Quranic Foundations And Structure Of Muslim Society
Before closing the discussion on the spirituo-moral duties, we might discuss the question, which can possibly arise in certain minds: Are those duties real and meaningful?
At the very outset, the answer is: They are, because, in the Qur’anic view of the cosmos, the transcendental plane of existence, or, the Spiritual Realm of the Cosmos, is not a fantasy, or just a regulative Idea, but a fact—and, for that matter, the basic fact.
The materialists hold to a naturalistic view of the universe. The idealists affirm what might be termed as a psychicalistic view. The Holy Qur’an, in harmony with its integralistic approach and its philosophy of Unity, affirms the reality of both the realms of the cosmos, namely: (1) the realm governed by the Natural Law, or, the Spatio-Temporal level of Reality;—we may also call it the phenomenological level; and (2) the realm governed by the Metaphysical Law, or, the Spaceless-Timeless level of Reality. And it integrates both through the bond of the Unitary Divine Plan and Purpose, which has brought into existence both of them and maintains them within the framework of Unity.
Without going into the details of Qur’anic cosmology: God’s relationship with the cosmos as its Creator emerges in the Qur’an at two levels, i.e., the levels of al-Amr and al-Khalq,—both established and united under that Attribute of God which relates to cherishing, nourishing, evolving and perfecting, i.e., al-Rabb: “… Lo! His is al-Khalq and al-Amr. Blessed is Allah the Rabb of the worlds (i.e., the entire cosmos).” (7:54).
Thus, the Creation began with God’s Amr: “The Originator of the heavens and the earth; and whensoever He decrees an affair (Amr), He only says to it ‘Be’ and it becomes. (Hence the origination of the cosmos also took place as a result of Allah’s Command ‘Be’)” (2:117). “His Amr (i.e., law of bringing something into existence) is that when He intends a thing, He only says to it (by way of Command, or, Amr): ‘Be’; and it becomes.” (36:82).
Hence, the first stage in the creation of the cosmos should be affirmed in terms of ‘Becoming’. We may also call it the stage of subtle existence, intangibility (as opposed to the tangibility of Matter), and spacelessness-cum-timelessness.
Looking at the process of creation in the background of the concept of evolution projected explicitly in the Qur’an, we arrive at the view of evolutionary creation, wherein—like the evolutionary hypothesis in modern Science—we are led to the affirmation of the ‘Primeval Atom’ as the starting point, which functioned as the nucleus and out of which grew the entire cosmos through an evolutionary process;—even as we find it mentioned in the hadith*, wherein the concept of the ‘First Created Light functioning as Nucleus’ has been projected.
* In fact, as “Mercy unto the worlds” (21:107), he has been exalted by God to be the Medium of His Blessings in an immeasurably wider perspective. The unique position which he holds among all creatures, has been unambiguously affirmed also in a Hadith reported by the Holy Prophet’s Companion Jabir and upheld as authentic in Islamic history by eminent authorities, among whom may be mentioned, by way of example, one of the classical Qur’anic commentators, Allama Alusi (vide his classical Tafsir, the Ruh al-Ma’ani, vol. 1, p. 51). It is to the effect: “Jabir (Allah be pleased with him!) reports: I said ‘O Messenger of Allah! Inform me about the thing which Allah created before all (other) things’. He replied: ‘Verily, Allah, the Almighty, created before all (other) things the Light of your Prophet through His Light…” (Quoted on the authority of muhaddith’ Abd al-Razzaq (the eminent forerunner of Imam Bukhari and author of Al-Musannaf) by Allama Yusuf b. Ismail al-Nabhani, in Al-Anwar al-Muhammadiyyah min Mawahib al-Ludunniyah, p. 12, Beirut, 1310 A.H.]. The hadith then proceeds to inform that the entire universe was created by God from that original created Light, which the luminaries of Islam have named as the ‘Light of Muhammad’. It may be pointed out that the statement made on the basis of the Qur’an on p. 289 (footnote) of the present volume, is corroborated by this hadith. (Relevant discussions in volume 1 in respect of the Holy Prophet’s personality may also be referred to).
As for the nature of the evolutionary process, it should be conceived in the very nature of the case, in terms of progressive decrease in subtle, refinement, intangibility and qualitative-ness, and progressive increase in respect of concreteness, crystallization, tangibility and quantitativeness: on the basis of a progressive crystallization of the process of al-Khalq, which implies the creation of new objects from the existing materials. In other words, it must have been a progress towards more and more profound ‘expression’. This is what we understand from the Qur’an as well as from Science.
Indeed, different things appear in the Qur’an to have emerged into dynamic existence at different stages of the evolutionary process. Thus, there existed the Angels, the jinns and the human beings in that pre-physical, or, transcendental, dimension of existence; and, among them, the Angels and the jinns were there prior to the existence of the human beings, as the Holy Qur’an testifies (2:30-34). Then, according to what we read in the holy book in plain terms, humanity was made to appear before God in her transcendental, or, pre-earthly, dimension of existence, to proclaim the Covenant of Monotheism (7:172),— which means that human beings existed at that stage of Creation. Similarly, the event of the ‘Covenant of the Prophets’ has been mentioned therein to have occurred in that stage of Creation (3:81),— which proves the existence of the Prophets at that stage.
All this means that a Realm of Created Beings and Things became gradually established in respect of their essential or ideal nature, even in the first stage of creation. But evolution was to continue, and has continued, according to God’s Plan. However, because “Allah has set a measure (or, a scale of growth and maturity—which enshrines its destiny) for every thing” (65:3), certain things that had emerged from potentiality into actuality, had to stay in the state they had acquired:—the Angels, for instance; while others had to continue their evolutionary journey, finally emerging in the Spatio-Temporal Order of Existence:—the human beings, for instance.
we are not actually concerned here with the elaboration of the Qur’anic cosmology. Rather, the above discussion has been undertaken to emphasize the following facts:
1. For the formalistic religious outlook, the worldview consists of certain dogmas, which are there to be believed in dogmatically, rather than to provide a dynamic, meaningful and comprehensive approach to the Spiritual Reality. Such an outlook is barren, and the Qur’an does not endorse it.
2. The naturalistic outlook confines itself to the Physical Reality, and it leads, even in the case of a believer in religion, to a materialistic approach to life and its problems—at least, for all practical purposes. The Qur’an also affirms the Physical Reality, giving a coherent and illuminating view of it—a view which is receiving increasing support from the world of Science as knowledge is advancing. However, it is conjoined therein to a clear-cut view of the Transcendental Reality—both the views forming thus one organic Whole.
3. The Qur’anic view that emerges thereby is an Integralistic Spiritual View of the Universe, wherein the spiritual, or, the transcendental, has primacy over the physical, or, the spatio-temporal, and which provides not merely a formal ground for religious life but a sound vision as well as philosophy for meaningfully cultivating a life dedicated to God and directed to the realisation of the ultimate human destiny, which is essentially spiritual,—that being the mission of Islam.
4. The essential human personality (al-Ruh), called ‘the Soul’ in common usage, belongs originally and basically to the Transcendental Realm of Existence.
The human being is, therefore, essentially a spiritual being, and should behave as such for his success.
5. Not only God, but the entire spiritual world created by Him, is responsive to human spiritual quest. The spiritual quest, in its turn, is of vital importance for the human being because of the fact that he is essentially a spiritual being and, as such, can build up his essential personality only through exercise in that response.
6. The spiritual world plays the same role in the preservation and development of the essential human personality (which has been already emphasized time and again to be spiritual) as the physical world plays in respect of the physical aspect of human existence.
There are numerous things in the physical environment of the human being which contribute to his physical preservation and development,—they being of different grades, with the Sun at the centre of the planets fulfilling the most basic role, and the others standing next in importance in a descending order of merit. Human beings have to remain in a state of contact and communication with them in order to benefit from them, or, in other words, to obtain the physical blessings placed in them by God.
Similarly, there are things of different grades in the spiritual world, or the Transcendental Realm, out of which the physical world has emerged and through which it is controlled by God. Those things contribute to the spiritual preservation and development of the human being,—and, because the spiritual is the essential, to his essential preservation and development. Among them, the role of the Holy Prophet’s personality is most basic in respect of a Muslim’s spiritual preservation and development; while the roles of the Angels and the other spiritual things in Creation stand thereafter. Contact with the spiritual Blessings placed by God in the Holy Prophet’s personality is obtained through the imitation of his Sunnah with the ideal of acquiring greater and greater spiritual and moral purity, and the exercise in Salat and Salam with intense devotion; while contact with the Spiritual Blessings placed by God in the Angels is obtained through leading a life of spiritual and moral purity and recitation of the Qur’an.
Then, just as in the physical world there are forces of physical destruction, or, forces of physical evil, similarly there are forces of spiritual destruction, or, forces of spiritual evil, that influence the spiritual life of human beings. The Qur’an has commanded the Muslims to avoid the former in the interest of their physical preservation, and to shun the latter for ensuring their spiritual preservation.
It is to be vehemently emphasized that Allah—and none else—is the Creator and the Bestower of all Blessings, whether physical or spiritual. But, His Blessings flow to the human beings, not in a vacuum, but through the physical and the spiritual objects that He has created for that purpose.
To confer divinity on any of those objects, even indirectly, is the worst form of infidelity to God; while to refuse to benefit from them is the worst form of ungratefulness to Him.
7. Communion with God, and communication, in terms of the establishment of spiritual contact, with the Holy Prophet (Peace be on him!), with the Angels and with the spiritual verities in general, emerge, in the final analysis, as active sources of light and energy for the meaningful pursuit of Religion, in contrast to adherence to religious verities in lifeless formalism. In consequence, ‘Duties to the Holy Prophet’ and ‘Duties to the Angels’ assume vital importance for the spiritual development of a Muslim’s personality.
Finally, we may recall what Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal, the Rumi of the modern age and the greatest Islamic thinker of the present century of Islamic era, said more than four decades ago: “Humanity needs three things today—a spiritual interpretation of the universe, spiritual emancipation of the individual, and basic principles of a universal import directing the evolution of human society on a spiritual basis. Modern Europe has, no doubt, built idealistic systems on these lines; but experience shows that truth revealed through pure reason is incapable of bringing that fire of living conviction which personal revelation alone can bring. This is the reason why pure thought has so little influenced men while religion has always elevated individuals, and transformed whole societies. The idealism of Europe never became a living factor in her life, and the result is a perverted ego seeking itself through mutually intolerant democracies whose sole function is to exploit the poor in the interests of the rich. Believe me, Europe to-day is the greatest hindrance in the way of man’s ethical development.”
Unfortunately, the formalistic religious outlook that has emerged among the Muslims in the present age of their spiritual, moral and overall degeneration, has been progressively leading to the unconscious acceptance of the naturalistic and, for all practical purposes, materialistic, view of the human being as a mere ‘superior animals’, to the forgetfulness of the fact that he is essentially—i.e., in his origin, being and destiny—a ‘spiritual being’ whose nature was created by God, according to the explicit and unambiguous verdict of the Qur’an, in terms of His vicegerency, through the infusion of what He names as ‘My spirit’ (Ruh) (15:29; etc.), and to the view of the Angels as mere “forces of Nature”—in the sense of naturalistic forces. In such a view of the human being and of the Angels, very naturally the Holy Prophet is also regarded as nothing more than a ‘good man’, a ‘great leader’ and a ‘divine postman’; and any description of the transcendental dimension of his august personality appears to the upholders of that view as nothing less than superstition, even though they overthrow in this process of thinking the spiritual foundations of the Qur’anic world-view which the profoundest Islamic theological thinkers down to Shah Waliullah took the greatest pains to preserve during the ages that have elapsed since the Qur’anic Revelation.
Duties to Animals, Plants and Things-as Duties to Self:
We may also refer here to duties towards animals, plants, and things, to which the Holy Qur’an has referred implicitly, while in the Hadith they have been mentioned explicitly. They seem to fall under the category of duties to Others. But they are basically duties to Self in so far as they relate to the maintenance of the purity of our moral tone. They have, therefore, been dealt with in the Appendix to the ‘Duties to Self’.
to be continued . . . . .
