Islam is
regarded as more than a religion in the conventional sense. It is a complete
way of life, and more than that, a state of being. This idea needs to be
examined more closely.
According to the
Quran, Islam is a synonym for religion (3:19-20, 39:3) which is conscious
surrender to the Creator. Religion is, therefore, a consciously constructed way
of life as opposed to one which has arisen accidentally, automatically or
unconsciously. Since it is centered on Allah who is the Creator of all things,
the Absolute, the One, then it has to be an all-comprehensive and wholly
self-consistent unified way of life. Nothing in it can exist for itself and be
an end in itself. If it does become an end in itself then this is condemned as
idolatry because it limits the mind and causes disintegration, contradictions
and conflicts. It imprisons the individual in fixations and prevents his
development. The concept of Allah is wholly liberating.
The purpose of
this way of life is to create the state of being in which man is in a state of
surrender to the ultimate objectivity, Allah, in thought, motive and action,
and to his own inherent nature as made by Allah. But the way of life itself
depends on the existence to some extent, on this state and the desire to
cultivate such a state.
Human beings are
part of a greater world on which they are dependent and with which they
interact. They are also interdependent with each other genetically, culturally,
economically and psychologically. They interact with each other through
thoughts, feeling and action to produce a social world. They also have an inner
psychological life. They have to adjust to all three worlds and this gives them
three kinds of responsibilities. Their fate, their welfare and development or
otherwise, is a consequence of how they fulfill these responsibilities. A
complete way of life means that it has to deal with all these aspects. To
fulfill this function they have been given appropriate faculties by Allah, that
is, by the way they have evolved in contact with the real world.
Human beings are
said to consist of three levels of functioning - the physical, the mental and
the spiritual. They have three main mental faculties, for thinking, feeling and
action. These correspond at the spiritual level to consciousness, conscience
and will, and at the physical level to sensory, instinctive and motor
faculties.
Since the
Universe "is", but is also "changing" and "becoming",
and human beings are part of this process, then the above distinctions correspond
also to facts, meanings and values - to knowledge, techniques (or processes)
and purposes (or goals). There is a purpose to the Universe and to human life,
that is, they have a function with respect to the Cosmos. They have arisen
because of it and their behaviour must conform to this.
Once a purpose
for life has been admitted, then a living entity cannot be regarded as an end
in itself. It has an objective value only as long as it serves that purpose.
Death, too has a purpose in removing malfunctioning organisms, transforming
them or utilizing and recycling them. The same applies to whole communities and
whole species. They can be destroyed and replaced (11:57, 14:19, 70:41). The
recognition of, and conformity to this Universal purpose, and one’s part in it
is defined as Surrender or "Islam".
"Lo! My service and my sacrifice and my
living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Words." 6:163
Some people have
raised the objection that if every aspect of life is to be controlled in all
its details then this becomes oppressive. The Islamic argument, however, is
that man has been made perfectly to suit the purpose. To put it another way:-
He has arisen from the materials, forces and laws of the Universe and developed
in contact and adjustment to it. But he has deviated from this perfection owing
to mental attachments (addictions, greed, lust, obsessions etc.) to things or
systems less than Allah, and to inventions caused by fantasies based on these,
and by distortions caused by selective perception also caused by these. He has
developed acquired habits, tastes and motives that are harmful to him. Thus he
has imprisoned himself, and his limitations and suffering is a direct
consequence. It affects his thinking, motivation and actions, and these also
creates psychological, social and physical conditions which trap him in a world
of illusions or a mire from which it becomes progressively more difficult to
escape. Though, in order to escape, he does have to undertake a discipline
which he might find irksome and even incomprehensible, the result, if properly
done, should be liberation. This is no different from the discipline every
school child must undertake in order to acquire the knowledge, motives and
power which provide him with a good life later.
If a person can
be trained to lead one kind of life which he finds perfectly acceptable once he
gets used to it, then he can also be trained to accept another which is more
beneficial. It will be felt to be no more oppressive than the other. But if it
is beneficial to him then it will create greater freedom.
This discipline
is made much more acceptable the greater his love for the Creator. The Quran
mentions four main techniques or foundations - besides the cultivation of Love
for Allah, there is also Awe or Fear of His Justice, Knowledge of His Truth,
and Surrender to (or self-identification with) Allah. Ultimately, they are all
aspects of the same thing.
Apart from this,
the Way of life is comprehensive not in detail but in providing a framework
which is sufficiently flexible to accommodate variety. Though
misunderstandings, naiveté, ignorance, bigotry, stupidity, and fanaticism have
sometimes caused distortions in personality and behaviour, they do not
necessarily concern every facet of life and some aspects of life are more
important than others. It is not, therefore, the case that every facet of life
needs to be changed. Some will change automatically when the causes change.
Islam does not interfere with local cultures and customs as long as these do
not conflict with the ultimate purpose. Allah has created variety and there is
a degree of flexibility and tolerance built into the Universe. It is this that
also allows adaptation to changing circumstances. The Quran does not describe a
complete and rigid spiritual, cultural, social, political or economic system.
Religion is a
Universal phenomena and with respect to this the Quran tells us:-
“Verily, whether it be of those who believe, or
those who are Jews or Christians or Sabaean, whosoever believes (a) in Allah
and (b) the Last Day and (c) acts righteously, they have their reward with
their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.” 2:62
This may be
regarded as the nucleus of religion.
The religion
brought by the Prophet Muhammad was one dispensation of this religion but
designed for the coming age. According to a famous Hadith, one day while the
Messenger (saw) was sitting with his companions, a man with very white clothes
and black hair came and asked him about Islam. The Prophet then told him about
three levels of religion:- (1) the practices or discipline which consisted of
what are known as the five pillars. (2) The faith consisting of the 7 articles (3)
righteousness which he explained as:-
"You should worship (or serve) Allah as
though you saw Him, for He sees you though you do not see him." The man
went away satisfied. When asked who this person was, the Prophet (saw) replied:
"He was Gabriel who came to teach you your religion."
The first refers
to physical actions, the second to the mind, and the third to a state of being,
to the spiritual condition that consists of God-consciousness.
Some Muslims
confine Islam to the Shariat or religious law, which is an elaboration of the
first level. Others think of Islam as having two levels, the Shariat and
Aqeeda, which is an elaboration of the second level. But ignoring the third
level, Ihsan, destroys Islam and makes it into ritualism and dogmatics – there
can be no submission to Allah without awareness of Him. We see that the above
three aspects are the absolute essentials of Islam and can be regarded as a
second layer, a core built around the nucleus. This implies that other things,
which form a third layer, do not belong to the core and are less important or
can be adapted according to circumstances and by research and discussion, and
variations can be admitted. Adding to the core makes it too legalistic and
rigid and is not allowed. It also leads to sectarianism and conflict.
Though the
ultimate purpose of religion is spiritual development, and this applies to
individuals rather than masses, it applies to all human beings. Human beings
derive from a common ancestor, are very similar to each other, are to a large
extent inter-dependent and affect each other. They can obstruct, mislead,
compete with, cooperate with, or reinforce each other. It would be futile to
introduce a spiritual discipline which died out because people ignored or
forgot it and because there was no way of transmitting it down the generations.
It was, therefore, necessary to create a social system in which the spiritual
system could be incorporated. Conditions would be created in which the
religious life could be led without obstruction, difficulties or persecution,
but could be stimulated and encouraged instead. Evil influences such as crimes,
excessive greed, ambition and rivalries that created a social and mental
climate that weakened spiritual influences would be reduced. The social system
itself would have spiritually and psychologically beneficial practices, and
reminders to practice them. It would maintain ideas that pointed to higher
values and levels of existence than the mundane one.
In all
communities there are people of various levels of intelligence and perception.
It is not likely that everyone can become a saint, but social conditions can be
set up where everyone strives to improve and aid each other. Those at higher
levels try to uplift those at the lower, and those at lower levels try to
emulate those at the higher. Even if the majority of people simply went through
the motions without spiritual content, these social forms could be transmitted
down the generations where discerning souls that arose from time to time could
still apply and benefit from them. The Spiritual force had to be given a form,
placed in a suitable vessel, and it had to be defended. But this could be done
even if the defenders did not understand what they were defending. Though
people could initially come into a religion from all kinds of ulterior motives,
it is perfectly possible that the following generations would develop stronger
convictions and that the alteration in the social system brought about by the
religion would itself cause beneficial psychological changes in those brought
up in it. People may, for instance, be relatively barbaric owing to the social,
cultural and ideological conditions in which they were brought up, but once
these systems are altered by a religion, the new generations brought up under
it, will necessarily be different.
It is supposed
by some people that it is the spirit which matters and that the forms or
vessels, the rituals, institutions or dogmas do not matter. This cannot be
correct. If only the spirit matters and not the vessel then one could wonder
why the human body should have been created at all. The spirit cannot work
without an instrument, and the instrument must be appropriate for the purpose
of the spirit. The outer reflects the inner and is affected by it. Otherwise it
cannot be known either. Unless there is a vessel the spirit spills. Unless
there is a vehicle, the spirit cannot be transported. Though the vessel can
certainly be of a variety of shapes, the nature of the spirit to some extent
also dictates the form of the vessel. There is some correspondence between the
outer and inner such that the inner condition of people for instance produces
their outer behaviour and we can learn something about the inner state from
observing the outer manifestations. We can do so not only by direct observation
as scientists do, but also by means of empathy. We must know the correspondence
between our own inner state and outer behaviour, then we can imagine ourselves
in the position of another person and from observing his outer behaviour obtain
experiences similar to his inner state. Thus experiences can be shared.
Thirdly, it is entirely possible that the inner state of the individual
produces direct affects on the environment (electrical or quantum) which others
can also pick up if they were sufficiently conscious. But they would have to
translate these as we translate other physical phenomena such as frequencies of
electromagnetic into colours. It could also have direct affects on other
objects.
But we interact
with the world and each other mostly through outer forms, and even these are
mostly outside our consciousness. That is, our behaviour is not all deliberate
and we are not aware of all the gestures, expressions, body language, manners
of dress and speech we produce nor its effects on other people or their effects
on us by the same means. Human beings owing to the need to adapt to this planet
for the purpose of maintaining life have developed the outer senses rather than
inner sensitivities, and attention is focused on whatever is of the greatest
importance. This may be simply food and its sources when there is a scarcity of
it or competition is strong. When there is great danger as in war and there are
many predators or enemies then safety becomes the great concern. Attention may
be placed on material goods beyond any biological need or advantage when greed
has developed.
It is the value
system that determines where attention and effort will be placed and,
therefore, also on what is experienced and how it is interpreted and processed,
and how the individuals develop. From the Islamic point of view the aim of life
is a spiritual one S. The socio-cultural system C must serve S and the economic
or physical conditions P, must serve C. That is:- S > C > P. But the
order of priorities according to physical urgency is the reverse of the order
in the value system. P > C > S. This is also the order of historical
development. However, the three are not completely separate – it is the
emphasis that changes.
The basic
requirements for the physical survival and welfare of the individual have
priority. It is only when sufficient security has been achieved and there is
time and energy left then the reproductive needs can be attended to. As this
involves finding mates, setting up homes in which children can be brought up,
it is this that produces families, and communities are networks of inter-connected
families. This encourages the development of communication and language, which
facilitates cooperation. Cooperation in its turn provides security and the
fulfillment of physical and reproductive needs. In places that are fertile and
well endowed with resources life is easier and this leaves more time and energy
for other pursuits. This may be engaged in three ways:-
(a)
Self-indulgence and the pursuit of pleasure. The increase in population and the
increase in the demands per person will then increase the pressure on resources
and gradually cause deterioration in the conditions of life. This can be
overcome by migration and conquest of other territories and the exploitation
and enslavement of other peoples.
(b) The
cultivation of arts and crafts, organization and the pursuit of knowledge. This
creates Civilization. It increases the capacity for maintaining life and
reproduction. The increase in population may increase the pressure on resources
and bring development to a stop or reverse it.
(c) Spiritual
pursuits, religion and self-development. There is a desire within people for
self-expansion, which, when the more urgent needs are fulfilled, leads also to
the cultural pursuits, but also expresses itself in the desire that the
children, the next generation, should improve and be better in all respects. In
fact, the achievements of the civilization may be regarded as having just this
aim. But the aim is better expressed in Religion. This requires the expansion
of the horizons of the mind, penetration beyond the superficial into the
essential, journeying from particulars to Universals, from the material to the
abstract and the formal to the spiritual. It is the consciousness, conscience
and will so expanded that makes civilization possible. But it is, itself,
something that transcends civilization. It is concerned not with social
functions but cosmic ones.
These three
factors P, C, S are so related that any one can be cultivated at the expense of
the others. Individuals may sacrifice their material welfare and prosperity and
devote themselves to the arts or sciences or the works of charity or to the
religious life. To a large extend the knowledge, ideas and capabilities
required to create civilizations were developed by such self-sacrificing people.
The capital required for creating a culture, industrial system or civilization
could be obtained by sacrificing the physical welfare of the people or their
spiritual development. The Conquerors who established Empires and enslaved,
exploited and impoverished people also created the rich who were able to
patronize the Arts and Sciences, trade and organization. These later also
allowed the spread of prosperity. The Industrial revolution in Britain and later in Russia was built on great and
widespread human misery. But civilization has its limits owing to the spiritual
or psychological state of the people who create and maintain it. Involvement
and conditioning by its products and culture traps them, and civilizations
decline. The force that underlies these cycles is obviously something other
than that which occupies those who pursue the crafts of civilization. It is
this that is the focus of attention in Islam. Civilization is only a side
effect.
“Naught is the life of this world but play (or
pastime) and amusement. Surely, better by far is the abode of the Hereafter for
those who fear (and do their duty). Will ye not understand?” 6:32
“Know that the life of this world is only sport
and play and idle talk and boasting among yourselves, and a rivalry in the multiplication
of wealth and children; like the vegetation after rain, whereof the growth
pleases the tillers; but then it withers away so that you will see it become
yellow, then it becomes dried up and crumbles away; but in the Hereafter is a
severe chastisement and also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure; and
the life of this world is naught but a means of illusion.” 57:20
It is not so
much societies or their cultures or civilizations which are to be developed but
man himself. This is not a biological development, but a psychological or
spiritual one. This can be understood if we recognize that human behaviour and
development depends not only on inherent genetic factors and things acquired
from the physical, social and cultural environment through experience, but also
through conscious efforts. Physical evolution may be regarded as having come to
an end with the arising of life. Biological evolution may be regarded as having
come to an end with the arising of man. But evolution continues in human societies,
not so much as its organization but as in inner integration. Mankind is derived
from a single soul and is one. It is only necessary for him to realize this by
the unfolding of consciousness, conscience and will. Man is regarded as already
having the potentialities for it. It is only necessary for him to make the
right efforts.
“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
It is the
Islamic position that the Shariat, the religious law (provided that it is
correctly understood and applied) will get people to behave in a manner in
which they would behave if they had already been spiritually regenerated. It
should create a bridge between the outer world and a person's inherent nature,
thereby allowing it to come into consciousness.
The discipline
has a purpose and this refers not merely to the actions (rituals and
practices), but also to the motives (the ethical teachings, the need for faith,
love, hope, trust and courage), and to the doctrines. Each of these reinforces
the others. We must not, therefore, suppose that we have already understood the
reality to which the name Allah has been given. It is, for instance, not an
anthropomorphic term. But materiality, life and consciousness are certainly
attributes of Reality, though they are not necessarily essential to Allah, who
is self-existent, existed before the Universe, exists more fundamentally and
will exist after it. But the Spirit of Allah is also in man (32:9). He contains
a spark of the divine and the Divine attributes are reflected in him to
different degrees. The Islamic attitude to human nature, rights and duties
depends on this fact.
Islam recognizes
the need for social and material freedom. Even the Prophet had no powers of
compulsion. The struggle against persecution, oppression and tyranny is
justified.
"There is no compulsion in
religion..." 2:256
" Persecution is worse than
killing...." 2:217
"And whoever defends himself after he has
suffered wrong - for such there is no blame. Blame is only against those who
oppress mankind, and wrongfully rebel in the earth." 42:41-42
"But had thy Lord willed, all who are in
the earth would have believed together. Wouldst thou force men to become
believers? It is not for any soul to believe save by the permission of Allah;
He sets uncleanness on those who have no sense." 10:100-101
"We are Best Aware of what they say, and
thou (O Muhammad) art in no wise a compeller over them. But warn by the Quran
him who fears My threat. 50:45
Islam has been
tolerant of other religions and even protected them from persecution by others.
There have been cases of intolerance and persecution by Muslims but that is
against the teachings of Islam. Sometimes apostates from Islam have been
persecuted or put to death, but this was usually for political reasons - they
were regarded as traitors and dangerous to the community. To understand this it
is necessary to realize that the confession of faith, the Shahadah by which a
person enters into Islam is also an oath of allegiance to the Muslim Community
which was often under attack in the early days by hostile nations. It is not,
therefore, difficult to see that the apostate may well be a traitor. If he were
to declare his change of allegiances openly then he would not be entrusted with
any information that could make the Islamic community vulnerable and no such
punishment would be required. As it was not always possible to determine what a
person's motives were or what he sincerely believed, Muslims admitted anyone
into the community who merely uttered the Shahadah. But he may well have been a
hypocrite or spy.
Islam recognizes
also the equality of all, irrespective of race, wealth, status. The same Law
applies to all. Though Islam recognizes that all human beings derive from a
single soul and are therefore related, it recognizes the brotherhood of only
believers. This is because these are the ones that have submitted to Allah and
His purposes and to their inherent natures where such brotherhood exists. The
Islamic society is to be run on the following principles:-
"The believers are naught else than
brothers. Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to
Allah that ye may haply obtain mercy." 49:10
"Hold fast, all together, to the cable of Allah,
and do not separate (divide or part in sects); but remember the favours of
Allah towards you, when ye were enemies and He made friendship between your
hearts, and on the morrow ye became brothers, by His grace. Ye were on the edge
of an abyss of fire, but He rescued you therefrom. Thus does Allah show to you
His revelations, perchance ye may be guided; And that there may spring from you
a nation who invite to goodness, and bid right conduct, and forbid what is
wrong (or indecent); these are the successful. 3:105. Be not like those who
parted in sects and disagreed after there came to them manifest signs; for them
is mighty woe." 3:103-105
Brotherhood
implies that there should be mutual respect, cooperation, help, advice, and
encouragement to do what is good and to prevent the doing of evil. The spirit
of Allah exists in all, and Allah is One. All have the same right as well as
duty to self-fulfilment, but also the obligation to aid others to fulfil
themselves and to be so aided. No man should take advantage of another for his
own purposes. People should not coerce each other but respect each other as
independent individuals having their own function, rights, responsibility,
initiative and creativity.
These
principles, freedom, equality and brotherhood, imply that no man ought to have
control or power over others. All dominance of one man over another through
wealth, power or prestige that creates the master-slave relationship should
have been excluded. Though slavery did exist under Islam mainly as a means of
controlling prisoners of war, they were to be treated with kindness and
provisions were made to free them gradually. Had people followed the Quran it
might have disappeared long ago.
"Righteousness is not that ye turn your
faces towards the East or the West, but it is righteousness to believe in
Allah, and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers, and
to spend of your wealth for love of Him, for your kindred, and orphans, and the
needy, and the wayfarer, for those who ask, and to ransom those in
captivity.........." 2:177
"And what will explain to thee the ascent?
It is freeing captives (prisoners, slaves)..." 90:12-13
"And serve Allah; associate nothing with
Him; show kindness to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and
to the neighbour who is a kin, and the neighbour who is a stranger, and the
fellow traveler, and the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess
(slaves). Verily, Allah loves not him who is proud and boastful..." 4:36
"It is not for a believer to kill a
believer save by mistake; and whosoever kills a believer by mistake then let
him free a believing slave and compensation must be paid to his people, unless
they remit it as charity. But if he be from a tribe hostile to you and yet a
believer, then let him free a believing slave. And if he comes from a people
betwixt whom and you there is an alliance, then let the compensation be paid to
his folk and let him also free a believing slave. But he who cannot find the
means, then let him fast for two consecutive months - a penance this from
Allah, for Allah is Knower, Wise." 4:92
"And let those who cannot find a match
keep chaste until Allah gives them means from His grace. And if any of your slaves
asks for a Deed in writing (an agreement to purchase their freedom), write it
for them if ye know any good in them; yea, give them something yourselves from
out of the wealth Allah has given you. But force not your slave girls to
prostitution when they desire chastity, in order to make a gain in goods of
this world. But if any one compels them, then, after they are compelled,
verily, Allah will be to them (the slave girls) Forgiving, Merciful...."
24:33
"But if those who divorce their wives by
Zihar and then wish to recall what they said, they should free a captive
(slave) before they touch each other; to this are you admonished to conform;
and Allah is Aware of what you do." 58:3
"Allah will not take you to task for the
unintentional (or futile) word in your oaths (or promises), but He will take
you task for oaths ye swear in earnest. The expiation thereof is to feed ten
poor men with the average food ye feed your families with, or to clothe them,
or to free a slave;" 5:89
The employment
of one person by another for the former's interest, as found throughout the
Capitalist world, should be regarded as a form of slavery, which Islam came to
abolish. Certainly the slave under Islam could not be thrown onto the scrap
heap of unemployment whenever it suited the interest or whim of employer. Nor
could their conscience and minds be bought and manipulated as well as their
physical labour. Provisions exist in the Quran for kindly treatment and freeing
of slaves. Had Muslims adhered to Islam slavery would have disappeared long
ago. The political domination of a class or family or organization is also
excluded. Islam does not have a church or Priesthood. Nor is Ideological
domination accepted. Each individual has to think and seek knowledge for
himself. Knowledge should not be confused with opinion, nor is it the same
thing as accepting what someone else knows or thinks. This realisation would
abolish the formation of sects, since these depend on following the literal
ideas of some leader without understanding and assimilation.
Slavery may,
however, be physical, social or psychological. It can be created by armed force
or by financial, commercial, political or cultural force – by means of armies,
police, laws, propaganda, education, mental conditioning and manipulation of
information. It can be control by phobias, obsessions, inner compulsions,
ignorance, prejudices, habits, automatisms, addictions to outer substances or
inner conditions such as greed, lust, pride, or proneness to gullibility,
skepticism, cynicism. It can be a domination by things, persons, groups,
conditions, or ideologies. It may be caused either by those who are domineering
or by those who are subservient or by the social structure. Rebelliousness and
defiance are usually the other face of slavery. Apparent outer economic,
political or ideological freedom is, however, not sufficient since the slave
mentality may still exist. Psychological slavery is the worst of the three.
The principles
on which action was to be based were :-
(a) Personal
responsibility. (5:105)
(b)
Consultation, negotiation, agreements, contracts, treaties. (3:159, 4:29,
42:38, 5:1, 2:282 )
(c) Cooperation
(3:103)
(d) Competition,
but only in good works. (2:148)
(e) Equity
(4:32)
(f) Obedience to
Authority, being exercised on behalf of the community as a whole. (4:59)
"O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey
the Messenger and those of you who are in Authority. And if ye have a dispute
concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the messenger if ye are in truth
believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the
end." 4:59
Such an
exhortation would not have been necessary if it was to be imposed by force. The
people choose their leaders (they followed the Prophet voluntarily) and the
leader may appoint various authorities with different administrative functions.
But authorities may also mean experts in various fields such as science, law,
etc.
Islam recognizes
the equality of the sexes but this does not mean similarity. Men and women are
different and have different functions. But these functions are complementary
and cooperative. Women differ from men by the fact that it is they who are
biologically and psychologically equipped to bear and rear children. Women have
a more intimate connection with them, while men have a more remote one. This
makes women softer, gentler, nurturing, more emotional, humanitarian and
compassionate with greater social skills than men. They are more feeling-based.
Men are more remotely connected with the child and this makes them more
abstract, independent, and action and thought based. They are freer to tackle
the challenges of a hostile external environment in order to create the secure
nest or home in which women can bring up children. This role makes men more
competitive and aggressive. Each, therefore, has characteristics, which are
well suited to their roles but not suitable for those of the other. The
provisions made by the Islamic Social System should be seen and understood in
this context.
It is, of course
possible, by the use of conditioning techniques and manipulation of the
domestic and cultural environment to make women more masculine and men more
feminine. The modern world, because of increase in population and the advances
in technology, organization and education has created conditions, which have
done just that. And though it is true that everyone has both masculine and
feminine characteristics to various degrees and in various proportions, it is
not possible to make women as masculine as men can be made and men as feminine
as women can be made. The reversals of roles would make the characteristics
inappropriate and bring about malfunctions and social disease. Each set of
characteristics has its own values, the loss of which is undesirable. There is
a balance between them that cannot be upset without causing an
inappropriateness and exaggeration of both aggression and sentimentality.
Societies in which this has taken place are extremely competitive and violent
but also very emotionally unbalanced, neurotic and hysterical.
Islam prefers a
segregation of the sexes so that each may develop and utilize their own talents
and encourage, complement and support each other. The best way to implement
this is probably by providing separate, though interlinked, organizations for
men and women. Women could for instance take over the whole social welfare
organization and bring up all children cooperatively. These things will become
ever more important and elaborate in the future as attention passes from
material welfare to social and then to psychological welfare and development.
"O Mankind! Be careful of your duty to
your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and
from them twain has spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of
your duty towards Allah in Whom you claim your rights of one another, and
towards the wombs that bare you. Lo! Allah has been a watcher over you."
4:1 and 39:6
“And one of His signs is this that
He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them, and He
put between you love and compassion; herein, indeed, are signs for a people who
reflect.” 30:21
“They are like a garment unto you, and ye are
like a garment unto them.” 2:187
"Covet not a thing in which Allah has made
some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned,
and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. Envy not one
another, but ask Allah of his Bounty." 4:32
"Men are have charge of and are protectors
of women in that Allah hath made them superior in strength (or advantages), and
in that they expend of their wealth (in support of women)." 4:34
Marriage is half
of religion. The family is the real Islamic unit. It is like a person with an
outer and inner life. In general women have control over the household and
private life, while men control the public life. Both have equal importance.
One ought not to be sacrificed for the other as this will cause an imbalance
and malfunctions both in the present and the coming generations. It is within
the family that the new generation learns love, faith and hope which are
necessary not only for the proper functioning of the society but also for
spiritual welfare. Without them the nation can only be kept united though
coercion and an imposed organization which is formal and as dead and
unintelligent as a machine.
The main ideas
upon which the Islamic social system is based are as follows: -
1. Allah alone
is the Head of the people. This implies that :- (a) Reality is not only the
supreme arbiter but is recognised as such. (b) The people are to be governed by
Objective Principles such as Truth and Goodness, rather than human whims,
desires or opinions. (c) Since Allah is Unity, all aspects of life, political,
economic, social, spiritual, cultural, form an integrated whole. (d) The
Universe and human life in it has meaning and purpose which transcends that of
the individual and even the community. (e) Authority, Wisdom and Love are
combined in Allah. This makes authority not only acceptable but beneficial. It
creates reciprocal love and obedience.
2. The Universe
is governed by Laws and so are all things in it, including human beings. There
is also a divine Law, inherent in human conscience which ought to guide man. Both
these are further reinforced and represented by the Quran and the Prophet. The
moral law is supreme, and all human beings including the Head of State, all
rulers and authorities are subject to it.
3. Man is the
Vicegerent of Allah. This implies: - (a) Man is the representative and agent
for Allah, not the master or owner but the administrator of the world and its
resources. (b) He is given appropriate powers and abilities, including
Creativity, Initiative and Responsibility. He must maintain, exercise, protect
and cultivate them. (c) He must use these powers on behalf of Allah and only
for the purposes of Allah. (d) Each man is responsible for his own actions. (e)
Humanity is one and human beings are inter-dependent and affect each other;
they are, therefore, responsible for and to each other. (f) That good and evil
are defined in terms of this Agency. (g) That human welfare and development is
connected with the fulfilment of this Agency. Man will be judged by his motives
and actions.
4. Human beings
have been given different amounts and types of talents, abilities, qualities,
knowledge, circumstances, ranks and experiences. They should not only (a)
utilize these to maximum effect and (b) enhance them, but also (c) cooperate
with each other in applying them, (d) compete in doing good, (e) act in unison
(f) learn from each other. (g) Those who are better endowed and are further up
the ladder have the responsibility to help those below to climb and those below
have a duty to follow those who are higher up.
The Islamic
Social System is ideally structured something as follows.:-
The Social Unit
is the Family. The Father is the head of the Family. He is the representative
of God who is the head of the Universe, and of the Messenger or his
representative, the Imam, Amir or Caliph who is the Head of the Islamic
community, the Umma, and himself the representative of Allah. As Authority,
Wisdom and Love are combined in Allah, so they must be combined in the Father
and the Head of the Umma. The Father is responsible for the welfare and
development of the Family but also the material, social and cultural
environment on which that welfare depends. He deals with the overall affairs of
the family and in coordination with the political, economic and cultural
affairs of the community, which he discusses with other Fathers in the community.
This can usually take place in Assemblies at the Mosque. There is mutual
consultation between Father and Mother.
The Mother is
responsible for the welfare and development of the Family and has control of
all the domestic, social and internal affairs of the Family. She too may
consult with other Mothers from other Families. Next in authority comes the
eldest child who has some responsibilities towards the younger siblings, each
of which also has responsibilities for still younger ones. In this hierarchy
there is a flow of information and of educational, moral and spiritual
influences downwards and there is a flow of information and respect, trust and
obedience upwards. Obedience does not mean subservience but the tendency to
make the goals and values of someone into one’s own. As such it is part of love
and retains the initiative, creativity and responsibility of the individual.
These responsibilities
But this Family
is embedded through multiple links in an Extended Family consisting of
grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces etc., which
has a Head of its own. This in turn is embedded through multiple links with a
great community, which also has a Head. And so on until
It is not
difficult to see that all these ideas flow from the first, are inter-connected
and form a self-consistent whole.
As the Social
(including the political and cultural) conditions are to be designed to serve
the spiritual goal, so also are the material, industrial and economic
conditions to be designed to serve the social welfare. This is the very reverse
of the conditions which obtain in the rest of the world. Here human spiritual
and psychological welfare is sacrificed to the social system, which is
sacrificed to the economic and industrial system.
These are,
of course, ideals which no real system has reached because human failings are
also realities. But Ideals must exist in order that they can be striven for and
failings can be recognized. Otherwise no progress of any kind will occur. But
only those systems can be established which take note of both the ideals and
the failings. They will exist in between, somewhere along the road from one to
the other.