Life, including
human life can be said to be driven by a Life Force which has three
inter-dependent aspects, urges, instincts or set of drives, namely the
self-preservative, the reproductive and the self-extensive. These can be
considered from three view points, the physical, the mental and the spiritual.
The
self-preservative drive may be regarded as an extension of inertia or the
principle of Conservation that underlies existence. Pain and pleasure are
connected with this drive. They are indicators. Pain tells us that something is
harmful to our welfare, that is, it contradicts it, and activates us to remove
or avoid it. The fight/flight/defence mechanism is activated. As it has a
beneficial function it cannot be regarded as objectively evil. Pleasure
indicates that a process is taking place that leads to a restoration of the
equilibrium required for life. The process of living itself depletes us of the
materials and energy we require and this requires replenishing by means of the
very activities that cause the depletion. There is a vicious circle which by
itself is meaningless.
The development
of the mind with memories has allowed the formation of mental attachment,
repulsion as well as habits and conditioned reflexes, which distorts the natural
cycle. People may pursue pleasure for its own sake or avoid pain or acquire
what might be called Secondary Instincts
or acquired tastes. They may acquire a taste for bitter things or poisons that
are normally avoided, or a liking for pain as in masochism and sadism. The
self-preservative drive may even be counteracted as in suicide.
At a third,
spiritual level, this drive concerns itself with the preservation of a personal
identity. Much of human behaviour can be explained in terms of the desire to establish
and maintain a sense of personal worth and significance or the fear of
non-existence. Religions are mainly concerned with this. Buddhism, for
instance, is based on the existence and avoidance of suffering.
Owing to the
cycle mentioned above the living organism would be immortal. Death appears to
have come into existence at the same time as reproduction. Reproduction
overcomes death and death results from reproduction. This is because resources
are limited and the construction of something needs destruction of something
else. Reproduction is, therefore, self-preservation at a higher level of the
species, and conversely, self-preservation itself requires reproduction at a
lower level of the cells. Reproduction is also found at the mineral level as crystal
formation, and among forces as the propagation of waves. This pair, death and
reproduction allows adaptation to changing circumstances. The impulse of fear
and hope are connected with it. When reproduction became sexual it created
families and societies. This requires communication between individuals and
encourages the development of language and the mind. Two other impulses then
also arise, namely love and hate. At the spiritual level this drive takes the
form of self-construction. Another pair of impulses then arises, namely faith
and doubt. Much of religion has sexual symbolism. Celibacy, for instance, is
practiced in Christianity and the nuns are brides of Jesus. It is the
sublimation of sexual energies, which is responsible for civilization, for cultural
as well as spiritual achievements. Communities are networks of families and all
industries, health and educational organizations supply families.
The
self-extensive drive can be seen as the psychological extension of physical
growth from the fertilized egg to adulthood. Organisms do not only reproduce
but multiply. This leads to expansion of life. But this expansion takes three
forms:- (a) extensity (increase in numbers), (b) cotensity (increase in
interaction and organization), (c) intensity (increase in inner integration).
Thus cells combine to form multi-cellular organisms and these form herds and
communities and so on. Units are being formed which also have a
self-preservative drive. But there is also a change of level from primitive
life forms to man, which is an increase in inner order and consciousness,
conscience and abilities to control. The increase in one type of expansion can
be obtained at the price of another. For instance, the numerical expansion of
man can reduce the number of lower animals, or it can be obtained at the
expense of decreased social order or a decreased level of human development. On
the other hand, an increase in the quality of human beings might result in, or
come by, a decrease in human population. Increase in social organization might
mean greater chaos in other respects. The decrease in human population without
increase in quality or organization might mean increase in the number of lower
life forms such as rodents and insects. There are balances between enabling and
disabling forces throughout nature. There is universal evolution and
involution. Disease, suffering, degeneration and destruction and their
opposites are part of this scheme, just as anabolism and catabolism are within
the organism.
Numerical
expansion itself produces the pressures that cause cooperation and integration.
The notions of order and chaos, development and degeneration are connected with
order. Self-extension is not possible, of course, unless there is an
environment, a greater system, from which materials, energy and information can
be absorbed. Even at the purely material level every entity exists in an
environment and is affected by its surroundings. The expansion of the entity
cannot take place unless pressure from the environment forces this. For
instance, it cannot get hotter unless energy is put into it. The order in it
(its negentropy or internal information) increases if it comes from the
environment. Organisms learn from their experiences in the environment and have
memories that record these. But the higher organisms also deliberately seek
experience. Apart from the inherent tendency in the organism itself to expand,
there must also be environmental pressure to expand. The radiation coming from
the sun and the cosmos are absorbed by the planet and it this which enables
evolution. Other planets might simply re-radiate the energy back into space. Indeed,
this planet is not inert but through its magnetic and electrical fields
actually attracts or repels various forces, filters them through its atmosphere
and transforms them through various processes in the sea and land and then
re-radiates. It is a transformer. The earth has a degree of autonomy and
self-control, but is also dependent on a higher system, the Solar System, and
ultimately on Reality as a whole. Religion is concerned with development and
adjustment to the ultimate reality. This is the theme of Islam.
All these ideas
follow from the central theme of the Quran that (a) the whole cosmos forms a
single system (65:12); (b) that is has a purpose and is evolving towards a goal
(30:8) (c) that there is harmony and balance between all parts of it (67:3);
(d) that it has many levels (65:12); (e) that the causal forces flow down from
the highest level (65:12); (f) that all things are measured (13:8); (g) that
there is a pair of forces underlying events (51:49).
Religion has to
deal with three things:- Because they contradict basic human drives:-
(a) The
existence of the interconnected phenomena of suffering, death and degeneration
(including disease),
(b) The
possibility of escape from them and
(c) The
techniques by which this can be done .
The question of
suffering is probably the greatest stumbling block to faith in Religion. It is
easier to believe that everything in the world has arisen either accidentally
or in a deterministic fashion. Both these views avoid belief in an intelligent
Being as the controller of the world, whose ways are also incomprehensible to
intelligent beings such as man. Yet it is suffering, its nature, causes and
methods of dealing with it which is a major concern of religion. This may be
regarded as a result of the rejection of both the notions of mechanical
determinism and of chance and replacing them with a single source of causes,
the Command of Allah. The concept of Allah is regarded by atheists as an
unjustified projection of human qualities onto the Universe. But a study of the
Quran shows that the reverse is the case – Human beings, who are part of
Existence, obtain their powers because these are drops of that which are
already Attributes of Reality.
Almost daily the
news media tell us about some natural disaster, earthquakes, floods, droughts,
hurricanes which cause a great amount of destruction of property and crops,
loss of life and suffering. Yet the Quran tells us that Allah is Compassionate
and Merciful and he is All-powerful. If He is All-powerful, then, it is argued,
He must have caused these disasters. How then can we believe that He is
Compassionate and Merciful? If, on the other hand He did not cause them, then
He cannot be All-powerful.
This argument,
however, is based on several misunderstandings.
Firstly, it is
assumed that the questioner has the intelligence to understand the ways of a
higher intelligence. His values might be quite different. It is also assumed
that the questioner has knowledge of all the conditions and consequences of
events in order to make such judgments. This is false. One could turn the
argument upside down. If Allah was not responsible for the suffering, then this
is because He is Compassionate. If He is, then this is because He is
All-powerful. It is not necessary for someone who is compassionate to be
compassionate all the time. And it is not necessary for an All-powerful being
to exercise this power all the time. He could also permit things to happen for
a good purpose. Suffering is a question of consciousness - it cannot be said to
exist if there is no awareness of it. It may be a question of attitudes.
Allah is Unity.
The further one is from Allah qualitatively the greater is the multiplicity,
disunity, disharmony, chaos, turbulence, unpredictability and, therefore,
conflict, both inner and outer, and the resulting suffering. Multiplicity
implies that things are distinct and separate from one another. The further from
the source the greater is the rigidity and limitation owing to the increasing
number of laws operating there. The world we live in, to which we have been
expelled, is a world of limitations. The more we are mentally attached to it
the more are we likely to suffer. The closer one is to Allah the greater the
unity, harmony, capability, order, knowledge, self-fulfilment, joy and peace.
Peace (salaam) is also contained in the meaning of the word “Islam” and Muslims
greet and wish other Peace. The focus of attention in Islam is, therefore, not
just the existence of suffering and the methods of escape from it – these
belong to a much wider set of ideas. Things must conform to Reality, to the
Purposes of Allah the creator of all things or else they will suffer and be
destroyed – objective behaviour, in thought, motive and action, is necessary
for one’s welfare and development, and this motive is built-in. It is a
question of conforming to one’s own inherent nature (30:30).
The Quran tells
us:-
"And if a good thing befalls them, they
say: This is from Allah; but if a bad thing, they say: This is from thee
(Muhammad). Say (unto them): It is all from Allah. What ails these people? They
can hardly understand an event. Whatever befalls thee of good (O man) it is
from Allah; and whatever befalls thee of evil it is from thy own soul. We have
sent thee to (instruct) mankind as a Messenger, and Allah suffices for a
witness." 4:78-79
"…But it is possible that ye hate a thing
while it is good for you, and it is possible that ye love a thing while it is
bad for you; Allah knows, and ye, ye do not!" 2:216
"We will try you with something of fear,
and hunger and loss of wealth, and lives and fruits (of toil); but give good
tidings to those who patiently persevere who, when there falls on them a
calamity say: Verily, we are Allah's and, verily, to Him is our return."
2:155-156
We must
distinguish between subjective and objective values. Subjective values refer to what we might like or dislike, to our
own desires and fixations. Objective
values refer to what is really beneficial or harmful to us. When we fall
and injure ourselves, it is painful. Is this pain evil? No it tells us that we
have an injury, thereby allowing us to do something to rectify the situation.
We might bleed to death if there was no pain. If we punish a child because it
does something which might put in danger or refuses to do that which will later
benefit it, this is not evil though the child consider it to be so because it
is not able to understand the parents action.
The Fall of man
and his expulsion from Paradise may be
regarded as a fall from objectivity into subjectivity, (eating of the fruit of
the knowledge good and evil). Objectively all things are good because they have
a purpose or function within a context or system, which is the same as their
cause. In the state of Surrender or acceptance there can be no conflict between
existence and human desires, and therefore, no suffering. Suffering, therefore,
arises when man creates his own subjective world in his own thoughts, motives
and actions, which conflict with existence - his own nature and his social and
physical environment. Its function is to provide the incentives to remove these
malfunctions and return man to paradise.
Joy and
suffering are fundamental experiences. Suffering refers to a state of
contradiction or conflict or opposition, while joy refers to the achievement of
harmony and unification. But they also form a pair of opposites, each
recognized in contrast to the other. Pain and pleasure drive evolution. One
attracts to a goal and the other repels from its opposite. They indicate what
is right or wrong and have an educational effect. They give direction to
development. They provide incentives and lead man to develop those qualities
and techniques that can overcome disasters. They impel man to do that for which
he was created. But they are indicators, not themselves the goals. Mental
attachment to them can be harmful. Some people form addictions to their own
suffering (masochists) or to that of others (sadists). Others cling to their
suffering or invent it or seek it because it gives them relief from guilt
feelings, or gives them a feeling of importance and worthiness - that they are
worth persecuting. It may be a form of attention or sympathy seeking. A big ego
or a feeling of inadequacy o inner emptiness underlies this. But addiction to
pleasure, fortune or success may be even more harmful. They weaken due to lack
of exercise of the faculties; and give a distorted and unbalanced view of life.
Those who eat too many sweets, for them each succeeding sweet gives less
pleasure than it does a person who has few. Those who are used to ease suffer
most from adversity, while those who are used to hardship notice it less but
their enjoyment of pleasure is greater. All kinds of physical, mental and moral
diseases may result from over indulgence. Some people overcome difficulties,
adversities and suffering and are strengthened by it. Others succumb to it and
are weakened. Pain and pleasure are tests and should be treated as such.
Whenever there
is suffering, there is usually an escape, a way out of it, a solution to the
problem. If you put your finger into the fire, you can withdraw it, or pour
water on the fire. A person may be required as a moral duty to do something
that leads him into suffering. He needs courage to bear it. No improvement in
human condition could have come about without people who were willing to
sacrifice their comfort, pleasure, and even their lives for a cause. But people
differ in the amount of suffering they can bear. A person is not required, by
the moral law, to bear excessive suffering - i.e. suffering which is damaging
to his soul. In general, there is a limit to suffering. The brain itself
produces substances that suppresses or numbs pain.
"…..This day have I perfected for you your
religion, and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion
Al-Islam. But he who is forced by hunger, not inclined wilfully to sin, verily,
Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." 5:3
"Allah will not require of the soul beyond
its capacity. It shall have what it has earned, and it shall owe what it
deserves. " 2:286
"But We will not oblige a soul beyond its
capacity; for with us is a Record that utters the truth, and they shall not be
wronged." 23:62
There are
several sources of suffering:-
(1) Human
created Environments. Collapsing houses, traffic accidents, industrial
disasters, food poisoning etc.. Obviously, these things are caused by human
beings and the cure is in their hands.
(2) Social
conditions. Divorces and collapse of families, abandonment of children, conflict
between neighbours and so on.
(3) Political
conditions, riots, civil disturbances, wars, persecutions, exploitation,
injustices, torture, crimes etc. Human beings are responsible for it. Though
the victims are often regarded as innocent, the fact is that all human beings
are inter-dependent and affect each other. They are responsible for each other.
There may have been consent, encouragement or a failure of prevention, directly
or indirectly. Conditions of life have been set up in which such things could
arise.
(4)
Psychological factors. As already indicated, suffering may result from the
desire for suffering owing to guilt feeling. Accident proneness results from
sub-conscious factors. Events are meaningless unless we are aware of them. The
effect of events on a person depends to a large extent on his attitudes, on how
he sees and interprets things. A person who has attachments to something
suffers when that thing is taken away or destroyed. This is not the case for
one who has no such attachments. Greed, pride, lust etc. create a great amount
of suffering. The suffering of many people is reduced by the consolation of
faith or a cause for which they strive, and this increases their courage and
endurance. Disasters and adversities, as also good fortune, can be taken as
trials and challenges. It is by the overcoming of difficulties that strength is
gained just as muscles are made to grow by exercises against the opposition of
weights. Surrender (Islam) means to accept the Will of Allah and not to make
subjective judgments. Faith includes the confidence that things will turn out
for the best in the end. These inner spiritual resources are examples of the
Mercy of Allah.
(5) Bereavement,
the death and departure of a loved one, divorce or deprivation of some
cherished article or idea. Religions do offer consolation and strength to bear
them. From the Islamic point of view it is necessary to cultivate an awareness
of death, transformation and the transitoriness of things and the fact that
Allah is Eternal and Unchanging and the greater reality of the Hereafter, in
order to distance oneself from the one and seek the other.
(6) Disease.
These may be physical (infectious or organic), mental (psychopathy, psychoses,
neurosis) or moral (criminality, delinquency, depravity). All these may be
caused by the kind of life style, culture and ideologies people have set up.
Some of this may be due to ignorance, but man has the capacity to seek and find
knowledge. The appropriate desire and mental state is required. That is, the
mind must possess the capacity for objectivity and not be obstructed by
fixations, prejudices and conventions.
(7) Sacrifice. Moral obligations,
righteousness, service to Allah require courage in the face of inner and outer
difficulties. This implies that a person is required to carry these out even
though it places him in danger, difficulties, and conditions of persecution and
suffering. Inertia is a state of comfort that not only people but all matter
remains in, unless an impulse or an effort disturbs it. This is because it
consists of what is familiar, predictable and automatic which requires no
effort to carry out. The disturbance of equanimity is felt as a discomfort and
a challenge. The world would have continued in the same state but for the
courage of those who introduced conscious improvements. The same inertia that
these reformers overcame within themselves also animates other people to react
and oppose them. Thus Reformers and Prophets are always opposed. Religions
require that its followers should align themselves with the Prophet or
Messenger by undertaking to make the same sacrifices for the sake of the good,
righteousness and virtue. Christianity bases itself on the idea of sacrifice,
but appears to give it a peculiar twist, which is rectified in Islam.
According to the
Christian Church, but not the words of Jesus in the Gospels, God came down to
earth as a man in order to suffer with and for man. This idea, from the Islamic
point of view, contains four errors:- (a) Allah does not suffer as He is One
without conflicting parts and such suffering could have no goal for Him. (b)
Allah is all pervasive. He is, therefore, always on earth and does not need to
confine Himself to a human frame. If He did so, the Universe would be destroyed
because the Universe is created by means of Laws that would be flouted. On the
other hand, in so far as the Spirit is in man, it could be said that Allah is
in man and experiencing what he experiences. But even this idea can be
dismissed - the more the Spirit is active in man the closer is he to Allah, the
less he suffers. (c) If Allah suffers then the case for escape from suffering
is hopeless. It is true, of course, that if we have ideals and recognize them
and perceive our own failure to live up them, then an inner contradiction
results which causes suffering and is felt as guilt. Forgiveness is required to
reconcile this opposition and restore inner harmony. The idea that the death of
Jesus and the acceptance of this sacrifice earns forgiveness may well do this.
(d) But if Jesus was resurrected then there is no such sacrifice. And it is
Allah who forgives. This forgiveness is not restricted by the condition that
the suffering of Jesus should be accepted. But it does require that Allah
should be obeyed and this implies that the instructions of the Messenger He
sends should be accepted. Nor does there seem to be any point in having ideals
if they are not to be striven for. It is, however, possible that the acceptance
of the sacrifice also created a guilt feeling - the sinner saw himself as
persecuting Jesus by his sin, and this impelled him to make amends. This led
many into monasteries or works of self-sacrifice and charity. Indeed, Jesus did
teach that salvation was conditional on obedience to the commands of God
(Matthew 7:21-23). The sacrifice of Jesus was seen, by Paul, as forgiveness of
the original sin of Adam which led to the Fall from Paradise,
not personal sin (1 Corinthians 15:22). That is, Christ made return to Paradise possible (John 14:6). This, from the Islamic
point of view, is the function of all the Messengers (8:24). They bring the
teaching and spiritual force through which it can be done.
Without
forgiveness the inner conflict is suppressed out of consciousness which tends
to have other harmful effects besides reduction of consciousness. It leads to
self-punishment, intolerance, persecution of others, and various, often bizarre
compensatory and obsessional activities, rationalizations and even illusions,
hallucinations and delusions some of which are mild but widespread and,
therefore, not recognized as abnormal. Indeed, the Ideals as taught may be
regarded as normal inbuilt but sub-conscious tendencies that have been made conscious
by the teaching. The inner conflict or self-contradiction is, then the result
of the actions or thoughts of a mind trapped by some kind of addiction such as
greed or fascination. The teacher is not thanked for revealing this and is
persecuted in an attempt to remove it from consciousness. The acceptance of the
sacrifice of Jesus ought at least to have prevented these harmful effects. But
it tended to make Christians intolerant towards all who did not accept Christ
in the same way. The reason for this seems to be that these others were seen as
contradicting them. This weakened their faith and its effectiveness. Removing
them would produce a victory for their faith and strengthen it.
Islam requires
that each person should make his own efforts and sacrifices. The Islamic view
is contained in the following verses:-
“Say: Shall I crave for other than Allah for
Lord, when He is Lord of all? But each soul earns only on its own account, nor
does any laden soul bear the burden of another. Then unto your Lord is your
return, and He will inform you concerning that wherein ye differ.” 6:165
“That no bearer of burdens shall bear the
burden of another, and that man shall have nothing but what he strives for, and
that his striving shall be seen.” 53:38-40
“Fear the day wherein no soul shall pay any
recompense for another soul, nor shall intercession be accepted for it, nor
shall compensation be taken from it, nor shall they be helped.” 2:48 See also 17:15, 6:165, 10:109, 29:6 etc.
"Say, "Verily, my worship and my sacrifice,
and my living and my dying belong to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." 6:163
"Certainly Allah's Good Pleasure was on
the believers when they swore allegiance unto thee under the tree, and He knew
what was in their hearts, so He sent down peace (or tranquillity) on them and
rewarded them with a near victory, " 48:18
"And when Jesus perceived their unbelief,
He said: Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah? The disciples said: We
will be Allah's helpers. We believe in Allah, so bear thou witness that we have
surrendered (unto Him)." 3:52
The opposition
must be borne by all who support them until the new conditions are established
and become the norm. This is the meaning of Sacrifice. However, inertial
systems do not remain in the same condition but tend to deteriorate - there is
a natural tendency for the degradation of Order if it is at a level higher than
the surroundings. Effort, Sacrifice is, therefore, needed to maintain a state
of order which is higher than the surroundings. The surroundings need to be
brought up to the same level.
The symbol of
the Cross is much older than Christianity. It shows a horizontal line
representing the earth and a vertical line passing through it representing the
descent of forces from heaven. There is a conflict and struggle within man
owing to the influence of these two forces - the fact that he was made of earth
as well as the Spirit of Allah (32:7-9) and that he has a Cosmic function. It
is this suffering or cross he has to bear. This is symbolized by nailing man to
the cross. That is why Jesus asked his followers to take up their crosses and
follow him (Matthew 16:24). He did not mean that they should all be crucified
as his disciples well knew.
Some people have
misunderstood this idea of suffering and suppose that if they cause themselves
suffering then they will be compensated for this spiritually in the Hereafter.
Sacrifice means bearing suffering not self-mutilation or inviting unnecessary
suffering. In fact, people are required to sacrifice their suffering rather
than indulge in it. However, one does have a choice between a good and a bad
action, and one must be sacrificed for the other. One uses a quantity of money
to buy something that will give one pleasure or give it in charity to someone
in need. A sacrifice has been made. One is required to make amends for sin, to
counteract an evil act by means of a good act. This may involve certain
difficulties that must be accepted. Indeed, even to do someone some good may
involve overcoming his suspicion and hostility. The evil done by others towards
a person can often be neutralized by acts of good (13:22). Understanding and
patience are required.
(8) There are
Natural disasters such as droughts, floods, storms, earthquakes etc. These,
too, may have been caused by human activities, the way they treated the
environment. Ignorance and greed may cause over-exploitation of resources,
wastage, pollution, ecological imbalance, destruction of forests leading to
erosion of the soil, adulteration of foods, poisoning of the atmosphere, land
and sea. But even when disasters strike, much can be done to reduce its effects
through organization and technology. It is evident from news stories that
different communities vary greatly in how effectively they can deal with them.
(9) Great
natural disasters connected with Cosmic events, such as Comets and Asteroids
hitting the earth, the heating up or cooling of the sun as it passes through
different areas of the galaxy. Cosmic events take place according to a pattern.
The developments of the Cosmos and all things in it have stages and periods
within which certain possibilities exist, and these can be actualized. Though
there is a degree of flexibility, the tolerance is limited. If these periods
are missed disasters may well follow. It is necessary that human development
should reach a point such that they can deal with such events. They have been
provided with Religious guidance that ought to produce this development.
“And
verily We have raised in every nation a messenger proclaiming: Serve Allah and
shun false Idols. Then some of them there were whom Allah guided and some of
them there were upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and
see the nature of the consequences for the deniers. ” 16:36
"Do you not see that Allah created the
heavens and the earth in Truth? If He please He can remove you and replace you
with a new creation." 14:19
"Every nation (or community) has its
appointed term, and when their appointed term is completed they cannot delay it
an hour, nor can they advance it. " 7:34
"Do they not behold the kingdoms of the
heavens and of the earth, and what things Allah has created, and (see that), it
may well be that their term is already drawing to its end? In what after this
then will they believe?" 7:185
"We never did destroy a community but
there was a fixed term decreed for it. No nation can hasten on its appointed
time, nor put it off." 15:4-5
"But thy Lord is Forgiving, endowed with
Mercy; were He to punish them for what they have earned He would have hastened
for them the doom. Nay rather, they have their appointed term from which they
have no escape." 18:59
"But for the decree already passed from
thy Lord, and a term already fixed, the judgment would have come to them
now." 20:129
"He will forgive you some of your faults
and grant you a delay for an appointed term; surely the term of Allah when it
comes is not postponed; did you but know!" 71:4
"Every nation (or community) has its
appointed term, and when their appointed term is completed they cannot delay it
an hour, nor can they advance it." 7:34
The fact is that
human beings have been created as Vicegerents to carry out the plans of Allah.
It is part of the duty of humanity to remove the sources of suffering, and in
the effort in doing this they also obtain their own development. The Compassion
and Mercy of Allah exists in this that He has provided man with the capability
of preventing suffering and its causes and also the methods of dealing with
suffering. The inner psychological method is to regard both joy and suffering
as a test and a challenge and to accept things as facts commanded by Allah for
a good purpose, and to Surrender. External methods consist of ways of healing,
medicine, counselling, mutual support and help.
Before the
creation of the Universe, there was nothing, except Allah. That is, there was
nothing recognizable because cognition and recognition requires things to be
compared whereas Allah is the original self-existing unity. Allah is not an
anthropomorphic notion or comparable to anything. Therefore, the act of
creation requires that Allah supplies all the conditions by which things come
into existence, are sustained and develop. Allah is, therefore, the Bountiful, in whom all the
potentialities exist and who actualizes them. He is also merciful and forgiving
in that there is a measure of tolerance built into the Universe and that it is
possible to undo mistakes by reversing processes within certain limits or to
make amends.
In fact we
define the Good as that which Allah does. We cannot say "Allah does
Good" implying that He conforms to something called "Good" which
exists apart from Him. The "Good" would then be greater than Allah.
But the "Good" refers to all His attributes. Compassion and Mercy are
not the only ones.
Things are usually
recognized in contrast to an opposite. If good cannot be recognized except by
its opposite, evil, then evil is a creation of man. It consists of those ideas,
values and actions that are contrary to those of Allah. These, because they
bring man into conflict with the rest of reality, will also lead man to harm
himself. In fact, Evil is the absence of
Good. This is like darkness that is the absence of light. There is a series from maximum good to
zero just as there is from maximum light to zero.
Allah is also
Just. He works through Laws. Law sustains the world. It creates certain
regularities, persistent patterns and repeatable phenomena by reason of which
we recognize things, can predict what will happen, and have some control over
them. We have the required faculties to recognize and control and serve our
needs. This in itself is part of the Compassion and Mercy of Allah. Fire burns.
It can be used for cooking and manufacture. But we can put ourselves into it
and burn. Things are not good or evil in themselves, but it is the
appropriateness or inappropriateness that determines what is good or evil. This
implies that things belong to a context into which they must fit harmoniously.
There is an ultimate Unity and Order. We have to discover what this is. .
Allah has
created the whole Universe for a purpose. The word "good" refers to a
purpose. That which facilitates it is "good" and that which
counteracts or obstructs it is "evil". The whole of the Universe must
be maintained by these laws. Man is a small part of it. Man has a function with
respect to the world. It is not an Islamic idea that the world was made for
man, but only that man can use all things for learning or other useful
purposes. What we call a disaster may be required for the good of the rest of
the world. Many of these natural disasters may well be the result of human
activity, or merely be interpreted by man as disasters. In so far as we
interact and influence each other the responsibility may not be that of any one
person or group but of man collectively. They may be doing something wrong or
they may have failed to do something right. We interact and have
responsibilities towards each other
Whenever we see
disasters we also see human beings help each other. The compassion placed in
the hearts of people is also part of the compassion of Allah. The closer
something is to Allah, the source of Bounties, the greater the unity and
harmony. The further something is from Allah the more is there separation,
rigidity, conflict and, therefore, suffering. Allah is, of course, everywhere
and there cannot be a place where Allah is not, but we are speaking about
distance from a centre along another dimension not space and time, but in
consciousness, awareness. Therefore, if a person finds himself in a place of
great suffering, then he has the possibility of reducing this by moving closer
to Allah. This possibility and the knowledge of it are signs of Allah's Mercy.
Allah and His kingdom are within you.
It is often
supposed that things must be made difficult in order to benefit from them. Some
people make a burden out of religion for themselves and others by excessive
intensity and intolerance. The resulting suffering causes the human organism
itself to revolt and makes further efforts progressively more difficult. It is
supposed that the benefits are proportional to effort. This is not true. It is
the quality and appropriateness of the effort that counts. One does not use a
sledgehammer to crack a nut. Smaller efforts more frequently and regularly are
often preferable. Smaller achievable goals encourage and strengthen. This makes
things progressively easier, while greater difficult ones lead to failure and discouragement.
"Therefore, keep your duty to Allah as
much as you can, and hear and obey and spend, it is better for your souls; and
whoever is saved from the greediness of his soul, these it is that are the
successful." 64:16
"Say (O Muhammad), "O my people! Work
according to your power, verily, I, too, am working; " 6:136
"Say: O my people! Work in your as and how
you can, surely I too am working. " 39:39
"Allah does not wish to make a burden for
you; but He wishes to purify you and to fulfil his favour upon you; that ye may
give thanks." 5:6
"Those who keep aloof from the great sins
and the indecencies except the unwilling or small offence; surely your Lord is
liberal in forgiving." 53:32
"Verily, your efforts are diverse! But as
for him who gives charity and fears Allah, and believes in goodness, We will
ease his way to ease! But as for him who is niggardly and thinks himself
independent (or self-sufficient), and calls the good a lie, We will ease his
way to misery (adversity)!" 92:5-10
"Verily, with difficulty comes ease!
Verily, with difficulty comes ease! " 94:5-6