Who are the Ulul Albaab? - Synthesis of Iman

PIECEMEAL ANALYSIS OF THE PASSAGE

Who are the Ulul Albaab?

The passage we are trying to explain deals with the subject matter of iman in reference to a particular type of human individuals viz, the ulul albaab. Naturally, the question arises as to what is meant by ulul albaab? In Arabic, albaab is the plural of lubb which means “core”, “essence”, and “innermost”. This means that the real essence of  something is called its lubb. The lubb of the human being is consciousness, intellect, and intelligence. For this reason the philosophers have defined man as an “intelligent and rational being” (Haiwan-e-aqil), pointing to the fact that the essence of man is his intellect and reasoning capacity. Ulul albaab, therefore, are the people of deep reflection and contemplation who follow their intellect and not their vain desires or the carnal promptings of their baser self.

A golden rule of Qur'anic comprehension is that one part of the Qur’an is supported or explained by other parts. Inspecting the Qur’an, we find a similar discourse in ayah 164 of surah Al-Baqarah:

“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth; (here) indeed are signs for a people that are wise (qaumun ya`qiloon).”

[al-Qur’an 2:164]

Note that the above ayah ends with the term “qaumun ya`qiloon” (the people of intelligence), whereas the passage of surah Al-e-`Imran under discussion used the term ulul albaab. Consequently, qaumun ya`qiloon and ulul albab are one and the same; that is, they are the people of intellect, deep thought and reasoning whose vision of reality has not been beclouded by prejudices and pursuit of purely carnal desires.

One should keep in mind that the vast majority of mankind does not comprise of people who utilize their intellect and reasoning faculty. It would not be too far fetched to term such people as “two legged animals”. They follow their society’s conventional trends and simply mimic the behavior of those around them. They swim in the direction of the social current and tide of their time and only change their direction as the current changes. They never question as to who they are, where have they come from or where they are going?

Contrary to such a character, there always exists, in each society, a minority group who is never satisfied with the practices and beliefs prevalent in their society. They demand rational arguments and logical proofs for the validity of all beliefs and practices. They want to discover for themselves the realities of life via their own intellect and reasoning. This group comprises a society’s intelligentsia (the intellectual elite or the brain trust). These are the people whom the Qur’an calls qaumun ya`qiloon or ulul albaab. When these people study the universal, natural phenomena, they find them laden with the signs of the Creator-Lord (SWT) – His Creativity, Wisdom and Power. Hence, the universal, natural phenomena lead them to the gnosis of Allah (SWT).

Meaning of “ayah”

Both quoted passages (of Al-Baqarah and Al-e-`Imran) use the word “ayaat”. What exactly is meant by this term? ayaat is plural of ayah which literally means: “sign”, “signpost”, and “memento.” An ayah then is something that reminds you of something else. For example, a handkerchief of an old friend, whom you have forgotten, may serve as a memento to remind you of him. This implies that the memory of the friend had always been in your subconscious mind; the memento simply helped to activate it and bring it to the plain of your consciousness. In this way, the objective of an ayah is thus identified – to remind one of a forgotten truth or reality. From the Qur'anic perspective, the two universes – the outer universe of nature and the inner universe of the self – are replete with the signs (ayaat) that serve as mementos and reminders of the Creator (SWT). Qur'an distinctly points to this reality:

“Soon shall We show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this Qur'an is indeed the truth.”

[al-Qur'an 41:53]

The creativity in the universe should remind the thoughtful person of the Creator who created the universe. The artistry of the universe should point to the Artist who painted the universe. The unity of laws and regulations working in all constituents of the universe, both at microcosmic and macrocosmic levels, should indicate the Ultimate Unity responsible for the presence of such laws. The presence of moral law within should direct one’s attention towards the moral being who embedded these laws deep within the human psyche. In this manner, everything in the universe is an ayah (sign) of the Creator’s existence (SWT).

Source: Synthesis of Iman

To be continued....

Some Basic Points Regarding Faith - Synthesis of Iman

Some Basic Points Regarding Faith

Faith is essentially to believe in certain metaphysical, unseen realities. It lends itself to two levels: verbal attestation and heartfelt conviction. The first level of faith – legal faith or iman al-fiqhi – is simply the verbal affirmation in the unity of God, the messengership of Muhammad (SAW), the Hereafter, the Hellfire, the Paradise, the Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, the Prophets, the Angels, the Divine Books, the Revelation, etcetera. Anyone who simply professes to believe in these realities is considered a Muslim. The vast majority of Muslims today have inherited this type of faith from their parents or the surrounding environment.

The second level of faith – true faith or iman al-haqeeqi – deals with the heartfelt conviction.  This is the level of faith at which the believer consciously asserts and affirms his belief, beyond any shadow of doubt, in the aforementioned metaphysical realities. It is this type of faith which is actually required of a believer for it becomes the basis on which he will be judged in the Hereafter. Thus, it is this true faith which is the subject of the passage under discussion.

A point to be noted here is that inherited faith, though of an unconscious nature, will also incur a type of conviction in a person through the constant observance of Islamic practices and rituals. For just as man’s inner being has an effect on his outer personality, so his conduct and actions affect his inner being. However, this type of conviction, devoid of an intellectual dimension as it is, is not the subject of this passage. This passage deals with the faith which is laboriously and consciously attained through reflection and contemplation. In these ayahs, people of such faith are termed ulul albaab – people of intellect, deep discernment and contemplation.

The Stages of Intellectual Maturity

The process of contemplation and reflection leads the ulul albaab through various stages of intellectual maturity. The first of these stages is the gnosis of Allah (SWT) acquired through constant examination and thoughtful observation of natural phenomena present in the external universe. The second stage of this intellectual journey is that of establishing a close relationship with Allah (SWT) and continued reflection upon the signs present in the universe. This confers upon the ulul albaab an awareness of the reality of an afterlife. Hence, the gnosis of Allah (SWT) and recompense of deeds, in consequence of which an awareness of an afterlife, are arrived at via their own personal analysis, observation, reasoning and contemplation. The third stage of this evolutionary thought process is that of a passionate response to the call of a messenger sent by Allah (SWT); for the call of a messenger is nothing more than the reassertion of truths already reverberating in their hearts.

The last ayah (195) of this passage portrays the personality traits of the ulul albaab: such people are not cowardly or weak; they stand up for the Truths that they have come to believe in and put everything at stake for upholding these Truths. They are always ready to spend their wealth, part with their families and, in the final analysis, lay down their lives for the truths they have come to believe in. 

Source: Synthesis of Iman

To be continued....

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS - Synthesis of Iman

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

The Augustness and Excellence of the Passage

The passage of present discussion spans ayahs (verses) 190-195 of surah (chapter) Al-e-`Imran. This passage is of particular significance for it outlines the Qur'anic mode of reasoning as it relates to the synthesis of iman (faith). The excellence of this passage is indicated by the fact that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had an especial fondness for these ayahs. It would suffice to quote two hadiths (sayings of the Prophet) to convey the excellence of this passage:

“Abdullah bin `Umar once inquired of Aisha (RAA):’O Mother of the Faithful! Tell me something about the Prophet (SAW) which was most dear to you.’ She replied, ‘Everything about the Prophet (SAW) was endearing and charming. However, as you have enquired, I will convey to you an incident. 
One night the Prophet (SAW) came to me (to spend the night and after a while), he asked me, ‘O Aishah! Permit me to worship my Lord tonight.’ I replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah! I fancy your company but that which is beloved to you is even more beloved to me. You have my permission.’ The Prophet (SAW) then stood in prayer and began to weep to the point that his beard became drenched with tears. Then he made a long prostration and during this time he kept weeping so much so that the place of prostration became drenched with tears. Then he lied down (after prayer) but his weeping continued until it was dawn. At this time Bilal (RAA) came to inform him (SAW) of the morning prayer and upon seeing the Prophet’s condition, tried to cajole him: ‘O Prophet (SAW) for what reason do you weep? Even if you have committed a mistake then Allah (SWT) has already forgiven all your mistakes.’ To this the Prophet (SAW) replied, ‘O Bilal! Why would I not weep when my Lord has revealed tonight these ayahs upon me.’ After this the Prophet (SAW) recited: ‘Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are indeed Signs for men of understanding… ‘”

[Quoted in Al-Tafseer al-Kabeer]

In another hadith Ali (RAA) relates:

It was a routine of the Prophet (SAW) that whenever he (SAW) woke up for night prayers he (SAW) would recite these (same) verses.

[Quoted in Al-Tafseer al-Kabeer]

These two narrations indicate that the Prophet (SAW) had a strong penchant for the ayahs under discussion.

The Theme of the Passage: Synthesis of Faith

The theme of this passage is the synthesis of iman; that is, 

• how does iman come into being? 
• What is the mutual relation among the three main articles of iman –Allah (SWT), the Hereafter and the Prophets? 
• What is the Qur'anic mode of argument regarding iman? 
• What is the Qur'anic approach towards the confirmation of the life Hereafter?
• What are the practical manifestations of iman once it takes root in a believer? 

These are all important questions that lie at the heart of the Qur'anic discourse, for iman is the very foundation of Islam. Therefore, before proceeding on with the piecemeal analysis of the concerned passage, let us discuss a few basic points pertaining to the subject of iman.

Source: Synthesis of Iman

To be continued....