The
Prophetic and Qur’anic Methodology
Having made these preliminary
remarks, we now turn to the subject itself. It has already been noted that the
objectives which tasawwuf sets forth are in complete
harmony with Islamic teachings. The real question that needs to be addressed at
this stage is: What is the Qur’anic and Prophetic guidance regarding the actual
method of obtaining the objectives of tasawwuf ?
It is obvious that the methodology that
is faithful to the guidance contained in the Qur’an and Sunnah would be not only the Prophetic way
but also the way that appeals to logic and rationality. The first point to note
in this regard is the principle that is outlined in the first sentence of the
Basic Resolution of Tanzeem-eIslami, namely: “The call of religion is primarily
addressed to the individual.” This point can be understood with the help of the
following metaphor: Each individual is a robust seed that has been planted by Allah
(SWT) in His garden (the earth). Obviously, the Gardner wishes that every seed in
his garden should sprout, mature, and produce beautiful flowers and fruits. In other
words, Allah (SWT) wishes to see the fruition of all the potentialities that are
inherent in each individual, and to see the individuality of each person blossom
in its full glory.
In this regard, the following couplet
by Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil is very instructive:
It is a shame that your baser self
impels you to seek serenity,
In the gardens and meadows of the
outside world;
Your own inner being is no less
than a blossoming bud,
Open the door of your heart and
step into the inner garden!
The meaning of this couplet is that
the beauty and serenity of the garden within is much more attractive than the
beauty and serenity of the gardens without, only if we take the time and effort
to look for this hidden, inward beauty. It is worth repeating that, in the eyes
of Allah (SWT), each individual is a work in progress, a seed that has been planted.
Allah (SWT) wishes to see this seed sprout and go through all the stages of
maturation so that all of its potentialities are realized and all of its
internal beauty is manifested. In this regard, it is important to bring to mind
the following ayah from Surah Mai’dah:
O you who believe! It is [only] for
your own selves that you are responsible. If you follow the right path, those
who have gone astray will not be able to do you harm….
(Al-Mai’dah 5:105)
While it is obligatory to call
others to the Divine Word, the believer will not be judged according to the
number of individuals who responded to the call. Instead, the believer will be
judged solely on the basis of his or her own efforts to fulfill the religious
obligations. It is an important Islamic obligation to minister to others, to
make others aware of the Divine Word, and to invite them to shape their lives
according to Divine Guidance. But in spite of all these obligations, the
individual believer remains accountable for no one other than him/herself. As
for those to whom the believer has called towards Divine Guidance and who did
not respond to the call, the following words of the Qur’an are highly instructive:
...and you will not be held
accountable for those who are destined for the blazing fire.
(Al-Baqarah 2:119)
The fore-cited ayah of Surah Mai’dah has been
misinterpreted, and this happened even during the period of the Companions
(RAA). Taking this ayah in isolation from other ayaat and Prophetic injunctions, an
opinion began to be expressed that since each individual is responsible for
none other than him/herself, there is no need to make any efforts to spread the
word of Islam. It is obvious that, even among this early generation of Muslims,
there were many hypocrites and people with weak faith who wanted to cut corners
regarding their religious obligations; one easy way to do this was to take a
particular ayah out of context and in isolation from other religious
instructions.
In response to this errant reading of this ayah, Abu Bakr (RA) made it a point to explicate its proper meaning in a sermon. He stated that the words “[only] for your own selves are you responsible” do not absolve the individual from his or her religious obligations of spreading the word of Islam, enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil. There is no doubt that each individual is accountable for only his or her own actions and not for the actions of anyone else, but the issue of accountability cannot be confused with the issue of obligations towards others. In other words, just because one is not accountable for the actions of others does not mean that he or she does not have any obligations towards them. The Qur’an records the following words of Prophet Musa (AS) regarding his despair over the behavior of his people after they refused to fight for the cause of Allah (SWT):
In response to this errant reading of this ayah, Abu Bakr (RA) made it a point to explicate its proper meaning in a sermon. He stated that the words “[only] for your own selves are you responsible” do not absolve the individual from his or her religious obligations of spreading the word of Islam, enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil. There is no doubt that each individual is accountable for only his or her own actions and not for the actions of anyone else, but the issue of accountability cannot be confused with the issue of obligations towards others. In other words, just because one is not accountable for the actions of others does not mean that he or she does not have any obligations towards them. The Qur’an records the following words of Prophet Musa (AS) regarding his despair over the behavior of his people after they refused to fight for the cause of Allah (SWT):
O Lord! I have authority over none
but myself and my brother [Harun]….
(Al-Mai’dah 5:25).
Even here, Prophet Musa (AS)
mentions having authority over his brother Harun (AS) only because the latter
had willingly accepted his authority, otherwise it is obvious that an
individual does not have any control even over his or her own sibling. The
following ayah sheds further light on this subject:
[O Prophet!] Verily, you cannot
guide everyone whom you love, but it is Allah who guides whomever He Wills….
(AlQasas 28:56).
To be continued....
.jpg)
