It has been
asserted by many Muslims that "We do not order our affairs on the basis of
speculation or uncertainty, but on what is sure and certain."
It is true that
the Quran instructs us not to go by speculation but by sure knowledge. (10:90,
10:37, 18:29, 36). But there is also much in the Quran which is open to
different interpretations and much that can only be understood after much
study, appropriate efforts, meditation, prayer and inspiration. We are also
required to use our Allah given faculties and to seek knowledge. The ways of
doing this is to ask questions to oneself, to other more knowledgeable people
and to question nature by experiment, to pay attention and observe, to exchange
ideas and discuss. As one seeks knowledge one gradually approaches the truth.
It is not necessarily the case that something is either absolutely false or
absolutely true - there may be a mixture of both to various degrees and the
amount of certainty may have a probability of 1 to 100%.
Indeed, even
those passages of the Quran which people think have a certain meaning may have
been misinterpreted or understood at too low a level. The only really certain
parts are those which tell us about Allah, the Day of Resurrection and Judgment
and give us instructions to pray, fast, give charity, control our passions and
anger and so on. But belief in these does not mean that we have complete idea
of what they mean or even a correct one. We know what a flower is, but this
does not mean that we understand it as, for instance, a biologist may
understand it. We do not know it’s real structure, the physics and chemistry
taking place in it, its function with respect to the plant, insects and the
ecology of the environment.
We live in an
age where it is not sufficient to make a statement. People want reasons for
them. They want not just to know, but to understand, and even more, to expand
experience. Those who give possible reasons for certain instructions or the
possible meanings of the various verses in the Quran or, indeed, of all the
experiences of life, are doing a service for others.
I would,
therefore, suggest that we do NOT dismiss all ideas that appear to depart from
the "Certain", but that we hold our views in a tentative fashion,
assigning different degrees of probability to them. Then we may go about
increasing our certainty. If this is not done then there is no hope of
increasing knowledge or understanding at all. Everyone will be absolutely "certain"
of his own little bit of knowledge and reject everyone else‘s little bit of
"certainty" and continue to argue and fight in a sectarian fashion
for ever. And all will sink together into the mire of ignorance.
It is also
necessary to consider that not all ideas convey factual information, but their
function may be to increase understanding or to stimulate awareness
(consciousness or conscience). Myths and legends have such functions. An idea
is not necessarily conveyed by words or words alone. Gestures, tones and the
way things are said and the conditions under which they are said all have
effects of conveying information. Information itself, however, is not
sufficient. It must be understood, make connection with other ideas to form a
self-consistent system, be assimilated and cause changes in the person’s being
and behaviour. Indeed, Allah created the Universe with Truth. Therefore, it is
the real effects on things, which should be regarded as Truth. The same effect
could be produced in different people by different methods or set of words. On
the other hand, the same set of words or actions could produce quite different
results on different people. Therefore, not the same truth is conveyed. In
fact, if a person is misled by a statement that seems true to someone, then it
has been falsified. The means of communication should not be mistaken for the
content of the communication or its effects.
We ought not to
be, therefore, afraid to give an opinion if it can be supported by fact, but we
must never mistake this opinion for Truth. We ought to welcome the opinions of
others if they can supply facts to support them. For clearly, if their opinion
differs from ours, then they must have facts which we did not know or which we
had overlooked.
Was the Quran
revealed all at once? Do we come to understand it all at once? Did the total
sum of human knowledge fall complete from the sky?
The Quran does
tell us:-
"Are those who know equal to those who
know not? It is only men of understanding who will remember." 39.9
"We raise by degrees of mercy whom We
will, and over every possessor of knowledge is one who knows more." 12:76
"Allah will exalt in degree those of you
who believe and those who have been granted knowledge." 58.11
The Prophet,
too, is reported to have said:-
"The superiority of the learned Scholar
over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon (in brightness) over
the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, who bequeath
neither dinar nor dirham (wealth), but only knowledge; and he who acquires it,
has acquired an abundant portion." (Abu
Dawud, Tirmidhi)
"The world, with all that it contains, is
accursed except for the remembrance of Allah, that which pleases Allah, the
religious Scholars and the seekers of knowledge." (Tirmidhi)
"Allah does not take away knowledge by
removing it from men, but takes it away by taking away the learned, so that
when He leaves no learned man, men will take the ignorant as leaders. Causes
will be presented to them and they will pass judgment without knowledge, erring
and leading others into error."
To a large
extent this has indeed taken place in Islam.
Ideas are of
several kinds and the distinction between them must be held in mind when
considering how they should be treated. There are (1) descriptions (2)
explanatory devices (3) models (4) symbolism (5) fictions which are true to
life (6) fantasies (7) suggestions about inventions (8) instructions (9)
stories meant to produce various effects such as laughing, crying, sadness,
disgust, sentimentality, joy, aggression, fear, horror, attraction, repulsion,
doubt, determination etc. (10) Formulae which create association of ideas, and
various spiritual states.
Consider the
word "learned" - the translation of the original word into
"scholar" is NOT correct. There is a big difference. A scholar is an
academician who has verbal or purely intellectual knowledge. To learn is to be
modified in being and behaviour. The learned are those who are transformed.
"The learned are the heirs of the Prophets
who leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who accept
it accepts an abundant portion."
"Knowledge in the heart is the beneficial
type; and knowledge on the tongue is Allah‘s allegation against human
beings."
"The calamity which affects knowledge is
forgetfulness, and wasting it is to convey it to those who are unworthy."
"If the learned were to guard learning and
entrust it to those who are worthy of it, they would thereby rule their
contemporaries."
It is important
to recognize the difference. Although it is true that no distinction is made
between religious knowledge and science or law or any other kind of knowledge,
the fact is that there is a difference between knowledge that is beneficial to
man himself and that which is not. If the purpose for seeking knowledge is not
spiritual growth, increase in understanding and other real benefits, but merely
to make profit, to manipulate the environment, to gain prestige and power, then
it is futile.
It is only about
the learned that we read,
"In every century Allah will send one who
will renew its religion for this people."
"In every century those who are reliable
authorities will preserve this knowledge, rejecting the changes made by
extremists, the plagiarisms of those who make false claims for themselves, and
the interpretations of the ignorant."
So beware
and seek the learned. They are more likely to be correct or have something
useful and effective to say. But as they do not have all knowledge and
different people have different amounts and kinds of knowledge, then they may
be wrong. On the other hand even the humblest and least knowledgeable person
may have some truth which many others have missed.