1. THE ESSENCE OF RELIGION

We may ask three questions about Islam or any system or discipline:-

(a) On what authority is it based?

(b) What is its nature or consistency?

(c) What is its thesis?

The Authority

Islam is a religion taught by the Prophet Muhammad on the authority of Allah, the Creator of all things – that is, it is based on the Fundamental Reality.

However, this statement requires several qualifications.

1. He taught that this Religion is the same as that taught by other Prophets throughout the world.

“Nothing is said unto thee (Muhammad) but what was said unto the Messengers before thee.” 41:43

“Lo! We inspired thee as We inspired Noah, and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the Psalms.” 4:163

2. These teachings were given in three forms:-

(a) The teachings were inspired into him when he was in a state of special receptivity. The angel Gabriel is said to have conveyed them to him directly from Allah. These teachings are recorded in the Quran and have remained unaltered. These teachings are, therefore, not attributed to Muhammad, but to Allah. Unlike other scriptures, the words in the Quran are given by Allah in the first person. They are not reports by someone else.

(b) Traditions about the Prophet’s sayings and doings are recorded in the Hadith. There are several compilations of these. These, like other scriptures, are reports by other people, but unlike them, are reports by his immediate companions.

(c) The Prophet is also reported to have given a set of teachings to a select group of his companions. These are esoteric in nature.

3. The above considerations lead to the distinction between the set of ordinary human faculties operating in everyday life and a higher set of faculties. The characteristics of the latter are that they require human passivity, receptivity or submission rather than activity, that they are more synthetic as opposed to analytical in nature, and that they relate to the greater, universal and comprehensive world rather than the limited world of daily affairs. These faculties were active not only in the Prophet Muhammad, but also in all other Prophets. Other people also possess this potentiality to various degrees. Some of those in whom it is well developed are known as mystics. Thus the teachings can be attributed to these faculties. It is not possible to accept or understand Islam, or any other religion, without this faculty.

“Follow that which is inspired in thee from thy Lord.” 6:107

The difference between the Prophet Muhammad who was like Moses in this respect and other Prophets, lies in this that the former was able to switch between the higher and the lower faculties so that he created a bridge between the worldly and the transcendental and united the secular with the spiritual life into a comprehensive unity. He dealt with economic and political matters as well as spiritual. This appears not to have been the case with Jesus or Buddha.

The Consistency

One day while the Prophet Muhammad was with his disciples a man with very white clothing and very black hair, whom no one knew, came up and sat down besides him. He leant his knees against those of the Prophet, placed his hands on his thighs, and said, “Tell me, Muhammad, about Islam (Discipline).”

The Prophet replied: “ Islam means that you should testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger, that you should observe prayer, pay the zakah (the Poor Due), fast during the month of Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the House of Allah if you have the means to do so.”

The man said: “You have spoken the truth.” This apparent arrogance caused considerable surprise among the disciples. He then asked: “Tell me about Iman (Faith).”

The Prophet replied: “It means that you should believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the Last Day, and that you should believe in the decreeing both of good and of evil.”

The man again said: “You have spoken the truth. Now tell me about Ihsan (Righteousness).”

The Prophet replied: “ It means that you should worship Allah as though you saw Him, for though you do not see Him, He sees you.”

The man then asked: “ Now tell me about the Hour (The Last Hour, the Hour of Judgment).”

The Prophet replied: “ The one who is asked about it is no better informed than the one who is asking.”

The man said: “Then tell me about its signs.”

The Prophet answered: “That a maid servant should beget her mistress, and that you should see barefooted, naked poor men and shepherds exalting themselves in buildings.” (Another reporter adds “ When you see the barefooted, the naked, the deaf, the dumb as kings of the earth, as well as five things which no one but Allah knows.”)

Then when the man had gone, the Prophet asked Umar: “Do you know who the questioner was?”

He said :”Allah and His messenger know best.”

The Prophet explained: “He was Gabriel who came to you to teach you your religion.”

This story is a traditions found in the collection known as the Mishkat al Masabih and in other collections. It is important from three main reasons:-

1. The religion taught by Muhammad is not his own invention but was transmitted to him. It appears that he was tested for the benefit of others on its fundamental attitudes. It is not known whether Gabriel appeared as a common vision to the gathering, whether it was induced by the Prophet, or whether the name “Gabriel” was being used metaphorically to refer to some actual person, and one who may have been representing some Esoteric group. It may be that the Prophet was not referring to a person but to the event. It makes no difference. Islam is regarded as having an objective, not a subjective source. Gabriel is the Spirit who transmits the message from Allah to man, from the Objective to the Subjective mind. This makes the man into a Prophet. Hence the idea that a Religion is represented by a triad, namely, God, the Spirit and the Prophet. Though they obviously work as one, the actual identification of each with the other, as in Christianity, is denied in Islam. The difference between the two religions can be attributed to a difference in attitude. We have to distinguish between the teacher, the teaching and the subject of the teaching. Christianity teaches by pointing to the teacher, hence it emphasises the role of the Prophet, probably because the people were not ready for more abstract ideas. Islam teaches by placing the emphasis on the teaching, and beyond it on Reality itself. The prophet is not, therefore, the final authority in Islam. One consequence of this is that the validity of other Prophets is also recognised.

2. Both good and evil are decreed. The implication is that there is no Dualism in Islam. Allah is the source of the power required for both good and evil (as judged by man); that there is a law of causation which determines events; that there is a plan or pattern in which all things fit and according to which all things unfold. The time of ones death or the time of the judgement when the consequences and results of ones actions will manifest themselves in not known. Nor is it known when a whole society, civilisation or even the whole of mankind will be destroyed and judged. There are, however, signs in the form of inconsistencies and contradictions in life. The barefoot, poor and naked may be taken as symbols for people who have no foundations, values, sophistication, personalities or means, are poor in ability, motive and knowledge, and the shepherds are those who lead others. The deaf, the dumb may be taken as referring to spiritually or even intellectually deaf and dumb people and the kings to various kinds of authorities. And it may refer to inner psychological conditions. The soul which should be the servant to God begets an Ego which takes control.

The Day of Judgement and Resurrection, the period of time when the old earth and heaven will be destroyed and a new earth and heaven will be created (14:48) is a central idea in Islam. It refers to the end of an era and the revolutionary changes in the environmental and psychological conditions of man. According to some people we are now in just such a period, and this, from all the signs, seems a reasonable conclusion, though other periods in the past also fit. On the other hand it could refer to a much greater revolutionary change in the future.

A Muslim is required to live his life:-

(a) As if death and judgement could take place at any time.

(b) With vigilance regarding inconsistencies.

(c) He should also live in the awareness that Allah sees all his actions, thoughts and feelings. It is now a widely known fact that every thing a person does and experiences is recorded in his subconscious memory and that this modifies him. A record may also form in the Collective Unconscious or the very fabric of Space-Time. All actions have effects, which continue to have further effects. Even inner private thoughts and motives modify behaviour which then affects others. No person can escape the law of causation or the Inner Observer. Life should be governed not by the past or the future but by the immediate present moment at which alone we have control. Past experiences are no excuse for present misdemeanours nor should the doing of a good deed be postponed to another time. Neither should the persisting mood, anger or resentment of the past nor the fantasies and hopes for the future interfere with correct action in the present.

(d) Though an individual is required to make efforts, the results of his actions are determined by Allah, the source of the causal forces. These causes may not only be external ones, but may be within a person, within all other things, or interactively inherent in relationships. What other people or nature does is equally determined. He should not blame or praise himself, others or nature, harbour resentment or elation, but do something positive to put things right. Nor is arrogance, conceit and boasting justifiable. A person is not his own maker. Though the society is required to punish crimes, it is not for revenge but in order to set up appropriate causal forces which will modify behaviour. Organisation, teaching, argument and example setting also have this function. Anger and other emotions may well be used in the same way. But this is an objective use of emotion not a subjective reaction. All of these work only under certain conditions. Knowledge is, therefore, of supreme importance. It introduces into a person new causal forces.

The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said:

“Superiority in knowledge is better than superiority in worship, and the basis of religion is abstinence..... They are both engaged in what is good, but one of them is superior to the other. The ones are praying and supplicating Allah, who, if He wills, may answer their prayer, but, if He wills, may refuse them. The others are learning and teaching the ignorant, therefore they are superior. I was sent only as a teacher.”

3. The religion taught by the Prophet consists of three layers:-

al-Islam - The religious discipline.

al-Iman - The Faith.

Al-Ihsan - Right behaviour, righteousness or pietyy.

Islam can, therefore, be seen in three ways:-

(a) Either Islam is only one part (al-islam) of this triad and the Muslim is required only to adhere to this part - indeed, many orthodox Muslims appear to cling to this idea.

(b) Or the whole religion as taught by the Prophet transcends Islam, and his followers ought to follow the other two aspects also - many Muslims do and are then regarded as being outside Islam by the orthodox.

(c) Or Islam consists of all three.

In this book, we opt for the last alternative. Our account of Islam will, therefore, differ considerably from accounts based on the other two points of view. There is a physical surrender to a discipline, a mental surrender to a faith and a spiritual surrender to righteousness. The distinction is made according to the three aspects of man, namely, body, mind and soul. Faith does not mean mere intellectual belief but the confidence and commitment to act according to it. Righteousness, on the other hand, is connected with being rather than knowing. A person is righteous when he behaves rightly or correctly according to his nature and its inherent conscience.

These three aspects of Islam can be said to correspond to:-

The Shariat - The Religious Law

The Tariqat - The Way or Method

The Haqiqat - The Truth

The Shariat, because it consists of particular sets of laws designed for particular peoples and circumstances, differs between the various Prophets and religions. Faith, however, is more general and lies behind the laws. It is capable of giving rise to many different methods. Faith is a common factor in all religions. Truth lies beyond faith. A person who behaves according to an awareness of his true nature requires no faith. The Prophets act in accordance with truth, and though they are founders of religion they do not belong to any particular religion. Religion is required only by those who are not perfect in this sense.

They also correspond to the distinctions made in the Quran between three levels of knowledge:-

Ilm-ul-Yaqin (the Certainty of mind), the verbal or rational truth. (Quran 102:5)

Ain-ul-Yaqin (Certainty of Sight), experiential or empirical truth. (Quran 102:7)

Haqq-ul-Yaqin (Certainty of Truth), Absolute or categorical truth. (Quran 69:51)

Reality is not the same as an experience of it, and a verbal description is not the same as an experience. There is more to Reality than can be experienced and more to experience than can be described. A description is about part of an experience, and an experience is about part of an object. The one is done through the medium of language and the other through consciousnesses, both of which have their own structures and limitations, and differ from those of the object. Many different descriptions of the same experiences, and many different experiences of the same objects are possible. Thus there are many different verbal formulation of religion and people wrongly assume them to be different religions, and there are many different kinds of experiences which people may mistakenly suppose to be religious or not religious.

A distinction is also implied between Existence, Certainty and Possibility. We cannot know anything which is not an effect on our consciousness. But we know that a world must exist independently of it because we feel a constraint on our consciousness, conscience and will which comes from outside it. Our capacity to change our perceptions at will and to do as we like is limited. The word ‘Reality’ is understood with reference to this state of affairs. Certainty implies a compulsion.

A distinction is made in Islam between the Essence of Allah, His Manifestations and His Creation. In Essence He is Absolute Unity and unknowable. Having created the Universe a relationship is set up between Allah and Creation. Allah is, therefore, (a) Transcendental as well as (b) Imminent, and being within human beings, also (c) Personal.

The Manifestations are distinguished as His Attributes, what He Commands, what He Ordains and what He Permits. The first refers to the categories or characteristics by which the Universe can be described. They are distinguishable from each other because they are different aspects or points of view. The second refers to the Laws of nature upon which the Universe is based. The third refers to the events which take place in it. The existence of that which gives rise to Gravity or any other fundamental force is a fact about Reality. As Allah can do anything He likes there is no compulsion that these Laws should exist. Indeed, since scientific explanations are only possible if we find compulsory regularities, then it cannot go beyond Laws, and their existence remains a mystery because no physical explanation in terms of other things can be possible. That all things tend to fall to the ground because of the gravitational force is a certainty. That a particular apple will fall off the tree and hit a person on the head is possible but not necessary. It may happen or it may not. If it happens, it is also a fact, but one which is not of the same type as the other two. There are events that are not directly controlled by the Laws but are permitted by them. Birds and aeroplanes can fly if the price in energy is paid. Satan can tempt man causing man to act against his own best interest.

We, therefore, distinguish between Reality, Truth and Knowledge. We defined the word Reality to mean what Allah is, and Truth as that which Allah does or says. Or conversely, what Allah does or says is Truth. He has created the Universe and all things in it with Truth. (Quran 6:74 and 16:3) Truth can defined as an experience that corresponds to Reality. Knowledge is the effect of truth on our consciousness. Knowledge is awareness of Truth. A verbal statement can be said to be true if it corresponds to an experience that corresponds to Reality. But neither the statement nor the experience is Truth. The nature of a person and how he behaves that is truth.

The methods of approach to these are Surrender, Faith and Reason respectively. Reality refers to something existing independently of the knower, but containing him, Truth refers to the interaction between things, to experience. Knowledge comes into existence as a third, relating factor when a distinction is made between the object and observer (the known and the knower). Self-knowledge requires this distinction within oneself.

But apart from the material and logical difference between these three there is also a psychological difference. Here a distinction is made between cognition, faith and opinion (conjecture, speculation). Opinion refers to the intellect. We may think that something is true but it may not be true. We may be certain that it is true and act accordingly. The word faith refers to this. The conventional definition of faith, that it consists of beliefs without evidence, is not compatible with the Islamic or, indeed, any other religious view. Faith does not refer to intellectual opinions but to interaction and the consistency of experiences. There is, however, a higher stage which goes beyond faith. that of gnosis which is incorporated in the notion of surrender.

There is a correspondence between existence, certainty, and possibility on the one hand and truth, experience and description on the other. There is an element of fantasy in description, and an element of uncertainty in experience. The experience of words is not the same thing as the experience of that to which they refer, and the combination of words is something different from the relationship between experiences, and both are different from the relationship between things. An experience abstracts some aspects of reality, and a description abstracts some aspects of experience. This is why different people experience the same situation differently and describe the same experiences differently at different times. An experience is true if it is in accordance with Reality, and a description provides knowledge if it is in accord with experience. Therefore, all verbal descriptions have to be tested by experience as in Science, and all experiences are tested against Reality. Development and Evolution imply just this. Truth has a modifying effect. The recognition of this is Surrender.

At first a person hears about Islam from others, or he may have thought about it. His knowledge is purely verbal or intellectual. Later he begins to understand Islam. His knowledge is based on personal experiences and he has developed insight. Finally, he has been transformed by it and he has become a true Muslim. Accordingly, the word “Muslim” (one who has surrendered), itself, can be understood at three levels according to whether a person accepts the teachings of Islam mentally, lives his life according to its principles, or has become a transformed person in his thinking, feeling, motivations, perceptions and actions. The individual identifies his will with that of Allah. All his actions are done on behalf of Allah, or rather Allah acts through him. He becomes the true Vicegerent.

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

There are, thus, three stages of development. A person does not originally enter Islam because of faith, but because of all kinds of other reasons. It may be the accident of being born in Muslim family or country. It may be because of preferences, likes and dislikes, prejudices, fear, superstitions, some kind of personal, social or economic advantage, fantasy, delusions or a vague inkling of truth. He may accept it because he sees his own defects and wants to improve. It may be admiration for the Islamic teaching or the Islamic community.

The unregenerate person is quite incapable of determining his motives or judging whether what he is following is true or not, though obviously he thinks it is true. The rejection of Islam, of course, has exactly the same causes. There has to be a submission to a discipline first before there can be the appropriate experiences on which faith can be based.

”The wandering Arabs say: We believe. Say unto them (O, Muhammad): Ye believe not, but rather say ‘We submit’, for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts. Yet if ye obey Allah and His messenger, He will not withhold from you aught of the rewards of your deeds. Lo, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. The true believers are those only who believe in Allah and His messenger and afterwards doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere.” 49:14,15

Faith in its turn comes prior to righteousness, and leads to it. It allows him to develop certain insights, the eye of certainty. Faith alone does not ensure that a person knows what is right, nor gives him the power to act accordingly. It leads on to a path of development which will modify and transform him and establish the Truth of Certainty. It is only when a person reaches this higher stage then he will behave as an Agent of Allah.

“Most of them follow naught but conjecture. Assuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of truth.” 10:37

“Is he who knows that which is revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the truth like him who is blind? But only men of understanding heed. ” 13:19

“We will show them Our Signs on the horizons and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest unto them that this is the Truth. Is it not sufficient that thy Lord is witness over all things. Are they in doubt about meeting their Lord? It is He who encompasses all things.” 41:53-54

“Allah, He is the Truth. Lo! He quickens the dead.” 22:6

“So set thy purpose for religion as a man upright by nature - the nature framed by Allah in which He has created man. There is no altering the laws of Allah’s creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not. ” 30:30

The dead are, of course, the spiritually dead. The right religion exists when a person lives and behaves according to his inherent nature. The discipline exists to create faith, and the faith exist to lead to this condition.

This is, in fact, the normal and natural way in which learning takes place. The child behaves in certain ways, and this provides him with experiences which form his system of belief. He interprets all further experiences in terms of these beliefs and by assimilation progressively transforms himself. But this is normally an accidental process unless deliberate education and training is carried out. Secular education, however, comes from outside himself; it is done to him by others. It does not give a person control over himself. It is still accidental in the sense that the training given depends on what the cultural or historical situation happens to be. It is not designed to produce development. It is only through religion and self-discipline that true psychological development can take place.

To repeat: Submission leads to Faith, and faith leads to Truth. Or to put it in another way, surrender in action leads to surrender in mind and this leads to surrender in spirit or being.

The Thesis

The gist of the Islamic teaching is given in the following verses:-

“Surely We created man in the best of constitutions, then We reduced him to the lowest of the low, save those who believe and do good works, and theirs is a reward unfailing.” 95:4-6

“Did We not assign unto him two eyes and a tongue and two lips, and guide him to the parting of the mountain ways? But he has not attempted the ascent...” 90:8-11

“And by the soul and Him who perfected it, and inspired it with conscience of what is wrong for it and what is right for it. he indeed is successful who causes it to grow, and he is indeed a failure who stunts it.” 91:7-10

“Allah verily hath shown grace to believers by sending unto them messengers of their own who recite unto them His revelations, and causes them to grow, and teaches them the scripture and wisdom although before he came they were in flagrant error.” 3:164

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

In other words:-

1, Man was made perfect. 2. He has fallen or degenerated. 3. He must ascend again.

This is the Message of Islam in a nut shell. It is also the message in Hinduism, Buddhism, Hebrewism and Christianity.

The Fall of man from heaven to earth may be regarded as a psychological one from a higher level of functioning, of consciousness, to a lower one. The very same divine faculties of creativity, initiative and responsibility, which makes man into a Vicegerent and gives him power and a measure of freedom to know and aid in the general processes of development, also allow him to invent and lie. The world we see depends on the state of consciousness. Thus a distinction also arises between a Real world and an Illusory world. The latter is a restricted and distorted view of the real world. Whereas the real world is a Unity, the world perceived by the lower restricted mind is disintegrated. It focuses on objects rather than the system to which they belong as parts. It analyses the data of experience and synthesises them according to its own interests. It selects and invents. Human behaviour, interactions and works depend on how they see the world. The result of a disintegrated or restricted mind is conflict of opinion and interests, and this brings suffering.

Several assumptions exist here, namely:-

1. (a) That man is born with faculties and powers which are higher than those which are normally evident.

(b) That there are obstructions within man which prevent the functioning of these faculties.

(c) That it is possible for man to remove these obstructions and return to his higher state.

Quite apart from these religious assertions it is possible to verify them by observation and experiment.

Man is described as the Vicegerent of Allah. This implies that:-

(a) He has some of the potentialities of the Creator, namely creativity, responsibility and initiative.

(b) He has to function on behalf of the Creator. His welfare and development depends on fulfilling this function.

(c) He has responsibilities in the regulation and government of the world in which he has been placed.

Human beings are, therefore, a mere shadow of what they could be. If a human being is represented by a Great Circle, then a much smaller circle within it represents fallen man. This Little Circle is the Ego, the Commanding Self (Nafs-i-Ammara - 12;53). It follows that this Little Circle could move within the Greater Circle and that it can also expand and contract, and it could disintegrate into many still smaller circles, or smaller ones could integrate into larger ones. Thus both horizontal and vertical differences of opinion, perception, ability and motivation between human beings arise. These differences lead to conflicts. They also affect the degree of adaptation to the external world and the degree of inner integration.

2. Connected with this is the assumption that:-

(a) Reality is other than what man ordinarily thinks it is. We can experience much more than we can describe, and there is much more to reality than we can experience. The world, for instance, is seen by us as a collection of isolated objects, but in fact all things are connected by various forces, substances and processes most of them invisible to us. We are connected to each other and the rest of the world through the circulation of materials, water and air, by light and heat and other radiations. We are also connected genetically and by culture, the ideas, attitudes and activities.

(i) The purpose of religion is to bring us to Reality.

(ii) Since a verbal statement is understood in terms of experiences, then those statements which refer to phenomena outside a person’s experience cannot be understood by that person.

(iii) Since the purpose of religion is to bring a person into a state in which he is not, then he does not at present possess the capacity to assess, judge or criticise the religious instructions and he must accept and obey them.

(b) The Universe has a purpose, a direction of development. This is the development of awareness.

“ Allah said : I was a hidden treasure: I wished to be known: therefore I created the Universe.” A Hadith

Whereas Science regards evolution as being the result of mechanical forces, religion assumes the direction of development to be fundamental and all other phenomena as means to this end. Reflection shows that this is a much more reasonable attitude; otherwise the origin of the Universe cannot be explained. Even in science, the Laws of Thermodynamics require all processes to move to a point of equilibrium.

(c) The basic substance from which the Universe is created is not matter or energy but truth. The implication is that:-

(i) It consists of bits of information or order.

(ii) It has a psychological dimension - in other words it consists of sensitivity and awareness.

(iii) It is more like a command, a categorical imperative, it has compulsive force. Interactions, therefore consists of the transfer of information, and development is an accumulation of information.

“He hath created the heavens and the earth with Truth.” 39:5, 15:85, and 46:3

“The Command comes down among them (the heavens and the earth) slowly, that ye may know that Allah is able to do all things, and Allah surrounds all things in Knowledge.” 65:12

Truth, also called the Word of God is a single force, but it differentiates into parts which differentiate further. The Universe is, therefore, a network of forces which converge to numerous points, the various entities, where they mingle, undergo transformation and diverge again. Entities differ according to the kind of forces converging, the transformation taking place and the forces emitted.

We may assume that a human being is an organ of nature in which experience and awareness continually develops or is modified from conception to death, and this awareness is re-absorbed into nature. Each individual or entity modifies the whole. Man comes from Allah and will return to Him.

3. Consciousness, Conscience and Will consist of resonance, empathy or alignment of the inner with the outer world. This is possible because some of the forces existing in the outer world also exist in the inner. The nature of the organism is determined by the kind of forces existing there and the resonance is made possible by the Faculties. But many of these are ordinarily dormant. It is estimated that human beings use less than a tenth of their possibilities. Consciousness refers to unified awareness, conscience to unified feeling or motivation, and will to coordinated and controlled action.

4. Knowledge is not a matter of sensation or reason but of consciousness, and, therefore, depends on the level of consciousness.

(a) There are a great number of forces in the Universe and only some of these affect us. Of these we are aware only of very little and we ignore or discard the rest. We are not given facts, but we select, interpret and organise the data which affect us. By this we create facts and the world we see. Thus a distinction must be made between the Unknowable World, the Unknown World which can be known, and the Known World; and between consciousness, sub-consciousness and unconsciousness.

(b) What we perceive, our motives and our abilities and actions depend on the effect of the external world on us, and, therefore, also on our inner state. If this is altered then the effect of the external world is also altered. Our perception, motivations and actions will also alter.

(c) Human beings are capable of concentrating awareness or consciousness and this is called attention. Attention is controlled by (i) inherent tendencies (ii) automatisms or habit (iii) through will or intention. This depends on (i) interest or motivation, (ii) on intellectual assumptions and (iii) on the kind of activities we indulge in, since such activities elicit reactions from the environment.

Our attention is normally narrowed down by:- (i) fixation due to habit. (ii) the absorption of all our energy in a narrow band of worldly concerns, the need to make a living within the confines of a particular environment, (iii) by social conditioning through propaganda, indoctrination, reward and punishment, (iv) by attachment through greed, fear and hatred. (v) by the mechanical repetition of the same activities, experiences and thoughts, (vi) Human beings acquire a fixed ‘Catalogue’ of ideas. These are often called ‘Property’, ‘Possessions’ or ‘Burdens’, hence spiritual ‘Poverty’ is advised. They cause a tendency to ‘Explain’ away every new experience in terms of these familiar ideas. (vii) by constant reinforcement by inner ‘Chattering’. (viii) by the inventions of fantasy. systematisation and rationalisation. Fantasy is the result of wishful thinking, fear or the need to make order or consistency among a very limited set of the data of experience. To fill in gaps. Each item in the system then reinforces the others. (ix) a system of values, of likes and dislikes which cause seeking, emphasising, suppression, rejection of some data. (x) by self-importance, self-centredness and self-absorption.

All these also create an image of self, the Ego, a restricted or ‘Commanding’ self, a shell or prison. It has three affects:- (i) to limit and restrict, (ii) to distort or pervert, and (iii), to add something unnecessary e.g greed creates desires beyond needs.

The Ego must be destroyed in order to release human potentialities. This can be done by giving up subjectivity and cultivating objectivity, by surrender. The destruction of the ego is known as ‘dying’ (to worldly life).

“Therefore forgive us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and make us die the death of the righteous.” 3:193

“.. Die not save as men who have surrendered.” 2:132

“Only those can accept who hear. As for the dead, Allah will raise them up; then unto Him will they return.” 6:36

Since the ‘world we see’ depends on our attention, it is clear that a change in direction, intensity or expanse of attention can lead us into innumerable other worlds, all of which are part of the ‘Real world’. The World of Dreams, Reverie and that of the Seer are examples. Religious conversion and changes in ‘Points of View’ also requires such shifts. Most people have experienced moments of expanded or altered consciousness in the face of a work of Art, Nature or as a result of a physical or mental trauma or shock. Periods of great environmental, social, political or cultural changes, or changes in ones personal inner or outer life also bring about shifts of attention. Various techniques exist or can be developed to produce shifts deliberately either through external means or voluntarily. Religions try to alter the ordinary assumptions, motivations and actions which determine daily life in order to expand our capacity for experience. The world described by religion is one which is not available to the ordinary faculties. Shifts may be brief, temporary or more permanent.

Man is regarded by religion as being asleep or dead, hence the exhortation to awaken.

“ 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

“Thus Allah brings the dead to life, and shows you His portents so that you may understand.” 2:73

“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?” 6:123

5. There are other beings besides organic ones like man, inhabiting our world, namely Angels and Jinn. But these exist either outside the range of our narrow experience or we rationalise away our experiences of them according to our assumptions and habits of thought, or we misinterpret experiences and add fantasies to create superstitions. Angels are said to be made of light (or electromagnetic matter) and jinn of fire (or radiant or nuclear matter)

6. Awareness or Consciousness depends on friction, opposition, tension. An opposition - internal, external or interactive - constitutes a problem, The function of consciousness is to arouse us to those activities which reconcile the opposition and restore equilibrium, harmony or unity. This is the solution. When this happens consciousness subsides. But this reconciliation can either be achieved in reality, in fantasy or through perversion or distortion in which case the real problem remains. If however the opposite forces are unbalanced or too strong relative to the reconciling force which is too weak, or reconciliation is not achieved, then organism itself is debilitated and eventually destroyed. This may be also called a solution. Life or existence arises by the tension between opposites and this is also the cause of suffering, and persists until a solution is found. Without it there can be no awareness. The function of life is problem solving. The purpose of pain and pleasure is to provide the motive for development. Just as it is exercise against weights which causes muscles to develop, so also does psychological development require effort. However, people can either be victims or fighters both of adversity and fortune according to their inner attitudes. Usually it is the prosperous, the fortunate and the oppressors who are objectively speaking much more unfortunate since they lack the opposition. Religions provide the means to modify these attitudes. Hence an inner struggle or Jihad (Holy War) is recommended, and this should be a substitute for social conflicts which ordinarily are a reflection of psychological conflicts.

The doctrines, practices and institutions of religion have only one aim, and that is to return to reality, to facilitate re-identification with ones origins, to re-establish the unitary view and achieve re-integration. The result of the Fall, the restriction of consciousness, however, makes man think that the world of Illusion is the Real World. He becomes trapped in it. It is only those who have received liberation from it who tell him about the real world, and create the methods of liberation. Thus we have a conflict between two different sets of ideas - those coming from the world (through the conscious mind) and those coming from heaven (the real world as it affects the normally unconscious mind).

While the Intelligentsia in the Western world concentrated its attention in the development of the Worldly or material life, the intelligentsia in the East concentrated its attention on the psychological or Spiritual life. The aim of one is to create Paradise on Earth, and that of the other is to reach Paradise in Heaven. This accounts for the differences between them. Each regards the other as being deluded. For the one, this world is an illusion, for the other it is Heaven and the inner world which is the illusion. The fact, however, is that though there is less obvious physical poverty and disease in the West, there is no less suffering there of a social and psychological kind. The incentive for development have been removed by material prosperity. In the East, on the other hand, the prevalence of poverty and disease has created a life in which not many people have the time, energy or education to devote themselves to the spiritual life. The rest of the community has to maintain those who devote themselves to the spiritual life. The poverty and suffering, moreover, create the desire for escape which makes the religious doctrine attractive. The community being a unity, the benefits gained by the individual are seen as the benefit of the whole community. There is greater emphasis on the unity of a Community in the East, while Individualism and separation are more important in the West. The blending of the two might have been the ideal. Perhaps the attitude of each will seep into the others in times to come.

Islam is a balance between the two extremes. and shows how this can be done. It does not tell us that the world is an illusion, but that worldly life is an illusion.

“Know that the life of this world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman. But afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and also forgiveness from Allah, and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but a matter of illusion.” 57:20

üøˆ1¶°¹¹¡'¢,ž9¸07¶0·³ž"§–#!�9º<¶²ž³77º–¹4½2�8º�±7¶7916asting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman. But afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and also forgiveness from Allah, and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but a matter of illusion.” 57:20

The ascent can be achieved by using the resources, conditions and opportunities provided by the world itself. It is through contact with reality that we develop, but only if we see and interpret our experiences correctly. And this requires guidance. Human beings have a function and duty towards the world, and the ascent can be achieved by fulfilling this.

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The Islamic argument is given by the following verses:-

“He fashioned him (man) and breathed into him of His own spirit; and appointed for you hearing and sight and hearts. Small thanks give ye.” 32:9

“Nay, but verily man is rebellious that he thinks himself independent. Lo! unto thy Lord is the return.” 96:6-7

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

“Nay, but you do love the fleeting Now and neglect the Hereafter.” 75:20-21

“Nay, but that which they have earned by their behaviour is rust upon their hearts.” 83:14

“But ah! thou soul at peace! Return unto thy Lord, content in His good pleasure. Enter thou among My chosen servants, enter thou My Garden.” 89:27-30

“Be not ye as those who forgot Allah, therefore He caused them to forget their own souls. Such are the evil doers.” 59:19

“And Allah hath created the heavens and the earth with truth, and that every soul may be repaid what it hath earned. And thy will not be wronged. Hast thou seen him who makes his desire his god, and Allah sends him astray purposely, and seals up his hearing and his heart, and sets on his sight a covering? then who will lead him after Allah hath condemned him? Will ye then not heed?” 45: 22-23

“Whosoever goes right, it is only for the good of his own soul that he goes right, and whosoever errs, errs only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another’s burden.” 17:15

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

“Know that the life of this world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the farmer, but afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment and also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but a matter of illusion.” 57:20

“So set thy purpose for religion as a man upright by nature - the nature framed by Allah, in which he hath created man. There is no altering the laws of Allah’s creation. This is the right religion, but most men know not.” 30:30

“And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast who say, when a misfortune strikes them: Lo! we are Allah’s and lo! unto Him are we returning.” 2:155-156

“He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He renders not their actions vain.” 47:4

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

“Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change what is in their hearts; and if Allah wills misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender besides Him.” 13:11

“Say (O Muhammad): Deem not your surrender a favour unto me: nay, but Allah confers a favour on you in as much as He has led you to the Faith if you are earnest.” 49:17

“Lo, the human soul enjoins unto evil, save those whereon my Lord has mercy.” 12:53

“And if a misfortune touch a man he cries unto Us while reclining on his side, or sitting, or standing, but when We have relieved him of the misfortune he goes his way as though he had not cried unto Us because of a misfortune that afflicted him. Thus is what they do made fair seeming unto the prodigal.” 10:13

”And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make the message clear for them.” 14:4

”And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, proclaiming: Serve Allah and shun false idols (or goals). Then some of them there were whom Allah guided, and some of them there were upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the consequences for the deniers.” 16:36

”For every announcement there is a term, and you will come to know.” 6:67

”For every nation there is an appointed time. When their time comes they cannot put it off an hour, nor hasten it.” 10:50

In other words:- We can bring to bear the evidence of the whole of nature to the fact that there is an inherent purpose built into the structure of man, to grow, develop and evolve. And that a way of life which facilitates this is alone correctly called a religion. Man was created with an inherent capacity to function at a much higher level than he does. But he has degenerated owing to the development of rebellious egos and these have suppressed his conscience. There is rust upon the mirror of his heart which dulls clear consciousness. He lives in a world of illusions in so far as he is driven by futile ambitions and vanities which make not a jot of difference to the Universe. Everyone must die, and death destroys the wealth, power or prestige he strove for. The only actions, motives or thoughts which matter in the end are those which facilitate human evolution. It is not pleasure which matters but man can learn from both adversity and fortune. He will be tested by life. It is by overcoming difficulties that he grows just as muscles grow by exercise against weights.

The problems with which mankind is faced are not primarily environmental, economic or political, social or physical, but psychological or spiritual in nature. It is these which create the other problems. Human beings, however, do not look inwards and cannot, therefore, identify the problems correctly. The result is that these problems persist. Solving some of them merely create others in their stead. The changes brought about merely give the illusion of progress. There is such a thing as objective truth and objective goodness, apart from mere opinion, but man does not know them because of his degenerate state. The truth is that the Universe has a direction of development and man is part of this.

The word Soul, and the Spirit which feeds it, refers to that aspect of man which is the seat of consciousness, conscience and will, the faculties by which objective behaviour is possible. While the spirit lies inert it is not possible to know the objective truth, to be objectively motivated or to behave in an objective manner. Consciousness refers to the capacity for awareness, particularly the consistency and inter-relationship between things. Conscience may be defined as consistency of feeling. It should not be confused with what Freud called the Superego. This consists of a value system acquired by conditioning to a culture. Conscience, on the other hand, is similar to the instincts which animals have about what they should eat or how they should behave. Human beings, because of their greater intelligence, sensitivity and awareness, ought to have a much more sophisticated conscience. Will refers to the faculty of coordination and control of actions. All three, therefore, require and derive from psychological unity, a centre of integration.

Before man can reach his full potentialities and fulfill his functions, it is necessary to re-awaken his spirit. The techniques required for doing this must be considered to be preliminary preparations. But even before this it is necessary to define the true nature of human beings, identify their problems and possible solutions, to find ways of drawing attention to this and creating the necessary motivation to undertake the work. In general it is only this part which is popularly described as religion. Unfortunately, this is not possible unless some re-awakening has already taken place. We have a vicious circle which is the reverse of that by which degeneration took place. Misbehaviour causes the inability to see objectively, and this causes inability to assess behaviour. The conduct of the miscreant seems fair to him. The psychotic does not know that he has a mental problem because the mind which does the judging is itself affected. The only way out of this vicious circle is to work at all three levels together.

It should be clear from this that whether a person professes to believe in Islam and its teachings or in any other religion, or whether he does not believe, or even rejects it as unbelievable, none of this has any truth value, because of the absence of the capacity to know. The only value lies in this that one will make the necessary efforts to increase his capacities and the others will not. In so far as they do not make these efforts their profession of belief is also worthless.

Note also that there is a term to every Announcement or Message. Hebrewism and Christianity, as other religions, had their term when they were dominant, established their civilizations, and spread their influence through the world. The same is the case with Islam. However, the word “Islam” also refers to the Universal and Eternal message contained in the message of all Prophets, apart from that which refers to a particular age. This is not subject to change.

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The essence of the Islamic message may be stated as follows:-

There is an ultimate, self-existing eternal, unitary Reality which is referred to by the word, Allah, in whom all the powers and forces we experience and others which we do not know of, exist. This has produced the Universe and everything in it. The same forces have also created man possessing consciousness, conscience, will, intelligence, discrimination and the powers of assessment, and the faculties for thinking, feeling and action, for perception, knowledge and understanding, for creativity, initiative and responsibility, and the potentialities to develop Wisdom, Compassion and Capability. The fact is that Reality has a nature in which man with all these faculties could arise. In short, The Spirit of Allah is in him. He has a soul and this refers to the truth or information contained in him. Man is a Vicegerent of Allah. The existence of these qualities is a proof of this. Or conversely, the concept of the Vicegerent is defined by these qualities. The human soul represents Allah in the world. And conversely, the existence of these human powers proves the pre-existence of these potentialities in the real world.

Though man is still dependent on the universe for all the materials, energies and knowledge he needs for life, action and development, these powers give him a certain freedom. He can do mischief in the world and destroy its order, or he can live harmoniously with it or aid in its order and development. In other words a distinction has arisen between good and evil. But because of his dependence, the one course of action will cause him to do harm to himself and the other will benefit him. In so far as he does not live in harmony with nature, including his own inherent nature, he will destroy himself and he might destroy the environment as well. He may be replaced by some other creature. Vicegerency, therefore, implies a responsibility. He will be held to account by nature itself. Man is on probation and exists in the world to be tested.

Man, however, in the beginning, when he first exercising this freedom, took the wrong path. He succumbed to temptation, and degenerated owing to attachment and conditioning through greed, ambition and lust. He lost awareness, conscience and self-control. But though this may be regarded as a punishment, it must also be regarded as educational. It brings suffering which is an incentive to make amends. Man is here to learn and redevelop his potentialities.

To this end man was provided with a Guidance from the very beginning. This consists of the verbal formulation of the nature of existence and man’s position in it, the principles of good and evil which ought normally to be contained in human conscience, and techniques for spiritual regeneration. This Guidance is known as Islam (Surrender to Reality). There are some men, known as Prophets or Messengers, who had not lost their higher faculties and capacity for objectivity. They were still in contact with Reality, and felt responsibility for their fellow men. Their teachings and exhortations constitutes religion. The function of these is to re-awaken and regenerate man. Adam was the first Prophet of Islam. Prophets arose all over the world at various times.

Religion, however, degenerates owing to adulteration with worldly affairs. A new Prophet and a new formulation of Religion has then to arise to produce a revival and regeneration. But this, too, degenerates in time. That is why religions and civilizations rise and fall. It is the spiritual revival which creates civilizations, and these lead to spiritual distraction. Each, however, leaves some permanent improvement, so that the next dispensation can build on the previous. Religion, therefore, is also a continuous process of development.

Muhammad was the last of the Prophets. In him religion was perfected. The guidance was complete. He not only brought a Reminder, caused a spiritual revival, but also produced a Religious Community. The Community is formed by all those who enter into the following Covenant:-

“ Is he who founded his building upon duty to Allah and His good pleasure better; or he who founded his building on the brink of a crumbling, overhanging precipice so that it topples with him into the fire of hell? Allah guides not wrongdoing folk. The building which they build will never cease to be a misgiving in their hearts, unless their hearts be torn to pieces. Allah is Knower, Wise.

“Verily Allah has bought from the believers their lives and their properties for the price that theirs shall be Paradise; so they strive in the way of Allah and slay and are slain. It is a Covenant which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Injeel and the Quran. And who is more faithful unto his covenant than Allah? Rejoice then in your bargain that you have made, for that is the supreme triumph.

“ Triumphant are those who turn repentant to Allah, those who serve Him, those who praise Him, those who fast, those who bow down, those who fall prostrate in worship, those who enjoin the right and who forbid the wrong and those who keep the limits ordained by Allah - and give glad tidings to believers.𔄭 9:109-112

People may follow this covenant and reconstruct themselves. If they fail to do this they may be replaced by other communities or even other creatures.

“Systems have passed away before you. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequences for those who denied the messengers.” 3:137

“If He wills He can remove you, O People, and produce others in your stead. Allah is Able to do that.” 4:133

“If He will, He can be rid of you and bring instead of you some new creation.” 35:16

“If He will, He can remove you and can cause what He will to follow after you, even as He raised you from seed of other folk.” 6:134

In the end, the soul returns to Allah. It is judged and treated according to its condition.

“None punishes as He will punish on that Day! None binds as He will bind. But ah! Thou soul at peace! Return unto thy Lord, content in His contentment with thee! Enter thou among My servants! Enter thou My Garden.” 89:25-30

The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said:-

“If you had not committed sin, Allah would have swept you out of existence and replaced you by another people who would commit sin, ask Allah for forgiveness, and He would pardon them.”

Something similar was taught by the Prophet Jesus in his parable of the prodigal son, who having deserted his father returned to be rewarded with a great welcome which his other faithful son did not receive. (Luke 15:11-15)

The implication seems to be that it is not the passive, unintelligent, unadventurous person, one who is timid, takes no risks, makes no effort and has no courage and enterprise, who is favoured by Allah, but those who strive, learn from their mistakes and repent. The former cannot develop. This is consistent with the idea that the fall of man and his subsequent ascent was inevitable and an integral part of the Divine plan. It is also consistent with what we know of human nature and history. There are a number of communities which are stagnant being disabled by tradition and habits of thought, feeling and behaviour. They are eventually left behind and destroyed by others which are more adventurous. Life itself is a balance between order and disorder, and the history of man is like a pendulum swing between increasing order and chaos, progress and degeneration. Islam is also called the Balanced Way which requires a Straight Path between the two, thereby avoiding the fluctuations.