THE QUR’ANIC WORLDVIEW:
THE FOUNDATION, STARTING
POINT, AND INSPIRATION FOR REFORM AND CONSTRUCTION
IN
order for us as Muslims to recover our Qur’anic worldview, we will need to
become more fully aware of our history as a nation, and in particular, the era
spanning the lifetime of the Prophet and that of the rightly guided caliphs. We
need to appreciate the effect of the Qur’anic worldview on that enlightened
era, on the Islamic heritage, and on the course of subsequent eras, which in
turn left their mark on the history of the entire human civilization,
culminating in the current phase of scientific, cosmic awareness.
At the same time, we need to realize, in light of the
Qur’anic world-view, the true meaning and essence of contemporary materialistic
Western civilization, a civilization which has abandoned religion and the
guidance of divine revelation for reasons having to do with its particular
religions’ histories and heritages and the state in which these religions find
themselves now. For the message these religions brought, having been tailored
to the circumstances and cultural development of the people to whom it was
addressed, has now fulfilled its purpose. Given the transition humanity has
made to a new era of scientific, global thinking and awareness, and due to the
distortions that have turned these religions into something on the order of
superstitious rites, they have become increasingly marginalized in the West,
and accordingly, have come to exercise less and less influence over Western
societies. As a consequence, Western civilization has adopted a materialistic
orientation which has instilled in it the same lifeless, amoral qualities of
matter itself. In short, the materialistic philosophy
(pg.117)
that
permeates Western civilization has given rise to a kind of jungle ethic – which
manifests itself in a bigoted devotion to one’s own race or national group, an
inclination to prey on others, dominance and control by the strong, and the
absence of moral restraint in relating to others.
On the one hand, in light of what we know about the
spiritual worldview founded on justice and the brotherhood of all – and on the
other, the materialistic worldview founded on racism and aggression – we can
begin to discern the true features of the jungle that parades as modern civilization.
Such features are discernible despite the idealistic claims with which much of
this civilization’s conduct and policies are associated – policies which, for
the most part, reflect the degree to which this civilization has departed from
a lost spiritual ideal. Today’s world continues to move at an exponential rate
in the direction of nationalism, racial superiority, selfish interests, and
bigoted disdain for or hostility toward the foreigner and whoever or whatever
is different or ‘other.’ Hence, one can see that the sweet talk of such
governments and their media outlets about ideals, human rights, and the like
are little more than a predator’s ruses and a facade for Machiavellian policies
and designs.
Hence, the features we observe in modern civilization
are, in reality, concrete expressions of the law of the jungle and the
propensities of the self that incites to evil. For ‘nationalism’ and
‘citizenship’ in modern states and societies play a role parallel to that of
the solidarity exhibited in the jungle by members of one species or line over
against all others. However, as the foundational structures of such societies
grow increasingly rigid and fragile, the societies themselves begin to weaken
and disintegrate. For power politics are in perfect keeping with the
inclination toward conflict among the various species and lines in the wild,
where the law of might is right rules the day, and where the strong has the
right to prey on the weak. In relations governed by the law of the jungle,
there is no place for the pursuit of truth, justice, and fairness in dealing
with one’s fellow human beings, nor is any consideration given to the need to
adhere to ethical standards or ideals if such standards conflict with the gains
one might be able to secure by flouting them. In short, neither ethics nor
rights have any meaning or place
(pg.118)
in
the world of the jungle. Hence, this civilization will not be able to survive
because the ongoing conflicts that arise inevitably from the foundations on
which it stands are like a blazing fire, which if it finds nothing else to
consume, will consume itself:
وَلَقَدۡ ڪَتَبۡنَا فِى ٱلزَّبُورِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ
ٱلذِّكۡرِ أَنَّ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِىَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحُونَ (١٠٥) إِنَّ
فِى هَـٰذَا لَبَلَـٰغً۬ا لِّقَوۡمٍ عَـٰبِدِينَ (١٠٦) سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنبیَاء
And,
indeed, after having exhorted [man], We laid it down in all the books of divine
wisdom that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth: herein, behold,
there is a message for people who [truly] worship God. (surah al-Anbiya,
21:105–106)
قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ ڪَيۡفَ
كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ (٦٩) سُوۡرَةُ النَّمل
Say, “Go all over the earth and behold what happened
in the end to those [who were thus] lost in sin.” (surah al-Naml, 27:69)
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُعۡجِبُكَ قَوۡلُهُ ۥ
فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَيُشۡهِدُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا فِى قَلۡبِهِۦ وَهُوَ
أَلَدُّ ٱلۡخِصَامِ (٢٠٤) وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ
لِيُفۡسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهۡلِكَ ٱلۡحَرۡثَ وَٱلنَّسۡلَۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ
ٱلۡفَسَادَ (٢٠٥) سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة
Now there is a kind of man whose views on the life of
this world may please thee greatly, and [the more so as] he cites God as
witness to what is in his heart and is, moreover, exceedingly skillful in
argument. But when-ever he prevails, he goes about the earth spreading
corruption and destroying [man’s] tilth and progeny: and God does not love
corruption. (surah al-Baqarah, 2:204–205)
As for the conscientious spirituality embodied in al-nafs
al-lawwamah (the accusing voice of man’s own conscience), it finds perfect
expression in the words of the Qur’an, which God has pledged to preserve from
all distortion or corruption. For, contrary to the selfish propensities to
which a decadent materialistic philosophy panders, the divinely revealed
messages uphold the highest ethical standards and the values of truth and
justice in human relationships and dealings. The materialistic, covetous
mindset to which divine revelation stands opposed is reflected in the words of Iblis
who, having been commanded to bow down to Adam, said,
وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةِ ٱسۡجُدُواْ
لِأَدَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ قَالَ ءَأَسۡجُدُ لِمَنۡ خَلَقۡتَ
طِينً۬ا (٦١) سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء
“…Shall I prostrate
myself before one whom Thou hast created out of clay?” (surah al-Isra’,
17:61), and,
وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةِ ٱسۡجُدُواْ
لِأَدَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ قَالَ ءَأَسۡجُدُ لِمَنۡ خَلَقۡتَ
طِينً۬ا (٦١) سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء
“…I am better than he:
Thou hast created me out of fire, whereas him Thou hast created out of clay” (surah
al-A’raf, 7:12). Indeed, given the free will with which they have been
graced, human beings have possessed the capacity for evil from the time they
were created. It was with this awareness that before Adam’s creation, the
angels protested, saying to God, “…Wilt Thou place on it such as will spread
corruption thereon and shed blood…?” (surah al-Baqarah, 2:30).
(pg.119)
The
conscientious spirituality upheld by the Qur’an, which embodies a commitment to
justice, tolerance, and ethical purposeful-ness, is the polar opposite of such
degenerate materialism. The Qur’an urges believers to commit themselves to what
is just and right, “…even though it be against your own selves or your parents
and kinsfolk.…” (surah al-Nisa, 4:135), and “…even though it were [for
the sake of] a near kinsman;…” (surah al-Ma’idah, 5:106). Similarly, we
read:
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ
قَوَّٲمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُہَدَآءَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۖ وَلَا يَجۡرِمَنَّڪُمۡ شَنَـَٔانُ
قَوۡمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعۡدِلُواْۚ ٱعۡدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰۖ
وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ (٨) سُوۡرَةُ المَائدة
…never let hatred of anyone lead you into
the sin of deviating from jus-tice. Be just: this is closest to being
God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that
you do. (surah al-Ma’idah, 5:8)
لَّا يَنۡهَٮٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ
يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِكُمۡ أَن
تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡہِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ (٨) سُوۡرَةُ المُمتَحنَة
As for such [of the unbelievers] as do not fight
against you on account of [your] faith, and neither drive you forth from your
homelands, God does not forbid you to show them kindness and to behave towards
them with full equity: for, verily, God loves those who act equitably. (surah
al-Mumtahinah, 60:8)
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا
تُحِلُّواْ شَعَـٰٓٮِٕرَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا ٱلشَّہۡرَ ٱلۡحَرَامَ وَلَا ٱلۡهَدۡىَ
وَلَا ٱلۡقَلَـٰٓٮِٕدَ وَلَآ ءَآمِّينَ ٱلۡبَيۡتَ ٱلۡحَرَامَ يَبۡتَغُونَ
فَضۡلاً۬ مِّن رَّبِّہِمۡ وَرِضۡوَٲنً۬اۚ وَإِذَا حَلَلۡتُمۡ فَٱصۡطَادُواْۚ
وَلَا يَجۡرِمَنَّكُمۡ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوۡمٍ أَن صَدُّوڪُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ
ٱلۡحَرَامِ أَن تَعۡتَدُواْۘ وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقۡوَىٰۖ
وَلَا تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَٲنِۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ
ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ (٢) سُوۡرَةُ المَائدة
…but rather help one another in furthering
virtue and God-conscious-ness, and do not help one another in furthering evil
and enmity; and remain conscious of God: for, behold, God is severe in
retribution! (surah al-Ma’idah, 5:2)
ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ خَلَـٰٓٮِٕفَ فِى
ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ لِنَنظُرَ كَيۡفَ تَعۡمَلُونَ (١٤) سُوۡرَةُ یُونس
And thereupon We made you their successors on earth,
so that We might behold how you act. (surah Yunus, 10:14)
Despite its overall rejection of the guidance of
revelation, modern materialistic civilization has achieved great things thanks
to its commitment to the systematic, law-governed method of scientific inquiry,
which constitutes one of the requirements for the task of being God’s stewards
and representatives on earth. Nevertheless, the base, worldly propensities that
mark modern civilization and those who subscribe to it (the whims and desires
of the self that incites to evil) stand in dire need of still another
requirement of true stewardship – namely, the conscientious spirituality
inherent in sound, rightly guided human nature, al-nafs al-lawwamah (the
accusing voice of man’s own conscience). For without it, there will be no way
to confront the perilous spiritual and social ills from which the members of
modern society suffer and which have begun to reach crisis proportions. Nor
(pg.120)
will
we be able to resolve the fundamental existential questions in the face of
which modern Western man stands perplexed – armed as he is with nothing but his
own limited logic and knowledge and with superstitious, formalistic religious
ethics that have nothing to say about the universals of the cosmos and human
existence.
Once Islam is correctly understood and communicated to
others in an appropriate manner, once out understanding of the Qur’anic
worldview is purged of distortions, and once sound educational practices are
adhered to – we will be equipped to offer deliverance to modern-day
materialists from the conflicts, injustices, and dangers that imperil their
existence. Similarly, Islam will be recognized as the source of the guidance
and wisdom for which the materialists have been longing, as well as peace of
mind, prosperity, and social well-being. The task of reform belongs to Muslim
thinkers and pioneers who, in order to overcome cultural restraints and rigid,
backward thinking, will need a generous dose of objectivity, patience, and
courage.
(pg.121)
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