A Critic of Islam wrote:-
> Islam seems to many people very formal and legalistic concerned mainly
with strict adherence to rituals and rules. It seems superficial and
without depth. Many even memorise and recite the Quran in Arabic
without knowing or understanding the language. Even their prayer is in
Arabic and quite meaningless for them. The whole thing seems wholly
unintelligent and purposeless. What is the purpose of Islam?
Answer:-
Islam most certainly has an outer, a middle and inner aspect - a
physical, a mental and a spiritual one. Whereas Islam presents us with
a unified system it also has economic, political, social, legal,
scientific, philosophical aspects as well as a spiritual one.
It is true that a large section of Muslims are uneducated and neither
knows, understands or practices their religion. But there are many
levels of Muslims and there are degree of understanding and practice.
Islam is about the transformation of the life and being of a person
and there are many degree of being.
Islam is defined as "Surrender to Allah" and Allah is Truth (Quran
22:62), whose Word is Truth (3:47 and 6:74), and who has created all
things with Truth (15:85, 16:3, 29:44, 30:8, and 45:22). Islam is,
therefore, the Religion of Truth (Quran 9:33 and 61:9). The Messengers
have been sent with Truth (2:176, 3:3 and 17:105) in order to
transform human being (6:123, 7:89, 5:16, 21:112, 24:37, 8:24,
91:7-10).
Truth, which is carried by the Spirit, refers to something fundamental
like order or pattern. All phenomena exist and are recognised because
of it and all changes and interactions involve Truth transactions.
Evolution and Involution are increases or decreases in Truth.
Truth does not, therefore, refer to opinions or thoughts or verbal
descriptions. But in relation to human beings, there are three degrees
in which it can known - (i) outwardly, verbally and ritually, (ii)
experientially or (iii) by real transformation of being. People can be
Muslim to various degrees because they accept Islamic teachings to
various degrees and behave accordingly. Or they can experience and
understand the teachings to various degrees. Or they are transformed
by it and live accordingly to various degrees - i.e. they are in a
state of surrender.
The first should lead to the second which should lead to the third
stage. The outer ritualistic aspect is meant to be a vessel or form
that can contain and promote the appropriate experiences which will
lead to the transformation of the individual. The Law should prevent
erosion, induce experiences, reinforce the teachings and be
educational. It is not an end in itself. Nor are the experiences. But
people can be pious and sincere in following the ritual to the letter
and imitating the exemplars and saints. This will undoubtedly have its
beneficial psychological effects. It cannot of course be as effective
as true understanding specially when without it harmful superstitions
could develop. Wrong understanding could lead to wrong development so
that the aim is negated and harm results. Such wrong understanding
could result from experiences caused by wrong rituals or wrongly
performed ones.
There is also a difference between (a) people who have mostly an
intellectual interest in Islam (or any other religion or system) and
are concerned mostly with the doctrines and ideas and with thinking,
(b) people who have mostly an emotional interest and are concerned
mainly with the miraculous, (c) people who have mostly a ritualistic
interest and are concerned with rites and rules of conduct, (d) people
who are interested mainly in the social aspects (e) people who have
mostly an interest in the mystical experiences, (f) people who are
interested mostly in what they can gain from it or use, physically,
socially or psychologically - i.e. it could be used to gain wealth,
power or prestige or even as a crutch or consolation.
Human beings have been endowed with intelligence and with
consciousness, conscience and will, or at least the possibility of
behaviour accordance with these. This is undeniable. It is part of
reality and an integral part of our existence and awareness of
existence, and we are part of reality from which we arise. It is true
also that behaviour is intelligent if it has a conscious purpose. If
it does not then it is mechanical and dead. Moreover, all things,
including human purposes, make sense to intelligent beings if the
Universe, indeed existence, has a purpose. If it does not then all
things are futile. But purpose implies that things are not ends in
themselves but serve something else and are like parts that fit into a
greater pattern. If A serves B, one can always ask: what purpose does
B serve? B serves C and C serves D and so on. One could say that there
is a cycle such that D serves E and E serves A. Or that all the
elements interact to form a whole. We could then ask what purpose does
that whole serve and so on. Ultimately one must come to something that
is self existing and self-explanatory, an Absolute One. We call that
Allah (Quran 38:68, 39:4, 4:131, 22:64, 31:12, 57:24, 64:6, 112:1-4).
The ultimate purpose of all things in the Universe, including mankind
is to serve Allah. According to the Prophet Muhammad (saw):-
"Allah said: I was a hidden treasure and I wished to be known.
Therefore I created the Worlds."
This can be taken as a formula that encapsulates the ultimate purpose
of the Universe. At this level purpose and cause are identical. He is
the source as well as the goal of all things.
"Thus Allah creates what He pleases. When He decrees a matter He says
only Be! And It is." 3:46
"He knows what is before them and what is behind them; and unto Allah
all things return." 22:76
"And call not upon any other God along with Allah; there is no God but
He. Everything is perishable (or will perish), except His countenance.
His is the command, and unto Him shall you return!" 28:88
Man has been created as Vicegerent (2:30) with the Spirit of Allah in
him (32:9) and this gives him consciousness, conscience and will.
However, human beings needed further development and they were put on
earth to learn.
"But Satan whispered to him, saying: O Adam! shall I guide you to the
Tree of Immortality, and a kingdom that wastes not away? ..Adam
rebelled against his Lord, and went astray. Then his Lord chose him,
and relented towards him, and guided him. Said He: Go down, you twain,
there from altogether, some of you foes to the other. And if there
should come to you from Me a guidance; then whoever follows My
guidance shall neither err nor come to grief. But he who turns away
from Remembrance of Me, verily, for him shall be a narrow life; and I
shall bring him blind to the assembly on the Day of Resurrection."
20:120-124
"Surely, We have created man in the best of moulds. Then We reduced
him to the lowest of the low; save those who believe and act right;
for theirs is a reward unfailing." 95:4-6
"And the soul and Who fa****oned it, and enlightened it with what is
wrong and right for it! He indeed is successful who causes it to grow
(or purifies it)! And he indeed is a failure who corrupts it!. 91:7-10
"(Allah) Who created death and life that He may try you as to which of
you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving." 67:2
"You shall surely travel from stage to stage!" 84:19
Human beings have a duty towards Allah who created them and gave them
appropriate faculties, resources and facilities (2:41, 224, 231,
3:102, 196, 4:1, 5:11, 23:52 and many other verses). This duty as
three aspects:- (i) towards their own souls, (ii) towards their
society, families and fellows with whom they are inter-dependent and
(iii) towards the environment and all creatures, resources and order
in it. (iv) They probably also have a Cosmic function with respect to
the whole of creation, the Universe and beyond.
Human welfare and development depends on how well they fulfil their
objective or natural role. They have the inbuilt desire to seek their
own welfare and development, to seek self-fulfilment, happiness,
Paradise, but ignorance, unawareness, addictions, obsessions,
conditioning, habit can does mislead them. That is why Truth must be
sought. That is the gist of Islam.
Hamid S. Aiz
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