4e. Oneness of Allah as the Absolute Creator and Sustainer ...... continue

TAUHIID AL-KHALIQIYYAH WA-RUBUBIYYAH

Attestation to the Oneness of Allah as the Absolute Creator and Sustainer

REFLECTION

وَفِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ءَايَـٰتٌ۬ لِّلۡمُوقِنِينَ

وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ‌ۚ أَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُونَ

"And on earth there are Signs (of Allah's existence, visible) to all who are endowed with inner certainty, just as (there are signs) thereof within your ownselves: can you not then see? "

( Qur'an: Az-Dzariyat: 51 : 20-21 )

From the previous class, we have come to realise that our existence is not accidental, but is a product created (designed) by One Who is Most Wise. And that by the obvious complexity and beauty of our own nature, the perfect coordination that is required for our whole body to survive and continue to survive, all of which is inevitable proof of the Oneness of Allah s.w.t., our Creator and Sustainer. Should we not then be grateful to Him?

In analysing, Allah s.w.t. does not want us to be man-centred in our outlook. Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe invites man to observe His other greater Signs.

Man is just a small part of the whole creation

لَخَلۡقُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَڪۡبَرُ مِنۡ خَلۡقِ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ

أَڪۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

وَمَا يَسۡتَوِى ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِيرُ

"Greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth: yet most man do not understand (what this implies.) But (then), the blind and the seeing are not equal."

( Qur'an: Ghafir 40 : 57 )

سَنُرِيهِمۡ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فِى ٱلۡأَفَاقِ وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ

لَهُمۡ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ‌ۗ أَوَلَمۡ يَكۡفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ ۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ شَہِيدٌ

"Soon will We show them Our signs in the furthest regions (of the universe) and in their own souls, until it become manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things? "

( Qur'an: Fussilat: 41: 53 )

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبۡعَ سَمَـٰوَٲتٍ۬ طِبَاقً۬ا‌ۖ

مَّا تَرَىٰ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ مِن تَفَـٰوُتٍ۬‌ۖ فَٱرۡجِعِ ٱلۡبَصَرَ

هَلۡ تَرَىٰ مِن فُطُورٍ۬

ثُمَّ ٱرۡجِعِ ٱلۡبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيۡنِ يَنقَلِبۡ إِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡبَصَرُ

خَاسِئً۬ا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ۬

"(Hallowed be) He Who has created seven heavens in full harmony with one another,­ no fault will thou see in the creation of the Most Gracious. And turn thy vision (upon it) once more, canst thou see any flaw?"

( Q : Mulk: 67: 3 -4 )

* In the Arabic usage, - as in other Semitic languages as well- the number "seven"' is often synonymous with "several" (see Lisanul Arab). The term "sama' " ("heaven" or "sky”) is applied to anything that is spread like a canopy above any other thing. Thus, the visible skies which stretch like a vault above the earth and form, as it were, its canopy, are called "sama' ": and this is the primary meaning of this term in the Qur’an in a wider sense, it has the connotation of "cosmic system". Thus, taken together with the accepted linguistic definition, "seven heavens" denotes the multiplicity of cosmic system.


From Inner to Outer

Because our awareness is limited to ourselves and our immediate surroundings, we tend to regard the entire creations of Allah s.w.t. within this limitation and therefore fail to fully grasp the Might of Allah, the One Absolute Creator and Sustainer. With our given faculties, we are invited to survey the vast universe in which confirmation of the Oneness of Allah, the Creator and Sustainer is ever manifested. Allah s.w.t. hints at the full harmony and the perfect order which is an inevitable indication of this Truth. See and reflect. The simple statement of the Qur'an is in actual fact very profound to those who have knowledge of the universe. For many of us although we may know about the sun, the moon and the stars yet this knowledge of ours is simply a superficial awareness; lacking depth. It is like a man standing beside a deep ravine at night without knowing how deep and dangerous it is, therefore lacking true awareness. But, when the deep ravine becomes apparent at daybreak, it sent chills down our spine especially fearing for our safety. Thus knowledge, like Astronomy is relevant and important as a means towards realization of Tauhiid, the knowledge of certainty.

Let us examine the evidence from Astronomy

Twinkle, twinkle little star?

We are not quite aware of the vastness of the universe. Many of us have seen and have described the stars as "twinkling little star." Our short-sightedness does not help us to really feel the grandeur of Allah's creation. Studies in astronomy show that the number of stars in the sky is as numerous as all the grains of sand on all the seashores of our planet, many stars being vastly greater in size than our earth, some even are so enormous that each has the girth the size of which can contain hundreds of thousand of earths inside them and still have room to spare! A few of them are even big enough to contain millions of earths!

How vast is the Universe?

Astronomers estimate that the universe consists of five hundred million galaxies. Each galaxy contains about 100,0000 stars. The nearest galaxy i.e. our galaxy, the Milky Way, which is partially visible at night, measures in 100,000 light years across. (Light travels at 186,282 miles per second. And a light year means that it would require one year travelling at this speed to cover that distance!!) We, on earth are 30,000 light years way from the centre of this galaxy. This galaxy in turn forms part of an even larger super-galaxy within which 17 galaxies similar to ours are in perpetual motion. The entire cluster is 2 million light years in diameter.

Ever expanding

وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيۡنَـٰهَا بِأَيۡيْدٍ۬ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ

"And it is We who have-built the universe with (Our creative) power; and, verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it _ "

( Qur'an: Az-Dzariyat: 51 :47 )

We are told that the size of the universe is not static but expanding every moment in all directions. So rapid is this expansion that according to an estimate by Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington (1882-1944), noted British physicist and astronomer, every 1300 million years, all the distances in this universe are doubled. This estimation of the vastness of the universe is based on Einstein's theory of relativity. But this is just a mathematician's guess. The truth is man has yet to comprehend the vastness of the universe.

Ever moving in harmony

The innumerable stars are continuously moving at extraordinary speeds. Some moving singly, some in groups of two or more, while innumerable stars are grouped in constellations. Have you not seen dust particles in a darken room when you allow a small ray of light to shine through. Now imagine on a much larger scale! The difference is that dust particles collide and move in combination whereas stars, notwithstanding their enormous numbers are at immeasurable distances from each other and follow their respective courses. Apart from this, the stars have their planets orbiting around it, and their respective satellites or moon are also perpetually in motion following their fixed orbits aroung the planets. Each planet also is rotating at incredible speed on its own axis.

It is amazing that all this motion is going on with a remarkable organization and regularity. Neither do the stars collide, nor does their speed alter. The revolution of our earth around the sun, its rotation around its axis and the movement of the moon around it, all are precisely timed.

According to astronomical calculations, it has frequently happened that entire galactic systems consisting of millions and millions of moving stars have entered other galactic systems and have passed right through them without colliding. In the face of all these evidence, human intellect is left with no option but to accept that this is not a self -organised system, left to “chance”. On the contrary it must be by a unique Power which set them up and maintain such boundless and infinitely varied system.

لَوۡ كَانَ فِيہِمَآ ءَالِهَةٌ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا‌ۚ

فَسُبۡحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

"If there were in the heavens and the earth other gods besides Allah there would have been confusion in both! But limitless in His glory is Allah, enthroned in His awesome almightiness (far) above anything men may devise by way of definition!"

( Qur'an: Anbiya 21:22 )

SUBHA- NALLAAH ( سُبْحـانَ اللهِ ) , ALHAM- DULILLAAH ( الحمدُ لله ) , LAA - lLAAHA- ILLALLAH ( لا إلهَ إلاّ اللّهُ ), ALLAAHU AKBAR ( اللهُ أكْـبر )

Glory be Allah! All Prises is for Allah! There is no god except Allah! All is Greater (to whatever that can be coceived)!

- WABILLAAHI TAUFIQ WAL HIDAYAH

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SUBHAANALLAAH!

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The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010.

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4a. Oneness of Allah as the Absolute Creator and Sustainer

TAUHIID AL-KHALIQ-QIYYAH WAR-RUBUB-BIYYAH

(Attestation to the Oneness of Allah, as the Creator and the Sustainer)

INTRODUCTION

إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَـٰٓؤُاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ

"Of all His servants, only such as are endowed with (innate) knowledge stand (truly) in awe of Allah: (for they alone comprehend that) verily, Allah is Almighty, Much Forgiving."

(Q: Fatir: 35 :28 )

The terms "Tauhiid Al-Khaliq-qiyyah" refers to the approach of confirming the Oneness of God as the Creator (Al-Khaa-liq), verified from the evidence inherent in the whole of creation. And "Tauhiid Ar-Rubub-biyyah" is the approach of confirming His Oneness as the Sustainer or Cherisher (Ar-Rabb) ,in the evident of the wonderful order and harmonious existence of all things in this universe.

An invitation to reflect

إِنَّ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّہَارِ لَأَيَـٰتٍ۬

لِّأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ

ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمً۬ا وَقُعُودً۬ا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ

وَيَتَفَڪَّرُونَ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ

رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلاً۬ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

"Behold!In the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternation of Night and Day, there are indeed Signs for men of understanding, -

Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing sitting and lying down on their sides and contemplate the wonders of creation in the heavens and the earth, (with a thought): "Our Lord! You have not created this for nothing! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire."

(Q : Ali Imran 3 : 190-191 )

The greatest evidence of Allah s.w.t., for us to confirm and verify is the whole of creation. Nature and the study of nature both proclaim to us the fact that there is one God Who, in His infinite Wisdom has created and continues to sustain this universe. The superb organization and meaningfulness of the things in nature perceive by us cannot be explained except that it must have been brought into existence by a Creator - a Being with an infinite intelligence and not by a blind force. The highly complex order in things, the sophistication and intricacies of design towards certain utility does not portray haphazardness in nature but rather indicates a "Will" of One Who is Wise.

This is discernable by those who exercises their reasoning faculty when observing nature, a characteristic which Allah enjoins upon us Muslims to be. And Allah s.w.t. warns those who are heedless due to their neglect of the apparent signs and deem them as beasts or worse than that:

وَلَقَدۡ ذَرَأۡنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ ڪَثِيرً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِ‌ۖ لَهُمۡ قُلُوبٌ۬ لَّا

يَفۡقَهُونَ بِہَا وَلَهُمۡ أَعۡيُنٌ۬ لَّا يُبۡصِرُونَ بِہَا وَلَهُمۡ ءَاذَانٌ۬ لَّا

يَسۡمَعُونَ بِہَآ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ كَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ بَلۡ هُمۡ أَضَلُّ‌ۚ

أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡغَـٰفِلُونَ

"Many are the Jinns and men We have made for Hell: They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle,- nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning)."

( Q : A'raf: 7 :179 )

Let us examine the closest thing apparent to us, i.e. "Ourselves"

Let us refer to human biology to see how certain parts of our organ performs vital and complex function in perfect coordination with one another, and not a jumble up product of "chance" devoid of purpose. And for it to still function surely, points to the "Will" of One Absolute Sustainer Who Sustains.

THE HUMAN BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM 1

The Brain is the centre which controls, directs and coordinates the varied activities of all the innumerable organs of the body. It receives messages from each of the senses, interprets them, sends the proper replies to the organs concerned so that the body reacts appropriately, and registers all the information received in the storage memory. Think of a huge telephone exchange in continual contact with every man, woman and child on earth, sending and receiving messages to and from each other one every few seconds ­and you have a faint idea of the incredibly complex organization of the brain.

In the white and grey matter of the brain there are nearly a thousand million nerve cells. Each is an electric battery and a small telegraph transmitter. Each cell branches out into a number of fine conducting threads, the nerve fibres, which extend to all parts of the body. A large number of them run down the hollow back­bone, twisted together into a thick cable, the spinal cord. Admirably, this is protected by the bony and well-cushioned walls of the spine. Through these tiny threads, each of which is covered with an insulating sheath, a current flows at the speed of about 70 m.p.h., carrying messages through and from the brain, with marvellous speed and accuracy. There is an elaborate system of relays, condensers, switches etc .. (to use technical terms), which permits the transmission of the most unexpected messages between the brain and each of the millions of cells it controls, without the least confusion or delay.

Obvious conclusion

From the foregoing, we cannot imagine that the brain is just a lump of matter, accidently placed in our head! On the contrary, it is invested with profound significance for which we should exclaim glorification, "SubhaanAllah! Alhamdulillaah! Mashaa-Allaah! Allahu Akbar!" The scientific fact shows that its existence and sustainment requires a "Will" or an "Intelligent Being” who is both its Creator and the Sustainer. It is impossible for anything so meaningful and complex and yet orderly in its function to exist 'without the need for Allah, the Absolute One God, Who is the Creator, Sustainer, Nourisher of the Universe.

.......... to be continued.

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Footnotes:

1. pg. 71 "God Arises - Evidence of God in nature and in Science" by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (The Islamic Centre, New Delhi -1991).

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CLASS EXERCISE (TAMRIN)

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  Unlike other religion, Islam does not reject science. In the paradigm of Tauhiid, knowledge encompasses all subject which can benefit man towards realization of the Truth. Thus Islam not only stress the importance of revealed knowledge alone (categorised as Absolute knowledge), but requires recognition of our surroundings through empirical sciences (or what is termed as Relative knowledge.)
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  Using of Reason is an important aspect towards inculcation of Iiman (Faith). Although it (reason) is not the source of truth, it is the means by which we are asked to confirm truth.
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  Although in matters intangible, our senses may not be able to perceive its essence yet we can confirm its existence by using the deduction. (e.g. analogy of the T.V. set falling from one of the galaxy –previously alluded)

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(1) Reflect upon the following verses and discuss:

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٍ۬ وَٲحِدَةٍ۬ فَمُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬ وَمُسۡتَوۡدَعٌ۬‌ۗ

قَدۡ فَصَّلۡنَا ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ۬ يَفۡقَهُونَ

“He (Allah) it is who [* أَنشَأَ = ansha-a] has brought you (all) into being out of one living entity and (has appointed for each of you) a time-limit (on earth) and a resting-place (after death): clearly indeed have We spelled out these messages unto people who can grasp the truth”

(Q : An’ am 6 : 98)

*The word " أَنشَأَ ansha-a" meaning "produced; made you grow, increase, develop, reach maturity" : another process of creation.

(2) We are to ponder upon our own being, how we have been created and constantly nurtured. As a start choose one aspect of our organs in our physical body.

Reflect upon how it has been meticulously created. How sophisticated and complex they are. These are the closest 'Signs' of Allah's greatness in our own physical selves. Perhaps we have been neglectful of its wonderful function, thereby we have been guilty of being unmindful of Allah s.w.t. - Who is our Creator and Nurturer (Sustainer).

Apply the question, "Did we create it ourselves ?" or "Did it just simply come into being, accidently?” or “Is this not the Sign of the Existence of Allah s.w.t.”?

(c) You are to present your findings convincingly, to prove the existence of the One God.

Do you not now realise the importance of Biology? Do you not realise the importance of connecting its findings towards making our Faith (Iiman) in Allah s.w.t., stronger?

Note:

The opposite of "Iiman" (Faith) is "Kufur" which means "denial of the Truth." This attitude is of rejecting, concealing (perhaps by ignoring it), refusal to accept what is obvious Truth etc., is to be eradicated from ourselves. Allah s.w.t. has created us human; with faculties far more sophisticated than those given to the animals.

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3. "USING OF REASON - QUR'ANIC GUIDELINE"

USING OF REASON (AQLIYYAH)

AS ONE OF THE MEANS OF

DEVELOPING IIMAN (FAITH)

Notes compiled by : Ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail

The Holy Qur'an calls upon people to think and to draw conclusions through thought process. It even regards thinking as part of worship, and does not recognise the belief in its doctrinal tenets if it is not the outcome of correct thinking. Islam in this connection has paid attention to a basic point, that although people are capable of thinking, still they can end up with erroneous conclusion - if they neglect to use, or inappropriately allow certain factors to influence their thought process. Thus, in Islam, we are provided basic guidelines - basic lessons on how to think correctly.

Firstly, in the Qur'an, it has pointed out the major causes which lead to wrong thinking and has explained what to do to avoid error and deviation.

CAUSES OF WRONG THINKING

I. Reliance on conjecture instead of sure knowledge

Allah reveals in the Holy Qur'an:

وَإِن تُطِعۡ أَڪۡثَرَ مَن فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ

إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا يَخۡرُصُونَ

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ مَن يَضِلُّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ‌ۖ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ

"Now if you pay heed unto the majority of those (who live) on earth, they will but lead thee astray from the path of Allah: they follow but conjectures, and they themselves do nothing but guess*. Verily, thy Lord knows best as to who strays from His path, and best knows He as to who are the rightly guided."

(Q: An 'am 6 :116-117)

* i.e. in matters regarding the true nature of human life and its ultimate destiny, the problem of revelation, the relationship between God and man, the meaning of good and evil, etc.

Apart from leading man astray from spiritual truths, such guesswork gives rise to arbitrary rules of conduct and self imposed inhibitions.

وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡبَصَرَ وَٱلۡفُؤَادَ

كُلُّ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔولاً۬

"And do not follow (pursue) anything of which thou hast no knowledge: verily (thy) hearing and sight and heart - all of them - will be called to account for it (on Judgement Day)."

(Q: Bani Israil : 17 :36)

Muslims are to be taught that there is distinction between knowledge ('ilm) and conjecture or guesswork (dzonn); between absolute and relative; between what are reliable and unreliable reports, and how to distinguish between them; etc. It exposes the fallacy of merely following the majority without concern for substantiation of truth, which seems to be the common approach, albeit erroneously adopted by people, in matters of religion.

II. Bias and inclination towards base desires

If man wants to judge rightly, he should fully maintain his impartiality. In other words, he should seek Truth only, and accept without hesitation what evidence proves. He should behave exactly like a judge in a court of justice, who while studying a case ought to be neutral to the claims of both parties. If he is biased towards one party, the arguments in favour of that party will unconsciously attract his attention and the arguments against it will automatically be missed by him. That is what will mislead the judge.

If man is not neutral and his thinking is lop-sided, the pointer of his thinking will unconsciously be inclined towards his personal liking and personal desire. That is why the Holy Qur'an regards the base desires as much a source of error as reliance on guess and conjecture. Allah says :

إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهۡوَى ٱلۡأَنفُسُ‌ۖ

"They follow nothing but conjecture and that which they desire. "

(Q : Najm 53: 23)

The concept of justice (al-'adl) are to be applied in analysis, putting things in their appropriate place, requiring impartial appraisal of all relevant views available to be considered and not suppressed or overlooked. Often, this would be difficult when one inclines to own desires (hawa) or self-interest, therefore we are to be extra cautious of our own failing.

III. Haste

To be able to express an opinion about a question, one should have adequate evidence before him. Unless there is enough evidence, any hasty expression of an opinion is likely to lead to error. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah repeatedly refers to the insufficiency of human knowledge for pronouncing an opinion in respect of many important questions. For example:

وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ‌ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّى

وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬

"And they ask you about the soul. Say: The soul is one of the commands of my Lord, and you have been given but little knowledge."

(Q : Bani Israil 17 :85)

In this verse, the question posed was to seek something which man's knowledge is inadequate to appreciate any form of detailed answer, thus only a general response suffice. It does not provide fully what was being asked, but responded in accordance with the preparedness of the questioner but cautioned him that, although our knowledge about the soul may be little, it may suffice. So we should not deny its existence just because we cannot fully satisfy our curiosity regarding it. It teaches us that we should not be hasty in addressing any issue, but to consider carefully what is offered based on available knowledge. The key point here is knowledge. To accept with knowledge, and to deny it also must be based on knowledge. Do not reject something by simply basing it upon our ignorance of that thing - e.g. some people categorically deny something with the irrelevant excuse "because I have not come across it." This is simply an admission of his ignorance of that thing, not a proof (knowledge) that that thing does not exist!

From the above, we are taught nay, warned against being hasty in 2 things :

(1) That we must not believe a thing unless we have sure knowledge about it. (Warning against hasty believing something without knowledge).

(2) That we must not deny a thing unless we have sure knowledge about it. (Warning against hasty denial without knowledge).

IV. Traditional thinking and looking to the past

Man has a tendency to readily accept an idea or a belief that was accepted by past generations, without giving it any further thought. Allah s.w.t. in the Holy Qur'an, reminds people that they should have independent thinking and should not accept anything without judging it carefully, simply because it was accepted by others in the past. Thus:

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُواْ بَلۡ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلۡفَيۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ

ءَابَآءَنَآ‌ۗ أَوَلَوۡ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا وَلَا يَهۡتَدُونَ

"But when they are told, "Follow what Allah has revealed" some answers, "Nay, we shall follow (only) that which we found our forefathers believe in and did."

What! even though their forefathers did not understand anything and had no guidance?"

(Q : Baqarah 2 :170)

Inspite of advancement in education, yet when it concerns religious beliefs and practices, many people tend to blindly imitate or follow whatever their forefathers may have passed on for them. When new and verifiable evidence are offered, they refused to even consider them but rely on this blind fanaticism.

V. Cult of personality

Another cause of wrong thinking is the cult of personality.

Because of the great respect in which they are held, some of the celebrated historical and contemporary personalities influence the thinking and the will of others. Some famous / infamous personalities have known to control the thinking of others such that these people think and have the same opinion as they. Other people do not dare differ from the (so-called) great people and so lose their independence of thought and will. Allah s.w.t. calls upon people to think independently and not to follow their elders and other influential personalities blindly. They, the misguided and heedless people will regret them on Judgement Day:

وَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّآ أَطَعۡنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَآءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا ٱلسَّبِيلَا۟

"And they will say : “O our Lord! Behold!We paid heed unto our leaders and great men, and it is they who have led us astray from the right path!”

(Q: Ahzab: 33: 67)

SOME IMPORTANT CORNERSTONE OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT

Criterion of Antithesis

Intellectual perception of all things, material or spiritual, tangible or intangible, revolves around 3 postulates:

[1] inevitability (WAJIBAH);

When the evidence presents itself convincingly, such that we have to make a certain conclusion (judgement) and cannot remain neutral or uncommitted.

[2] possibility (HARUS);

This generally is a position of neutrality, neither an acceptance nor a categorical rejection, but we remain open. (just like in cases when we say to it as: "Maybe, maybe not, or perhaps").

[3] impossibility (MUSTAHIL).

In Islam, this third postulate in thinking is termed 'rational impossibility' or 'absurdity' or 'antithesis'.

The word 'impossible' may be clear to simplest of people. Here we are not taking its meaning in the general sense, but rather specific to thinking process - the ratio. i.e. rationally impossible or absurd, which our mind cannot even register. Not impossible because it seems uncommon. But some of the best educated young people fail to differentiate between these two kinds of impossibilities:

(a) Rational impossibility, whose existence or non-existence, when visualised, is unacceptable to the mind (e.g. when we say that “one” is the quarter of "two" and not half of it , or that a part of an object is larger than the object itself!!!) Or, a proposition which inherently self-contradictory. Thus, rightfully we have basis to reject.

(b) Common impossibility is that which, while not altogether unacceptable to the mind, does seem so by the force of our habit to consider it as such. Eventually, however, we learn that it is not the same as rational impossibility (e.g. like soaring to the sky, taking to people and seeing things from far corners of the earth or landing on the moon.) Actually, common impossibility still falls under the category of possible (HARUS) i.e. it is still not rationally impossible, and we remain neutral towards it.

The criterion for dismissing a piece of information does not lie in the fact that it seems improbable and strange, but that it must be something which produces a mental antithesis, an obvious absurdity - something glaringly inconsistent and therefore self-evidently false. Hence if a contention (proposition) produces such antithesis, we repudiate it, and if it does not, then we should refrain from repudiating it although we do not as yet believe it. We need to substantiate with evidence and convincing basis - for both cases, either of acceptance or categorical rejection. Without which, we hold to an open mind. Therefore, an educated young man should not forget to differentiate between these two kinds of impossibilities whenever he engages in an argument within himself about God, religion, and the Qur' an.

Surmise (conjecture) cannot be the same as Truth

وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغۡنِى مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا

"Yet behold, never can surmise (conjecture) take the place of Truth"

(Q: Najm 53 :28)

From the above, it stresses exactly the mind's logical process for establishing a fact or negating it. In the matter of certitude, there is a great difference between proof and denial. Thus we can be absolutely certain about an existence of an object if such existence is proven scientifically or logically. But we should not categorically deny the existence of an object or a piece of information just because there is no proof of it ­unless the visualisation of that object or information produces a mental antithesis. If, however, the object or information is in the realm of possible, then we should look at it the way we look at everything that is not impossible. ie. neither accept it unquestionably nor deny it categorically.

........................... (to be continued)

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