of democracy like that in the West. It is not independent of the Principle of Objectivity. Allah and His Law are supreme. The authority rests with those who obtain knowledge of it. Without this we obtain a tyranny of the majority or of the whims and interests of individuals, groups and parties who can manipulate them.

According to the Quran, there are two kinds of Prophets, Nabis and Rasuls. That is, minor and major, or ordinary prophets and Messengers. The ordinary prophets re-confirm or renew the teachings of the Messengers. The Messengers, being men who are conscious of the world process, inaugurate and preside over a complete age in human History. Their influence is world wide, both directly and indirectly. That is, their teachings do not merely convert some of the people to a particular teaching, attitude, way of life and state of consciousness, but also has a greater subconscious effect both on the converts and on other religions and people. The impact of Islam produced reformations in Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. The Renaissance from which Modern Western Civilization derives can be traced back to the influences which seeped into Europe through the Arab and Turkish conquests. The single man, Muhammad, with a single book, the Quran transformed a relatively primitive and disorganized people into a world force in a relatively short time. These people then created the greatest Empire and the Highest Civilization of the time. Here in the middle of the world, they synthesized the learning of the east and the west, the south and the north and passed it from the past to the future and into Europe. The present age until the return of Christ must still be regarded as under the influence of the Prophet Muhammad. And some of the implications of his message are yet to be worked out.

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There are several ways in which the word ‘Evolution’ can be understood:-

1. The continuous increase in knowledge, technology and organization. It is, however, likely that the development of high technological civilizations leads to a crisis point. They will either destroy themselves through war or by disrupting their environments because no equivalent moral development has taken place, or they will undergo a social and psychological as well as an environmental revolution whereby moral development will catch up and the balance will be restored. Such crisis points have been reached before and it is thought that this may also have happened to civilizations on other planets in the Universe. But the development of civilizations can take three forms:-

(a) It is supposed by some people that the next step in evolution is the Machine, being an offspring of man. These will become increasingly more sophisticated and intelligent and take over all human functions and may eventually replace man.

(b) Human beings will create Space ships and progressively set up colonies in the rest of the Galaxy and, eventually, the Universe. But they may differentiate into different species adapted to different conditions.

(c) Human beings will set up increasingly larger and more tightly knit organisations until they become a single organism, having different tissues and organs and a central brain. There will be a progress from a world government to a Galactic and eventually a Universal Empire.

2. The continuity in Biological evolution. Human beings will develop their potentialities and add to these. This can happen in three ways:- through the normal processes of mutation and selection, though human beings will do some social engineering to produce mutations and manipulate the selection process by means of suitable social and environmental conditions; through the use of drugs, operations, and genetic engineering; and through the development and use of instruments and sophisticated psychological and educational techniques. This, too has several aspects:-

(a) A superman will arise who will replace ordinary humanity as the dominant species. They may develop numerous psychic faculties which are even now present in rudimentary form. The faculties which arise will make technology obsolete. It is, however, likely that these powers without appropriate moral development will destroy man.

(b) Human beings become increasingly responsible for the development of the whole environment and all animals and plants in it. The whole planet, therefore, becomes a single organism of which man is the brain. This process continues until the whole galaxy and even the Universe becomes a single organism.

(c) That human consciousness continues to expand so that it becomes aware of the whole human organism, then becomes identified with the planetary consciousness. Later it becomes part of the galactic consciousness followed by the Universal consciousness.

3. There are normal stages of development in the individual from conception to adulthood and beyond death. there is a process of metamorphosis as in the arising of butterflies. Human beings are able to create an inner subtler body which survives physical death on earth. This is possible because all cellular matter consists of molecular matter which consists of nuclear matter and this itself consists of electromagnetic matter which consists of whatever the fundamental substance in the Universe is. All these other materials arise by organization in stages from this fundamental substance. All constitute different inter-penetrating worlds. There may be several stages in the development of man until he finally returns to the source from which the Universe arose. It may be that at each level he has a function with respect to the world he finds himself in. The notion of Hell and Heaven are connected with how this inner construction takes place. Research has shown that human beings, apart from the visible physical body, also have what is called a Bioplasmic sphere surrounding them which consists of ionized matter. The structure of this resembles the charts in Chinese Acupuncture, and probably also in Yoga and Sufi medicine. Human beings also contain an electromagnetic field having its own structure. Both these are connected and interact with similar fields associated with the earth, the sun and the rest of the Cosmos.

These three views of Evolution are not necessarily mutually exclusive and may even be interdependent or mutually supporting. There is support for some of these in the Quran, and they are all compatible with the view of man as Vicegerent. They are also integral to the notion of Surrender.

“If He will, He can remove you and cause what He will to follow after you, even as He raised you from the seed of other folk. Lo! That which you are promised will surely come to pass, and you cannot escape.” 6:134

“If He will He can be rid of you and bring instead of you some new creation. That is not a hard thing for Allah.” 35:16-17

“Ye shall journey from plane to plane.” 84:19

“And We have created above you seven paths, and We are never unmindful of creation.” 23:17

“We may transfigure you and make you what you know not. And verily you know the first creation. Why do you not reflect? Have ye seen that which you cultivate?” 56:61-63

“O ye who believe: Obey Allah and the messenger when He calls you to that which quickens you.” 8:24

The Quran recognizes the evolution of the souls through four stages:- (1) Nafs-i-Ammara ( Quran 12:53 ), the Commanding soul, the ordinary soul prone to evil. (2) Nafs-i-lawwama ( Quran 75:2 ), The Self-accusing, self-critical or self-conscious soul, (3) Nafs-i-mulhima ( Quran 34:2 ) The Inspired Soul. and (4) Nafs-i-mutmainna ( Quran 89:27-30 ) The Serene, Peaceful, Fulfilled or Perfect Soul.

The purpose of Islam, then, is to re-awaken the soul, to re-sensitize the higher faculties lying dormant in man. Although a number of techniques are used to prepare the mind of the individual, it has to be emphasized that these efforts do not cause the development. Development cannot be forced or purchased or stolen, and yet efforts are necessary as a pre-requisite. Enlightenment, awakening, or salvation comes like a gift from heaven. Many people, mostly students, have experience of the fact that, though they make enormous efforts to understand something or to solve a problem, they fail. It is when they have exhausted their normal minds that understanding or the solution comes to them in a flash, often when half asleep or in dreams. Most creative acts are of this nature, be it in Art, Science, Engineering or anything else. The effort merely prepares the mind so that it becomes receptive to information coming from outside. This is like tuning a radio set to receive signals of a particular wave length.

What we are speaking about is not, therefore, only the gradual evolution which the rest of the biosphere has undergone over millions of years, though this still continues. We are speaking about faculties which are already in existence but which lie dormant and unused because the conditions of life have been such as to favour the functioning of only the other faculties. We can think of primitive and barbaric times when man had to concentrate on physical skills and the kind of intellect now exercised with great effect by scientists would have been disadvantageous. And yet it is perfectly possible to take a primitive child out of a jungle and educate him to develop just as sharp an intellect. This education consists as much of refining the faculties as of removing obstructions created by superstitions, habits and prejudices. Indeed, it may be said that the educational process, if correctly carried out, does not really create anything, it merely helps to actualize the potentialities already there. When it adds anything it is bad, because it adds a burden of conditioning and habits which, like fat, obstruct the free functioning of the mind. An overwhelming amount of data which has not been ‘digested and assimilated’ has this effect. The signs of this are increasing complexity and confusion.

“Who goes further astray than he who follows his own desires without guidance from Allah. Lo, Allah guides not wrongdoing folk.” 28:50

“Allah casts the Spirit of His command upon whom He wills of His servants.” 40:15

“Allah is protecting friend of those who believe. He brings them out of darkness into light.” 2:257

“Deemed ye that ye would enter paradise while yet Allah knows not those of you who really strive, nor knows those who are steadfast?” 3:142

“Whatever of good befalls thee, O man, it is from Allah, and whatever ill befalls thee it is from thyself.” 4:79

“Whoso commits sin commits it only against himself.” 4:111

“ If He will, He can remove you, O people, and produce others in your stead.” 4:133

“O ye who believe ye have charge of your own souls. He who errs cannot injure you if ye are rightly guided.” 5:105

“ O ye who believe: Obey Allah and he Messenger when He calls you to that which quickens you, and know that Allah comes in between a man and his own heart..” 8:24

“There is no refuge from Allah save towards Him.” 9:118

“Lo, Allah changes not the condition of a folk unless they first change that which is in their hearts.” 13:11

“There is no power save in Allah.” 18:40

We can summarize as follows:-

1. The human condition cannot be improved unless human beings change.

2. Human beings cannot change except by making personal efforts.

3. The efforts people make are judged by the motives behind them.

4. The motives are judged by the faith underlying them.

5. The faith is judged by how it is understood.

6. The transformation is achieved by the awakening of a higher faculty at present lying dormant in man.

7. Transformation is not achieved by human will or action but by receptivity and submission to truth.

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Things, left to themselves, may be said to be in a state of equilibrium such that all parts form a harmonious whole. Something must be introduced into the system from a higher system to disturb this equilibrium. An opposition Now exists between the state of equilibrium and the disturbing force. The system will then change until it reaches another state of equilibrium. These changes will vary with the nature of the system. The changes, therefore, can be regarded as reactions to, or something which neutralizes, the disturbing force. They constitute a third factor within the system which attempts to create an adjustment to the greater system. This can be said to be the cause and purpose of change. This cannot, of course, be said about the ultimate system outside which nothing exists. Changes, therefore, refer only to sub-systems, the universe and its contents, not to the Absolute.

A purpose creates and is created by a problem. A problem is always a conflict between two conditions. They may be (a) between an external and an internal condition. (b) between two purely internal conditions, e.g two desires or ideas, and (c) between two purely external conditions, e.g. two different courses of action or obstructions to some action, or the incompatibility between data of experience.

A stimulus consists of a problem. It is a contrast. A uniformity does not constitute a stimulus. The purpose of a stimulus is to make us aware, and to activate us. And the purpose of this action is to solve the problem. A solution consists of reconciliation, the removal of the opposition, the restoring of harmony. An intellectual problem is solved by an explanation which consists of reducing the unknown to the known by discovering or making appropriate relationships. Life itself may be defined as a problem solving device, something whose purpose it is to restore the original Unity from which all things arose in the first place.

If in the beginning there was an original Unity, then creation consists of the arising of a pair of opposites, as confirmed by the Quran (36:35). The creation of a pair of opposite also involved the creation of a third reconciling force which originally kept the opposites in unity and now continues to strive to restore the unity. Life or energy is, therefore, an integral part of creation. It probably arises from the tension between opposites when separated. The restoration of Unity is the ultimate purpose of Islam and this is inherent in the notion of ‘surrender’. It is, therefore, synonymous with proper life.

When faced with a problem the individual is stimulated into the fight/escape/defense reaction. This provides three ways of solving the problem. All three could be forms of surrender. The problem could be solved by removing either one or the other factor, or separating the two by means of a barrier. or re-integrating them. In all cases it consists of supplying a third factor.

However, solutions could be (a) subjective, (b) perverse or (c) objective. A subjective solution may take the form of fantasy. Here the solution is not in the same place as the problem. An external problem is solved internally, or an internal one is solved externally. Or an Interactionist problem is solved internally or externally and vice versa. The problem is not solved, but another is created. A perverse solution may take the form of theft for instance. This consists of creating a new problem. A person obtains satisfaction by depriving others. He also produces conflict between himself and others. In order to solve this problem he must conceal and hide. Working to supply his need would be the objective solution.

A purpose, however, has other ingredients. A person must be conscious that there is a problem and must have the (1) knowledge, (2) motivation and (3) ability to solve it. He must know what is desirable and what the situation is. He must then actually do something about it. These conditions are seldom met. It is much easier to suppress awareness when things are difficult. This, too, is a solution to the conflict, i.e escape. But this is a subjective solution. In fact the problem is not solved. It is believed by some, probably because of Christianity as taught by Paul, that Love is the most important or even the only method of solving problems. However, a more balanced Islamic view is that it requires Wisdom, Compassion and Capability.

All genuine religions attempt to create an awareness of the real conditions of life and the real inner strivings. The Teachers are resented for making people aware of what they do not wish to be aware of. This is the cause of their persecution. People want to get rid of their problems by getting rid of those who bring it to their attention. It is also the cause of the subsequent degeneration of religion. The religious teachings are perverted to create comfort and allow people to go back into fantasy and sleep. In this sense Karl Marx was right when he called religion “The Opium of the People.” In contrast Jesus, a true Teacher of Religion said: “I come not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34). This is contrary to what Christians believe about Jesus. The attitude of the Prophet Muhammad was the same. He taught the Jihad.

Knowing the purpose of life changes attitudes towards all things. Success and failure will then be defined quite differently.

It is no longer necessary to strive for wealth, power or prestige or pleasure to establish an identity for oneself. Prosperity or adversity are equal in that they can both be taken advantage of for learning and development. It is the character and quality of the individual which matters, not what he has or what his position and social status are.

The word “property” has been misused. In science it means the qualities which are an integral part of the object; that by which it is recognized and described. The legal use of the word is a mere convention. What a person is said to possess is never a part of him. He comes into the world without it and departs without it. And while he is in the world it can be easily taken away from him. Attachment to external objectstie a person down physically, and what is worse, emotionally and mentally. His entire consciousness and motivation is limited by them. It is not the case that Islam or any other religion is against wealth, prestige or power since they have their uses, but they are against this psychological enslavement. It is not money, for instance, but the love of money which is the root of all evil.

But possessions do not merely refer to material objects. Status and social power, as well as prejudices and opinions can be possessions. Most people are burdened with fixed ideas of some kind which do not, in fact, belong to them, but which they have acquired from others by accident. In particular many suffer from various kinds of bigotry. It appears that the less they actually know the greater is their attachment. The reason for this seems to be that ignorance and inadequacy produce insecurity, and insecurity leads people to cling to anything which they consider to be a source of power or personal significance. This, in turn, allows them to deceive themselves into thinking that they are truly significant, thus trapping them in their original state. The boaster, for instance, has to boast to convince himself and others about his prowess precisely because sub-consciously he knows he has none. It may, however, be the case that he mistakenly thinks he has none. Or that he attributes the results of circumstance and chance to his abilities.

Any situation whatever, be it wealth or poverty, freedom or restriction, fortune or adversity, can be used for psychological development, though some situations may be better than others. These situations are to be encouraged. But no situation will have the desired effect unless people know how to use them, and this knowledge needs to be disseminated. The purchase of a machine, for instance, is quite futile without the instructions for its use. Religion may, therefore, be considered to be a Book of Instructions for a particular purpose and in particular situations.

Technology and wealth tends to release time, energy and attention from the business of making a living, thereby making these available for higher purposes - from merely maintaining life to giving it a purpose. But this does not, in fact, happen. The human resources released, in the absence of a purpose for life, are not only wasted but produce greater problems and even lead to degeneration. We need hardly describe these as the economic, social, and psychological problems are so widespread that few are unaware of them. On the other hand all work even when confined to making a living has developmental and even cosmic value. Evolution in nature took place while organisms were concerned with no more than self-preservation and reproduction.

The word “wealth” is also badly misunderstood. It is used to refer to the quantity of materials instead of to the amount of benefits it produces. In fact it is possible to waste most of it or even to produce harmful results. Ten suits of clothing cannot all be worn together. Industry produces goods quite easily these days with automated machinery, and concerns itself with creating markets artificially by persuading people to want what they would otherwise not need. Often they ensure that goods wear out quickly so that they need replacing. It is not a question of need at all. These artificial wants enslave people and lead them to work and earn excessively beyond their needs, at the expense of higher pursuits, real needs, and even at the expense of other people who are thrown out of work and deprived.

A vicious circle often arises where the misinterpretation of needs leads to the pursuit of wants which produce no satisfaction. The frustration so caused leads to renewed efforts even to the point of obsession. But again, since the real needs are misunderstood, substitutes are chased, and there is only further frustration.

It should not be supposed, however, that Islam is against material progress. The Islamic attitude may be summed up as follows:-

1. Material progress should not be obtained at the expense of psychological progress. Material progress only changes the immediate environment after all, while the real purpose of all human activity is to benefit man himself.

2. The value of things should be judged by the psychological or spiritual benefits it can create. Material things can be used for this purpose and material progress may facilitate psychological development.

3. Those who make psychological progress will have greater ability to make material progress.

4. Man has certain basic needs to maintain life. Having achieved this it is possible to devote life to some higher purpose. Higher values can only be pursued when the basic needs are fulfilled.

5. It may well be that those who have made psychological progress will not have the same values and goals as those living today. They might consider some of the present aims worthless or even harmful. Planning for future generations may thus turn out to be a futile exercise.

“O ye who believe, forbid not the good things which Allah hath made lawful unto you, and transgress not. Lo Allah loves not transgressors.” 5:87

“But of mankind is he who saith: Our Lord, give unto us in the world. He hath no portion in the hereafter. And of them is also he who saith: Our Lord, give unto us in the world that which is good and in the hereafter that which is good, and guard us from the doom of fire.” Quran 2:200-201

Note: The first person does not discriminate between good and bad. He merely wants wealth, power, prestige etc. The second man wants only what is good both in this world and in the hereafter.

The number of things which is forbidden is very limited, e.g the flesh of swine, alcohol, gambling, usury, adultery, murder, theft, lying, injustice, injury, wasting, hoarding. Everything else is lawful, though there are certain obligations also, e.g. giving in charity, consultation, mutual aid, kindness, giving good advice, seeking knowledge, striving, working to earn what one obtains, defending the community, prayer, fasting and so on. By creating barriers in certain directions while stimulating activities in other directions, the psychic energies are channeled in particular ways. There are three directions:-

(a) to create certain changes in the physical environment. Man is the brain of the planet, and it is part of his duty as vicegerent of Allah to help in the government of nature.

(b) to create certain social conditions in which certain things can become possible to the benefit of man and the environment.

(c) to create certain psychological conditions which facilitate evolution and self-construction.

The purpose of Life can best be understood and remembered when there is a constant reminder of Death since it is the inevitable end of life and ambition. People tend to suppress this idea because it is unpleasant. And yet it is because of an unconscious awareness of death which leads them to seek pleasure and other distractions or sources of comfort and security. But this is an unintelligent way of dealing with the situation.

“He thinks that his wealth will render him immortal.” 104:3

“Nay, but verily man is rebellious that he thinks himself independent.” 96:6,7

There appears to be a contradiction within man. On the one hand he does have a self-preservative instinct, and on the other hand he has a built-in process of aging and death. This is the fundamental problem of human existence. It is no use escaping from it. It must be solved.

It is argued by non-believers that the belief in the after-life on which religion is based, is the result of wishful thinking because of the fear of death. But obviously those who deny the after-life Believe that they do not suffer from this rationalization. Why then do they suppose that others do. It can be argued that it is the deniers who are doing the rationalizations since acceptance of the after-life implies a much more difficult life which prevents them from self-indulgence. Those who believe that death ends all, for them all purposes are futile. And if they are futile then every purpose is as good or bad as any other. There can be no value system for them. What is apparently purposive action in such people cannot be really purposive. It is either escapist, defensive or aggressive, the three kinds of reactions which are aroused in the face of a problem. Or it is a purely mechanical or automatic reaction produced as a result of programming by the environment. These are the inevitable results of restricted consciousness. This dispute can only be settled by examining the facts.

1. The life of the individual is not the whole of life. He is a cell within the body of humanity, which is an organ of the biosphere, which is an organ of the planet earth and so on. He affects all these as the actions of his arm, and the cells of which he is made, affect him.

2. There is a law of cause and effect such that the actions of a person produce changes in the environment, the material, social as well as psychological. These continue to produce other effects and so on.

3. The mental life and consciousness of the individual arises from and returns into the collective mind and consciousness. He receives influences, ideas and reactions from others and conversely, affects them. The genes he is composed of are contained also in other people, and even animals. He acquires his personality from the culture which forms him and everyone else.

4. The body with which a person identifies himself is nothing but a pattern through which materials and energy are constantly flowing, and these materials through their circulation connect all things. He is constantly changing. His cells die and are discarded, and are replaced by new ones produced from the food he eats and the water he drinks and the air he breathes. These materials circulate through all creatures, connecting them all.

5. Our idea of space and time are changing as science proceeds. They were regarded as absolutes and distinct once and are now seen as different dimensions of the same thing and relative to the speed of observers. If time is a dimension in which past, present and future coexists, then the present life is only a small section of it. There are cycles in it such that the same events recur with some modifications e.g. the day and the seasons.

6. If the number of particles in the universe are limited, and any object is defined by combination of particles, then given sufficient time the same combinations will necessarily be reproduced.

Where, then, are the boundaries between one person and another, either in space, in time or in qualities. A distinction has to be made here as everywhere else between the apparent and the real. It is by now widespread knowledge that the world as we see it is not at all the same as the world which reveals itself when it is closely studied as in science, for instance. But knowing this is not the same thing as understanding it, and neither is the same as being conscious of it and behaving accordingly.

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