The meaning of
Islam is "Surrender to Allah". To understand this, it is first
necessary to understand what the word "Allah" refers to. This has
been dealt with in a previous article in some detail. Here only a reminder will
be given.
"Allah"
refers to the fundamental, ultimate self-existing objective Reality.
"Allah, He is Reality, and that which they
invoke besides Him is the False." 31:30
"There is no God save Him, the One, the
Absolute." 38:66
"Say: He, Allah, the One. Allah, the
Eternally besought of all. He begets not nor was begotten. And there is non
comparable unto Him." 112:1-4
"He is the First and the Last, and the Outer
and the Inner, and He is the Knower of all things." 57:3
"Unto Allah belongs whatsoever is in the
heavens and the earth. Allah ever surrounds all things." 4:126 and 41:54
"Naught is as His likeness." 42:11
"Vision comprehends Him not, but He
comprehends all vision. He is the Subtile, the Aware." 6:104
"Unto Allah belongs the East and the West,
and wheresoever ye turn, there is Allah's countenance. Lo, Allah is
all-embracing, all knowing." 2:115
Though the
Quranic term “Allah” is translated as “God”, it should not be confused with the
general term “god” which refers to anything a person might worship, serve or
subordinate himself to, be it stone idols, object, person, principle,
institutions, systems, nation, race, sect, or his own ego, desires or prejudices.
The term “god” was used loosely in the past. It is used loosely even in the
Hebrew and Christian Scriptures to refer to human beings. (John 10:34-35,
Psalms 82:6.). The concept of God in Islam has become more sophisticated than
formerly. It has transcended thought itself and refers to the absolute
fundamental and unitary Reality, the source of all potentialities. By doing
this it liberates human thinking from all superstition and the prison of
limitations.
The word
"Islam" is a technical term meaning "Surrender, acceptance or
submission to Allah". Islam is an Arabic word derived from the root SLM.
Other words derived from this root have meanings such as peace, submission,
acceptance, perfection, safety, security, wholeness, fulfilment, completeness,
harmony, consistency, adjustment, contentment, calmness. These meaning are
reflected in the word "Islam". These are the results of surrender.
True religion,
which is a consciously constructed way of life as opposed to an accidental and
automatic one, is defined as Surrender to Allah (3:19). A person enters Islam
by accepting that “there is no god, but Allah.”. Thought, motivation and action
based on this is Surrender to Allah. This is a general requirement. But as this
religion was renewed, brought up to date and completed through the Prophet
Muhammad, it is also necessary to accept that "Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah". We have to accept the concept of Allah brought by him all that
which this involves. This includes conscious, objective behaviour according to
one’s nature and the nature of the world as made by Allah. It also excludes
sectarianism based on race, nationality, ideology, doctrines, organization, or
any thing else to which a person may form attachments and which imprisons his
mind. A Muslim, one who has surrendered to Allah, should consider himself a
Muslim and not a Shiah, Sunni, Arab, Persian, African, European etc. As he is
required to make no distinctions between the Messengers of Allah (2:136, 285,
3:84, 4:150-151) he should not make any distinction of religion either – there
is but one religion. But whereas all human beings are certainly derived from a
single soul (4:1), there is a distinction between those who Surrender (Muslim)
and those who do not. The former obey the Creator and are in harmony with Him
while the latter are not.
Since
"surrender" applies to human beings, we also need to know how human
beings are seen in Islam.
"When thy Lord said to the angels: Verily,
I am creating a mortal from clay of black mud wrought into shape; so when I
have fashioned it, and breathed into it of My Spirit, then fall ye down before
him, prostrating yourselves before him (in obeisance)." 15:28-29
"...Who made good everything that He has
created, and He began the creation of man from dust. Then He made his progeny
of an extract, of a fluid held in low esteem. Then He fashioned him and
breathed into him of His spirit, and made for you the faculties of hearing, and
sight and hearts (feeling); little is it that you give thanks. " 32:7-9
The human soul,
the seat of consciousness, conscience and will, is derived from the Spirit of
Allah. This makes him into a Vicegerent and should make him at-one with Allah.
But man has forgotten his own spirit and lost consciousness. To surrender is to
achieve self-realization, that we are all part of the Spirit of Allah and,
therefore, also one with each other.
"And be not like those who forgot (or
forsook Allah) , so He made them forget (or forsake) their own souls: these it
is that are the transgressors. " 59:19
“Say (O Muhammad): I exhort you only to one
thing that ye awake for Allah's sake in twos or singly, then ponder.."
34:46
Surrender means
self-identification with Allah. It refers to the reality that all things are
subject to Allah, to the final goal of religion, namely to become at-one with
Allah, as well as to the method of achieving it. (Note: The notion of “god” and
“sons of God” as used in Hebrewism and Christianity really refer to those who
behave according to the Spirit of God within them (Romans 8:14, John 1:12-13,
John 10:35) and they may, therefore, be regarded as agents of God, or persons
through whom Allah acts. This has the same significance as Muslim.)
Surrender also
refers to the goal of creation. Before the creation of the Universe, there was
only Allah, absolute Unity. The process of creation implies progressive
differentiation that is an involutional process. There is also an opposite
process of progressive unification or integration. In the end the Universe is
to be wound up and only Allah remains.
"And there remains naught but the
Countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory." 55:27
"And call not upon any other God along
with Allah; there is no God but He. Everything will perish, except His
countenance. His is the command, and unto Him shall ye return!" 28:88
But this cyclic
creation followed by annihilation is not a futile process. The universe was
created that Allah may be known, that knowing creatures may arise and be tested
and rewarded. There is, therefore, a cumulative effect. But as all things
interact with others and are inter-dependent, the underlying Unity remains
unchanged. It can also be argued that the direction of time is a consequence of
the relativity that results from the creation of multiplicity. We compare one
process with another. Therefore, when Existence is taken as a whole there is no
time. Things are always a Unity and it is only we who need to realise it.
Surrender then refers to this realisation and the techniques for achieving it.
Islam is a
synonym for religion, when religion is defined as "binding back to ones
source".
"Lo, Religion with Allah is The Surrender.
Those who formerly received the Scriptures differed only after knowledge came
unto them, through transgression among themselves... and if they argue with
thee (O Muhammad), say: I have surrendered my purpose to Allah and so have
those who follow me. And say unto those who have received the scripture and
those who read not: Have ye, too, surrendered? If they surrender, then truly
they are rightly guided; and if they turn away, then it is thy duty only to
convey the message." 3:19-20
"Surely pure religion is for Allah only.
And those who choose protecting friends besides Him say: We worship them only
that they may bring us near unto Allah. Lo, Allah will judge between them
concerning that wherein they differ. Lo, Allah guides not him who is a liar, an
ingrate." 39:3
"And they (mankind) were commanded naught
else but this that they serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by
nature upright, and to establish worship and to practice charity. That is true
Religion." 98:5
There is no
mention here of any particular sect or Prophet, but of fidelity to one's own
nature. This is also made clear in:-
"So set thy purpose for religion as a man
by nature upright - the nature framed by Allah, in which He has created man.
There is no altering the laws of Allah's creation. That is the right religion,
but most men know not." 30:30
Islam also
refers to the natural state of all things:-
"And unto Allah falls prostrate whosoever
is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows
in the morning and the evening hours." 13:15
"The seven heavens and the earth and all
that is therein praise Him, and there is not a thing but hymns his praise; but
you understand not their praise." 17:44
Unconsciously,
man is already in a state of surrender, but he is required to surrender
consciously also. This is what he was made for. That is, the Spirit was placed
into him (32:9) he was made as a Vicegerent (2:30).
According to the
Prophet (saw) the religion he brought had three levels or aspects, namely, the
religious law, the faith and righteousness. These correspond to Shariat,
Tariqat and Haqiqat. Accordingly, there are three aspects or levels of
Surrender:- (a) Surrender in action to the Islamic discipline or Law, (b)
Surrender in thought to the Islamic teaching or Quran, and (c) Surrender of
being to Allah. There ought to be an ascent through these levels caused by a
downward flow of uplifting forces. But the majority of Muslims, those who have
not abandoned Islam though they still call themselves Muslim, remain in the
first level, a small percentage reach the second and very few reach the third
level. But the number, which had been diminishing, may now be increasing again.
Surrender has
three aspects:-
(1) To give up
something. In this case it means to give up one's ego, attachments, prejudices,
self-will and self-opinions, pride, rationalization, lusts and desires - one's
subjectivity. This state is also known as Fana, annihilation or death. This is
probably also the Buddhist Nirvana. The Christian Baptism also symbolises this.
There can be no resurrection without death. A person who empties himself of his
ego and attachments may be filled with the divine spirit.
"Lo! Allah has chosen for you the true
religion; therefore, die not except as men who have surrendered." 2:132
"O you who believe! Observe your duty to
Allah with right observance, and die not save as those who have
surrendered." 3:102
"Our Lord! Lo! We have heard a crier
calling unto faith: Believe ye in your Lord. So we believed. Our Lord!
Therefore, forgive us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and make us
die the death of the righteous." 3:193
"Our Lord! Vouchsafe unto us steadfastness
and make us die as men who have surrendered." 7:126
(2) To accept
the authority or dominion of something. Here it means to accept objectivity in
thought, motivation and action. - to accept Allah in place of the ego. This
involves accepting:-
(a) Objective
truth, reality, things, people, events as they are, including oneself.
(b) Objective
meanings - that we interpret all things in terms of the correct context or
framework of reference.
(c) Objective
values. This refers to real benefits and harm in accordance with natural law
made by Allah or as formulated in the Quran by Allah.
This is known as
Baqa - coming into existence, regeneration or resurrection.
"How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were
dead and He gave you life! Then He will give you death, then life again, and
then unto Him will ye return." 2:28
"Is he who was dead and We have 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?" 6:123
"He brings forth the living from the dead,
and He brings forth the dead from the living, and He revives the earth after
her death. And even so will you be brought forth." 30:19
"And who sends down water from the sky in
due measure, and We revive a dead land therewith. Even so will you be brought
forth." 43:11 See also 36:33 and 50:11
(3) To return
something which one has been given, to repay a debt. Here it implies that we
have been given a life with which we do as we like, but this puts us under
obligation to Him who has given it to us. We must repay this debt. This also
includes the fact that our life depends on the environment as a whole and the
benefits we get from the society, from the work of many other people who supply
our needs.
"I created the jinn and human kind only
that they might serve Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that
they should feed Me.
Lo! Allah, He it is that gives livelihood, the Lord of unbreakable Might."
51:56-58
"Lo! Allah has bought from the believers
their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall
fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is
binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Quran. Who fulfils his
covenant better than Allah? rejoice then in your bargain that you have made,
for that is the supreme triumph. Triumphant are those who turn in repentant
unto Him, those who serve Him, those who praise Him, those who abstain, those
who bow down, those who fall prostrate (in worship), those who enjoin the right
and who forbid the wrong and those who keep the limits ordained by Allah - and
give glad tidings to believers!" 9:111-112
"O you who believe! Be mindful of your
duty to Allah, and seek a way of approach unto Him, and strive in His way in
order that you may succeed." 5:35
Human beings are
instruments of God, organs of the Universe, and are required to realize this
and act accordingly. The fact, the knowledge and the behaviour form three
distinct levels. As instruments, they have three aspects - reception of an
input, transforming this and producing an output. These require three
appropriate conditions or states:- receptivity,
processing and striving. These are interdependent and may be regarded as
aspects of Surrender, of Islam. There are organs and faculties associated with
these at the physical, mental and spiritual level and these are also
inter-dependent. In fact, these three levels correspond to the three aspects -
physical existence can be regarded as providing the input, the experiences,
which the mind must process to produce spiritual results.
When a person gives up his ego and identifies
himself with Allah, or substitutes Allah for his own ego, then certain results
follow:-
(1) He awakens
to the realization that he has been living in a narrow world of illusions. In
fact, he is not an independent entity, has not been conscious and is not in
control of anything, but has been controlled by all kinds of external and
internal forces like a puppet. The Ego which he calls his "I" is
something created by accidental social influences and fantasies around
relatively permanent experience of his body and name - a psychological entity
corresponding to a physical and social entity.
(2) He realizes
that
"Whatever
of good befalls thee it is from Allah, and whatever ill befalls thee it is from
thyself." 4:79.
The reason for
this is that he sees that he has arisen through the natural forces created by
Allah to function perfectly and that he has also been given the capacity for
knowledge and self-determination and a guidance. But he is responsible for
malfunctions in so far as has ignored all these.
(3) Surrender
also means acceptance. Acceptance implies that a person takes facts, conditions
and events as they come without judging them according to his own likes and
dislikes or differentiating between fortune and adversity - both can be used
for personal development. He maintains a stable independent inner state. Indeed
this is often mistaken for fatalism or resignation. But Islam is also a
religion of action and this implies that there is a value system which is also
accepted. Thirdly there is a conceptual framework within which things and
events are given meaning. This too must be accepted.
(4) He is
concerned only with the correctness of actions, that they are according to the
instructions of Allah, and not with the consequences. He does not act either
automatically (impulsively or through habit) or after calculating or estimating
what the results will be. The consequences obviously depend also on factors
over which the person has no control. They depend entirely on Allah. He gives
up the results of his actions to Allah. "Not my will but Thine be
done" It is not difficult to see that if everyone acted only according to his
conditioning or self-interest then no improvement in the conditions of life
could ever come about, and those with power would arrange and control
everything. But they cannot control those who do what is good without fear of
consequences. These have no attachment or handles by which they can be
manipulated. This is why they are feared. Obviously courage or fearlessness is
required and this comes from non-attachment and faith.
(5) He becomes
an agent for Allah, and his thoughts, motives actions become objective - they
are done on behalf of Allah. They have a cosmic significance in that they are
aligned and consistent with the nature of things, the Will of God and the
Universal process. He trusts in Allah, that whatever happens will eventually
turn out for the best.
(6) He takes on
the attributes of Allah - truth, goodness, justice, benevolence, mercy etc.
This enables him to perform his function better. He becomes, in Old Testament
terms, an image of God, or in Christian terms, he becomes a Son of God. In Islamic
terms, he becomes a Vicegerent or a Slave or servant of God. Some Christians
have criticized Islam on the grounds that a son has a higher status than a
slave. But this involves an egotistic arrogance that prevents full surrender.
The Muslim is not ashamed to be a slave of God. Indeed, according to the words
of Jesus (saw) as they appear in the Gospel of John, he was a perfect slave of
God since he did nothing of himself, but what the Father instructed, like
Muhammad (saw).
"Lo! my worship and my sacrifice, and my
living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds." 6:163
The Prophets are
a perfect example of this. Others who
approach this condition are called saints. The martyrs are people who have
literally sacrificed their lives in the service of Allah. This is why they are
regarded as not dead. It is likely that the story of the crucifixion of Jesus
symbolises this self-sacrifice. In this case it is untrue or irrelevant that
the Jews or Romans crucified him, and the denial in the Quran refers to this.
"Whoso obeys Allah and the Messenger, they
are with those unto whom Allah has shown favour, of the Prophets and the saints
and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they." 4:69
"Think not of those who are slain in the
way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have
provision." 3:169 Also 57:19
The Prophet (saw) is reported to have said:-
"Allah the exalted says : I challenge to battle him who bears enmity
towards a friend of Mine. When a servant of Mine seeks nearness to Me with that
which I love out of whatever I have prescribed, I begin to love him. And when I
love him I become his ear with which he hears and his eyes with which he sees,
and his hand with which he grasps and his foot with which he walks, and when he
begs Me for anything, I bestow it upon him and when he seeks shelter in Me, I
give him shelter." Reported by Bukhari.
It is not
difficult to see that this condition can lead to the mistake of supposing that
the man is God rather than one through whom God works.
(7) Being based
firmly on Allah, he develops an inner permanent fully integrated or unified
Self. He becomes a whole without any inner contradictions and conflicts. He
awakens and becomes enlightened. He is liberated from all tethers. Only about
this Self can it be said that it is immortal, has knowledge or any control. It
is the soul in Paradise full of bliss and at
peace.
“And those foremost (in faith) will be the
foremost (in the Hereafter), These are they who are drawn nigh (to Allah), in
the Gardens of Bliss.” 56:10-12
“A Messenger who recites to you the clear
revelations of Allah so that he may bring forth those who believe and do good
deeds from darkness into light; and whoever believes in Allah and does good
deeds, He will cause him to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide
therein forever. Allah has indeed given him a goodly sustenance.” 65:11
“But O, thou soul in peace and fulfilment!
Return unto thy Lord, well pleased and well pleasing unto Him! Enter thou
amongst My servants, Enter thou My Garden (Paradise)!”
89:27-30
Surrender can
also be regarded as having the following three aspects:-
(1) A person
becomes passive, receptive or open to the spirit and cosmic influences and may
receive revelations. Consciousness functions like a mirror, and conscience
ceases to be repressed.
(2) His inner
processing is rectified because self-created obstructions and distortions are
removed. Healing takes place and normal living resumes.
(3) Actions take
place without tension and contradictions, appropriately and for the right
purposes.
In order to
understand the significance of Surrender it is necessary to understand that the
Universe was created for a purpose and a destined end (30:8). Everything in the
Universe is connected and interdependent and has its origin in the same
creative event. Man is part of this unity, an organ of the cosmos, and was
created as a vicegerent at least on earth (2:30). Man has the spirit of Allah
in him and these bestow on him consciousness and ability (32:9). Allah works
through man and he should be consciously an Agent of Allah.
The purpose of
personal liberation, enlightenment and bliss is also found in Eastern religions
such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Western religions, particularly Christianity,
appear to concentrate attention on social service and works of compassion. But
there is a third purpose of religion which is to realize that all things
including man have a Cosmic purpose, to consciously return to this purpose, and
to restore and facilitate Universe harmony. The notion of “Surrender” contains
all three purposes and they are inter-dependent.
7 levels of
Surrender (Islam) can be recognized: -
(1)
A
conception or fertilization of the mind by Islam; the dawning of understanding.
(2)
A
mental assent or acceptance of Islam, known as conversion, mental
re-orientation.
(3) A commitment
to Islam, symbolized by the oath of allegiance. Repentance i.e. giving up the
old life and the undertaking of the discipline which leads to surrender.
(4) An
understanding of the meaning and implication of Islam.
(5) Faith and
trust in Allah.
(6) Developing
the attributes of Allah.
(7) A State of Union or Identification
- "Nothing remains but Allah". If all things are made out of Nothing,
then Allah is the Essence of all things. A person now is an Agent or “Limb” of
Allah.
But we must not
be deceived by names, Allah judges by realities, not all those who are called,
or call themselves, Muslim are in reality Muslim; and not all real Muslims are
called, or call themselves Muslim.
A story in the
Quran illustrates the difference between the ordinary man and the Vicegerent:-
"And when Moses said unto his servant: I
will not give up until I reach the point where the two seas meet, though I
march on for years. And when they reached the point where the two met, they
forgot their fish, and it took its way into the waters, being free. And when
they had gone further, he said unto his servant: Bring our breakfast. Verily we
have found fatigue in this our journey.
"He said: Didst thou see, when we took
refuge on the rock, and I forgot the fish - and none but Satan caused me to
forget to mention it - it took its way into the waters by a marvel. He said:
This is that which we have been seeking. So they retraced their steps again.
"Then they found one of Our Servants, unto
whom We had given mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge from Our
Presence. Moses said unto him: May I follow thee, to the end that thou mayest
teach me something of the higher Truth which thou hast been taught? He said:
Lo! thou canst not bear with me. How canst thou bear with that which thou
cannot comprehend?
"He ( Moses ) said: Allah willing, thou
shalt find me patient and I shall not in aught disobey thee. He said: Well, if
thou go with me, ask me not concerning aught till I myself mention it unto
thee.
"So the twain set out till, when they were
in a ship, he scuttled it. Moses said: Hast thou scuttled it to drown the folk
therein? Thou verily hast done a dreadful thing. He said: Did I not tell thee
thou couldst not bear with me? Moses said: Be not angry with me that I forgot,
and be not hard upon me for my fault.
"So the twain journeyed on till, when they
met a young man, he slew him. Moses said: What! Hast thou slain an innocent soul
who hath slain no man? Verily thou hast done a horrible thing. He said: Did I
not tell thee that thou couldst not bear with me? Moses said: If I ask thee
after this concerning aught, keep not company with me. Thou hast received an
excuse from me.
"So the twain journeyed on till, when they
came unto the folk of a certain township, they asked its folk for food, but
they refused to make them guests. And they found in the town a wall on the
point of falling into ruin, and he repaired it. Moses said: If thou hadst
wished thou couldst have taken payment for it. He said: This is the parting
between thee and me! I will tell thee the interpretation of that which thou
couldst not bear with patience.
"As for the ship, it belonged to poor
people working on the river, and I wished to wreck it because there was a
(cruel) king behind them who is taking every (sea-worthy) ship by force. And as
for the lad, his parents were pious and We feared lest he should oppress them
by rebellion and infidelity. And We intended that their Lord should exchange
him for them for one better in purity and nearer to mercy. And as for the wall,
it belonged to two orphan boys in the city; and there was beneath it a treasure
belonging to them. Their father had been righteous, and thy Lord intended that
they should come to full maturity and should bring forth their treasure as a
mercy from their Lord. I did it not upon my own accord. Such is the
interpretation of that wherewith thou couldst not bear." 18:61-83
There are
several lessons to be learnt from this story.
1. Human beings
are self-opinionated and always ready to criticise or jump to conclusions
without knowing all the facts. This prevents learning.
2. There is a
mode of action that is selfless and objective. The verse may be referring to a
group of people alive and active in the world who are behaving in this way,
manipulating events and attempting to avert some of the man-made disasters in
the world.
3. No matter how
learned a person might be, truth is much wider than that of which a person has
knowledge. It is possible to have a much more global view. Things should be
seen and judged in much wider context than we normally employ.
4. It is not
merely a question of knowing, but also the ability to bear and tolerate truth
or the means to it; of being able to think and understand for oneself. The
desire for knowledge is not itself enough.
5. There is a
difference between conventional, verbal or formal knowledge and essential
knowledge, the knowledge of insight and consciousness; between outer and inner
knowledge. The two can only coexist if the intellect does not constantly
question and criticise the other. Each has its own separate function.
6. Objective
good and evil are different from subjective or conventional good and evil.
7. Knowledge and
responsibility go together. Facts and Values are two aspects of Wisdom. The
term "knowledge" is being used in these verses in a much wider sense
than is normally accepted.
8. The apparent
is quite different from the real. There are apparent contradictions in life.
What seems evil turns out to be good, and what seems good turns out evil.
9. Patience and
personal effort is required to increase understanding and knowledge. It is not
sufficient simply to be handed an explanation. It does not become one's own
without personal effort.
10. Humility is
essential for knowledge. He who thinks he already knows will not make the
efforts to acquire knowledge.
11. A teacher or
guide is required in order to obtain the higher knowledge.
12. Faith and
trust in the teacher are necessary, but the ordinary mind finds them difficult
to sustain.
13. The fish is
a symbol for knowledge. It has nutritional value. The sea is objective reality.
The Fish emerges from and must return to the sea. The fish out of water would
die and then represent dead knowledge. In the distractions of life all
knowledge is forgotten. It is possible that the fish represents the higher
truth as brought by Jesus. This knowledge escaped from Hebrewism (represented
by Moses) when Moses broke the Tablets because he found the Hebrews worshipping
the golden calf and, therefore, unworthy (Exodus 32).
14. Objective
knowledge and action is only possible when the individual is not himself
involved. He works for Allah.
15. Moses in the
story represents orthodox religion, the religion of conventional ethics, ritual
and dogma. But these are not sufficient for higher knowledge and motivations.
(The Teacher may refer to Jethro, the Ishmaelite priest who taught Moses
-Exodus 2. Abraham, too, appears to have had connections with a mysterious
figure, a priest of the Most High called Malchisedek - Genesis 14:18) It is
also possible to take Moses and the Teacher as symbols for the human mind and
the human spirit respectively.
To summarize:-
Man was made as
a combination of clay and the Spirit of Allah, which bestowed on him the
faculties for consciousness, conscience and will and made a Vicegerent with
certain responsibilities (2:30, 15:29, 32:9). He was made perfect, but owing to
sin was reduced to the lowest of the low (95:4-6), and was expelled from Paradise. Owing to sin man forget Allah and this caused
him to forget his own soul. (59:19 Also see 9:67)
Surrender to
Allah, Islam, consists of a set of methods designed to restore man to his
perfection, to his status as an agent of Allah, and to Paradise.
Paradise is understood as a state of nearness
to Allah and Hell as a state of being distant from Him. Nearness and distance
are understood not as a dimension of space, but of awareness, and of identity
of purpose, relationship and quality. Islam, Surrender to Allah, is concerned
with spiritual nearness or distance from Allah. It is the Spirit that enters Paradise i.e. attains nearness to or union with Allah.
Separation from Allah or the inactivation of His spirit within a person is
Spiritual Death. Or in milder conditions it is Spiritual Sleep. In the one case
Spiritual Resurrection is required and in the other Spiritual Awakening. It is
not possible, however, to break one's link with Allah completely. If there is
no link then we have non-existence.
Righteousness is
defined as a State of Being
which leads to (a) identity of purpose with Allah or (b) obedience to Allah or
(c) behaviour according to one’s inherent nature as made by Allah (30:30) or
(d) behaviour which will lead to peace, joy and paradise.
Sin can,
therefore, be defined in several inter-dependent ways:- (a) It is behaviour
which contradicts one’s inherent nature.(b) It is disobedience and rebellion
against Allah and one’s agency - a person distances himself from God by his
actions and cuts himself off from the Mercy of Allah. He punishes himself. (c)
It is a state of alienation from Allah and from oneself. It is denial or
flouting of the Spirit within. (d) It is doing damage to one’s own soul
(10:108, 41:46, 91:7-10). Man by his actions modifies himself for good or bad.
This is because of natural laws as made by Allah. That is, he achieves inner
integration or disintegration. He develops or degenerates. (e) It is behaviour
that leads to suffering and Hell.
The
greatest and unforgivable sin is denying the Unity of Allah. This includes
infidelity, polytheism and attributing partners to Him. The reason for this is
not often understood. Inner unity is essential for peace, joy, awareness (con =
together, sciousness = awareness), conscience (self-consistency of feeling),
will (coordination), stability. Unity with the Creator is both the cause and
effect of this. Allah is the One, the Absolute, Owner of All Praise. The Unity
of Allah includes all the notions such as omnipotence, omnipresence,
omniscience, omnivirtuousity, self-existence and so on. Oneness means that (a)
He is indivisible and has no parts, (b) He is unique and there is nothing like
Him, (c) There is no reality other than Him. To deny His Unity is to deny any
or all of His attributes. To affirm only one or two of His attributes is NOT
affirming His other attributes. If you do not affirm His other attributes then
you do not have Allah, but some other lesser object of worship. Sin, it is
necessary to understand, is something which causes psychological disintegration
(spiritual death). It is not a matter of desires, choice or whim.