Islam, The Misunderstood Religion
IS RELIGION ANTIQUATED?
Dazzled by the achievements of science during the 18th and 19th centuries many Westerners thought that religion had exhausted all its usefulness and surrendered to science once for all. Almost all the eminent western psychologists and sociologists expressed themselves in similar terms. Thus Freud the renowned psychologist, for instance, showing the futility of any advocacy for what religion stood for in modem time says that the human life passes through three distinct psychological phases: superstition, religion and science. Now being the era of science all religion was out of date.
As we have already explained in the preface there were certain causes which led the men of science in Europe to adopt a view of life antagonistic to religion, and based on its hatred. It was due to the great controversy that raged there between men of science and the Christian church which made them think-quite justifiably of course-that whatever the church stood for was reactionary, retrogressive, backward and superstitious, and that therefore it must of necessity vacate its seat for science so as to enable humanity to move ahead on the path of civilization.
Without appreciating the difference between the peculiar conditions of life obtaining in Europe at the time of this unhappy conflict and these in their own Islamic orient, people opposed to their sacred traditions handed down to them from past generations demanded their outright abolition. Then came the contagion of imitation which plagued the dominated Islamic orient and led the naive among its people to fancy that the only way to progress was that followed by the dominant nations of Europe, and they have to discard their religion just as Europe had already done failing which they feared that they would be trapped in an abyss of reactionarism, backwardness and humbug.
But such people overlooked the fact that even in the west not all the outstanding scholars were antagonistic towards religion, nor do their works exhibit anything of this sort. On the other hand, we find some intellectuals among them of great eminence, who, freed of the materialism of the Godless Europe, were driven to the conclusion that religion is a psychological as well as an intellectual necessity for mankind.
The most noted figure among them is the astronomer, James Jeans who started his intellectual career as a Godless skeptic but was led finally by his scientific exploration to the conclusion that the greatest problems of science could not be resolved without believing ...God. The famous sociologist, Jeans Bridge went so far as to eulogize Islam for achieving a successful amalgam of the temporal with the spiritual into a harmonious system of thought blent with a practical code of life. The well-known English writer, Somerset Maugham epitomized the whole attitude of modem Europe towards religion when he remarked that Europe had in the present era discovered a new god-science, discarding the older one.
The god of science has, however, turned out to be extremely fickle, ever changing and constantly shifting positions, upholding today as a fact and reality what it rejected yesterday as false and spurious and vice versa, with the result that we see its "worshippers" doomed to a fate of perpetual restlessness and anxiety, for how can they find rest and peace of mind under such a capricious god? That this constant restlessness with which the modern west is afflicted is a fact, is borne out by the large number of psychological and nervous disorders that are so common in the western community of today.
A still another result of this deification of modern science is that the world we live in is devoid of all meaning and purpose with no higher order or power to guide it, with a persistent struggle ever going on between opposing forces. As a result, everything in this world suffers change; economic and political systems change; relations between state and individuals alter; even scientific "Facts" do change. What can man expect save misery and perpetual restlessness in a world with such a somber setting where no Higher Power exists whom he should turn to for support, strength and comfort in this ruthless struggle of life.
It is religion and religion alone that can restore to the world of humanity peace and tranquility. It instills in man love for goodness and courage to stand up to the forces of evil and tyranny as a necessary condition of obtaining God's pleasure and to make His will predominant on this earth awaiting with patience His reward in the Hereafter. Doesn't mankind really need peace, tranquility, comfort, in a word, religion?
What will become of man but for faith and belief in an eternal life in the Hereafter? In this context man's life upon earth assumes new dimensions opening far higher horizons of progress before him in the absence of which he is inevitably oppressed by a torturous sense of nothingness, as it means a virtual cutting short of man's total life-span, making him a mere plaything in the hands of his whims and caprices which teach him nothing but to derive the maximum possible amount of pleasure during this short sojourn upon earth. Mutual rivalries, savage battles and conflicts over the possession of material gains follow, as now there is no Higher Power to lay checks on men's desires. So, blinded by his greed and lust, each one of them wants to gain whatever he can lay his hands on in the shortest possible time.
Thus man is degraded to lower planes of feeling and thought. His imagination sinks low and so do his ideals and the means to achieve them. They are all marked with abjectness. Mankind is doomed to a perpetual life of hideous internecine wars that scarcely permit it to soar to higher and nobler ends in life. In such a world there is no room for love or sympathy as men are wholly obsessed with their carnal pleasures. They are led by their blind passions. How can they in such a context have lofty aspirations or even appreciate genuine human feelings?
Men in such a world no doubt gain some material profits. But of what use are these when fellowmen are constantly wrangling over them, each ready to cut his brothers throat should he find it opportune for his own material welfare. Materialism spoils life so much that even man's material achievements are rendered useless and senseless. Men are enslaved by greed, lust and avarice. Blind appetites alone govern them. They have no control whatsoever over these vices. Nor can they ever hope to extricate themselves from their trammels.
Similarly, the nations too, due to similar causes, get entangled in devastating wars which spoil all harmony in life. And science with all its dreadful weapons is employed for the extermination of the human race and its obliteration rather than make it serve man and contribute towards his well-being.
Viewed in this context religion means broadening the mental horizon of mankind, for life is not confined to this world alone but continues even beyond it-up to eternity. This brightens hope in man's heart and encourages him to fight steadfastly against evil and oppression. Religion teaches love, sympathy and universal brotherhood and is thus the only way to peace, prosperity and progress which is in itself a sufficient reason for its retention. It equips man in the best possible way for the hard struggle of life.
Furthermore, it is faith and faith alone that can inspire man to rise above his self and suffer for noble and lofty ideals. Once it is taken away from him he is left with nothing else to look up or pin his hopes to outside his own self. He changes into a brute immediately. Many a man fell fighting in the noble cause of truth spending the whole of their lives in the struggle yet achieving nothing in the materialistic sense of the word. What inspired these noble souls to engage in a battle that brought them no material rewards, hat caused them rather lose whatever little they happened to possess? Undoubtedly, it was one of the many miracles of the Faith, for, so far as selfish motives viz. avarice, greed, lust etc. are concerned, these can never make man achieve anything really good, noble or of a permanent value. This is why the material triumphs won by selfish avarice are so short-lived and temporary as the incentive for immediate gain cannot equip man with character, nor can it give him the courage to stand fast suffering patiently and for long for a truly noble and lofty cause.
There are in fact some so-called "reformers" who seek inspiration from hatred rather than love. This is the headspring of their inspiration, which they say gives them the courage to bear hardships for their cause with patience. The hatred they cherish may be personal in character or it may spring among a class of people and be directed against mankind in general or the generation they may have happened to be born in. Such rancor-inspired people may realize some of their ends by way of "reformation”. Their rancor coupled with their fiery and innate cruel natures may as well sustain them and boost their "morale" to willingly suffer privation for the sake of the cause they stand for, but a doctrine based on malevolence rather than love can never lead humanity to anything good. They may remove certain evils and put an end to the existing state of injustice but offer no sound remedy for these ailments of mankind. Based on hatred and malevolence, such a philosophy of life is bound sooner or later to degenerate and create far more evil and injustice than that it had originally professed and sought to cure.
On the other hand, a creed that does not aim at the immediate gains of this world, nor derives inspiration from malevolence but fosters in men noble passions of love, fraternity and a will to lay down their lives serving their fellowmen, can alone guarantee to humanity a reward permanent and worth striving for, and pave the way to its future progress and prosperity. The essence of such a creed is faith in God and love for Him with a consequent virtuous mode of living that helps man get nearer unto his Creator. But both of these remain lifeless so long as one does not believe in the Hereafter as well. Belief in the Hereafter gives man a sense of security banishing from his heart fear of extinction with his physical death and promising him an eternal life. This, in other words, means that his efforts shall not be wasted away but shall be crowned with their fullest reward in the life to come, if not in the life herein.
All this is, however, what follows as a natural corollary to a simple belief in God and the Hereafter as such. But so far as Islam is concerned it does not stop short there, but goes a long way ahead: it has a quite different and far more fascinating story to tell.
Those who may imagine that Islam has become outmoded and is no longer needed, do not know as to what it stands for, nor do they in any wise seem to understand its real mission in human life. As taught to them in the history books prescribed by the agents of imperialism in early life they think that Islam was revealed merely to put an end to idolatry and guide man to the worship of God alone, that the Arabs were torn into antagonistic tribes, so Islam came and united them and made them a strong and unified nation, that they were addicted to drinking and gambling and led depraved lives, so Islam came and checked them from these depravities as it did abolish so many other evil customs prevalent among them such as burying alive their daughters and wasting away their strength in acts of revenge, and that Islam called upon Muslims to disseminate its message which they did, this in turn leading to the battles that ultimately determined the boundaries of the Islamic world as we know it today. This was then according to these people the sole purpose of Islam in human life! "Being a historical mission it has long since been fulfilled: there is no idol-worship in the Islamic world; the once antagonistic tribes have been more or less subject to a process of absorption losing their identity in the larger nationalities or communities. As far as gambling and drinking are concerned let us bear in mind that human civilization has advanced to such an extent now that it is useless to declare such pastimes unlawful as we see that despite all religious taboos they still persist. It is no use insisting on their abolition. Thus they conclude that Islam has served its purpose in this world; it has had its day but is now quite out of place and is, therefore, no longer needed. We must, therefore, turn towards the modern doctrines of life as in these alone lies our salvation".
Thus parroting the ideas of their western teachers these people betray their own ignorance. They know nothing about Islam or its real mission in human life. Let us, therefore, before proceeding further, see what Islam is, and what in fact it stands for.
Islam, in a word, means liberation from all sorts of slavery such as may inhibit the progress of humanity or may not allow it to follow the path of virtue and goodness. It means man's freedom from dictators who enslave him by force or fear, make him do what is wrong and deprive him of his dignity, honor, property or even life. Islam liberates him from such tyranny by telling him that all authority vests in God and God alone; He alone is the Real Sovereign. All men are His born subjects and, as such, He alone controls their destinies, none of them having the power to benefit aught or even avert any distress from his own self contrary to or independent of His Divine Will. All men shall be presented before Him on the Day of Judgment to account for their performance in this life. Thus Islam brings to man freedom from fear or oppression inflicted on him by men like himself who are in reality as helpless as he, and who are no less subject to the Dominant Will of God Almighty than he himself is.
Not only this. Islam means freedom from lust as well, including even the lust for life, as it is this very weakness of man which is exploited by tyrants and dictators intentionally or otherwise in enslaving their fellowmen, But for it no man would silently accept slavery to men like himself or sit idle to watch tyranny strut abroad and dare not challenge it, It is a great blessing of Islam that it taught man to fight tyranny and oppression bravely rather than cringe before them in abject servitude, Says the Holy Qur'an : “Say: If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brother, your mates, or your kindred, the wealth that ye hale gained, the commerce in which ye fear a decline, or the swellings in which ye delight-are dearer to you than God, or His Apostle, or the striving in His cause,-then wait until God brings about His Decision: and God guides not the rebellious" (ix: 24),
Contrasting the blind passions and appetites with the love of God, that represents in life love, virtue and truth and striving hard in His way-in the way of all that is good and lofty in life, Islam subjects the former to the latter, Unruly passions must be kept in check by the love of God; it must be the dominant and real directing force in man's life as without this no man can claim to be a true Muslim,
A man engrossed in sensual pleasures may form a mistaken out look upon life and think that he enjoys life more than others do. But soon he realizes his mistake as not long after this he is reduced to a mere slave to his blind passions, He is doomed to a perpetual life of deprivation and restlessness, for animal desires once run rampant are never satisfied: they are rather sharpened all the more and degrade man to lower levels of animalism where all his efforts are focused on one object: how to derive the maximum possible sensual pleasure in life? Such an attitude towards life is, however, not conducive to progress, material or spiritual, as humanity cannot soar in higher realms unless it is freed from the dominance of the blind animal appetites. Only then can it march ahead freely in the fields of science, arts or religion,
It is for this very reason that Islam attaches so great an importance to the freeing of man from his animal passions. For this purpose it neither favors monarchism, nor does it forbid its followers to partake freely of the good things of this life. Rather it aims at the attainment of a balance between these two extremes. Whatever things are here, are for man. They are to serve him, not to dominate or rule over him. He should not, therefore, allow himself to be made slave to them. He should rather use them as means to a higher end i.e. his spiritual perfection by disseminating the word of God amongst his fellowmen. Thus Islam has a twofold objective in this regard: in the individual life, it aims at making a just and sufficient provision to each and every individual so as to enable him to lead a decent, clean life; and in the collective sphere, it arranges things in such a way that all the social forces of a community are directed towards the enhancement of progress and civilization in accordance with its basic outlook Upon life that aims at striking a balance between the units and the whole, between individuals an d the community.
Islam has also had the most liberalizing effect on human intellect as it is diametrically opposed to all sorts of superstition. Humanity has been in the course of history found to fall a prey to diverse absurdities of thought as well as practice, some of which were the lively play of man's fancy and were acknowledged as such, whereas others were referred to as originating with gods to whom human hands gave shape. Thus did the human intellect grope about in the dark before the advent of Islam. With Islam it attained maturity and freedom from this hotchpotch of nonsense, symbolized in these so-called gods, the Jewish traditions, and the imbecilities of the Christian church, and was once again brought back to the folds of True Faith and True God.
Islam uses a very simple terminology. Its teachings are very easy to understand, perceive and believe in. It invites man to make use of the faculties given to him and try to acquire the fullest possible understanding of life surrounding him. It does not as such admit of any inborn hostility between reason and religion or, for that matter, between science and religion. It does not force man to believe in silly stuff as a prior condition to his belief in God. Nor does it compel him to renounce his God so as to be able to admit of scientific facts. Not Content with this, Islam impresses upon man in clear and unequivocal terms that it is God and God alone Who has in His immense mercy subjected all the things on this earth to man, and that all the facts that are discovered by scientific exploration or the material benefits that flow there from to man, are in fact a blessing of God, for which man should other his thanks to God, and strive hard so as to become a worthy slave of so Merciful and Beneficent a Master. Thus Islam holds knowledge and science as a part of faith rather than regard these as an evil intrinsically opposed to genuine belief in God.
None of the above-mentioned problems staring mankind in the face' have yet been resolved: the higher real human objectives are yet to be realized. Mankind is still the victim of various imbecilities, it still groans under tyrants and dictators and is yet far from being free from the oppressive demands of anima1ism and sensual pleasures. Islam has still a great and glorious part to play.
One half of the inhabitants of the world of today remain idol worshippers as ever. As an instance we may refer to India, China and a great many other parts of the world that are inhabited by such people. The remaining half or thereabout dotes on still another type of deity that has exercised as great, nay a far worse, corrupting influence on men's thoughts and feelings carrying them still further away from the right path. It is this very deity that is styled Modern Science.
Science is a powerful instrument to help us increase our knowledge of the things around us. As such it has an impressive record of achievements to its credit. All these brilliant achievements were, however, vitiated by one fatal mistake of the westerners: they installed science as supreme God declaring that it alone had the right to claim the adoration and submission of man unto it. Thus they denied themselves all means of acquiring knowledge save that recognized by empirical science which let humanity wander farther away rather than bring it nearer to its real objective or destination. Consequently the otherwise vastly immense range of human endeavor and progress was shrunk small with the limitations such as all empirical sciences entail. For, in some cases it is just possible that the scope of empirical science, concerned as it is with mere matter, may be narrower as against the inherent capacities of man or it may not be able to soar higher than man is otherwise capable of with wings not of intellect alone but with those lent him by his spirit as well, bringing him nearer to his Creator and enabling him at the same time to obtain a far sounder and more correct understanding of the ultimate reality.
The protagonists of science also claim that science alone can introduce man to the secrets of this universe and life: hence, only that which is upheld by science is true; the rest is all trash! But while making such a statement they overlook the fact that science with all its brilliant and impressive record is still in its infancy and ever hesitant to commit itself as regards the veracity or supposititiousness of many things for the simple reason that it cannot penetrate deep into the heart of reality beyond effecting a mere superfluous survey of it. But still its votaries clamor and tell us with a very authoritative air that there is no such thing as human soul in existence. They deny that man, confined as he is within the limitations of his sensory organs, can ever have any contact with the Unknown -nor get even a glimpse of it through telepathy[1] or dreams. They repudiate all these not because they have proved them to be mere illusions but simply because the experimental science with its inadequate instrument has not yet been able to fathom their mystery, as it pleased God to reserve these as something above and beyond the field of human perception. That it belongs to a higher order of things not subject to man's observation was, however, sufficient to make these gentlemen turn their backs on it, some of them hurrying forward to announce to the waiting world that there was no such thing as human soul in existence.
Such then is the "enlightened ignorance" man suffers from today, which shows how desperately he stands in need of Islam to blow away these "scientific" cobwebs of today as well as the imbecilities inherited from a remote past. Idol-worship was the older form wherein human folly found expression: the cult of science-worship is its latest version. To liberate human reason and spirit, both of these needs must be shaken off. It is in this perspective that Islam emerges as the only hope for humanity, for it alone can restore peace between religion and science, bring back once more the tranquility and concord to this distressed world of today that has lost them through the perverted attitude towards life of the dominant West, forestalling an irreconcilable antagonism between man's reason and intuition, between his desire for knowledge and a craving for God.
Historically the modem European civilization is the descendant of the ancient Grecian civilization bequeathed to modern Europe by the Roman Empire. In this Grecian civilization the relations of man to his gods were viewed as of mutual antagonism and active antipathy. Thus the mysteries that human endeavor lays bare or the good things that he happens to lay his hands on in this world were viewed as something he forcibly wrenches from these jealous but ineffectual gods, who would ban and take back all these if they could. Viewed in this light, the scientific achievements of man were just another name for his conquests that he won against his gods with a vengeance as they did not allow these willingly but only grudgingly.
It is this very pernicious spirit of the Grecian culture that still pervades the subconscious of the modern West. It is manifest sometimes in its interpretation of facts. True to its Greek spirit the modern West speaks of the victories of science over physical phenomena as a coveted prize that man wrenched from the hands of a mysterious Higher Power subjecting thereby nature to him gradually. It may also be perceived in the attitude of the modem West towards God. The only thing that makes man prostrate himself before God, it says, is his own sense of weakness. But each big stride that man takes forward in the various fields of science raises him to a higher plane of being-brings him nearer to godhood-till in the end he should be able to unravel all the mysteries of life, create life itself an obsession of the modern scientist-and thus come on a par with that Being called God! Then he will no longer feel compelled to prostrate himself before an unseen God, for he shall then himself be raised to the position of one.
This is the most dangerous malady that the modern West suffers from at present. It has poisoned all life. Humanity is torn and divided, one part set against the others. Peace. harmony and tranquility have become rare phenomena. But still there is one last hope: that is Islam. Let humanity turn towards this word of God, as this alone can save it from the doom brought on it by the Godless West. Islam equips man with a sound outlook upon life telling him that whatever knowledge he acquires or the material or spiritual benefits he enjoys are in fact so many gifts to him of a Beneficent God. And that He is pleased with man so long as he employs the knowledge thus acquired in the service of mankind, and that God of Islam does never get angry with His creatures for their aspiring after knowledge, nor does He have any fear whatsoever of them that they would challenge His authority or vie with Him; and that He is provoked to anger only when man abuses his knowledge of science and makes it a means to torment others or commits aggression against his fellowmen.
Thus Islam establishes not only peace and harmony but also rids mankind of tyranny and oppression. The contemporary world presents in this respect no better view than it did thirteen hundred years ago, when Islam freed it from all false gods. Tyranny still struts abroad in the guise of haughty kings, insolent demagogues and heartless capitalists who are busy as ever in sucking up the blood of the working millions, subjugating them and making capital out of their helplessness and miserable plight. There is still another class of dictators who rule with fire and sword, usurp peoples' liberties and go about chanting that they are merely instruments in enforcing the people's or the proletariat's will.
The assertion that Islam helps humanity shake off all of these shackles may occasion some readers to ask: why does not Islam then liberate its own followers from the oppressive tyranny of some of their rulers who have usurped all their liberties and exposed them to the most revolting forms of disgrace and dishonor in the very name of Islam? To such readers we would like to point out that though these dictators exploit the name of Islam yet Islam is far from being in power in their domains or exercising any control or check over them. They belong to the class about which God Himself has declared that:
..And those who do not rule in accordance with what is revealed by God, are disbelievers" (v: 44).
And that:
..But no! By your Lord! They do not believe (in reality) until they make you a judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among them, and then do not find any straitness in their hearts as to what you have decided and submit with entire submission" (iv: 65).
The Islam that we call upon our fellowmen to adopt as their guide in life is not one and the same thing as that passed off under this name by some Muslim rulers of today's East. They have no respect or regard for the Divine Law as they seldom hesitate in breaking it at will. Thus when deciding their affairs they feel no need to be faithful to it following sometimes a man-made law borrowed from some European country and sometimes the Divine Law as may suit their needs or whims at the time. They are thus guilty of injustice towards both, towards men as well as God, for they choose from either side not what is right according to them but only that which might serve their personal ambitions, greed or lust.
The Islam that we know of is rather that which jolts down the haughty kings and insolent tyrants from above their proud seats of power. It makes them subject to the Divine Law along with other men and women or does away with them once for all, for "... .As for the scum, it passes away as a worthless thing, and as for that which profits the people it tarries in the earth” (xiii: 17).
In the domain of this Islam and as a consequence thereof, there shall be no tyrants as it countenances no tyranny, nor does it allow any man to subjugate others or impose upon them his will, save that of God and His Apostle who command but that which is good and just. The ruler in such a community shall, as a part of his obligations towards men and God, be required to enforce Divine Law failing which he may no longer have any lawful claim to his subjects' obedience. They may in such a situation quite lawfully disregard his orders. This was explicitly stated by the first Caliph, Abu Bakr (may God be pleased with him) when he said that "Obey me only so long as I obey God with respect to you; and if I should happen to deviate from God's obedience, then in that case my obedience shall no longer be incumbent upon you", As such the ruler in Islam has no more right to tamper with the Public Exchequer or state legislation than the lowliest of his subjects, Moreover none would in such a domain of Islam have any right to rule others except after his election to a post of authority that the other members might have willingly devolved upon him in a free, just and impartial election with no checks on voters save those of justice, virtue and decency.
Such an Islamic State will not only liberate its citizens from all tyrants at home but shall safeguard their freedom against any out side aggression as well, whether it be in the form of imperialistic exploitation or a threat of it, This is so because Islam itself is a religion of glory and power and as such it cannot tolerate that men should degrade themselves by prostrating at the feet of the false god of imperialism, Islam prescribes a very simple code of life for man. It exhorts him to strive hard to gain the pleasure of his Creator, surrender his will to that of His, follow His commandments and come forward with all the resources at his disposal to fight against the damned specter of imperialism and tyranny.
Let men, therefore, turn towards Islam for right now is the time that all should flock together under its standard so as to sweep off from the face of the earth all the vestiges of imperialism. Therein lies the solitary hope of humanity of freeing itself from the clutches of this specter that still clouds the world scene. Here is the way to real freedom such as allows of no serfdom, promises all men freedom of thought, action, property and religion jealously safe guarding their integrity as well as honor. For only thus can we become Muslims worthy of our God, the object of our adoration in Whose path we tread, the path He chose for us: "This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor on you and have chosen for you Islam as religion" (v: 3).
Such a radical reformation effected by Islam is by no means a parochial one confined to the Muslim community alone, but is, on the other hand, by its very nature universal in character. It is nothing Jess than a blessing for the world of today afflicted as it is with internecine wars, with a still another and far molt: terrible third world war looming large on the horizon.
Today's world is divided into two big power blocs-the capitalist and the communist blocs, each set against the other in a deadly struggle for the capture of world-markets and important strategical points on the globe, They, however, despite all their differences still remain one and the same thing as both are imperialistic in outlook and are out to enslave other peoples of the world. With this end in view they are both anxious to capture the maximum possible resources, human as well as material. Other human beings are in their eyes no better than so many chattels (man power they call it) or mere tools with which to realize their nefarious designs. .
If the world of Islam should, as a whole, rise against the barbarous tyranny of the modern imperialist Powers-as it is in fact on the way to it-it can effectively end all international rivalries and bickerings that constitute so dangerous a threat for world security as well as peace. The Muslim countries can by closing their ranks very easily form a power bloc of their own. Thanks to its excellent geographical position, such a power bloc of Muslim nations would hold the key to a balance of power in the comity of world nations, situated as it would be midways between the old and the new world. They will then be free to choose sides with this or that party in keeping with their own collective interests rather than serve those of the Eastern or the Western imperialism.
Islam is the only future hope of humanity, and its victorious emergence out of the present ideological warfare 'is the only guarantee of man's salvation. But important as the triumph of Islam is for the future of mankind, its realization is also not a mere illusion. For, it can be effected if the people who are already in its fold and profess loyalty to it should right now pledge themselves for its glory and triumph. For this purpose they may not stand in need of any help whatever from outside. Such a triumph of Islam would, for the modern man, mean the abolition of the ever-menacing shadows of an approaching worldwide conflagration; it would mean no nervous breakdowns, no physical or psychological tensions, in fact a happy home and a happy, peaceful world.
There is, however, yet another aspect of the matter too. The Modern West has achieved tremendous successes in the field of science, yet in the field of humanity it remains as savage and backward as ever. Under its dominance science advanced but man lagged far behind gradually losing all respect for the higher values in human life. Modern civilization stressed matter more than spirit, attached more importance to sensuality rather than spirituality with the result that the individuals have come to attach far more importance to their personal pleasures and selfish interests than strive or suffer for the common weal. That is why we find the modern man so engrossed in his sensual pleasures. Such a state of affairs can hardly be termed as man's progress or humanity's advancement, for it means not only material progress and scientific advancement but man's freedom from the dominance of his oppressive animal appetites as well. It is here that Islam steps in; it alone can make man progress and be really advanced.
Progress is not synonymous to having fast-moving planes, atom bombs, radios or dazzling electric lamps as some misguided people seem to think. These things offer no criterion to judge progress in human terms. The criterion of it would rather be: whether man is dominated over by his animal appetites or he controls and keeps them in check? Has he the capacity to rise above these blind passions or is he a mere plaything in the hands of his unruly passions? If he is still no better than a mere slave to these then he is far from having achieved any real progress or advancement. He may in such a case be rightly called a miserable failure as a man, not withstanding his astounding conquests in the field of science and knowledge.
This criterion, however, is not an authoritative one arbitrarily fabricated by religion or morality. It is not a vision but a fact to the veracity of which history bears ample witness as it is well grounded in the human nature and ultimate reality, for no people have ever been able to retain their strength, glory and power and contribute towards the welfare and advancement of human race once they fell a prey to the extravagances and luxuries of this life. What was it that brought the proud Greece of ancient times low, and the Great Roman Empire? How was it that the glory of ancient Persia and that of the Islamic world towards the end of the Abasside period faded out? And lastly, don't we still remember how the corrupt French Republic with its people wholly engrossed in bodily pleasures fared in the last World War? They surrendered to their enemies almost immediately. They could not withstand even a single blow of their enemy as they cared more for their personal pleasures than they were interested in the defense of their homeland, They were more concerned with the safeguard of their overpopulated Paris with its elegant dancing halls from the enemy shells than have any thought of redeeming the good name and honor of their once proud and brave nation.
At times America is also referred to by some misinformed people in the East as an example of a nation steeped in worldly pleasures, yet powerful and great with the highest material output in the world. But these people forget that America is yet a young nation in the spiritual as well as material sense of the word. And, as all know, youth is the period when the effects of an insidious disease are hardly detected, for the body-politic is still vigorous enough and fully capable of checking the outward manifestations of the disease. But a penetrating eye may not be deceived by the apparent health and youthful vigor of such a people, as it observes all the symptoms of the fatal malady distinctly and unmistakably behind the thin veil of its resplendent exterior. That America is no exception to the rule may be illustrated by the following two news items appearing in the papers some time back. They also show that science, despite all its progress, is still as ineffectual as ever so far as effecting any basic change in human nature is concerned, for science is itself a part of God's Law-"the law wherein ye shall never witness a change".
The first news item describes that the State Department of America gave sack to thirty-three of its employees as they were found of a loose moral character and guilty of betraying state secrets to their enemies.
The second news item purports to the effect that one hundred and twenty thousand American military men deserted the armed forces. This number is a fairly large one considering the total strength of the American armed forces and the fact that they belong to a nation still in its youth that also aspires for world leadership and domination.
This is just the beginning. The rest and the inevitable needs must follow if the American nation persists in its present materialistic attitude towards life.
However this is just one aspect of the picture. The other side shows that notwithstanding its highest material output, its relative youth and vast resources in men and land, the American nation has proved singularly barren in the world of principles and higher moral values due to the fact that it is, as a nation, wholly engrossed in physical pleasures and in this respect has seldom been seen rising higher than the purely animal level. The savage treatment meted out to the negroes in the United States represents a nation spiritually unsound with a plane of humanity miserably low. Surely the world can never progress by stooping low for the gratification of animal appetites-by worshipping them.
This is indeed a very distressing picture of today's world but still there is one redeeming factor that is Islam. It freed mankind from the tyranny of animal appetites thirteen hundred years ago; now again it is the only hope for mankind to shake off the shackles of lust and be free to direct all its faculties to reach a higher spiritual plane and propagate virtue and goodness in life.
Let none dare say that the revival of Islam is an impossible and hopeless undertaking, as the human race has in the past proved beyond any doubt that it is quite capable of rising above a purely animal level. And surely what once was possible in the past needs must still be possible in the present, for mankind has temperamentally not undergone any change ever since. The world of humanity had sunk then, as now, to quite as low level and was as much taken up with sensual pleasures as it at present seems to be. There is no difference between its present and past save the outwardly visible forms of voluptuousness or the names of the luxuries indulged in. Ancient Rome was no less rotten morally than its modern Counterparts-Paris, London and the cities of America. Similarly, in ancient Persia sexual anarchy was as rank as is at present associated with the communist Countries. It was in this historical perspective that Islam was revealed to the world. It brought about a complete change, lifted mankind from the abyss of moral degradation, gave human life a lofty purpose, dynamism, movement, and infused into it a spirit to strive hard in the way of truth and goodness. Humanity under Islam flourished, prospered and there was set afoot a dynamic intellectual and spiritual movement that encompassed the East as well as the West. No forces of evil and mischief dared check the onward march of Islam with the result that the whole out look of human life was radically transformed. Thus the world of Islam became the headspring of light, excellence and progress in the world for a long time to com" During this long period of its dominance never did the Islamic world find itself lagging behind materially, intellectually or spiritually for the simple reason that it did not encourage moral corruption, sexual anarchy or Godlessness. Its followers were looked upon as symbols of goodness and excellence in all spheres of human activity till they ceased to reflect in their lives the noble and exalted ideal of Islam and became mere slaves to their whims and animal desires. It was then that all their glory and power came to an end in accordance with the immutable law of God.
The modern Islamic movement that is still gathering force derives its strength from the past and makes use of all the modern available resources with its gaze fixed on the future. It has great potentialities and as such has a bright future ahead, for it is fully capable of performing that great miracle which has once been already effected by Islam making man look higher and beyond animal pleasures with his feet planted firmly on the earth and with his gaze fixed beyond the heavens.
This does not, however, mean that Islam is a mere spiritual creed, or a plea for morality, or just an intellectual research in the kingdom of heavens and earth. It is a practical code of life that fully embraces worldly affairs. Nothing escapes its penetrating eye. It takes notice of all the diverse patterns of relationships binding men together irrespective of the fact that such relationships fall under the political, economical, or social heads; regulates them by prescribing suitable laws and then enforces them in human life, the most out standing characteristic of the performance being the achievement of a unique harmony between the individual and society, between reason and intuition, between practice and worship, between the earth and Heavens, between this world and the Hereafter, all beautifully couched together in a single harmonious whole.
The space at our disposal in the present chapter is too limited to admit of any detailed discussion of the political, economical and social system of Islam. The following chapters will, however, throw some light on some of the salient features of this all comprehensive system of Islam in the course of dealing with the misunderstandings spread against by the Western scholars. The following facts we would, however, like to lay down here before our readers:
Firstly, it must be well understood that Islam is not a mere ideological vision. It is, on the other hand, a practical system of life that fully appreciates all the genuine needs of mankind and tries to realize them.
Secondly, in trying to meet the genuine requirements of man
Islam effects a perfect balance so far as the limitations of human nature would allow. It starts with the individual maintaining a balance between his requirements of body and soul, reason and spirit, and in no case allows one side to predominate the other. It does not suppress the animal instincts in order to make the soul ascend the higher planes, nor does it, in hankering after the bodily desires, make man stoop to the low level of mere animalism. On the other hand, it makes them both meet on a single higher plane doing away with all the internal psychological conflicts that threaten the entity of human soul or set a part of it against the other parts. Thence it proceeds to achieve an equilibrium between the needs of the individual and those of the community. It allows not an individual to transgress other individuals, or the community. Nor does it allow the community to commit transgression against the individual. It also does not approve of one class or people to enslave another class or people. Islam exercises a beneficent constraint on all these mutually opposed forces, prevents them from coming into collusion with one another, calling upon them all to join hands and co-operate for the general good of mankind as a whole.
Thus Islam strikes a balance between different factors of society, between spiritual and temporal, economic and human factors. Unlike communism it does not believe that economic factors i.e. the material aspect alone, dominate the human existence. -or does it contribute to what the pure spiritualists or idealists say claiming that spiritual factors of high ideals alone arc sufficient to organize human life. Islam rather holds that not one or two but all these diverse elements put together form what is called human society; and that the best code of life is that which takes note of all these, making full allowance for body as well as reason and spirit and arranging them all in the framework of a harmonious whole.
Third/y, it must always be kept in mind that Islam has an altogether independent existence of its own as a social philosophy as well as an economic system. Some of its outward manifestations may on the surface appear to resemble those of capitalism or communism, but in fact it is far from being the one or the other. It retains all the good characteristics of these systems yet is free from their shortcomings and perversions. It extols not individualism to that loathful extent which is characteristic of the modern West that holds the individual as the basis of social order and says that freedom of the individual must in all circumstances be preserved and in no case interfered with by the community. From this germ sprang up in the West the modern capitalism that is based on the concept of the individual's freedom to exploit others including the community that up brings and preserves him. Islam, while emphasizing the importance of society, docs not go to the extreme such as is witnessed in the countries of Eastern Europe. They hold society the basis of human life wherein the individual is no more than an insignificant midget with no existence whatever of its own outside and independent of the herd. Therefore, the community alone enjoys freedom as well as power; the individual has no right to question its authority or demand of it, his rights. Thus did there originate communism claiming that the state holds the absolute power to shape, howsoever it should desire, the lives of the individuals.
Islam strikes a balance between these two extremes-communism and capitalism. Recognizing the importance of both it so harmonizes the individual and the state that individuals have the freedom necessary to develop their potentialities but not to transgress against others of their fellowmen as also it gives to the community or the state that represents the organized community, vast powers to regulate and control the socio-economic relationships, so as ever to guard and maintain this harmony in human life. The basis of this whole structure as envisaged by Islam is the reciprocity of love between individuals and groups. It is not erected on the basis of malevolence and class conflict as the communist societies.
It may all so be pointed out her: that this unique system of life, as envisaged by Islam, did not originate as a result of any economic pressure, nor was it an outcome of some mutually conflicting interests of antagonistic groups of people, No, not only this but it was revealed to the world as the ordained system of life at a time when men attached no particular importance to the economic factors, nor did they know anything about social justice in the sense we know it in modern times. Both communism and capitalism are much later growths. As far as reformation in the social and economic spheres of human life is concerned, the basic needs of man-food, housing, and sexual satisfaction-with which the name of Karl Marx is generally associated as being the first to hold that it was the duty of the government to make provision for these basic needs of man. This is claimed as a great revolution in the history of human thought. But long before Karl Marx-thirteen hundred years ago-Islam had already proclaimed these very rights of the individual before the world. Thus the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said that:
“Whosoever acts as a public officer for us (i.e. the Islamic State) and has no wife, he shall hare a wife: if he has no house, he shall be given a house to live in; if he has no servant, he shall have one; and if he has no animal (a conveyance), he shall be provided with one". This historical announcement of the fundamental human rights not only includes those voiced by Karl Marx, but it adds to them some more as well, without however necessitating any inter-class hatred, bloody revolutions, and without, of course, rejecting all those human elements in life that do not fall under the above three heads: food, housing and sexual surfeit.
These are some of the salient features of the Islamic code of life. They are sufficient to prove that a religion with such laws and principals and so comprehensive as to include the whole of the human existence, emotions, thoughts, actions, worship, economic; dealings, social relationships, instinctive urges and spiritual aspirations all arranged in the framework of a single harmonious but unique system of life, an never lose its usefulness for mankind. Nor can such a religion ever become obsolete as its objectives are the same as those of life itself and, therefore, destined to live on so long as there is life on this planet.
Considering the existing state of affairs in the contemporary world, mankind cannot reasonably afford to turn its back upon Islam or reject its system of life, Mankind is still afflicted with the most savage and odious forms of racial prejudices in even this so-called enlightened twentieth century, America and South Africa may offer a case in point in this respect, Surely the twentieth century world has yet a great deal to learn from Islam, Long ago Islam freed humanity from all racial prejudices, It did not content itself with the presentation of a beautiful vision of equality alone but in practice did also have an unprecedented state of equality between all people black, white or red, declaring that none enjoyed any priority over the others except by virtue of piety, It not only freed the black from slavery but also fully recognized their rights to aspire even to the highest seat of authority in the Islamic State, They could, like freemen, become the heads of the Islamic State. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Listen and obey even if a negro slave be appointed as your superior so long as he should enforce amongst you the Law of God,"
How can also the world of today ignore the message of Islam stricken as it is with the evils of imperialism and tyranny with all their barbarous attributes, for Islam alone can help mankind shake off their chains, It is opposed to imperialism and all forms of exploitation, The treatment of Islam with the peoples of the countries it conquered with a view to spreading the word of God, was so generous, lofty and sublime that the eyes of the pygmies of the "Civilized" Europe can hardly penetrate those heights, We may in this regard cite the famous decision of the Caliph. Omar bin Al-Khattab to whip the son of Amr bin Al-Aas, the victorious general and honored governor of Egypt as he had beaten an Egyptian Copt without any legal justification with the renowned father himself having a very narrow escape from the whip of the Caliph, This shows how great civil liberty was enjoyed by the subjects of the Islamic Slate. Then there is the evil of capitalism that has poisoned all life its abolition and the need to rid human race of its evil consequences again call for Islam. For, Islam prohibits usury and hoarding which taken together form the mainstay of the capitalist economy. This, in other words, means that Islam alone can effectively check the evils of capitalism as it did check them thirteen hundred years ago.
Similarly, the world dominated over by the materialistic, godless Communism cannot help standing in need of Islam as it achieves and maintains social justice of the highest order without recourse drying up the spiritual head-springs in human heart. Nor does it confine man's world to the narrow world of the senses. Above all, it neither endeavors nor aims at the imposition of its own creed on mankind forcibly with the iron rod of a proletarian dictatorship for. "There is no compulsion in religion; indeed righteousness has been differentiated from wickedness" (ii: 256).
Finally, the world with the shadows of war still hanging over it cannot but turn towards Islam-the only way to establish and maintain real peace on this earth.
The era of Islam has in a way just started, not ended; it is not a spent force, but a living dynamic force. Its future is as bright as its great historical past is glorious when it illumined the face of the earth at a time when Europe was still groping its way in the dark recesses of medievalism.
The Holy Qur'an states: “And such of your slaves as seek a writing (of emancipation), write it for them if ye are aware of aught of good in them, and bestow upon them of the wealth of Allah which He hath bestowed upon you" (xxiv: 33),
[1] Telepathy is the Dame for the communication of one mind with another at a distance. The most notable example of it is that incident wherein Caliph Omar called out to Sariah, a Muslim commander saying: "Sariah! To the mountain! To the mountain!’ Sariah heard this warning coming from hundreds of miles away. So he led his contingent to the mountain, escaped the enemy lying in ambush and won a victory over them. As such though telepathy is recognized as a scientific fact yet the modern scientist is so biased that its having anything to do with "soul' is denied outright. It is explained as a manifestation of a sixth but yet not fully explained faculty of the human mind.