3. FOUNDATIONS

As the purpose of this discussion is to re-interpret Islam for a new age, the Foundations of Islam are treated here differently from the traditional account of them. This is justified on the grounds that Islam is regarded here as a complete way of life, rather than only as a System of Law or Religion in the conventional sense, that it is universal and that it is not static but capable of adaptation and growth, and that, as we shall see, human beings have a right as vicegerents to make re-interpretations. They may be regarded as the basis on which the whole life of mankind is inherently based, and should also be consciously based. These foundations can be regarded as common to all religions.

Framework:-

In order to describe these foundations consider the following verses:-

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. The lamp is kindled from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth of itself, though no fire touched it. Light upon light Allah guides unto His light whom He wills. And Allah speaks to mankind in allegories, for Allah is knower of all things. This lamp is found in houses which Allah has allowed to be exalted and that His Name shall be remembered therein. Therein they offer praise to Him morn and evening. “ Quran 24:35-36

“And our Commandment is but one, as the twinkling of an eye.” 54:50

“Allah it is who 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

Thus, all existence is a single unity. This is not only a fact, but meaning and values are also derived from it. That is, we have to interpret all experience in terms of this fact, and all our motives and actions must depend on it, if we are to be objective and well adjusted to Reality. Upon this depends our welfare and development. Religion consists of a conscious, intelligent and purposive way of life as opposed to an accidental, ignorant one.

The Framework of the Foundations of Religion may, therefore, be compared to a Tree with seven levels of branches or like a ray of light passing through 7 levels of differentiation, emulating the physical creation of the Universe. They will, therefore, be described by the following levels, each giving rise to next.

1. Allah - the Source of existence.

2. Fundamental (a) Concepts, (b) Principles and (c) Phenomena derived from Allah.

3. The Sources of Religion - Surrender, Inspiration, the Faculties, Study.

4. The Foundations - (a) Roots -Allah, Quran, Hadith., (b) Stem - The Learned, (c) Branches - Aql (Intelligence), Ijma (consensus) and Custom, These also form 7 levels (3 roots which may called the heavenly triad, the stem which is a bridge since it requires both inspiration and human reason, and the 3 branches, the Earthly triad.)

5. Religion - The way of life - Teachings, Prophets, Scriptures, Followers.

6. The parts or aspects of Religion - Discipline, Faith, Righteousness

7. The Values on which human life is to be based - Truth, Goodness, Beauty and Utility.

Definitions:-

The word ‘definitions’ is used here to indicate that the following should be regarded as technical terms. They are not conclusions or inferences. They constitute a certain way of looking at things.

Allah - The fundamental, original and ultimate reality, from which all things derive and to which all things return. Hence Allah is the Supreme Creator and Ruler in the Universe who is Absolute, Infinite, Eternal, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnivirtuous.

From this concept is derived the central concepts in Islam:-

(a) Tawhid - The Unity of Allah. Wholeness, integration, the inter-dependence of all things and their dependence on Allah. Not unity in the sense of there being one among many, or that it is divisible, but that there is a fundamental Unity behind all diversity and multiplicity. This principle refers not only to what is, but also to what should guide human motivation, actions and thought. The requirements of Tawhid are Knowledge, truth, submission, love, sincerity. This gives us the Principle of Unity.

(b) Risalah - Prophethood. That human beings can receive revelation from Allah, and act as channels for the guidance of the rest of mankind. Hence love of and obedience to the Prophets is essential.

(c) Akhirah - The Hereafter. There is more to existence than we are aware of and life does not begin and end here on earth. There is a purpose in creation and man will be judged according to his performance on earth. Concepts relating to this are the Day of Resurrection, the Day of Judgement, Paradise and Hell.

Certain principles of thought also arise:-

(a) The Principle of Objectivity - That the real exists apart from man’s perception of it. That the real is not the same thing as the experience of it or the opinions about what it is. That man should conform to it in thought, motivation and action. We not only need objective facts, but also an objective framework of reference with respect to which we interpret facts, and we need an objective value system.

(b) The Principle of Causation. There are causes for all things, and all things have an effect, and these causes have causes. The cause is prior to, and lies above the effect. The ultimate cause is Allah. But if a Cause, X has effects A, B, C etc. then though there is no direct causal relationship between them they are Coincident. Coincidence is not the same as Chance.

(c) The Principle of Harmony – That all things belong as parts to systems into which they must fit harmoniously and towards which they have a function. This causes and justifies their existence and their fate. The system is more than the sum of the parts. The parts may be sub-systems and the system may be a part of greater system.

(d) The Principle of Responsibility. That all things have a purpose and are ultimately responsible to Allah. All creatures worship, serve and praise Allah.

(e) The Principle of Correspondence. There is a kind of pattern or template upon which all things are built such that things can be regarded as similitude for other things in certain respects. This also allows a certain degree of generalization. The general contains the specific or special and the specific or special contains the general. As above so below and vice versa. The inner manifests in the outer and the outer has equivalent inner conditions and effects.

(f) The Principle of Transcendence or Miraculousness. Whereas the Universe and all things in it are recognised as facts, distinguished by their characteristics and limitations and governed by laws and causes, Allah transcends the Universe and these things do not apply to Him. He is the Creator of the laws, causes, rules, and all facts. He is also the source of the Values and Purposes that govern the arising of facts and the meanings which relate facts to values. In so far as human beings contain the Spirit of Allah then they also possess or can develop this potentiality, but not independently.

(g) The Principle of Manifestation or Existence. Allah manifests in the Universe through His Attributes. Things exist because of these and are also recognised because of them. They may be regarded as categories of thought which both distinguish and relate the creator with the created and the observer with the observed. Creation or coming into existence is fundamentally the same as coming into knowledge. They are the fundamental principles of existence. There are said to be 99 inter-related Attributes or Aspects of Allah, some of which are as follows:- Unity, Truth, Compassion, Benevolence, Justice, Power, Knowledge, Awareness.

Certain phenomena arise, namely the Word, Spirit, the Universe, man as Vicegerent, Truth, Knowledge and Religion,

The Word or Command of Allah is defined as Truth and it is the fundamental creative force emanating from Allah by which all things are made. Knowledge is the consciousness of Truth

The Spirit is said to arise from the Command of Allah and carries His Word. It manifests in three inter-connected ways:- (a) The existence of the physical universe and the events in it. (b) Having entered into man it is also produces in him Consciousness, Conscience and Will. (c) It is felt as insight, inspiration or revelation, thus producing the religions as guidance.

Creation - The Universe and everything in it, the world of phenomena; all that has been created by Allah and is, therefore, a manifestation of Allah. It includes not merely matter, energy and order but all events, ideas, forms, qualities, laws, and anything else which may be discovered. Its building blocks are units of information or truth. The Universe has:-

1. Purpose and a direction of development.

2. All things have a function with respect to this purpose.

3. Order, harmony and Regularity

4. Limits in space and time, a particular duration.

5. Proportionality

6. Stratification into levels

7. All things in it have reciprocal interaction.

Man - The Vicegerent who has been given the Trusteeship of the World. He is the highest form of creature in this world, consisting of a double nature, physical and earthly (in so far as he is a creature) and spiritual (in so far as he contains the divine spirit). He has faculties to reconcile these within himself (he has a mind).

This gives rise to the following notions:-

1. Khalifa - That man is, in essence, function and purpose, the Vicegerent, agent or representative of the creativity of Allah on earth. The term should be regarded as defining the nature and function of man. However, note the words “a Vicegerent” not “the Vicegerent”. The implications are:-

(a) That man has the spirit of Allah in him. That is, he has the qualities of creativity, initiative and responsibility. (32:9)

(b) That these qualities in man also prove the existence of Allah. (41:53). The Universe has a nature in which such qualities could arise.

(c) That man has inner guidance coming from his inherent nature, his instincts and conscience.

(d) The Trust - The welfare of the earth and all in it is entrusted to man. That he must use the qualities given him to govern the earth on Allah’s behalf. (33:72)

(e) The welfare and development of man depends on the fulfilment of his duties.

(f) That he can be replaced if he does not fulfil his function. This applies to individuals, communities as well as the whole human race. (4:133, 6:134, 35:16)

It is, however, necessary to point out that there is some controversy about this name. The literal meaning of “khalifa” is “successor”. The word for delegated authority is “Nivabah” . It is true that the term “Vicegerent” is not an accurate translation. Nor does the term “Successor” convey the whole implications. Obviously, it cannot mean a successor to Allah. Nor does it mean replacement. It could, however, be understood as some one to whom Allah has delegated some of his powers and given responsibilities, the growing point of the evolutional process, the dominant species, which succeeds the previous one. Man is its highest product and the responsibility for further evolution, control and administration has been passed down to him. We cannot be concerned with literal meanings. The meaning of the word should be taken from the context. It is integral to the meaning of “Muslim” (one who has surrendered to Allah). The following verses bring out the meaning.

“He it is who has made you khalifas in the earth, so he who disbelieves, his disbelief be on his own head. Their disbelief increases for the disbelievers, in their Lord’s sight, naught but abhorrence. Their disbelief increases for the disbelievers naught but loss.“ 35:39

“O David! Verily, We have made thee a khalifa in the earth; therefore judge aright between mankind, and follow not the desires that beguile thee from the way of Allah. Lo! those who wander from the way of Allah have an awful doom, forasmuch as they forgot the Day of Reckoning. And We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in vain. That is the opinion of those who disbelieve. And woe unto those who disbelieve, from the Fire. Shall We treat those who believe and do good works as those who spread corruption in the earth; or shall We treat the pious as the wicked?” 38:27-29

“Allah has promised such of you as believe and do good works that He will surely give them the khalifat in the earth as He gave the khalifat to those before them, and He will establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and to give them, after their fear, safety in exchange.” 24:55

“We offered the trust unto the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Lo! He has proved a tyrant and a fool.” 33:72

2. The Fall of man. Man functions at a level much lower than is possible and suitable for him. This is because of intervention of subjective factors such as attachment, prejudice, obsession, addiction, greed, lust, fear, anger, selfishness, habits, automatisms, conditioning, fantasies, lying, suppression, rationalisation, etc.

3. Trials and Tests - Life, whether it offers joy or tribulations, exists to educate, develop and test man. Pain and pleasure, fortune and misfortune are, therefore, equally useful. These notions refer not only to the fact that man undergoes vicissitudes of fortune, but also to a value judgement, as to how these vicissitudes should be regarded.

4. The Ascent - Man is regarded as having four souls or rather four stages in the development of the soul:-

(a) Nafs-i-Ammara - (Quran 12:53) - The Depraved or Egotistic soul- This refers to the ordinary state of man.

(b) Nafs-i-Lawwama - (Quran 75:2) - The Self-accusing soul - This is the man who has become self-connscious, repents and takes the way back.

(c) Nafs-i-Mulhima - (Quran 34:2) - The Inspired soul - This is the man who has regained contact with himself and can now begin to develop.

(d) Nafs-i-Mutmaina - (Quran 89:27-30) - The Fulfilled or Perfected soul, the soul at peace.

Religion - The method by which the ascent is achieved. A conscious Way of Life based on surrender or submission to Allah. Man finds himself in an environment with which he interacts and is inter-dependant. He has an inner and an outer world. Religion is the reconciling factor between man and Reality. It may be regarded as the Manual of Instructions or Rule Book required by those who have lost consciousness of their proper functions. No Society lives without Laws governing social interactions, but religion is more comprehensive in that it deals with the inner as well as the inter-personal and outer life.

Religion is manifested by the existence of

(a) Teachings, This is regarded as being objective in the sense that it conforms to the nature and purpose of existence and can, therefore, be verified by those who have an objective consciousness, one not corrupted by subjective factors. That is, it is a revelation of Allah.

(b) Prophets who possess this consciousness, receive such revelations, interpret these teachings and set an example.

(c) Scriptures in which these are recorded, and

(d) Communities of people who live by these teachings.

True religion requires three inter-dependant factors:- correct thinking, correct motivation and correct action. (5: 92- 93) Man is weak (4:28). Therefore, the ascent cannot be achieved without help.

(a) Correct thinking is provided by the Teaching (2:1-5, 17:81-82, 10:58, 41:41-46, 5:47-49,68-69).

(b) Correct motivation is provided by love and obedience to Allah, through the Prophets. (4:59, 69, 80, 3:31, 2:136, 8:24)

(c) Correct action consists of a discipline whereby a person benefits in proportion to his efforts. (4:110,111, 17:13-15, 13:11). However, it not the efforts themselves which transform a person. They develops the appropriate faculties for the reception or the re-activation of the spirit. There is no power but Allah. (18:40, 2:257, 4:79, 7:188, 10:101)

1. The Teaching - True religion may be regarded as having the following aspects:-

(a) The Foundations - the basic concepts and categories. (This is dealt with here).

(b) The Guidance (20:50) - Teachings, Scriptures have been sent to remind and guide man and to reinforce conscience. These are communicated through the medium of the Spirit.

(c) Criteria (25:1; 8:29)- which distinguish between truth and falsehood and helps in interpretation.

(d) The Balance (42:17)- The Rules of Life, the limits within which behaviour should be confined. These form a kind of Constitution. These may be divided into:-

(i) Duties - responsibilities, obligations.

(ii) Rights - privileges etc

(iii) Accountability

Man is accountable to Allah alone. But this involves responsibility and accountability to the environment, the Community to which he belongs, the group, e.g. the family, and so on. Since the Spirit of Allah is within man, he is accountable to his own higher self.

Islam - A conscious, all comprehensive, fully integrated Way of Life. The acceptance, resignation and submission to the will, service and commandments of Allah in thought, feeling and action, also called the Straight Path or the Balanced Way. The word is regarded as synonymous with true religion. It is the name given to the original teachings as taught by all the Prophets throughout the world since the world began. It is, therefore, also the religion taught by the Prophet Muhammad.

The Islamic Way of Life may be described by the word ‘Theocracy’. It does not mean the government by Priests or a Church, but a government based on the Word of Allah. This is not merely a political term, but affects its culture, daily life, its science, law, art, economics and everything else. It means that Allah, alone, is supreme. In effect this means that:-

(a) The inherent human faculties, made by Allah, should be developed and applied. All obstructions, inner or outer, to correct functioning, should be removed.

(b) The scriptures or teachings of the Prophets are used as guidance.

(c) Objectivity. It implies the suspension of opinion and speculation in favour of investigations. Nature, not man, is the judge of what is right or true. It also implies that the historical or evolutional process will determine what is true, good or useful.

2. Prophets - Those who are in contact with their innner spirit and, therefore, with Allah, Reality and can translate their experiences into human language, and guide mankind by word and example. Two kinds of Prophets are recognised, the minor and the major. In addition there are saints.

(a) The Major Prophets are called Messengers or Words of God. They bring a new Dispensation of Religion or Guidance and a New Age for mankind. They set the goal and direction of development.

(b) The minor Prophets work within a Dispensation endeavouring to regenerate it.

(c) Saints - These are also highly developed persons but tend to work with special groups of people using intensive techniques.

”In every century Allah will send one who will renew their religion for this people...In every successive century those who are reliable authorities will preserve this knowledge, rejecting the changes made by extremists, the plagiarisms of those who make false claims for themselves, and the interpretations of the ignorant.” Hadith

Muhammad was the last of the series of Prophets. Man, having been given the complete guidance is to be left to his own devices. However, Jesus is expected to return, and re-establish an Islamic way of life, no doubt in the universal sense of the word, for all mankind.

3. The Scriptures - This refers to the teachings transmitted by the Prophets rather than to physical books. Even the teachings are not to be understood in the verbal or intellectual sense, but rather as types of transforming forces. The message of the Quran, for instance, does not lie only in the words but in the way, and the conditions under which it is recited Though others are recognised, only four books are actually mentioned, and therefore, have a special significance in Islam. These are:-

(i) Taurat, the Torah of Moses,

(ii) Zaboor, the Psalms of David.

(iii) Injeel, the New Testament of Jesus.

(iv) The Quran of Muhammad.

Though they were all originally inspired by Allah, it is only the Quran which is regarded as being the direct word of God because the words still exist as originally heard, spoken and recorded by the Prophet. The other scriptures are adulterations due to the selection, interpretations and translations by third parties long after the death of the Teachers. This is now quite widely known. The Quran, therefore, provides the justification for accepting other scriptures and the criterion by which they are interpreted and judged. All the teachings of Moses and Jesus are not necessarily found in the present Old and New Testaments. There are also Apocryphal works which have been excluded for various reason. Various additions and distortions in the accepted versions are also well known. Apart from this, misinterpretations and misapplication of the books do not constitute the real teachings.

Now that Muslims have come into contact with other peoples and religions with whom they had no contact in the early days, there seems to be no reason not to recognise other scriptures such as those of Buddhism and Hinduism, in so far as they can be regarded as the true records of the original teachings.

4. Muslim - One who submits to Allah. That is, he who accepts a deliberate, intelligent and conscious way of life as opposed to an automatic or accidental one. There are four levels of Muslim:-

(a) Those who profess Islam verbally.

(b) Those who have mentally accepted the principles of Islam.

(c) Those who are actually trying to submit to Allah by applying the principles.

(d) Those who have fully submitted to Allah.

The words Islam and Muslim can be used in a general or particular sense. In the general sense, as all genuine Prophets were sent by Allah with the same message, Islam (Surrender to Allah), then the followers of all these Prophets are also Muslim. In the particular sense Islam refers to the Message that was brought by the Prophet Muhammad and Muslims are those who follow that message. But this message includes the idea of the Universality of Islam. Thus, General Islam includes Particular Islam and Particular Islam includes General Islam.

The Muslims form a community (Umma) and they have duties towards (a) Allah (b) themselves (c) each others, (d) the community as a whole (e) the rest of humanity (f) other life forms (g) the physical environment, this planet.

It may be argued that the above definitions are derived from the teachings rather than being the foundations on which the teachings are based. On the other hand, it may also be argued that there could be no teachings unless there were certain basic premises which are already pre-supposed. The Quran, for instance, is only acceptable if the concepts of Allah and the Prophets are accepted, not the other way round.

Asul - The Sources of Islam.

1. Surrender. Direct contact with Reality without mediation and obstructions. This requires the removal of the ego.

“ Say: Lo! my worship and my sacrifice and my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds. He hath no partner. This I am commanded, and I am first of those who surrender.” 6:163-164

2. Inspiration -

“Follow that which is inspired in thee from thy Lord; there is no god but Him; and turn away from the Idolaters.” 6:107.

Inspiration is only possible when subjective factors and attachments such as greed and pride and self-opinion have been removed.

3. The Faculties

“ O man, follow not that whereof ye have no knowledge. Lo! The hearing, and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked (to give an account).” 17:36

It should be noted that mere intellectual knowledge which leaves a person unaffected is not being advocated. Something is knowledge only when it transforms the person and his behaviour. We learn from listening, seeing as well as from feeling. There is also outer and inner sight, hearing and feeling. Knowledge is consciousness of Truth, and Truth is that of which things are made – that which controls their structure and behaviour. Acquisition of knowledge is, therefore, the essential method of spiritual development, the Straight Way of Islam.

4. Study of the Scriptures and other sources of knowledge. But it is not enough to read, it must be read correctly.

“Those unto whom We have given the Scriptures, who read it with a right reading, those believe in it. ” 2:121

Inspiration is not possible for all. The danger is in mistaking it for prejudice, fantasy and rationalisation of self-interest. The use of one’s own faculties in order to gather and integrate experience is also limited because we tend to be narrowly selective and do not chew, digest and assimilate our experiences. This is why the scriptures exist to guide man. Unfortunately, the same defects also prevent people from carrying out and benefiting from a proper study. As in all education, study leads to the expansion of the capacity for experience, and this leads to the capacity for inspiration. And this in turn may lead to Surrender.

Arkan - The Foundations of Islam.

They are also called the Proofs. They are divided into the Roots, Stem and Branches. The Stem is a connecting bridge between the Roots and the Branches.

The Roots:-

1. Allah - It is traditionally supposed that the first source of Islam is the Quran. But this is denied here. Allah is greater than the Quran and inspired many other prophets and scriptures, also recognised in Islam. There are three signs or proofs of Allah:- (a) Creation, (b) inspired Prophets who sacrifice themselves to guide mankind. (c) the human Faculties of consciousness, conscience and will which make him into a vicegerent. For proof of this, consider the following verses:-

“The Jews will not be pleased with thee nor will the Christians till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo! The guidance of Allah, Himself, is sufficient Guidance.” 2:120

“When the Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to create a mortal out of mire, and when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down before him prostrate.” 38:72-73 and 15:29

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

“So set thy purpose for religion as a man upright by nature - the nature framed by Allah in which he hath created man.” 30:30

“... and know that Allah comes in between a man and his own heart..” 8:24

“It is not for any soul to believe save by the permission of Allah.” 10:101

“He casts the Spirit of His Command upon whom He will of His servants.” 40:15

“Lo! none despairs of the Spirit of Allah save disbelieving folk.” 12:87

“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

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

“And We sent not as Our messengers before thee (Muhammad) other than men whom We inspired.” 21:7

“Lo! Those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and seek to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers, and say: we believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way in between, such are disbelievers in truth; and for disbelievers We prepare a shameful doom.” 4:150-151

“O ye messengers....And lo! This religion is one religion and I am your Lord, so keep your duty unto Me. But they, mankind have broken their religion among themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in its tenets. So leave them in their error till a time. “ 23:51-54

“Lo! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of night and day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to man, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and the dispersing of all kinds of beasts therein, and in the ordinance of the winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth, are signs for people who have sense,” 2:164

“This (Quran) is naught else than a reminder unto creation, unto whomsoever of you wills to walk straight, and you will not , unless Allah wills, the Lord of Creation.” 81:27-29

As the Quran is a pointer to the Objective world, Creation, the latter is prior to the former. This is, of course, also the attitude of Science. It is not enough, however, to see and experience the facts of the Universe, nature and the phenomena in it, but we also need to interpret these correctly. They are, after all, human experiences. Interpretation requires a correct framework of reference, hence the need for the scriptures. In this respect they are prior to Creation. Both the universe and the Scriptures are regarded as having the same source, Allah. But the Scriptures need to be correctly interpreted. This is done by the Prophet, who is, in this respect prior to the Scriptures. It is also necessary to have the capacity to understand the Scriptures which means that purification is undertaken and achieved from obstructions such as fantasies, prejudices, habits, obsessions, illusions and wishful thinking. This capacity for understanding and the discipline for purification are, therefore, also prior to Creation and even the Scriptures. The Absolute Order of Priority, therefore, seems to be (i) Allah, (ii) His Word, (iii) the Purpose, Plan or Blue Print in Heaven, the world of Potentialities also called the Preserved Tablet, (iv) the Faculties (perhaps “angels” also refer to these.), (v) the Guidance, (vi) the Scriptures (vii) Creation.

If everyone had the attitude that only an existing Scripture should be believed and obeyed, then the mission of the Prophet Muhammad, and, indeed, any other Prophet would have been impossible. This was the basis of the objection which Jews had to Jesus, and the Christians had to Muhammad. The Quran would not have existed, nor belief in it, without Allah. The Spirit of Allah is within man and can be followed directly by those who are in touch with it. It is because man is not in touch with the spirit of Allah within, that he needs the indirect guidance of the Quran. There is no justification for sectarianism in Islam.

Islam is Surrender to Allah, not to the Quran. It is necessary to emphasise this because it has serious implications. Human beings should be guided by Consciousness, Conscience and Will when purified by appropriate techniques and by the Attributes of Allah such as Justice, Compassion and Truth, by Benevolence, Wisdom, Power and Ability rather than the letter or subjective interpretations of the Quran.

2. The Quran - The Recitation, the Criterion, the Reminder unto Creation, the Guidance, the Word of Allah, the Book in Heaven. The Quran also represents and confirms the other Scriptures of the world. “Quran” does not refer to a physical book but to a Teaching. No such physical book existed during the life time of the Prophet Muhammad. The Quran derives its authority from Allah.

“And We reveal the Scripture unto thee as an exposition of all things, and a guidance and a mercy and good tidings for those who have surrendered.” 16:89

“Naught is said unto thee (Muhammad) save what was said unto the messengers before thee.” 41:43

3. The Sunna - The traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. These are collected in several books known as the Hadith. The Quran has priority over the Sunna.

“Whoso obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah..” 4:80 Also see 48:11

“By the wise Quran, Lo! thou (Muhammad) art of those sent on a straight path, a revelation of the Mighty, the Merciful.” 36:2-5

“ We, verily, sent Our messenger with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance, that mankind may observe right measure; and He revealed iron, wherein is mighty power and many uses for mankind, and that Allah may know him who helps Him and His messenger, though unseen. Lo! Allah is Strong, Mighty.” 57: 25

Note that three things are mentioned : The Scripture, the Balance and Iron. These stand for the teaching, the moral code and strong arm of the Law. Three other things should be noted, namely proof, justice (right measure), and usefulness of power. In both cases we have three ingredients cognition, motivation and action. These describe a complete man or community. Since they all derive from Allah, we have full objectivity.

The Prophet is reported to have said:-

“The Shariat (The religious Law) is what I say; the Tariqat (the Method or Way) is what I do; the Haqiqat (the Truth) is what I am.”

It follows that the Sunna are a source of several things:-

(a) The Muslim should learn from the direct example set by the Prophet. The imitation should, however, not be merely an outward one, but also an inward one.

(b) The Quran presents arguments which establish mostly general principles rather then the details of the religious life. The Sunna consists of:-

(i) The interpretation and application of the Quran to a specific situation. The Religious law is based not only on the instructions contained in the Quran, but also in the Hadith.

(ii) The example set by the Prophet also exists at a higher level. Namely, how to adapt and apply the Spirit of the Quran to changing situations rather than mere obedience or imitation. The world has changed and it is, therefore, impossible merely to confine oneself to applying the methods used by the Prophet.

(iii) The Prophet, when he came to Medina, where he had the task of creating a new nation, experimented, thought, calculated, meditated, consulted and prayed. He continued to obtain inspiration and revelations. The example set by the Prophet, therefore, has a still higher level. It should include the character and general attitude of the Prophet.

(c) The Islamic community was led by the Prophet, a person of the most excellent character and ability. These may be summed up by the triad, Wisdom, Compassion and Capability. These are the principles on which the life of the individual should be based and the Community should be organised.

Some Muslims want to stick to the letter of the Quran and Hadith. Others want to confine Islam to the Quran alone. The Quran, however, is concerned with the awakening of conscience. It contains very little of the details necessary for running a modern nation. To confine it in this way is to contradict the purpose of the Quran which is to facilitate the correct functioning of man. The unsystematised nature of the Quran and the Hadith should be regarded as deliberate attempts to retain flexibility. It allows for change and the construction of innumerable systems. What distinguishes an Islamic from other systems is that all thought, motivation and action is based on these and no other foundations.

(d) The Prophet Muhammad also represents other prophets (3:81). It may, therefore, be said that Islam contains all religions. (4:150-151)

The Stem:-

4. Tafsir - Exegesis. The commentaries and elucidations of the learned (Ulema)- In fact the Quran itself and the Hadith already contain an elucidation of the Quran. This can be divided into three levels:-

(a) Obedience to the Companions of the Prophet, the Sahaabah.

“My companions are stars. Whomsoever of these you follow, you will be rightly guided.” A Hadith

The notion of Companion is similar, but not identical with the Christian one of Apostle. The Companions, specially the Four Righteous Caliphs combined the function of teacher, law makers and civil authorities.

(b) Obedience to Authority - However the authorities were required to consult all those concerned. There are three kinds of authority:- The Learned who teach a doctrine, the Law makers and the Administrators. It is obvious that people cannot unaided interpret, evaluate and understand the Quran and Hadith. They need guidance by those who have made a study. The word “Learned” should not be understood as referring to “book learning”, though it may include this. To learn is to be psychologically modified by experiences. Obedience should be given to those who have the knowledge, motivation and ability, and in the area in which their expertise lies. Even the Prophet set a limit to the obedience he demanded from his followers. The Quran, the Sunna and the Companions have priority over such Authorities. No obedience is required where such authority contradicts the above since obedience is not a duty to the authority but to Allah.

“ O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority.” 4:59

“Say: Obey Allah and obey the messenger. But if you turn away, then it is for him to do only that wherewith he has been charged, and for you to do that wherewith you have been charged. If you obey him you will go right. But the messenger has no other charge than to convey the message plainly.” 24:54

After the death of the Companions of the Prophet, the care of Islam passed in to the hands of those who had had no direct contact with the Prophet. One of the consequences of this was the division of Islam into a mainly spiritual and esoteric stream and a mainly social, orthodox or exoteric stream. The one led to the formation of various Sufi Schools, called Tariqa (the Way or Method), headed by Sheikhs, which trace their origin to the Companions of the Prophet. The orthodox stream led to various Schools of Thought (Madh-habs), headed by Imams, which created various systems of Law (Fiqh). The differences between these Schools of Law resulted from:-

(i) Differences in knowledge of the traditions of the Prophet (Sunna),

(ii) Differences in interpretation of the meaning of words of the Quran and Hadith,

(iii) Differences in emphasis and value given to certain verses in the Quran or to the Sunna,

(iv) Differences in application of rules to new situations.

Though many Schools of Law arose, only four have survived to this day and are practised in different parts of the Muslim world.

It is necessary to realise that most of what is now included in the Islamic religious law, and even in its teachings and practices are an elaboration and a systematisation done by others since the death of the Prophet. The purpose was to apply the teachings to the needs of the specific times, place and people. Though their systems differed from one another, there was no dispute between them, and they were willing to learn and modify their views. Whereas such Authorities of the past considered it their right, duty and privilege to do this, later generations of Muslims came to regard their works as sacrosanct. There is no justification for this attitude since the Imams, themselves, warned their followers not to blindly follow their opinions because they were fallible and that the Quran and Hadith must always take precedence. Submission to Authority does not mean past authority.

A third or Mesoteric Stream should also be recognised. This consists of the Scholars who took the Quran seriously when it pointed to nature, the Universe, human nature, their history and their dependence on the rest of God’s Creation, and to the importance of Knowledge. They began to gather all available knowledge, made researches and investigations and applied this knowledge. This work laid the foundations of the sciences, arts and technologies (including mathematics, logic, mechanics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, astronomy, sociology, psychology, history, politics, language, agriculture, administration, organisation, ethics, music, calligraphy, painting, engineering etc,) the culture of Islam in the widest sense of the word. All this should be regarded as an integral part of Islam and indeed, of worship and of the notion of Vicegerency.

(c) Obedience to a Learned Teacher -

The difficulty here lies in what kind of people are to be considered authorities on religion. In general this depends on the general level of development of the people. But this, in its turn, depends on how well the previous authorities have fulfilled their function in raising the quality of the people. If they have not done a good job the level of the people deteriorates, and this leads to the degeneration of the leadership. Nothing can be done about this no matter how enthusiastic or militant people are about establishing an Islamic system. If they misinterpret Islam and follow false leaders they will create a disaster.

“... and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who follows his own lust and whose case has been abandoned.” 18:29

“Allah does not take away knowledge from a people by removing it from men in general, but takes it away by taking away the learned, so that when He leaves no learned man, men will take ignorant men as leaders. Causes will be presented to them and they will pass Judgements without knowledge, erring and leading others into error.” A Hadith

The present teachers of religion, with some exceptions, adhere to a particular Madh-hab, and often regard people belonging to other Madh-habs as Heretics. An examination of the disputes and arguments of later times shows that, like in all matters of law, the letter became more important than the spirit, many of the arguments were about trivialities, and the Law became formal and rigid where appearance and social conformity was more important than motivation, attitude and understanding. The result of this was:-

(i) The break up of Islam through sectarianism,

(ii) The arising of a fourth or secular stream in Islam, the Hypocrites, (Munafiqun - See Quran 2:8-20) To this belonged most of the rulers and administrators, their supporters and an increasingly greater number of people, who persecuted or manipulated the law makers and chose the interpretations and laws most convenient to themselves. The result is that there exist many ideas, laws and practices in Muslim countries which contradict the Quran and Hadith.

(iii) Islam failed to adapt to changing circumstances and became stagnant.

(iv) Conformity by compulsion in imposing particular systems.

(v) The loss of an all-comprehensive unified view of the world and of life.

(vi) The arising in Islam of a priest class who took the exclusive right to interpret religion while the rest of the people ceased to seek knowledge and followed blindly.

(vii) Muslim communities degenerated. This allowed them to be dominated by Western powers who replaced Islamic laws, and increasingly their ideas, practices and culture with Western ones.

All other religions have undergone similar processes. But in Islam the original teachings having been recorded remain in tact, and can be recovered.

A distinction should be made between Taqleed (blind adherence) and Ittibaa (reasoned adherence) to the religious teachings, laws and practices. The only justification for the former is that a person has insufficient knowledge or ability, but he should strive to rectify this. Intelligence and reason is required in the following ways:-

(a) To interpret the Quran, and the Quran is not the only scripture acceptable to Islam, though it is a guidance as to the genuineness and interpretation of other scriptures,

(b) To interpret the Hadith, and that not all of the Prophet’s pronouncements were considered binding even by himself, that there are different degrees of genuineness to all the traditions attributed to him, and that we can learn as much from the way he interpreted, adapted and applied the Quran as from his specific words and actions.

(c) The Prophet himself indicated that there would be a deterioration of religion two generations after his death which indeed took place. It is, therefore, necessary, in order to revive Islam and adapt it to modern and future times, to revive the right to re-interpret, systematise and reconstruct Islam in the light of new conditions of life. However, we must be warned by the experience of other religions. Having taken the right of interpretation and application, human limitations such as rationalisation, self-interest and fantasy set in, and this leads to teachings, laws and practices which are in direct contradiction to the original teachings. This should not happen in Islam because the Quran and most of the Hadith are still in their original state and take priority.

No distinction shall be made here between the three streams, the esoteric, mesoteric and exoteric. These foundations apply at all levels. This is because Islam (a) has unity as it’s basic tenet; (b) forbids disputation and sectarianism; (c) makes no distinction between the inner, psychological or spiritual and the outer, social; (d) bases itself on knowledge, understanding and awareness rather than habit, regimentation and conditioning; (e) places emphasis on the community (Umma), discussion and consultation rather than on formal and rigid rules; (f) forbids compulsion in religion.

The Branches:-

5. Aql - Intelligence. This refers to the ability for adaptability and includes the faculties for perception, processing and application. Perception implies interpreting sense data. Processing can refer to Reasoning which involves association, analysis, organisation and synthesis. But there is also Insight, which refers to consciousness, the ability to see patterns and the whole behind the parts, unity behind diversity. Intuition, Inspiration and Revelation can be regarded as degrees of insight. Human reason is a valid source of religious thinking. But though reason is certainly made by Allah, the Fall of man has made it defective. Because of this it has to be controlled through analogy or refined through a discipline. It is necessary for the interpretation and application of the Quran, Hadith and the teachings of the Companions and the Learned.

Religion is based mainly on Faith which refers to insights and is attributed to the spirit and the heart rather than the intellect. It is concerned with what is consistent with the inherent nature of a person, the Truth of which he is made. It is, therefore, something on which a persons life, his thinking, motivation and action are based. We do not acquire faith through study or reasoning but through interaction and practice.

“The dwellers of the desert (or desert Arabs) say, "We believe". Say, "You believe not, but rather say, 'We submit'; for faith has not yet entered into your heart; and if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." 49:14

The differences between all the various Schools of Law, and the different Doctrinal or Philosophical Systems, as well as the Sectarian differences, depend just on the use reasoning or opinion. But this ranks only fifth is order of importance. It follows that though there may be a great number of differences between Muslims, they ought not to give their opinions and differences much weight compared to the factors which unite them. They cannot justify conflict since that is forbidden at a much higher level, in the Quran itself.

“Allah makes plain His revelations in order that you may take thought.” 2:266

“....those among them who are able to think out the matter, would have known it.” 4:83

“He gives wisdom unto whom He will, and he unto whom wisdom is given, he truly has an abundant good. But none remember except men of understanding.” 2:269

“Will they then not meditate on the Quran, or are there locks on their hearts?” 47:24

“Is he who was dead, and We have raised him unto life and set for him a light wherein he walks as he who is in utter darkness from which he cannot emerge.” 6:123

“Lo! In the heavens and the earth are signs for believers. And in your creation, and all the beasts that He scattered in the earth, are signs for a folk whose faith is sure. And the difference of night and day and the provisions that Allah sends down from the sky and thereby quickens the earth after her death, and in the ordering of the winds are signs for people who have sense.” 45:3-5

“And the blind man and the seer are not equal, neither are those who believe and do good works equal with evil-doers. Little do you reflect.” 40:58 Also see 16:44

“Have they not pondered upon themselves? Allah created not the heavens and earth, and that which is between them save with truth and for a destined end.” 30:8

Four aspects of Aql should be recognised:-

(a) Observation - inspection, testing, investigation, experiment, Self-observation, introspection. The Quran is constantly pointing to Nature for evidence and proof.

“ O man, follow not that whereof ye have no knowledge. Lo! The hearing, and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked (to give an account).” 17:36

Human reason is faulty, it is directed by motives which might be faulty, it presupposes the validity of some procedure which is taken as superior to revelation, or it may mistake prejudice or fantasy for inspiration or reason. The faith in reason is no different in nature from faith in Revelation. It can be a form of Idolatry since we accept something other than Allah as supreme. Hence:-

(i) The motive must be pure, based on the love and desire for Truth.

(ii) The framework of reference according to which we interpret data must be appropriate.

(iii) The conditions must be correct. When attention is distracted or other obstructions exist outside or within us then observation will also be faulty. Illusions are not uncommon.

(iv) The language or conceptual system must be correct.

(v) The capacity for perception must be sharpened and purified and developed through an appropriate discipline.

(vi) The observation has to be tested by consultation, discussion and consensus. The corroboration of Witnesses is required.

(vii) It has to be tested by application and its results.

(b) Qias - Measuring. Qias refers to the use of Analogy, i.e. comparison with certain standards, models. ideals and units. The term “measuring” has, therefore, a much wider than only a mathematical significance. This principle has been applied in too narrow a manner in the past. It is used to derive a set of laws applying to new situations by analogy with situations for which laws already exist in the Quran and Hadith. This ensures that the new laws are not based on completely subjective or erroneous judgements. There are a great number of verses in the Quran which mention similitudes. But we must beware of rationalisation:-

“..but those who disbelieve say: what does Allah wish to teach by such similitudes? He misleads many thereby and He guides many thereby; and He misleads, thereby, only miscreants.” 2:26

“And verily we have coined for mankind in this Quran all kinds of similitudes, that haply they may reflect.” 39:27

(c) Istihsaan and Istislaah - Preferences based on judgement of what is more relevant, suitable or important and what is more conducive to the public interest, welfare and development. It includes the necessity for social responsibility. Some things are known to be generally beneficial, harmful, acceptable or unacceptable.

“For those who strive in Us, We surely guide them to Our paths, and verily Allah is with the good.” 29:69

“Who hear advice and follow the best thereof, such are those whom Allah guides, and such are men of understanding.” 39:18

(d) Questioning - Enquiring, deliberately seeking knowledge. No learning is possible without posing questions and seeking answers. It requires humility, the desire to understand and the recognition of problems caused by the non-integration of an item into a consistent system of experiences. It does not necessarily mean doubt about the reality of something, but the realisation and acknowledgement that something has not been understood adequately. It is, therefore, a positive attitude as opposed to doubt which is purely destructive. It also includes questioning the authorities and leaders about their actions. The right to question is complemented by the duty to answer.

One can question oneself, ones motives etc.; others, experts and authorities; the Scriptures; Nature, as by testing and experiment; Allah, through prayer and meditation.

“ ..and if you have a dispute about any matter, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and fairer in the end.” 4:59

“ And when my servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear ME and let them trust Me, in order that they may be led aright.” 2:186

It is argued that since the Prophet has died and Allah is unlikely to come down to give a judgement through revelation then this verse has become obsolete. But this is a naive way of looking at it. By keeping a question in mind, a search through the Quran and Hadith may produce an answer. Indeed, they are not generally understood unless there is a problem to which an answer is sought.

6. Shurah and Ijma - Mutual consultation and consensus of opinion, Agreement. Since the vicegerency is invested in the community (Umma), they have the right to be consulted, The Prophet himself was obliged to consult his followers in matters of policy. Consultation with all those concerned, affected or have the expertise and knowledge is necessary. Agreement has to be arrived at after exertion, meditation, investigation and study of the subject. The whole of the nation could be concerned in certain political matters, but only scientists in science, or professionals in matters relating to that profession. Or it may concern only the two or more people entering a contract. Agreement can be:- i. in words, ii. in action or practice and iii. by silence.

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

7. Urf and Adat - Practices and Custom specially those of a righteous community. There are certain things which have neither been approved nor condemned in the Quran or Hadith. To this applies Istishab. (Presumption). It is presumed that what ever is not expressly forbidden is allowable until proved to be harmful. Customs which existed in past or in other cultures which do not conflict with the Islamic Shariah are permissible. It could be extended to imply that whatever is not proved to be false could be true. It may, therefore, be expressed. However, this does not imply that it is actually true, and this fact should be made clear. It also allows the arising of good practices and customs.

“If anyone establishes a good tradition in Islam he will have the reward for it and the equivalent of the rewards of those who act upon it after him without theirs diminishing in any respect; but he who establishes a bad tradition in Islam will bear the responsibility of it and the responsibility of those who act upon it after him without theirs being diminished in ant respect.” A Sunna

The Prophet Muhammad, himself, divided Religion into three levels, one leading to the next:-

Al-Islam or Ibadat - The Religious Discipline or Worship

Al-Iman - The Faith

Al-Ihsan - Righteousness or Right Conduct.

These can be said to lead and correspond to:-

The Shariat - The Religious Law

The Tariqat - The Way or Method

The Haqiqat - The Truth

The discipline provides the experiences by which true faith, the conviction of intellect, feeling and will, is created, and the faith transforms the mind to produce righteousness.

From another, a social point of view, the stages of development are:-

(a) Iman (faith), (b) Ita’at (obedience), (c) Taqva (piety), (d) Ihsan (identification).

A person enters Islam through faith. Here faith means belief, however acquired. He then obeys or submits to the instructions of Islam. This leads to a transformation of behaviour according to the spirit of Islam rather than the letter. Finally, 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.

Though this sequence appears to be more natural, the Quran points out that real faith is not the starting point (49:14-15). The unregenerate man is probably incapable of real faith. It develops only later. People usually join a movement because of some accidental predisposition which may be a prejudice or some kind of psychological or social self-interest.

The Discipline is based on the Pillars of Islam. There are five:- (1). The Declaration of Faith. (2) Prayer. (3) Charity. (4) Fasting. (5) Pilgrimage.

To these, three Duties should also be added:-

(6). Learning - The search for Knowledge. (17:36, 10:37, 30:29, 2:118,145,230, 3:7,18,66, 4:157, 5:104, 6:98,117,149, 7:33,52, 9:11,122, 10:40,90, 12:76, 18:66,69, 20:114, 22:8,54, 24:15-16, 27:52,84, 28:80, 31:6,20, 51:10-11, 53:28 etc.)

(7). Jihad - Striving. The war against evil, illusion, falsehood and error – (2:148,205, 4:195, 5:35, 7:82, 8:74, 9:16,20,41,88,17:19, 22:178, 25:52 29:6,8,69, 47:31, 53:39-41) (a) Inner - The struggle against greed, prejudice, anger, laziness, fantasy, illusion, rationalisation, inner lying, inner blindness and deafness, ignorance, superstition, habits, addictions, obsessions and so on. (b) The middle - eradication of evils in the society. (c) The outer - political self-defence.

(8). Endurance and Patience without complaint or despair, resilience, tolerance, control of anger, bearing adversity and criticism and so on. (2:45, 153-155, 3:17, 120, 186, 4:25, 7:126, 8:46, 10:110, 11:49, 115, 12:18,90, 13:22-24, 16:42, 96, 126-127, 20:30, 22:35, 30:60, 31:17, 33:35, 39:10, 41:35, 42:43, 46:35, 50:39, 68:48, 70:5, 73:10, 76:24, 90:17 etc.)

There are four forms of duty though they overlap and have physical, psychological and social significance:-

(a) To Allah - This consists of (i) Taqwa -cultivating consciousness of Allah. (ii) Tawakkul - cultivating Trust in Allah (iii) Rida Allah - striving to please Allah.

(b) To oneself - This consists of (i) Tawba - repentance, (ii) Dua - supplication, (iii) Tazkiyah - purification (inner and outer), (iv) Sabr - patience and perseverance (v) Shukr - Gratitude (vi) The avoidance of excesses, waste, squandering, hoarding, gambling. (vii) Avoiding intoxicants, addictives and inferior foods such as pig meat. (viii) Earning ones living only by honest and beneficial means. (ix) Moderation in the consumption of food and other wants. (x) Fulfilling ones trust and natural obligations.

(c) Towards others - This consists of cultivating and promoting (i) Salam - Peace (ii) Adl - Justice (iii) Musawa - Equality (iv) Ukhuwah -Brotherhood (v) Mawadah -Love (vi) Rahma - Mercy (vii) Afw - Forggiveness (viii) Dawah - Invitation to the faith. (ix) Shuni - Consultation (x) Avoidance of usury. (xi) Avoiding harm (xii) Keeping promises, agreements and treaties.

(d) Towards the environment and the creatures in it.

"Work not confusion (chaos, mischief or evil) in the earth after it has been rightly ordered, and call upon Him with fear and hope (longing and earnestness); for, verily, the mercy of Allah is nigh unto those who do well." 7:56

"There is not a beast upon the earth nor a bird that flies with both its wings, but is a people like to you; We have omitted nothing from the Book. Then to their Lord shall they be gathered." 6:38

"He it is who brought forth gardens with trailing and untrailing vines, and the palms and corn land, with various food, and olives, and pomegranates, alike and unlike. Eat from the fruit thereof whenever it fruits, and bring the dues thereof on the harvest day, and be not wasters (greedy or extravagant). Verily, He loves not the wasters." 6:142

"O children of Adam! Take your adornments (clothes, grooming, manners, etiquette etc.) to every place of worship and eat and drink, but do not be extravagant (wasteful), for He loves not the extravagant (wasteful)." 7:31

"And remember how he made you vicegerents (agents, inheritors) after Ad and established you in the earth so that you took for yourselves castles on its plains and hewed out mountains into houses. So remember the bounties of Allah, and waste not the land, despoiling it." 7:74

"And give your kinsman his due and the needy and the son of the road (wayfarer); and squander (waste) not your wealth in wantonness. Lo! The squanderers were ever brothers of the devil; and the devil is ever ungrateful to his Lord." 17:26-27

"And obey not the bidding of the extravagant (profligate, wasters), who spread corruption in the earth and mend not their ways." 26:151-152

The Articles of Faith are traditionally given as:-

1. The Absoluteness and Oneness of Allah.

2. The existence of Angels through whom Allah works.

3. The existence and validity of Spiritual Books, Scriptures or Teachings sent by Allah

4. The existence and validity of all His Prophets.

5. The Day of Judgement.

6. The Day of Resurrection and Renewal.

7. The Causal Law. Nothing takes place by chance. That though all Power, even of doing good or evil, proceeds from Allah, each person is responsible for his or her own actions.

Articles 5 and 6 are inter-connected and the Quran uses the term “The Last Day” or “The Hereafter” in connection with them. The list also excludes an important notion, the Vicegerency of man which defines the human function. It may, therefore, be suggested that the Articles of Faith should be:-

(1) Allah (2) Angels (3) Scriptures (4) Prophets (5) Vicegerency (6) The Hereafter (7) The Causal Law.

Righteousness (2:177) refers to behaviour as an agent in surrender to Allah (6:163) or according to the nature made by Allah (30:30). In so far as the Spirit of Allah is within man (32:9) he also has or ought to have heightened consciousness, conscience and will and the attributes of Allah which include Justice, Compassion and Truth and the power to act accordingly. (2:42, 3:17,134, 4:135,171, 5:77, 7:181, 49:9, 17:24,36, 30:21, 42:37,40, 48:29, 103:3 etc.). Righteousness consists of:-

“That you should serve Allah as though you saw Him, for He sees you though you do not see Him.”

Righteousness requires Repentance. The word used means Mental Turning or Reorientation. This is physically symbolised by turning towards the Kaaba, the house of Allah. A complete new set of values and attitudes, a new way of thinking and perceiving are accepted. It involves replacing the personal ego with Allah. A new psychological construction now begins.

“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 toppled with him into the fire of hell? Allah guides not wrong doing folk.” 9:109

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

“Allah hath shown grace to the believers by sending them messengers of their own who recite unto them His revelations and cause them to grow.” 3:164

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

Righteousness has three aspects:-

(a) Correct thinking. e.g. the need for correct conscious knowledge and the avoidance of conjecture, obsolete traditions and habits of thought. e.g.

“ When it is said to them: Follow that which Allah has revealed, they say: We follow that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though their fathers were wholly unintelligent and had no guidance?” 2:170

“O man! Follow not that whereof you have no knowledge. The hearing, the sight and the heart - of these it will be asked to give an account.” 17:36

“Assuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of truth.” 10:37

This subject will be dealt more fully under Logic and Science

(b) Correct motivation, feeling, and relationships with other human beings and life forms. This subject will be dealt with more fully under Ethics.

(c) Correct Actions. e.g. the ban on gambling, drinking alcohol, fortune telling, eating the flesh of pigs and of animals which have not been correctly slaughtered or dedicated to Allah; the need for balance and the avoidance of extremes and excesses; manners and etiquette. This subject will be dealt with under Conduct.

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Human beings find themselves in a Universe on which they are dependant. They must:-

(a) Interpret, understand and adjust to it.

(b) Form relationships and communicate with each other,

(c) Act on the world and bring about changes which then affect them.

Therefore, they need facts, meanings and values.

It is supposed by some people that facts can be picked up merely by observation. But this is not so. Our capacity for observation is limited. We need to know where and what to look for, and how to interpret and organise what we see. We also need a language in which to describe what we see. This must be part of the whole interaction and communication between people if it is to have any meaning. In order to make purposive action possible we need a value system. This must be objective in the sense that it is derived from what is inherent in the nature of the universe and man himself.

Accordingly, the following Values are recognised:-

1. Truth - The consistency of a part of an experience with the whole. There are three levels of Truth:-

(a) Ilm-ul-Yaqin - (102:5) The Knowledge of Certainty or Information.

(b) Ayn-ul-Yaqin - (102:7) The Eye of Certainty or Experienced and Insight

(c) Haq-ul-Yaqin - (69:51) The Truth of Certainty, the truth of Being or of the Heart.

2. Goodness - Three levels should be distinguished:- (a) Justice, equity, balance, equilibrium, impartiality etc. (b) compassion, mercy, beneficence, charity, kindness etc. these are sometimes known as Love, but this word, having been corrupted, has become ambiguous. Among other notions, the Quran distinguishes between Beneficence and Mercy. (c) wholeness, integration, harmony, order, kinship, brotherhood etc

3. Power - ability, usefulness, utility, strength, control, Co-ordination.

4. Beauty - harmony, order, attractiveness, desirabbility.

All are derived from the attributes of Allah. Allah is said to have 100 attributes, but these may be divided into these four sets. They may be seen as deriving from the notion of Unity, e.g. consistency, harmony, cooperation, integration, co-ordination. They are not, therefore independent of each other, but different aspects of the same thing. We may call these the Scientific, Ethical, Economic and Aesthetic aspect of things.

Since they are aspects of the same thing then we can see that each of them can also be applied to the other spheres. For instance Justice in the realm of morality is equivalent to Law in the realm of science - all actions have consequences, the consequences correspond to the actions and vary in direct proportion with the variation of the action. This also requires the notion of “measure”. Another notion connected with it is “balance”. There is a pair of opposites between which a balance must be found, and the balance shifts according to the circumstances. This is well known in the sciences, as also in economics and art. Islam is said to be the Balanced or Middle Way.

Every chapter of the Quran, but one, speaks of the Beneficence and Mercy of Allah. In the realm of science the implication of beneficence is that any object exists by virtue of the fact that it is supplied with the materials, energy and information which it requires from its environment. Conversely, given a system it will develop the appropriate organs or subsystems required for its maintenance. The love between parents and children is an illustration of the Universal Benevolence. The notion of Mercy (or Forgiveness) in the realm of Science refers to a degree of tolerance or flexibility. Dire consequences do not follow immediately on departure from a norm. There is always some lee way, positive or negative. This allows adjustment and rectification. It also allows experimentation, trial and error from which learning takes place.

The notion of Harmony in the realm of science refers to the fact that objects belong together to a greater whole. All things form communities. They give up some of their autonomy to form this whole which is more than the sum of its parts owing to the pattern or order. This wholeness controls the parts, and the parts must adjust to the whole, for their own benefit. Conversely, it is the whole which creates the parts according to need. The need arises from its need to adjust to a still greater whole. An Ecological system is an illustration of this.

It is not difficult to see that moral principles must arise from these truths, and conversely the truths arise because of an in-built morality.

Certain other values recognised widely such as those included under such notions as old and new fashioned, primitive and modern, fashionable and unfashionable, civilised and barbaric, etc have no real place in Islam. Things are true, good, useful or beautiful to various degrees, positive or negative.

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Islam is more than what is usually understood under the term Religion. This term has been deprived of most of its significance. It provides the parameters for a complete way of life and more than this, a state of being. It, therefore, has:-

1. A Physical Aspect. A relationship with the environment, minerals, plants and animals, the world as a whole. The building of cities, industries etc.

2. A Social Aspect. This may be divided into:-

(a) A communal aspect - concerned with etiquette, human social and sexual interaction, marriage and conduct of daily life.

(b) A Legal and political aspect

(c) A Cultural Aspect which can further divided into

i. A scientific aspect - concerned with knowledge and Learning

ii. An Aesthetic aspect - concerned with art.

iii. An institutional aspect concerned with education, health and welfare, charities

3. A Psychological or Spiritual level.

The Economic conditions are meant to serve a social purpose and the social conditions are meant to serve the Spiritual purpose. This is the reverse of what commonly exists.

Islam may also be seen from the following levels:-

1. A Doctrine (what a person thinks or believes)

2. A Methodology. Techniques. Instruction for action and behaviour (what a person does)

3. Development of Character or Being (what a person is).

The Doctrine exists to facilitate the modification of behaviour; the modification of behaviour is undertaken for the development of character or being. This, too, is the reverse of what is commonly found to be the case.

Islam, like other religions, has come into existence because man, being given intelligence, has certain fundamental inherent needs - an intellect which wants to know, motives which need direction, and a capacity for action which needs coherence. He, therefore, has questions about the nature of existence, needs a purpose in life and a methodology for action.

The purposes of Islam are:-

1. To describe existence.

(a) To describe the Essential Nature of the Universe we are living in.

(b) To describe the Essential Nature of Man.

(c) To describe the relationship between man and the Universe, his origin and destiny, in order that he may adjust himself and live an intelligent and meaningful life.

2. To create a goal.

(a) To remove the disease - the psychological or spiritual obstructions which cause his ignorance and maladjustment.

(b) To create conditions for maintaining psychological health.

(c) To facilitate further development.

3. To provide methods.

(a) A Comprehensive Social Program (C.S.P) for individual and social development.

(b) The necessary elements to make it acceptable and applicable.

(c) The factors required to maintain it through adaptation and renewal.

These foundations provide a fully comprehensive prescription for all aspects of life.

It should be clear from this brief description that Islam in essence is not only perfectly capable of adaptation,, development and expansion, but that it requires it. The fact that stagnation and degeneration has overcome the Muslim world cannot be attributed to Islam but to the people who failed to adhere to its spirit.

The exact formulation of these foundations is open to further discussion and to agreement. It may be possible to modify them to produce Axioms of Life similar to the axioms of geometry or of logic or to a political Constitution.

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Certain criticisms of Islam need to be dealt with:-

The doctrine of Preordination has caused a great amount of difficulty in religion as also in science. Apparently it contradicts the ability to choose between doing good or evil. And if man has no such choice then it would follow that all religious teachings are in vain.

The Causal Law exists. Every thing has a cause and produces an effect. Therefore, the conditions existing in the beginning will determine conditions existing at the end. If there was no such law we would have complete disorder and nothing could be recognized or predicted. In fact, nothing recognizable could exist because to recognize it means some kind of order. Nor could it be said that Allah was omnipotent if things could happen irrespective of His will. If man had free will then he would not be under the control of Allah. But if he did have free will then his actions could neither have cause nor reason. They would be purposeless actions. Even our actions must have causes. These causes may be inherent in our structure or in our experiences or in our reason. But we cannot predict the future. If we could then this information would be another factor modifying our behaviour and, therefore, altering the future. Our prediction would be falsified. Thus we cannot know the future and it must remain open-ended for us. On the other hand there are a number of self-fulfilling prophecies. People believe something and act in a way as to make them come true. The belief or faith itself creates the truth. It is a powerful cause. This feature of existence must be taken advantage of.

What a person does may have been determined by what he has read or learnt. The existence of scriptures and religious teachings are, themselves, a cause which affect behaviour. But whether they are accepted or not depends on other causes. The person who uses the doctrine of predestination as an excuse to do evil or make no efforts to do good is just as much subject to cause and effect as one who rejects the doctrine or strives hard to attain a goal. The doctrine remains true whatever a person may do. It cannot be used as a reason for making no efforts. The effort made is a cause. And in order to attain an objective we must seek an appropriate cause. We can do nothing without it. Freedom exists in the sense that a person is capable of many alternative kinds of behaviour, but the choice is determined by some cause. Will also exists and is the name given to the inner power which drives a man to action. This may come from his inherent physiological structure or from the accumulation of experiences, the way he has been programmed or conditioned. It may come from his reasoning or it may come from his faith or from the higher source, the Spirit.

It follows that:-

1. If we wish to achieve some goal or would like to modify the behaviour of others then we have to provide the appropriate causes which will produce those effects. Mere preaching may or may not be adequate.

2. In truth we cannot praise or blame anyone for anything, but we can praise or blame them as a means of producing certain effects. To encourage or discourage them or ourselves, for instance.

3. Retaliation, Punishment and reward are methods of channelling the behaviour of others, or simply effects of the behaviour of others on oneself.

4. An individual does not merely react to external causes, but he has inner causes and he processes both inner and outer forces by analysis, association and synthesis. In this sense the immediate cause of an action lies within him. He has control over this process given the appropriate faculties.

One of the objections to the Ijma is that it is not possible to consult the whole of the Muslim nation about any question, that most people may be quite ignorant or lack the ability to make a sensible decision, and that given human differences it is impossible to get a unanimous decision. Sectarianism results from this. All this can, however, be overcome. It could become a matter of consent

(a) to leave the decisions to representatives of the people and these representatives, it should be agreed, should have certain qualifications.

(b) that, though there are differences of opinion, all opinions should be held tentatively. Opinions must not be confused with truths. They should be tested as far as possible and these tests can be agreed upon.

(c) that the majority view should be supported, or that the view of some expert or man of ability who has proved himself should be accepted, or that it is agreed to abide by the decisions of an arbiter.

(d) that consultation and consent in a particular field is required only among those who are concerned with that field. For instance if we are speaking of science or law then only scientists and lawyers should be consulted and the consensus of their opinions, not of the general public, is relevant.

(e) that provisions are made for diversity, so that it is not necessary for all to conform to the same standards.

The Ijma does not take precedence over the Quran and the Hadith, and both these condemn sectarianism and warn against substituting conjectures for truth. It also needs to be pointed out that Islam is not primarily about doctrines, controversy about which it condemns, but more about behaviour, and still more about character. Such doctrinal controversies must be regarded as irrelevant or even evil, when it affects behaviour and character adversely. It is best to say “ I do not know.” or “I might be wrong” or what is much more Islamic, “ Allah knows best”.

One of the problems in Islam is the fact that religion incorporates a Political system. Islam has been accused of being not sufficiently universal, comprehensive and flexible, because, by basing itself on the Quran which always remains the same, it excludes other people who do not accept the Quran, but may accept other scriptures or none at all. It is also much more difficult to reform it than to reform a religion where this is left to an organized Church which has a monopoly on interpretation and doctrine. If Islam is exclusive, it cannot, then, become the basis of a world order. An Islamic political system which must cater for all people would then not be possible. In fact, since it has no such authority it is much easier for Muslims to adapt to different conditions. In so far as Islam recognizes Allah as supreme and He is also the God of all men and all prophets are recognized then there is ultimately no exclusiveness. But as for those who do not recognize any purpose and the need to lead a disciplined goal-orientated life, they must be excluded. Many non-Muslim communities have, in fact, existed within a Muslim Political System where they were allowed to live their lives freely according to their own lights. The British Political system, too, recognizes an established Church without being intolerant towards other religions. It is not, therefore, necessary that a Political system should be secular and religiously neutral.

One of the major hopes of the peoples of the world is universal peace, justice, security and freedom for self-fulfillment. In view of the inter-dependence of all, this is seen as requiring a World Government. But such a world government can lead to disaster if it is tyrannical and degenerate. It become oppressive if it does not allow diversity. When a nation degenerates or becomes tyrannical there is still hope for the world as long as there is some other independent nation which is still vigorous, developing and free, and where people can still pursue their ideals. But if the government bases itself on an ideology then it comes into conflict with other ideologies which it must represses. It also comes into conflict with practical realities, especially when it is based on fantasies or partial truths, and those who govern lack the necessary competence. From this point of view an ideal world government would be one in which the whole military power was concentrated in its hands in order to ensure peace, but everything else was left to the people of the various areas. People could then determine a way of life suitable to themselves or migrate to one which suited them.

However, governments are required to take on a great number of other tasks of an economic, political, legal and cultural nature. But if a Government embodies no ideals then it tends to become a confusion of different ideals, a power struggle, leading nowhere at all. Unity is certainly an ideal for Islam, but there would have been no purpose in the processes of differentiation and diversification from which the world arose, only to re-establish unity at the end. To say that there is Purpose in the Universe is to say that it must be fulfilled before Unity is recreated. This is like cutting a piece of wood into sections in order to join them together into a chair or other piece of furniture. An Islamic government will have to embody, maintain and propagate the Islamic ideals. There will have to be local Governments which deal with such matters. In so far as different areas affect each other they will have to negotiate and come to a common agreement, and these agreements could be embodied in a World Government.

A world Government can, therefore, only be achieved when a Political system has been created which embodies realistic ideals and is also at the same time tolerant and capable of incorporating diversity. But such a system depends on the character of the people, particularly on those who govern. The development of character is not possible under the ordinary educational system which also has no ideal, is confined to class rooms, and concentrates its attention on intellectual and physical skills alone. A complete Comprehensive Social Program (C.S.P) is required.

No such Comprehensive Social Program, other than Islam, is known. But even if there were one, a method of making it acceptable, applying it, and maintaining it would also have to be found.

As Muhammad was the last of the Prophets it seems reasonable to suppose that, the Guidance having been completed, man was to be left to his own devices. Knowledge has made much progress in recent years and one would expect that it would be possible to construct a Comprehensive Social Program but adapted to modern man in modern conditions. Perhaps advances in science, especially in sociology and psychology will allow this to happen in the future. Or perhaps it awaits the return of a Prophet.

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