Islam can be
regarded as having 7 levels (Quran 23:17). These could be thought of as
Justice, Love, Truth, Surrender, Universality, Transformation and final Unity. Justice,
Love and Truth are attributes of Allah and, therefore, aspects of all genuine
religion, though each may place its emphasis on a different aspect.. Justice is
emphasised in Hebrewism. Christianity may be called the Religion of Love and
Islam is the Religion of Truth, though it also incorporates these former
teachings. Here we will deal with Love.
As the word
"love" has been corrupted in modern times, it is necessary first to
define what is meant by it here. We are equipped by Allah with drives for our
own welfare, and also with a concern for others, which allows us to live in
families and communities. This arises from a recognition that others are like
us. And we also have a self-extensive urge owing to our interactions with the
rest of reality, and our dependence on it, and the recognition of something
greater than ourselves. As we are body, mind and spirit, we can behave
instinctively like animals or through thought processes or consciously.
Conscious behaviour involves identification of ourselves with something and
obtaining an idea of self with respect to it. This might be one’s own body,
objects, other people, nation, race, ideologies, causes, or God, the ultimate
reality. Love will be understood in this context. It means "recognition,
interest, concern and action for the benefit or purposes of something”.
Love is a
Universal Principle that is concerned with the creation of Unity, and surrender
to it. However, it exists because of a separation between things, which it
endeavours to neutralize. It belongs to the triad Lover, Love, Beloved. Love is
an attribute of God, which has no meaning before a separate creation. It is a
binding force that maintains and strives to enhance the unity and integrity of
an entity that is composed of parts. Ultimately it is concerned with the
overcoming of limitations and the achievement of immortality because it is by
separation into multiplicity that each object acquires its limitations. This
manifests itself at the physical level in the love between spouses, reproduction,
the relationship of parents and children and the formation of families, tribes,
nations and so on.
In religion we
are concerned with the Love of God for his creatures, the love of his creatures
for God, and the love of his creatures for each other. These three are
inter-dependent. The power or capability for love arises from Allah’s love. He
pours out His love on all things and all things love Allah.
"Our Lord! Thou embracest all things in
Thy Benevolence (Rahman) and knowledge...” 40:7
“Allah is Lord of Bounty over all the worlds.”
2:251
“Our Lord is He Who gave unto everything its
nature, then guided it aright.” 20:50
“Do you not see that unto Allah bow
down in worship (or submit in service and adoration) whosoever is in the
heavens and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the
stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the beasts, and many among
mankind, though there are many unto whom the doom is justly due? Whomsoever
Allah abases there is none to honour him; verily, Allah does what He will.”
22:18
Love in Islam is
a Cosmic Principle. Whereas others may love Allah automatically and
unconsciously, man is required to love Allah consciously. This is also a basic
requirement in Hebrewism and Christianity, but in Islam, it is given a
justification. He should do so because it is what is natural to all creatures
and it is also in accordance with his own nature (30:30). He should do so also
in reciprocation for the love of Allah and because it is to his own spiritual
benefit. He can do so because the Spirit of Allah is in him (32:9) and he can
love others and all things because they are creations of Allah. He is required
to do all things for the sake of Allah (2:272, 16:41, 34:46, and 76:9)
As love has
several aspects, the Quran uses several different words for Love. These include
rafah, rahmah, rabubiyyah which refer to Allah’s Universal love, and hub,
mahabbah, wudda, which refer to His Particular Love. Rafah implies kindness and
pity; and rahma refers to grace, blessings, benevolence, and generosity, which
always flow from Allah. Another word akin to this is rahim, which implies
mercy, tolerance, forgiveness, which are responses to the needs of creatures
and their prayers. Wudda is the love given to those who have faith and do good (19:96).
Hub is the love bestowed on those who obey such as those who repent, are just,
patient, persevere, put their trust in Allah and fight for His cause. Another
name for Allah as He relates to His creations is Rabb, which implies cherishing
and nurturing, bringing up as a parent would. In this respect it is has a
greater significance than Ab (father).
Allah can do as
he likes, but He has restricted himself, at least in one part of total reality,
where His creatures are concerned:-
“Allah has prescribed MERCY for Himself, that
He may bring you all together to a day whereof there is no doubt. Those who
ruin their own souls will not believe.” 6:12 and 6:54
“He said: With My punishment, I fall on whom I
will; but My mercy embraces everything; and I will ordain it for those who do
right, and practice charity regularly, and those who believe in our Signs. “
7:156
"So ask pardon from your Lord, then turn
to Him repentant; verily, my Lord is Merciful, the Loving (Al-Wadud)!"
11:90
“And He is the Forgiving, the Loving
(Al-Wadud)” 85:14
Every chapter of
the Quran except one is headed with the words
“In the
name of Allah, the Benevolent (or Gracious), the Merciful (or Compassionate)”.
This indicates
how much importance Islam gives to love, the two terms being two aspects of it.
Since these words also occur several times in the five daily prayers they
create the attitude that the Cosmos is not a hostile but benevolent place and
that it is possible to obtain inner resources to deal with any external
problem. Though the two terms are not independent and the originals have a
wider meaning than the translations convey, we could interpret them as follows:
- Benevolence refers to the giver and to the fact that everything required for
the maintenance, welfare and functioning of the creature are provided. Mercy
refers to the recipient and also to a degree of tolerance or flexibility within
which a creature can operate without destruction. This enables the creature to
function both to below and above his norm. It allows development but also
degeneration.
There was at
first only Allah, the One. He created the Universe out of nothing. He may have
done so by creating a pair of opposites such that 0 = +1-1.
“He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of
naught, the Fashioner.” 59:24
“All things have We created by pairs that haply
ye may reflect. Therefore, flee unto Allah; Lo! I am a plain Warner unto you
from Him.” 51:49
It could be
presumed, but Allah knows best, that the separation of the pair of opposites
also produced the third attractive force between them which now strives to
re-combine them and return all things to Allah. This third factor is Love. We
are required to transcend this pair, which accounts for all things on earth,
and flee to Allah where the only permanence is to be found.
“Everything will perish save His countenance.
His is the command and unto Him ye will be brought back.” 28:88 See also 55:27
Apart from
taking this verse as implying that the material Universe will be wound up, it
can also be understood, as most verses, in the psychological or spiritual sense
- for the seeker who surrenders whole-heartedly to Allah, nothing but He
remains worthy of recognition or consideration. Indeed, everything comes out of
naught and IS naught except that it has a divine purpose:-
“Unto Allah belong the East and the West, and
withersoever you turn, there is Allah’s countenance. Lo! Allah is
All-embracing, All knowing.” 2:115
Love,
Benevolence and Mercy, refer to a relationship which arises after creation. If fundamentally
there is a Unity then the creation of a duality, e.g. Allah and the Universe
would imply the coming into existence of the attractive force, love, which
originally kept the Unity and now tries to reunite them. Or perhaps the arising
of this force is the cause of the creation of the Universe – it separates the
other two. Allah calls and the creatures strive to return. And this may be
defined as a process of evolution, a return to unity.
"Verily, we are Allah's and, verily, to
Him is our return." 2:156
"And unto Allah belongs the sovereignty of
the heavens and the earth, and unto Allah is the journeying." 24:42
Man was made for
a purpose - to receive the mercy and benevolence of God and to love Him.
“...they
ceased not differing, save him on whom thy Lord has mercy; and for that He did
create them.” 11:118-119
“Hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and to a
Garden the extensiveness of which is as the extensiveness of the heaven and the
earth; it is prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers; that
is the grace of Allah: He gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is the Lord of
infinite bounty.” 57:21
"Say: O my servants! Who have transgressed
against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah
forgives all faults; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful. And return to
your Lord time after time and submit to Him before there come unto you the
punishment when you cannot be helped. And follow the best of that which has
been revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes suddenly while
you do not even perceive." 39:53-55
"O ye who believe! Whoso of you turns away
from his religion, Allah will bring (instead) a people whom He loves and who
love Him, humble to believers, stern to unbelievers, striving in the way of
Allah, fearing not the blame (or reproach) of any blamer (or critic). That is
Allah's Grace! He gives it unto whom He pleases, for Allah is All-Embracing,
All-Knowing." 5:54
"Say: We feed you for the sake of Allah
only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you.” 76:8-9
“Remember Me, then, and I will remember you;
thank Me, and do not misbelieve (or reject faith).” 2:152
“He it is who sends down clear revelations upon
His servant, that he may bring you forth from darkness into light; and lo! For
you Allah is most Kind, Merciful.” 57:9
“Who
have believed and whose hearts have REST in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in
the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!” 13:28 See also 2:218, 7:57,
18:46,110, 26:51,82
Note that the
Straight Path is another name for Islam, and that Salam, which is a variation
of Islam means Peace (inner and external).
Allah is not
remote from man. His spirit is in man and this gives him the ability to
perceive and understand the world made by Allah as well as to obtain help from
Him in controlling his affairs:-
“Then He fashioned him (man) and breathed into
him of His own Spirit; and appointed for you hearing and sight and hearts.
Small thanks give ye.”32:9
“And certainly We created man, and We know what
his soul suggests to him, and We are nearer to him than his life artery.” 50:16
“And the soul and Him who perfected it and
inspired it with conscience of what is wrong for it and what is right for it.
He is indeed successful who causes it to grow and he is indeed a failure who
stunts it.” 91:7-10
“ ...and know that Allah comes in between the
man and his own heart, and that He it is unto Whom ye will be gathered.” 8:24
"When My servants ask thee concerning Me,
then, verily, I am near; I answer the prayer of every supplicant when he calls
to Me. So let them listen to My call, and let them trust in Me , in order that
they may be led aright." 2:186 See
also 2:260, 3:193, 8:24, 13:18, 14:10, 30:25, 42:38.
The spirit
within him guides man, and by the Prophets who were also sent to guide him with
the Teachings (scriptures or Word of God). They are a proof or embodiment of
the Love of God. This does not apply only to Jesus as Christians think.
“We send not messengers save as bearers of good
news and Warners. Whoso believes and does right, there shall no fear come upon
them neither shall they grieve.” 6:48
“And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may
find mercy.” 3:132
"And We have not sent you (O Muhammad)
except as an act of love (Rahmah) to all the worlds." 21:107
“Those
who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they
will find described in the Torah and the Gospel which are with them. He will
enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will
make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and
he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear.
Then those who believe in him, and honour him and help him and follow the light
which is sent down with him, they are the successful.” 7:157
“O mankind! There has come to you a guidance
from your Lord, and a healing for the disease in your breasts, and a guidance
and a mercy for believers.” 10:58
“And We will send down of the Quran that which
is a healing and a mercy to the believers, though it only increase the
wrong-doers in ruin.” 17:82
“Now
hath come unto you light from Allah and a plain scripture whereby Allah guides
him who seeks His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He brings them out of darkness
unto light by His decree, and guides them unto a Straight Path.” 5:15-16
“This is the path of thy Lord, a Straight Path.
We have detailed Our revelations for a people who take heed. For them is the
abode of PEACE with their Lord. He will be their Protecting Friend because of
what they used to do.” 6:127-128 See also 7:46, 9:26,40, 10:25, 20:47
“Allah ordained this only as a message of good
cheer for you, and that thereby your hearts might be at REST.” 3:126
Since man has
been provided with guidance then:-
“Whatever of good befalls you (O man) it is
from Allah, and whatever of ill befalls you it is from yourself.” 4:79
This can be
understood in three ways:-
(1) That
whatever a person does when it comes from the spirit of God within him and from
the guidance of the Prophet is good, and whatever comes from some other source
e.g. environmental or social conditioning or from addictions, fantasies,
habits, prejudices and ego-centric sources, in short, everything attributed to
Satan, is evil.
(2) That the
value systems we use to judge good and evil may itself come from either source.
Instead of objective standards we use our own subjective likes and dislikes.
For instance, we may think that pain is evil whereas, in fact, it indicates to
us what is wrong (due to injury, disease or malfunctions) so that we can
rectify it. When a child is chastised, he may think it is evil, but if it
teaches him something that prevents greater suffering later, then it is good.
Objectively speaking there is no evil. There are two poles, happiness and
suffering, one attracts and the other repels from the opposite. Thus both lead
to the same goal. Evolution depends on it. It is only human judgments that make
some things evil.
“It may happen that you hate a thing which is
good for you, and it may happen that you love a thing which is bad for you.
Allah Knows, you know not.” 2:216
(3) Human
beings, however, have an inbuilt goal - their own ultimate welfare,
development, happiness or self-fulfilment (Paradise).
It may be that they have to suffer to achieve it just as a school boy must
avoid games and work hard at his lessons to get the qualifications which will
give him a good life. Love (Benevolence and Mercy) are connected with the
notion of the Good. Good can be defined as that which facilitates a goal and
evil as that which obstructs it. It is connected with a purpose or plan. There
is a divine Purpose that is the cause of the Universe, and all things in it
have been constructed to serve that Purpose. This is the objective definition
of Good. Therefore, in a more restricted sense, that which conforms to human
nature is Good. In general that which malfunctions gets destroyed leaving that
which fulfils its function. Thus the overall (Divine) plan is not affected by
the fate of the individual. It matters only to the individual.
“Whoever strives, strives only for himself, for
lo! Allah is altogether independent of his creatures.” 29:6
“O ye who believe! Whoso of you becomes a
renegade from his religion, know that Allah will bring a people whom He loves
and who love Him, humble towards believers, stern towards disbelievers,
striving in the way of Allah, and fearing not the blame of blamers. Such is the
grace of Allah which He gives unto whom He will. Allah is All-embracing,
All-knowing. Your friend can only be Allah, and His Messenger and those who
believe, who establish worship and pay the poor-due and bow down in prayer.”
5:54-55
“If He will, He can remove you and can cause
what He will to follow after you, even as He raised you from the seed of other
folk.” 6:134 See also 4:133, 35:16-17
The result of
love and obedience to Allah is receiving the love of Allah:-
“Say (O Muhammad) to mankind): If ye love
Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful.” 3:31
“Expend in alms in the cause of Allah and be
not cast by your own hands into perdition; but do good, for Allah loves those
who do good.” 2:195
“Allah loves the kind.” 5:13
“Allah loves the just.” 5:42
“Allah loves those who are equitable .” 49:9
“Allah loves the steadfast.” 3:146
“Allah loves those who trust (Him).” 3:159
“Verily, those who believe and act aright, on
them the Beneficent bestows love.” 19:96
“Surely Allah loves those who fight (or strive)
in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact wall. “ 61:4
“Behold! Verily, the friends of Allah there
those on whom fear comes not, nor shall they grieve? They who believe and who
fear (do their duty to Allah).” 10:63-64
“Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto Him,
and loveth those who have a care for cleanness. “ 2:222
Islam differs
from some versions of Christianity, which suppose that God needs humanity. This
would make Him less than self-sufficient. Indeed, such a need would even
diminish His love - it would become necessity. Since He has created all things
including man and can create anything He likes, the idea is also absurd.
“Glorified be He! He has no needs!” 10:69
“And Allah is the Rich and you are the poor. And
if you turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be
like you.” 42:38
“Allah chooses for His mercy whom He will, and
Allah is of infinite bounty.” 2:105
“Lo! Allah is a Lord of Bounties for mankind,
yet most of mankind give not thanks.” 40:61 See also 3:74,174, 8:29, 14:34,
24:38, 57:21,29, 62:4
From a
Cosmological point of view, these verses indicate that outside the limits of
the Universe or the laws which describe it, there is a reservoir of infinite
potentialities, and these can become accessible to the human spirit under
suitable circumstances as described by the Quran.
What then is the
aim of life? From a purely individual point of view the purpose of life is to
survive. But this makes no sense to rational beings because if we had not
arisen there would have been no need to survive, and it is contradicted in any
case by the fact that all creatures die. From the Biologists point of view much
can be explained by assuming that the purpose of life is reproduction. Thus the
individual has to survive in order to propagate the species. But this also begs
the question. What is the purpose of the species. In fact, the species also
changes. It is driven both by the inner urges and by solar and cosmic forces.
There is evolution. Though scientists think that evolution takes place by
accidental mutations and blind natural selection, the Islamic view is the very
opposite - there is a goal which determines the nature of things.
It is obvious,
for instance, that if we consider the original Whole, then there could be no
external cause for the arising of the Universe or its processes. The cause must
have been an internal one and this is an Intention. At this level Cause and
Purpose are the same. There are causes for mutations, Cosmic rays for instance,
the existence of which is connected with the Big Bang, which is said to have
originated the Universe. But the behaviour of all creatures is determined by
built-in strivings. The condition of the environment not only selects what will
survive and prosper or become extinct, but the creatures themselves create the
environment. Collectively, the parents continue to live in the offsprings, not
only genetically, but in man, also through psychological and cultural
influences. Events are, therefore, not only driven by past causes but also
future goals.
The Quran tells
us:-
“But ah! Thou soul at peace! Return unto thy
Lord, content in His good pleasure! Enter thou among my servants! Enter thou My
Garden (Paradise).” 89:27-30
The aim may be
said to be either to escape suffering (Hell) or to gain happiness (Paradise). But Hell may be defined as being far from God
or the love of God and Paradise as being near
God or the love of God. The desire to escape from Hell or to gain Paradise, for fear or desire, may be regarded as selfish
aims, which only strengthens the ego. This really applies to people who cannot
understand anything higher than this. To do things for the love of someone or
some cause or thing is better. But the Muslim is required to do things for the
love of God which could be interpreted as implying that they are done because
they are Good, made so by Allah, and no reward of any kind is required, even
social approval or emotional and intellectual satisfaction. This is a state of
surrender. Certainly, the Quran also tells us that whatever good we do, we do
it for the good of our own souls and what ever evil we do, we do it to its
detriment. But here it is a case of spiritual reward and punishment which is
not the same as physical or social reward, and the Spirit is Allah's. In the
end rational human beings must do things for a reason. The self we are required
to love is not the body or ego but the spirit within.
"He who does right, does it only for his
own soul: and he who errs, errs only against it; nor shall one burdened soul
bear the burden of another." 17:15
But Paradise and Hell are said to be not in this life, but in
the Hereafter.
“O my people! Lo! This life of the world is but
a passing comfort, and lo! The Hereafter, that is the enduring home.” 40:39
The Hereafter,
it appears, refers to another life after death to which we will be resurrected.
But let us examine this idea.
“When Abraham said: My Lord! Show me how Thou
givest life to the dead, He said: Do you not believe? Abraham said: Yes, but I
ask in order that my heart may understand. His Lord said: Take four of the
birds and cause them to incline unto (or love) thee, then place each of them on
a hill, then call them. They will come to thee in haste. And know that Allah is
Mighty, Wise. The like of those who spend their substance in Allah’s way is as
the likeness of a grain which grows seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains.
Allah gives increase manifold to whom He will. Allah is All-embracing,
All-knowing.” 2:260-261
It seems,
therefore, that resurrection refers to the return to God of those in whose
heart there is love of God, a love induced by God himself. It is also a
spiritual multiplication or expansion because God bestows His bounties on those
He loves. Christianity tries to induce this love by the doctrine that God
sacrificed His own son, Jesus, and that Jesus was willing to sacrifice his life
for the love of man. This also induces a guilt feeling in that the death of
Jesus was the result of the sins that are to be found in all men. These two
impulses are then expected to transform the life of the individual. This
sometimes works.
The problem is
that this doctrine distorts the concept of God - it makes an image of God and
reduces it to anthropomorphism. It also damages the rational faculty. To make
the sacrifice effective, Jesus, the messenger, has to be deified and then, in
order to retain monotheism, a Trinitarian doctrine had to be invented. But the
doctrine also requires the resurrection of Jesus, which nullifies the
sacrifice. Nor does it seem reasonable to say that God is unable to forgive
without the sacrifice, which He has Himself instituted as a means to
forgiveness. Perhaps this kind of dramatization was necessary at one time or
for certain people in order to accentuates the message. But clearly in a more
rational age this method had to be superseded. Love of God can be induced much
more directly by the knowledge that we obtain all things from God and that He
in His love sent messengers to guide us, and these were willing to devote their
lives to their mission and undergo the hardships which this entailed. As God is
omnipresent no incarnation as man was required – He works through all things
any way. It remains true that one obtains forgiveness and eternal life by
accepting the message from the messengers (not just of Jesus), who are
representatives of God on earth. This is a truer rendering of the teachings of
Jesus - see Matthew 7:21-23, John 17:6,12, John 1:18, 3:3-7, 5:19,30, 7:16,
16:12-14, Luke12:10)
The life of this
world refers to the ambitions, greed, rivalry and so on, to what people have
made life by their narrow actions and their motives and perception of things,
rather than to the world as it is objectively. Since the word “Hereafter” is
used as an opposite to this we must presume that it refers to the life as it
would be when transformed by the religious life, by a new set of perceptions,
motives and actions. It refers also to life after death when the consequences
of efforts are reaped.
In general,
there are two opposite ways of looking at the Hereafter. According to some
people it is a physical resurrection back on this earth. This is not different
from the theory of reincarnation, except that Islam collapses the whole series
- We were dead, were born, will die and be resurrected. In so far as we do not
remember past lives it is futile to speak of them. Each incarnation is a new
life, and the same applies - there will be death and a resurrection. On the
other hand as each new generation is the product of the genetic as well as the
social, psychological and cultural influences modified and transmitted by the
previous generation, then it can be regarded as an incarnation of the previous
generation. The materials people are composed of are recycled, and even within
the lifetime of the individual several times, becoming part of the bodies of
bacteria, plants, animals and other people We cannot identify a person with the
materials he is composed of at any given time. A person ought to be defined as
a bundle of information or Truth. The idea that resurrection means that people
will simply rise out of their graves can be dismissed as unreasonable. The
graves symbolize the incarceration of the spirit in the worldly life, in
materialism, in the life of the body. Resurrection really refers to the
spiritual event in which the spirit is reactivated and escapes from the grave
or prison.
“O ye who believe; obey Allah and the Messenger
when He calls you to that which quickens you, and know that Allah comes in
between the man and his own heart, and that it is to Him that you will be
gathered.” 8:24
This quickening
is compared to the revival of crops after rain, and the rain is the spirit or
love of God.
“And of His signs is this: that you see the
earth lowly, but when We send down water thereon it thrills and grows. Lo! He
who quickens it is verily the Quickener of the dead. Lo! He is able to do all
things.” 41:39 Also 30:50, 50:11,
“Know that Allah quickens the earth after its
death. We have made clear Our revelations for you that you may understand.”
57:17
“And thou seest the earth barren, but when We
send down water thereon, it doth thrill and swell and put forth every lovely
kind. That is because Allah, He is truth. Lo! He quickens the dead.” 22:5-6
Also 7:158, 9:116, 10:56, 15:23, 40:68, 42:9, 50:43
Spiritual
resurrection is obtained by deeds based on faith.
“Whosoever does right, whether male or female,
and is a believer, them verily We shall quicken with good life, and We shall
pay them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do.” 16:97
“Is he who was dead and We raised him unto
life, and set for him a light wherein he walks among men as him whose
similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct
made fair seeming for the disbelievers.” 6:123
From this it is
evident that resurrection is a spiritual event. This can occur here in this
life or in the next life. There is really no contradiction between those who
think it refers to reincarnation or those who think that Paradise
and Hell are in some non-physical Heaven. In any case the Quran assures us that
they will see it as solid as they see this life. The description of Paradise and Hell, however are symbolic as the verses
below show.
“And give glad tidings (i.e. gospel) unto those
who believe and do good works, that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers
flow: as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say:
this is what was given us aforetime, and it is given to them in resemblance.
There for them are pure companions; there forever they abide. Lo! Allah
disdains not to coin the similitude even of a gnat. Those who believe know that
it is the truth from their Lord; but those who disbelieve say: What does Allah
wish to teach by such a similitude? He misleads many thereby, and He guides
many thereby; and He misleads thereby only miscreants.” 2:25-26
This symbolism
implies that the kind of experiences or feelings which the description arouses (especially
for desert dwellers) will have their more intense equivalents in the next life.
Human beings,
like other creatures, are driven by motives, purposes or goals. There are
always a pair of opposites - a positive goal which attracts and a negative one
which repels from the opposite pole. Thus both serve the same purpose. In
animals these are connected with pleasure and pain. But for human beings
endowed with reason, the interesting thing is the goal, that which gives
pleasure or pain. Pleasure and pain are merely indicators of what might be
right or wrong e.g. injuries or malfunctions - malfunction implies that there
is a proper or ideal way of functioning. Addiction to them can lead to greater
malfunctions and suffering as can be seen from those who overeat or avoid
efforts. Heaven and Hell serve the same purpose, but this time an evolutional
one. This is why the Quran insists upon the Hereafter.
“Whosoever desires the life which hastens away,
We hasten for him therein that which We will for whom We please. And afterward
We have appointed for him Hell; he will endure the heat thereof, condemned
rejected. And whosoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it with the
effort necessary, being a believer, for such, their efforts find favour, each
do We supply, both these and those, from the bounty of thy Lord. And the bounty
of thy Lord can never be walled up. See how We prefer one above another, and
verily the Hereafter will be greater in degree and greater in preferment.”
17:18-21
“Man hath only that for which he makes
(conscious) effort.” 53:39
“But of mankind is he who prays: Our Lord! Give
unto us in this world, And he has no portion in the Hereafter. And of them is
also he who says: Our Lord! Give unto us in this world that which is good and
in the Hereafter that which is good, and guard us from the doom of Fire. For
them there is in store a goodly portion out of that which they have earned.
Allah is swift at reckoning.” 2:201 Also 42:20
“Forbid not the good things which Allah has
made lawful unto you and transgress not. No, Allah loves not transgressors.”
5:87
Thus, Islam is
not wholly otherworldly.
“Naught is the life of the world save a pastime
and a sport. Better by far is the abode of the Hereafter for those who keep
their duty to Allah. Have ye then no sense.” 6:32 Also 29:64
“Know that the life of this world is only play
and idle talk and pageantry and boasting among you and rivalry in respect of
wealth and children; as the vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is
pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it dries up and you see it turning
yellow, then it becomes straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous
punishment, and also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the
life of the world is but a matter of illusion.” 57:20
“And seek the abode of the Hereafter in that
which Allah has given you and neglect not your portion of the world, and be
kind even as Allah has been kind to you and seek not corruption in the earth.
Lo! Allah loves not corrupters.” 28:77
“Take ye pleasure in the life of the world
rather than in the Hereafter? The comfort of the life of the world is but
little in the Hereafter.” 9:38
“We are your protecting friends in the life of
the World and in the Hereafter. There you will have all that your soul’s
desire, and there you will have all for which you pray.” 41:31
“For those who do good in this world there is
good reward and the home of the Hereafter will be better...And those who become
fugitives for the cause of Allah after they had been oppressed, We verily shall
give them goodly lodgings in the world, and surely the reward of the Hereafter
is greater, if they but knew.” 16:30,41
We cannot,
however wait until the Hereafter, work must start here:-
“Whoso is blind here will be blind in the
Hereafter and yet further from the road.” 17:72
“And when you recite the Quran We place between
you and those who believe not in the Hereafter a hidden barrier.” 17:45
In the Hereafter
people are sorted into three types - those of the left hand, those of the right
hand and the Foremost. If the Hereafter refers to another Civilization, a
Theocratic or Theocentric one, then we must suppose that this will be led by
the spiritual elite, the Foremost. This appears to be compatible with the
teachings of many scriptures.
That love does
indeed exist in the world can be seen throughout the animal kingdom in the care
which the parents take of their offsprings, in friendships and cooperation and,
in all kinds of interests which human beings have.
“And of His signs is this: He created for you
helpmeets (spouses) from yourselves that ye might find rest in them, and He
ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein are signs for folk who
reflect.” 30:21
“ It may be that Allah will ordain love between
you and those of them with whom you are in enmity. Allah is Mighty and Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful.” 60:7
The moral
instructions given by the Quran can be seen as showing the love of God as well
as flowing from the notion of love:-
“The believers are naught else than brothers.
Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that
haply you may obtain mercy. O ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who
may be better than they are, nor let women deride women who may be better than
they are: neither defame one another, nor insult one another by name calling.
Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoso turns not in repentance such
are evil doers. O you who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion
is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to
eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that. And keep your duty to Allah.
Lo! Allah is relenting, Merciful. O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and
female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Lo!
The NOBLEST of you, in the sight of Allah, is the BEST IN CONDUCT. Lo! Allah is
Knower, Aware.” 49:10-13
“It was by the mercy of Allah that you
(Muhammad) were lenient with them, for if you had been stern and fierce of
heart they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them and ask
forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And
when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loves those who
puts their trust in Him.” 3:159
“Keep to
forgiveness, and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant. And if a
slander from the devil wound thee, then seek refuge in Allah. Lo! He is Hearer,
Knower.” 7:199-200
“Say: O My servants who have been prodigal to
their own hurt! despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgives all sins. Lo!
He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” 39:53
“Now whatever you have been given is but a
passing comfort for the life of the world, and that which Allah has is better
and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. And
those who shun the worst of sins and indecencies and when they are angry,
forgive. And those who answer the call of their Lord and establish worship, and
whose affairs are a matter of counsel, and who spend of what We have bestowed
on them.” 42:36-38
“Allah forbids you not those who warred not
against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that
ye should show them kindness and deal justly with them. Lo! Allah loves those
who deal with justice.” 60:8
“Many of the people of the Scripture long to
make you disbelievers after your belief through envy on their own account after
the truth has become manifest unto them. Forgive and be indulgent towards them until
Allah gives command. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.” 2:109
“Lo! Those who believe and do good works, the
Beneficent will appoint for them love.” 19:96
Good works are
defined as:-
“...and giveth his wealth for the love of Him
to kinsfolk and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask.”
2:177
Wealth can refer
to money, resources, energy, effort, knowledge, love, attention etc.
“..And feed with food the needy wretch, the
orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him saying: We feed you for the sake of
Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you.” 76:8-9
This verse like
others should not be understood superficially. Needs can be of any kind
including spiritual ones; the orphan can be one who is deprived of people who
love and care for him, one who may have no protector or friend to take his
side, not even an inner self-respect or conscience; the prisoner may be a
person shackled to his phobias, addictions, prejudices, fantasies,
superstitions, conventions, mental conditioning.
“Those who spend in charity of that which Allah
has given them in ease and in adversity, those who control their anger and are
forgiving towards mankind; Allah loves the good.” 3:134
“A kind word with forgiveness is better than
almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement.” 2:263
Islam
incorporates the ethical teachings of Christianity:-
“Repel evil with that which is better.” 23:96
“These will be given their reward twice over,
because they are steadfast and repel evil with good, and spend of that
wherewith We have provided them.” 28:54
“The good deed and the evil deed are not alike.
Repel the evil deed with one that is better, then lo! he, between whom and you
there was enmity will become as though he was a bosom friend. But none is
granted it save those who are steadfast, and none is granted it save the owner
of great happiness. And if a whisper from the devil reach thee then seek refuge
in Allah. Lo! He is Hearer, the Knower.” 41:34-36
Allah is One.
Good can, therefore, be defined as that which facilitates unity and Evil as
that which divides and disintegrates. The one is done by love and the other by
hate. The two are, therefore, opposites. It is not merely a question of being
passive and turning the other cheek, but of doing something positive to remove
evil. This is what produces improvements. This is what Jihad means - striving
to establish the good and removing evil. This applies both to one’s interaction
with people and to the inner world - evil thoughts are counteracted by good
ones. It applies also to one’s interactions with animals, plants and the
mineral world.
“And hold fast all of you together to the cable
of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah’s favour unto you: how you
were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that you became as
brothers by His Grace; and how you were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and
He did save you from it. Thus Allah makes clear His revelations unto you that
haply you may be guided.” 3:103
All those who
become one in purpose with Allah also become one with one another.
“The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like
thereof. But whosoever pardons and amends, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo!
He loves not wrongdoers. And whoso defends himself after he has suffered wrong
- for such there is no blame against them. The blame is only against those who
oppress mankind and wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful
doom. And verily whoso is patient and forgives - lo! that verily is the
steadfast heart of things.” 42:40-43
These verses need to be properly understood.
They combine the Jewish law of Justice “An eye for an eye” with the Christian
law of Love, forgiveness. The law of retaliation has a social function. It is a
deterrent. In so far as people seek pleasure and reward and avoid pain and
punishment and learn from the consequences of actions, then this law is
natural. It is natural also in that we all have the tendency to retaliate, to
equalise our interactions and to discharge the resentment that an injustice builds
up. Without this possibility the resentment festers and becomes the cause of
all kinds of psychological malfunctions, including those of thought, motivation
and action. It also indicates to others that something is wrong and should not
be done. The pain inflicted by retaliation is a repayment in kind and a
deterrent. Law is retaliation. Evil would flourish with impunity without it.
But forgiveness
of a wrong has a spiritual value. The individual transforms the energy of
resentment within himself to a self-constructive purpose and gains in control
over himself. It is also to be noted that if A offends B then he will become
resentful. He will have to discharge this on A or, if he cannot because A is
too powerful etc., then some other people C, by injuring them. Now C becomes
resentful. He will discharge this on B or some other people D. And so on. In a
closed society, therefore, this resentment and the associated suffering will
continue to circulate indefinitely. But the individual who has truly forgiven has
transformed the energy so that he no longer passes it on. The whole society has
benefited from his act as well as himself. The whole condition has been lifted
to a higher plane. The same considerations apply on an international level. It
facilitates evolution.
Love can,
however be directed wrongly, and this is no virtue:-
“Those who love the life of the world more than
the Hereafter and debar people from the way of Allah and would have it crooked,
such are far astray.” 14:3
“Yet of mankind are some who take unto
themselves rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like that which is due to
Allah only. Those who believe are stauncher in their love for Allah.” 2:165
“And ye devour heritages with devouring greed
and love wealth with abounding love.” 89:19-20
“And lo! In the love of wealth he is violent.”
100:8
“He thinks that his wealth will render him
immortal.” 104:3
It is necessary
to realise also that Allah is not all kindness. We need but look at nature and
our own experiences that pain and suffering also exist and are usually the
consequences of flouting some law. If you put your finger into the fire it will
get burnt. If you eat poison you will suffer and may die. If you put yourself
into a harmful environment or do wrong things you will harm yourself. The mercy
of God lies in this that He has given us knowledge and the capacity for
acquiring, understanding and applying it. And that He has sent Messengers and
Scriptures to guide us.
“Know that Allah is severe in punishment, but
that Allah also is Forgiving, Merciful.” 5:98
“Our Lord! Cause not our hearts to stray after
Thou hast guided us and bestowed upon us mercy from Thy presence. Lo! Thou,
only Thou art the Bestower.” 3:8
Those whom Allah
loves:- 3:76,134,146,148,150 5:13,42,93 9:4,7 49:9 60:8 61:4
Those whom Allah
does not love:- 2:190, 3:140 4:36,107 5:64,87 6:141 7:55 8:50 16:23 22:38
28:76-77 31:18 69:55
Those whom Allah
forgives:- 4:17, 149, 7:149, 199, 24:22, 42:37,40 and many more.
In general
terms, we have three kinds of impulses or motives and these operate at three
levels, the lower instinctive, the mental and the spiritual:-
(a) The
self-preservative which is concerned with the survival, welfare and pleasure of
the individual. The individual, however, cannot arise or survive by himself and
must be regarded as a product of the next urge.
(b) The
sexual-social urge refers to the species. The normal function of sexuality is
to bind together the spouses to create a home, a secure environment in order to
reproduce and bring up children. This binding together forms families and
creates communities, which are a network of families. The human child has a
long period of immaturity in which it is relatively unformed and flexible. This
is necessary in order that he/she can learn to deal with, adapt to and control
his/her environment and affairs with far greater intelligence than any animal.
The child requires education and that is the purpose of the culture. But this
long period of immaturity also makes him/her much more dependent on parents.
Allah has, therefore, arranged that the sexual impulse in man, unlike that of
animals, is much wider, stronger, and much more persistent than is required
merely to reproduce. However, the true nature of sexuality can and does become
corrupted owing to the pleasure principle derived from the self-centred urges.
It can also cause attachments, fixations, obsessions, fascination,
self-identification. On the other hand the individual may be regarded as
extending himself beyond his inevitable death through his/her children. His/her
ego expands to include spouses, children and their relatives and so on.
(c) There is a
third higher urge which may be called the self-extensive urge which concerns
itself with expansion of experiences and abilities, with exploration and with
progress and development, and with matters which are cosmic, universal or
abstract such as the nature of existence, the universe and life, with Truth,
Beauty, Goodness and Usefulness, with Science, Philosophy and Religion. This
may be defined as an urge to worship where worship is defined as love, striving
and service. This urge may be regarded as a psychological extension of the
physical and mental growth, which the child undergoes from conception to
adulthood. It may be regarded as a product of the sexual-social urge and uses
its energy. However, the reverse can also be regarded as true - that the
sexual-social arises from the self-extensive or evolutional urge. Not only is
it the case that the expansion of the population is connected with sexuality
and competition is a social phenomenon, but that life itself is a consequence
of the expansion and evolution of the Universe.
Whereas, the
self-preservative drive involves self-love, the sexual-social drive leads to
different amounts of self-identification with others. The self-extensive drive
involves self-identification with something greater, such as a cause, a nation,
ideology and God. Love expands the motives of the individual beyond his own
selfish desires. It means compassion, sympathy, benevolence, generosity, mercy,
charity, forgiveness unselfishness, tolerance, and service. It refers also to a
goal beyond oneself towards which one is attracted and towards which one
strives. It is part of the fundamental triad of spiritual impulses, faith, love
and hope, without which conscious life is impossible. These three are
inter-dependent. They correspond to the principles of Truth, Love and Justice.
Since everyone is concerned with his own interests and benefits, then love
tends to be attractive and causes reciprocation, cooperation, harmony and
unity. It leads closer to Allah who is One. Hate and its consequence aggression
leads to the opposite, to repulsion, disharmony and disintegration.
The human mind,
in order to deal with the world must not only be able to perceive what is
regular and constant underlying change but must also treat all things according
to their differences and similarities. Otherwise chaos will endue. The notion
of Justice is quite obviously connected with it. So is Truth because we
recognize the truth of something when experience of it is repeated. And so is
Love or Compassion because these require that in so far as all human beings
have something in common, a person must treat others as himself and vice versa.
The
self-identification, which underlies love, can grow and atrophy into apathy or
turn into its opposite hate depending on experiences. Similarity, Association
and Reciprocation tend to strengthen it. Living together and sharing
experiences strengthens love. As experiences also form character the similarity
between those living together also increases. The fact that the members of a
family share the same genes makes them more similar and compatible with each
other. Acts of kindness by others, those that benefit a person and give
pleasure, produce gratitude and reciprocal feelings of benevolence, the purpose
of which might be to invite further benefit. Acts of cruelty, those that harm
and give pain, arouse anger and aggression, the purpose of which is to remove
the source of pain. In this respect there is a clear connection between love
and selfishness. But there is also a connection between these and
self-transcendence. Identification with something greater provides a person
with a self-image that is greater than his ego. Participation in the same cause
or ideology produces fellow feeling. But this self-identification arises
because a person sees himself as a small speck in a great world and, therefore,
relatively weak and venerable. The self-preservative drive then leads him to
seek a power source and identify himself with it.
The love for God
may, therefore, arise in several ways:-
(a)
Reciprocation, because God loved us first. This is the Christian attitude, but
also an Islamic one.
(b) Association
because we are in constant interaction with God.
(c) Recognizing
the nature of the Cosmos
(d) Because we have His spirit within us.
(e) Realisation of one’s complete dependence on
the creations and powers of God.
It is obvious,
however, that the above mentioned tendencies are not in our physical make up
which we share with animals (i.e. the lower instinctive and reflex level), but
arise in the mind (which refers to the faculties of thought, feeling and
action) and spirit (which refer to consciousness, conscience and will). The
degree of consciousness determines not only the realization of truth, faith but
also love and hope.
When human
beings first became conscious some of them must have begun to wonder about
existence, about the universe, themselves, and their relationship with it -
about the origin, nature and destiny. Matter, energy, order, life, thought and
consciousness, all these are part of experience and require explanation.
Existence is a mystery. We assume that Reality exists. It is the most
fundamental notion we have. We have to prove that anything else exists by
establishing that it is real or explain it by showing a real relationship with
something real. But we know this because we experience it, and experience is a
relationship between Reality and our own consciousness. These three notions are
connected, but part of Absolute Reality. We perceive that we are a small part
of total Reality with which we interact and on which we are dependent. Our
experience of this Reality, however, continues to expand as life proceeds. It
is an unlimited source of experiences. Our existence, therefore, depends
entirely on what we receive from this greater reality (on its Benevolence), and
all our actions with respect to it do have equivalent consequence for
ourselves, beneficial or harmful. It is by this expanding power for knowledge
and action that we acquire what we need to live. Thus the concepts of God,
Truth, Love and Justice are integral to experience itself. Allah is Unity and
these other notions are aspects of, and ways to, Unity. But the realization,
the consciousness, understanding and expression of this truth, takes time. And
man may be too occupied with other more superficial and disparate things. He
may be lost in multiplicity unable to perceive the underlying self-consistency,
harmony and unity.
At one time
everything that seemed to have some power or control was worshipped in awe and
fear - animals, nature, a human ruler, the sun, and the desire to please or
control for one’s own welfare or advantages was also involved. The Quran
describes the evolution of religious consciousness through four stages in the
story of Abraham’s conversion. He first worshipped the star, something of
lesser luminosity, then the moon, something with greater power and luminosity,
and then the sun:-
“When he saw the sun uprising, he cried: This
is my Lord! This is greater! And when it set he exclaimed: O my people! Lo! I
am free from all that you associate with Him. Lo! I have turned my face towards
Him Who created the heavens and the earth, as one by nature upright, and I am
not of the idolaters,” 6:79-80
Thus Abraham
obtained liberty and became inwardly free of all self-subordination to anything
that was created and limited, submitting only to the Creator, beyond
limitations. It released him from superstition and prejudices, and opened up
the possibility of infinite spiritual or psychological progress, development or
evolution. But human beings are always falling below this ideal and Prophets
are sent to raise them back to it, at least to a sufficient number of them to
keep the human race along the developmental path. We are required to follow
Abraham:-
“And they say: Be Jews or
Christians then ye will be rightly guided. Say unto them : Nay, but we follow
the religion of Abraham, the upright and he was not of the idolaters.” 2:135 See also 3:95, 6:162,
16:123, 2:130-132, 3:67-68, 29:16, 60:4.
The Islamic
confession of faith “There is no god but Allah” may be interpreted as meaning,
first, that there is no god - everything in creation we considered to be worth
worshipping is to be abandoned, they are all false gods. It is only thereafter
that the nature of the true God is established.
“Allah, He is the Real, and that on which they
call instead of Him is the false.” 22:62
“Say: He is Allah the One! Allah the
Self-existing besought by all! He begets not nor was begotten. And there is
none comparable unto Him.” Quran 112
He is not only
the cause of all things, but also the goal:-
“Thy Lord, He is the goal.” 53:42
“Have they not pondered upon themselves? Allah created
not the heavens and the earth and that which is between them save with Truth
and for a destined end. But truly many of mankind are disbelievers in the
meeting with their Lord.” 30:8
Love is a means
of getting to that goal.