Musing on the Quran Imagery and How it Impacts the Psychology of Man

"When camels, ten-months pregnant are left unattended, and when wild beasts are herded together..."

While presenting it's message, the Quran does not appeal to purely rational arguments, nor does it satisfy itself with vague imagery, because man neither engages in purely rational thought, nor can pure emotion provide him any certainty. The Quran employs all the senses of the human being to transform the consciousness of man. The above verse is a typical example of this powerful reality.

"When camels, ten-months pregnant are left unattended..."

The camel, being the source of income for the traders of the Arabian peninsula, was the most prized possession of the Arabs. The camel not only provided the owners with meat and milk, but it was the key for their livelihood. It was the camel that allowed the Meccan traders to travel the trade-routes from Syria to Yemen. And it was the camel which allowed the beduoin to continually move from place to place for better oppurtunities of sustenance. In essence, the camel was the most prized-possession of the Arab, whether beduoin or city-dweller. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that it was with utmost care and maintenance that the animal was cared for.

Now imagine for a moment the state of the owner when his female camel was ten month's pregnant. A ten month pregnant camel is on the verge of giving birth and thus at it's most fragile period. It was during this period that the focus of the Arab turned even more towards his beloved possession, in order to ensure the life of the female giving birth, as well as the offspring which would increase the size of wealth. There was not only a keen anticipation of good fortune awaiting the owner, but a sense of anxiety as well.

Herein lies the first key psychological reality for man on the Day of Judgement alluded to by the Quran:

The Quran has already penetrated the psyche of the Arab by drawing attention to that which he LOVES. When the events of the Day of Judgement are set in motion, originating with the heavens losing their brilliance, and the mountains being thrown from their roots causing the earth to start trembling, man will be so overtaken by what is going on around him that he will leave even his most prized possessions. The depth of love that man had for things in his life will vanish with a blink of an eye before that Day.

Imagine the state of affair of a person who forgets those very things that he spent his WHOLE LIFE pursuing with such fervent zeal and enthusiasm, because he lost sight that one day he would be held accountable... Imagine the SENSE OF REGRET he would have when he realizes the real value and worth of the life he lived pursuing those things he has left in an instant when he awakened to reality... Imagine the state of a man who will realize that only those things that carry any value will be the good deeds men performed in this temporary life. The deeds they held as of no value in this life, will be placed on the true scales of justice and they will tip the scales because the weight they possess is that of mountains. All of this will unfold before their very eyes, causing the true regret that :

"It was not God who wronged them, but they who wronged their own souls..."

Men will live in a state of shame over their OWN conduct. No doubt that many men will first try and escape responsibility by blaming other people for their mis-guidance. From their own leaders, to the chief deceiver himself, Satan, men will throw blame on everybody but himself. Everybody will disown themselves from each other in terms of actions. But in the end, after they realize the immaculate justice of Allah manifest itself, they will ultimately be compelled to cry out:

"If only we had LISTENED or used our INTELLECT, we would not have been among these dwellers of the flames [today]."

And which man has power over another man's hearing and mind?

This feeling of failing one's own self will only intensify when the individual sees over and over again, that picture of the righteous being cheered on to true success by multitudes of crowds of God's creation as they enter the gates of Paradise. The wrong-doers will then understand that they could have achieved what they so desired in their past life, and that is:

"Neither shall they fear [the future], nor grieve [over the past]".

The men and women who have triumphed will live in a state of total FREEDOM, unhindered by anything that may halt their pursuits and desires. The wrongs that they had done in the past life will no longer cause them grief, because God, as a result of their sincerity and repentance, had pardoned them, and further, turned those very evils into goods. No longer will man say, while sitting on a bench of regret, "What if I had done this, what if I had done that..." No longer will those that do good be afraid to start a new journey, because they have no knowledge that the path before them contains good or bad, profit or loss. The psychological barriers that prevent men from chartering new paths will be broken down with a single stroke from the mercy of Allah.

The physical barriers will be removed as well for those of good fortune. The Quran describes the trees as if they were bending down before the inhabitants of the gardens, such that the people would not even have to reach for the fruits they so desire. There will be no resistance to a man's desire. The Holy Book, in it's beautiful manner of expressing the same reality from a different angles describes the concord between desire and reality in that world, by stating that very moment a person has an urge for a particular drink, the servers of Paradise will be right before them with that very drink. Nor will this lack of resistance give way to monotony. The Quran describes the fruits of the Hereafter consistently changing taste to something more new and original. Descriptions of Paradise allude to the perpetual virginity of the spouses, describing the fresh intimacy that the spouses will enjoy will forever. The most intense period of relationship for a couple is that when they are first married because of the fervent desire to know their companion in every respect. The glances that they share, as well as their sexuality being expressed in new ways will forever be a part of their new life.

Compare this to a man who has lost, constantly living in a sense of regret and shame, tied to columns in chains 70 cubits long, surrounded by columns of fire. Where can this person move? It as if the whole world has closed in on him.

After the imagery of the camel, the Quran states:

"When wild beasts are herded together..."

The reason for this is in the next verse, where the Quran states that the seas will start to overflow their boundaries, with huge waves crashing the shores. The animals will have no choice to escape the torrents of water, but to move inward.

Herein lies the second key psychological reality for man on the Day of Judgement alluded to by the Quran:

In the former verse, the Quran had referred to how the Day would cut relationships of LOVE. The next image the Holy Book has drawn in such short words is that of beasts, who by INSTINCT are naturally hostile to each other, forgetting their own INBORN ENMITY. A lion be the friend of a hyena, nor can an eagle be the friend of a snake.
Imagine a Day in which events will be set in motion such that even those that are instinctually born to hate another will forget this hostility? What to say of people who possessed such enmity for one another to the extent of a burning hatred that led to war?

With all this in mind, it becomes obvious that man's behavioris dictated by very powerful emotions. And that these very emotions will one day bow down before the awesomeness of God Almighty's command.

"And to God must all things return."

The fountain springs from Hamd

"All HAMD belongs to Allah, Lord of the Vastness of the World."

It is the first words of the Quran. It is combined with the definite article adding a sense of completeness and perfection. It is not just Hamd, but AL-Hamd. So important is the word 'hamd' that the name of our Prophet has been derived from it. In fact, almost every single prayer of his (S) began with the phrase Alhamdullillah.

It is often translated as "Praise", but such a word fails to deliver the personal touch it conveys. As Ameen Ahsan Islahi (R) has stated:

"The word hamd has commonly been translated as ‘praise’. I have preferred ‘thanks’ instead, because wherever this word appears in the Qur'an, it has been used to convey that very sense. For instance, the Qur'an says:

And they will say: thanks be to God Who guided us to this (felicity).(7:43)

And last of their prayers would be: thanks be to God, the Lord of the entire creation. (10:10)

Thanks are due to the God Who gave me Ismaeel and Ishaq even when I was old. (14:39)

Indeed the word praise is wider in its application than thanks since one can only express feelings of gratitude on such aspects of someone’s virtues that concern oneself directly, whereas praise may also include the mention of virtues which may include those that do not have any direct bearing on the doer of the praise. The meaning of thanks is however, the more predominant of the two. Therefore, in order to do full justice with this word, one must either use ‘thanks’ along with ‘praise’ or else the translation will have to confine itself to thanks only so that it may do justice in expressing the emotions of gratitude to convey the true spirit of the surah. Man can praise anything good even though it may not concern him directly at all. The ecstatic state of our nature this surah is conveying is, on the contrary, the result of our observation of those aspects of the Almighty’s attributes which are directly concerned with us, like His Sustenance and Mercy. If this aspect cannot be properly conveyed, the real essence of the surah will remain unrevealed. The word ‘thanks’ helps in conveying this sense."

The position of 'hamd' in this surah is no coincidence. Gratitude is part of our very being, and it brings the man who has not corrupted his true nature to the door of worship. The first ayah in Fatihah is actually a PROCLAMATION of that feeling of gratitude that overwhelms the heart upon BENEFITTING from God's unparalleled mercy.

This is the sum and substance of surah Fatihah, which in itself, is the key to the Quran. Islam is gratitude's expression, and when thankfulness is lacking one will never attain the sweetness of faith. It is through it that prayer becomes, like the Prophet (S) said, the "coolness of one's eyes". Even the immense sense of responsibility that leads one to belief in accountability is rooted in gratitude. For every bounty, there is surely a reckoning on how it is used.

Prayer cannot reach the heaven and charity is not accepted without it.

Ramadan and the QURAN

The Quran is clear that the purpose for fasting is:

1. To achieve TAQWA

Taqwa refers to a state in which a person, because of his profound recognition of the Almighty and His attributes, adheres to the commands, primarily taught to us through the revelation of the Quran, of His Lord. It requires patience and perseverance to attain such a state, and this is precisely the reason Muslims are commanded to abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset. Such a discipline is meant to TRAIN the individual to follow God's commandments, and this is why the Prophet (S) also said that God does not need the abstinence of his/her slave during this month, if he/she does not abstain from foul talk, and other sins. One does not fulfill God's commandments unless he adheres to them in LETTER AND SPIRIT.

As Jesus (AS) is reported to have said in the Gospels:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Mathew 23:23-24)


2. To celebrate the revelation of the Quran, Allah's greatest blessing, by praising the Most High and giving thanks to Him, for guiding us.

This reason is the impelling force in desiring to attain the former. Only those men who realize the value of their religion internally, can appreciate the profound blessings in revelation. One will only adhere to the directives of the Lord, if one cherishes them. One will only adhere to the revelation of the Lord, if one is grateful for it. The hanifs of Arabia before Islam understood this very well. They use to grab hold of the Kaaba complaining to the Almighty that they knew who He was, but did not know how to worship Him. If it weren't for Muhammad bin Abdullah (S), we may still be prostrating before idols, and making vows to stones.

Thus, if want wants to reap the blessings of Ramadan and attain taqwa, ONE SHOULD RE-EVALUATE THEIR LIFE IN RESPECT TO THE HOLY BOOK. It is about the QURAN, QURAN, QURAN, QURAN. In order to attain the fully blessings of the month, it is paramount Muslims re-affirm their love for the Quran by studying it, and trying to follow it. One should also not degrade whatever effort they make towards improving on the Quran this month, even if it is just little. God's mercy encompasses all, and He multiplies the good of His slaves.

The Implications of Tawheed as Manifested in Taqwa

Surah Baqarah begins with the failures of Bani Israel in performing their duties with respect to God Almighty in being the witnesses of truth to mankind. After reminding the Bani Israel of their failures and lack of obedience entailed to the covenant they established with God Almighty, the Quran sets the stage for the transferrance of this obligation of being witnesses to the truth to the new ummah, the Bani Ishmael. This transferrence of leadership is symbolized in surah Baqarah with the turning of the qiblah back to its original position to the House of God established by Ibraham (AS) and his eldest son Ishmael (AS). 'Ironically', the verse of this 'middle nation' being raised occurs in the very center, i.e. middle, of the chapter.

Once the indication of this transferrence has occured, the Holy Quran than begins to discuss the obligations of the Bani Ishmael entailed in the covenant, i.e. the shareeah. The first thing that God ALmighty dilates upon, from verses 163-176, is the principle of tawheed. The Quran draws attention to the manifest coherency in the universe, logically pointing to One Creator, as well as the bounties that have been given to man. The intellectual foundations of the religion are set for this ummah in verses 163-164. The next subject of discussion, i.e. verse 165, is emotional ties, with God declaring that love is due first and foremost to Him. Even here, there is an intellectual aspect to the verse, because the basic premise for loving God is drawn from the previous verses. God Almighty has granted man so many manifest blessings, and it is only worthy that love be granted to him first and foremost. This verse also sets the psychological basis for rejecting blind-following.

In verses 166-167, the Quran speaks about how, on the Day of Judgement, the evil leaders of men will disown any responsibility for their followers straying from the path. It was only because of excessive veneration and idolization that men followed these leaders in the first place. After dialating upon this excessive veneration, the Almighty than tells men, in verses 168-169, to reject all the baseless innovations that these leaders fabricated under religious pretenses. The Quran argues that innovating things under the pretense of religion is following in the footsteps of Satan. This lays the first and foremost practical implication of tawheed and that is only God Almighty has the right to declare something haraam.

Further, the Quran states immediately afterwards that Satan "only entices you to sin and lewdness, and to ascribe to God what you know not." This enticement is contrasted to what God desires men to eat, i.e. "eat of what is lawful and wholesome on the earth." This reveals another foundational fact regarding the directives of shareeah. Whatever God declared unlawful is because of the negative repurcussions intellectually, spiritually, and morally to man. God Almighty has no need to declare things unlawful for the lack of any harm caused to men. Satan on the other hand tries to entice men away from what is beneficial for them, by presenting what is harmful to men as good, and what is good for men as harmful. Taqwa, the foundation of being a Muslim, is in actuality being wary of this deception of Satan. Further, it must be realized that the word Satan, while it can be used for the father of the jinn, also is used on the Quran, as categorically declared in Surah Nas, for men as well.

As Amin Ahsan Islahi has stated in his commentary of the Quran regarding these particular verses:

"Here one aspect needs attention. By nature and by sense and reason, there is such a clear distinction between the directives given by God and those given by Satan that an upright person can have no problem in distinguishing them. It is mentioned in the previous verse that whatever edibles the Almighty has declared lawful are pure, pleasing and healthy both with respect to effects and their inner and outer appearances. On the other hand, whatever Satan urges man to adopt is harmful to one’s body and to one’s intellect and to morals and is instrumental in leading a person to lewdness and immorality. If in spite of this blatant difference, someone insists on following Satan then he has had it."

In verses 170-171, the Holy Book than refers to those that continue to be led astray. These people, instead of listening to their common sense, intellect, and intuition, are misled by their excessive veneration for past ways. Instead of looking forward to the horizon, they choose to remain on a path that has already been charted out for them.

"When they are asked [to leave aside these concepts and] follow what God has revealed, they reply: ‘We will follow the path trodden by our forefathers’. Would they follow their fathers even though they did not use their intellect and had no guidance?"

It is relevant to note that the Quran has not condemned the following of the forefathers per se in these particular verses, especially the following of those forefathers that charted the path of reason and revelation, as well as sacrifice. What the Holy Book is actually stating is that the path one follows must ultimately be dictated by intellect, as well as revealed guidance.

"Would they follow their fathers even though they did not use their intellect and had no guidance?"

The Quran awakens the mind of the believer, guided by revelation, to be the judge. If a person sees that his forefathers have charted a wrong course, than courage demands that he forge ahead on a new path. If a person sees that his forefathers have charted the right course, than he must adhere to it. Ultimately, a person must understand the course he is taking, including the destination the road is leading to. There is no reason for choosing to remain intellectually and morally stagnant. The Quran than gives a beautiful parable regarding the state of those that have chosen to stick to blind adulation and reverence, at the end of these verses:

And [in reality] the parable of these people who have rejected [in this manner to follow the path to which they were guided by the Almighty] is like that of a person who calls out those who can hear nothing but shouts and cries. They are deaf, dumb, and blind so they understand nothing.

This picture drawn is that of a shepherd, calling his animals who have wandered off to eat food. While the animals hear the voice of the shepherd, they do not understand anything beyond the sound of the voice calling. Blind-followers, like these animals, lack intellectual and spiritual vision to comprehend the truth, despite them being able to hear it. A Muslim on the other hand, cannot by like them. A Muslim, who has a strong cognizance of tawheed, cannot walk a path blindly. This is why the Quran commands the Muslims in verses 172-173, that if the rest of mankind does not heed this wisdom, than they must:

Believers [if they are not willing to abandon their religious innovations, leave them to themselves and] eat [without any hesitation] of the wholesome things with which We have provided you and be grateful to God alone if it is Him you worship. He has forbidden you only carrion, blood, and the flesh of swine, also any flesh that is slaughtered in the name of someone other than God. But whoever is driven to necessity, intending neither to desire nor to transgress, incurs no sin. Indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful.

In these verses God Almighty ties in the idea of abandoning these false innovations, with being grateful to God alone. The reason for this is quite clear. Javed Ghamidi states:

"It is indeed difficult to eat things which have been prohibited since the times of one’s forefathers. It is for this very reason that the Qur’an has cautioned Muslims that they should disregard such superstitions and whatever the Almighty has declared lawful should be consumed by them without any reluctance. This is in fact a requirement of worshipping Him and expressing gratitude to Him and Muslims must fulfill this requirement in all circumstances."

The Quran recognizes the difficult it takes in treading a new path from one's ancestors, but at the same time, in order for tawheed to be truly realized, and for the superstitious mentality to be abolsihed and men liberated from servititude to other men, they must acquit themselves of anything proving not beneficial for their own welfare. The liberating philosophy of tawheed cannot fail to be realized if the Quranic instructions are realized.

In the conclusion of it's discourse of tawheed from 174-176, the Holy Book states that the People of the Book knew that God Almighty had declared only certain things unlawful. And the only motivation for this was their excessive veneration for the things of this life. The Holy Book ends with the natural result to this disobedience. One is EATING nothing but the fire of hell, by selling the Book of God for such a cheap price. The description of the intensity of these certain people is so bad, accoding to the Quran, that they cane be described as SHEEQAAQ BAEED. Javed Ghamidi states:

"The word SHEEQAAQ means ‘opposition’ and ‘animosity’. When it is qualified by the adjective BAEED it means that a person has gone so far in his animosity that he is not only unaware of his own loss and benefit but also there remains no possibility of his returning and atoning for the wrong he has committed."

This reveals a profound psychological truth. When a person becomes engrossed in his emotions, it can lead to him becoming unaware of what is actually beneficial for himself, and what causes loss. And further, it can become so deep that one has no possibility of correcting one's self. It is important that a Muslim subject his self to serious introspection.

After this delineation on tawheed, verse 177 draws attention to the ethical basis of the shareeah. The law of Islam is not aimed at mere conventions and rituals according to the Quran, but is founded upon the principles of BIRR, i.e. righteuousness, and TAQWA, i.e. observing the limits with respect to God and mankind. Prayer is the first practical manifestation of realizing the right of God in this life, and zakaah is the first practical manifestation of realizing the right of humanity in this life. This verse further discusses that it is adherence to these principles of birr and taqwa in all periods, including demanding periods, such as illness, poverty, and war which ultimately proves loyalty to God. The ayah of Birr must also be seen in respect to the previous discussions of blind-following of others. If a person believes that God demands customary adherence to a particular path than he is gravely mistaken. There is no such thing as "I am a born Muslim." God demands one adhere to righteousness and God-wariness in all circumstances.

This verse, the longest in the Quran, opens up to the actual law of the Quran. These laws, as it starts to become obvious when one progresses reading the chapter, are founded upon the principles of taqwa and birr. The first mentioned law is that of qisas, i.e the law of retribution. This law states that the first and foremost objective of the shareeah is to restore the SACRED value of life. Everybody's life, irrespective of social class and gender, is not only untouchable, but possesses a sanctity from God. After delineated how retribution is to be performed in cases of murder, the verse of qisas end with the following:

"O men of insight that you may follow the limits set by Allah."

Here, it is quite clear that the laws purpose is to make man realize the sacred-ness of life, as being the necessary result of God-consciousness, i.e. TAQWA. After delineating on murder as well as the right to life, the Quran follows with the issue of the WILL. The shareeah, after ensuring the conception of the sacred value of each inidividual life, makes a person understand the sacredness attached to a person's WEALTH. This is one of the very reasons Islam has prescribed a severe punishment for theft. The wealth of an individual is also part of the honor of a person, and this is one of the reason labor is looked upon with esteem in the religion.

European civilization, boasts with Voltaire, the 'originality' of their culture in declaring natural law as being formulated upon these two essential principles, i.e. the right to life and the right to wealth. 'Ironically' though, Muhammad (S) pronounced on the Day of Arafat 1000 years prior, categorically to all his followers that:

"On This day the life and wealth of every Muslim has been declared sacred by God ALmighty."

It is no coincidence that in many hadeeth, the Prophet of God has joined the right of life, with the right of wealth as being sacred.

Further, just like the previous verses on qisas, the element of TAQWA is not lacking in these verses regarding the distributioon of the will.

"This is a duty incumbent on those who fear God."

Taqwa must be a motivating factor in the distribution will. The Quran states that while a person has the right to distribute his will, he cannot ignore those people who have legitimately given benefit to that person. He must not ignore his parents and near relatives, only decreeing wealth for his CHILDREN. This would be an injustice before God, and one will undoubtedly have to account for ignoring those who were kind to men in this life. As one ponders over the Quran, one begins to realize that the shareeah is meant to awaken mankind to the rights due to God as well as human beings. The laws are far from being pointless customs and rituals. Before finishing it's discussion on wealth, the Quran speaks about fasting from verses 185-187, starting with:

"[These are the limits set by God and only they cannot cross them who fear Him; so] Believers! The fast has been made obligatory upon you as it was made upon those before you so that you become fearful of God."

It does not take a genius to understand that TAQWA again is emphasized. Fasting has been instituted so that men become conscious of their responsibility to God as well as their fellow men. The Quran itself was revealed in this month, and being a book of guidance for those that POSSESS TAQWA, it is only natural that restraining one's self beyond normal, everyday limits be done during Ramadan. It is further only natural that one's bond with the Book increase.

After discussing the various reasons for fasting in verse 185, the Quran delineates on the proper attitude one must have with respect to God's injunctions if one does not fully understand them. He should continue his firm faith in the All-Knowing God by praying to Him and asking for more guidance, as well as fulfilling the directives God has revealed, [/b]as understood by that individual at that particular moment[b/]. This last point also connects with the previous command against blind-following.

The Holy Book than draws attention to how certain Muslims had deviated from this principle of going against their own moral conscience. Some Muslims, following the ahl-kitab, had thought to themselves that sexual relations during the night of Ramadan was also forbidden and against the spirit of the month. Despite their conscience, the Muslims indulged in it. Allah makes a remark on their lack of moral integrity, saying that 'God knew you were deceiving yourselves.' This verse in and of itself is a very powerful reminder of how high the Quran holds the moral integrity of a people. Despite the fact that these people were in error in their judgements, God still found it necessary to state the failings of these Muslims to abide by their own conscience. To quote Javed Ghamidi:

"If a person considers something to be a requisite of religion and still does not act according to it regardless of the fact that it is actually a requisite or not, then this is not permissible to him and would be called deceiving one’s conscience."

In respect to the above point, one must also understand that God also corrects the Muslims views regarding piety. The Holy Book allows the Muslims to approach their wives in the night UNHESITATINGLY, correcting the view of sexuality as being against piety, i.e. TAQWA, by stating:

"they are a garment to you as you are to them."

Javed Ghamidi has written regarding this aspect of being as garment with the following:

"The implication is that a husband and wife are so close and so inseparable as per the nature on which the Almighty has created them that except in compelling circumstances they should not be kept separate from one another. A little deliberation would show that the metaphor of a husband and wife being each other’s garment is very subtle. A garment has three aspects: covering the body, protecting it and embellishing it. A husband and wife are one another’s garment in all these three aspects. They are a cover to one another’s sexual desires and instincts, are means of protection for one another from the onslaughts of Satan and with their mutual interaction give all the colour and exuberance to life which becomes evident in the elegance and grace of human culture and civilization."

The view regarding sexuality as being against piety by the new Muslims was inherited from the AHL-KITAB, and Allah found it necessary to correct it in light of a very rigorous discipline of self-restraint. The very profound nature of it all should be deemed from this fact. Further, here again lies a clear remark directed towards blind-following and how traditions can cloud a proper view regarding life.

After speaking about fasting, the Quran than turns back to the issue of wealth in verse 188:

"And [it is the requirement to attain piety that] do not devour one another’s wealth by unjust means, nor bribe those in authority with it in order that you may wrongfully and knowingly usurp a part of the wealth of others."

While the verse returns to the original subject of wealth, it's being placed after a discussion of fasting is not misplaced. Notice the choice of words used in the verse:

"DO NOT DEVOUR..."

Remember also when reading this verse, the imagery used by the Almighty regarding the hiding of the truth by the ahl-kitab for a meagre sum of this world's wealth.

"In reality, those who conceal what God has revealed in His Book and for this they gain some meager wealth [of this world] SHALL SWALLOW nothing but the Fire of Hell into their bellies."

As is obvious, the objective of fasting is meant to extend to every facet of life.

After this discussion, one finds it very pertinent to mention that this chapter in and of itself was revealed in stages. Yet, there is a marvellous coherence. This is one of those very aspects proving the very power of the Quran. This is the Book that Muhammad (S) said was the proof of his mission. And Muhammad (S) does not lie. As that very Book states:

"Muhammad IS the Messenger of Allah."

(all translations are done by Shehzad Saleem from www.monthly-renaissance.com)

The REAL Meaning of Shahadah

"I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah..."

When the Arabs made an oath with another, they use to perform certain rituals to grant the act significance. Those a partisan to the oath would perform such rituals as "dipping their hands in water, rubbing perfume on their hands, or slaughtering an animal and sprinkling the blood on the parties involved in order to symbolize the blood relationship." (Mustansir Mir, "The Qur’an Oaths : Farahi’s Interpretation")

Blood added a SACRED dimension to the whole affair. The Arabs were so keen to preserve their oaths that even the threat of death to their children did not deter them from fulfilling them. Further, these oaths were accompanied by the presence of WITNESSES to testify to the reality of this oath, meaning that the witnesses were PART OF THE OATH. 'Shahida' has the meanings of 'to be present' and 'to be witness'. This is precisely why Mustansir Mir states:

"In fact, to bear witness to an event is to declare that one was present at the scene of the event."

What does this imply?

To 'witness' in Arabic does not mean an acceptance of a theological proposition. By witnessing, one has involved himself in something sacred. Unlike education today, where knowledge is considered the number of varying opinions one knows regarding a certain matter, the pre-Islamic Arabs, and those of the time of Muhammad (S) were not interested in theory.

"The forest of learning and invention is devoid of lion-hearted men
What remains is but the slaves of the Sufi and the Mullah, O Saqi!
Who has stolen the sharp sword of creative passion?
The learned hold an empty scabbard in their hand, O Saqi"

(Iqbal, Bal-e-Jibril)

The kalima is far from a proposition. It is a declaration of action rooted in a realization of the profound truth of tawheed. As the Almighty has said:

"God has purchased from the faithful their lives and worldly goods, and in return has promised them the Garden. Rejoice then in the bargain you have made. That is the supreme triumph."

(Translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com
Surah Taubah, verse 11)

Javed Ghamidi has stated regarding this verse:

"The Qur’an has declared that Islam is in fact a contract of sale and purchase with the Almighty: We sell our lives and wealth for the Paradise the Almighty has prepared for us."

The shahadah signifies an AWAKENING of man who realizes whom God is. There is reason why in Islam, 'the whole earth becomes a masjid'. Allah has also stated in this verse that it is man himself who has gotten the better deal, even though he is SELLING HIS LIFE AND WEALTH. And far is Allah from lying.

It is with this in mind, that a Muslim must understand his worship. If man does not realize the significance of 'tawheed' as well as it's implications, than his worship is useless. On the other hand, prayer begins to shatter the awareness of the believer if done with some semblance of realization of the truth of tawheed.

"God knows to which side my humble forehead turned in prayer,
that the Ka’abah itself is coming towards me seeing my faith’s power of attracting."

(Musleh-u-ddin Ahmed)

Angels never fail in implementing the commands of their Lord. It is because God has created the angels with wings, "twos, threes, and fours" to fulfill the obligations imposed upon them WITHOUT FAIL that the prayer and sujood of the son of Adam has a taste that angels are not even aware of. Man prays with the burden of failure. Yet, knowing whom God is, he is not overcome. He begins to see himself, including his own mistakes, as well as his own limitations as he moves from qiyam, to ruku, to sujood. One ASKS FOR GUIDANCE, one bows before God, and one repents. And after all this, in the last stages of the 'believer's ascension' as Muhammad ibn Abdullah (S) called it, he re-affirms his commitment to God Almighty to act. When one bears witness to 'tawhid' while sitting before God, it is a re-affirmation of a covenant made when one first accepted the religion AS AN AWAKENED INDIVIDUAL. When one points his finger in the symbol of tawheed, he is a re-affirming an OATH, A COVENANT that he has made with God Almighty. Through this act of prayer, man becomes the 'qalander', the perfect man whom the true sufis had once lamented that the world no longer possessed, because he realizes his own 'khudi'.

Religion and the Need to Find an Enemy

"[This is nothing], Certainly not! [O Prophet!] if he desists not We shall drag him by the forelock, a lying sinful forelock. Then let him call his help-mates. We shall summon Our guards.

Certainly not! heed him not and bow down in prostration and draw near [Me]."

(Surah Iqra, verses 15-19,
Translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

In Surah Alaq, the Almighty draws a comparison between the conduct of the leaders of Quraysh, primarily Abu Jahl, to that of Muhammad (S). The surah starts off by drawing attention to a special and magnificent bounty of Allah...

"Read out to them [O Prophet!] in the name of your Lord who created --- created man from a clinging fluid.

Read out to them and the fact is that your Lord is the most Bounteous who taught [this Quran] by the pen [in which] He gave man that knowledge which he knew not."

The Most High has granted a revelation to man in the form of a Book in order that man be taught the knowledge 'which he knew not'. This knowledge refers to the Quran, consisting of the 'the book and wisdom', i.e. the law and philosophy respectively, as testified too by the prayer of Abraham (AS). The phrase 'kitab and hikmah' points to the fact that the teachings are comprehensive and holistic. The Holy Book takes into account the intellectual, spiritual, as well as physical aspects of man in order that he be purified as well as his personality becomes elevated.

The bounty of the Quran MUST be weighed in the context of man's creation. This is precisely why the first verse draws attention to the fact that he was created out of lowly origins, an alaq'. Every stage of a human being's growth to manhood has manifested the lordship or rububiyyah of God, to the extent that man becomes a fully-blown reasoning creature, as well as a physically balanced creature. Ever since he was an embryo in the womb of his mother, God Almighty has GUIDED him intricately through every stage of his life to reach higher and higher stages of perfection. To think God sending revelation to man is something unusual is in fact contrary to the observations of the world around him.

"And your Lord REVEALED to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build,

Then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it a beverage of many colours, in which there is healing for men; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect."

(Surah Nahl, 68-69,
Translated by Shakir)

Revelation is an essential aspect of creation. If man is the apex of creation, than how logical would it be for Allah NOT to send man with guidance? It is only natural that when man has reached the stage of maturity, he must show appreciation to God Almighty by accepting the teachings sent through His Messengers. Further, in recognizing this bounty, man must always consider that guidance has always been a part of his life. In fact, the revelation in the form of a BOOK is the natural progression to this whole process in the lordship of Allah. Here is a living creature, who has attained its excellence over other creation through it's intellect as well as free-will. A BOOK that engages the intellect by calling the mind towards reflection, in order to GUIDE MAN is in fact, not surprising, athough it is mind-blowing.

The Quran, after drawing attention to this manifest bounty of revelation, shifts its focus to the reaction of certain men in response to it. The indifference of these rejectors to the truth was not one of an honest and sincere pursuit of knowledge.

"[Whatever vain talk they indulge in against it is baseless O Prophet!] Certainly not: Verily man is rebellious as he considers himself self-sufficient [in wealth]. [Let him think so] for verily to His Lord will he [one day] return."

The pscyhological basis for their rejection was that their wealth had deluded them into thinking that they were independent. Somewhere along the line, Abu Jahl forgot that he was a 'sticky fluid' ejected from the loins of his father. Somewhere along the line, he forgot that he was a lump of flesh in the womb of his mother. In fact, this delusion had penetrated the Quraysh to such an extent that they adopted a very rebellious and mean attitude towards the one (S) whom was reciting TO THEM the 'knowledge that he knew not". They could not leave him even when he was performing an act which was EXTREMELY PERSONAL.

"Have you seen him who forbids a servant [of Allah] when he prays."

It was evident that Muhammad (S) was 'on the right path' as testified to by his impeccable character. It was not that he (S) was lacking integrity, such that the Quraysh could find a justification for their behavior. Al-Ameen's character was flawless even before he (S) started received revelation. Nor was Muhammad (S) making any stringent demands on the Quraysh. He was simply 'urging them to piety'.

"Just consider if this [servant] of [Ours] is on the right path or urges [others] to piety then...!"

There was absolutely nothing that Muhammad (S) was calling them to that was unreasonable, or beyond their natural abilities. And here it was that a man had showed how lowly he was by persecuting the perfect embodiment of what it means to be a human being.

The Quran than warns this man:

"Just see if this [wretched] person denied and turned away then ... ! Does he not know that Allah is observing [him]?"

There is a subtle but powerful irony here. Allah has addressed Abu Jahl ALL throughout this surah in the THIRD person.

"Just see this person", "Does HE"...

He is not asking Muhammad (S) to look, but Allah, in actuality, is speaking to the leaders of Quraysh, particularly ABu Jahl, as a warning. It as if they are nobody and that their actions are too disgusting, that they cannot even be addressed directly. Think about a converstaion where you were talking to your friend, while an opponent of yours was standing close by doing something foolish. And than you say to your friend in a voice where the opponent can hear, "Look at him, only a fool could do such a thing.." While you may be directly talking to your friend, your words are aimed at your opponent. The tone changes the very implications of the statement. This is a similar situation to the Quran.

And than there is another shift in the manner of address:

"[This is nothing], Certainly not! [O Prophet!] if he desists not WE shall drag him by the forelock, a lying sinful forelock. Then let him call his help-mates. WE shall summon Our guards."

There will come a time when Allah will no tolerate their actions, giving them a chance to correct their own conduct. He will take their affront of the truth personally.

"if he desists not WE shall drag him by the forelock, a lying sinful forelock."

Allah has attributed the act of dragging to himself. While the leaders of Quraysh have been doing the persecuting, and He was watching, this does not mean that he will definitely not enter into this game himself. He will respond to their arrogance in a befitting manner. Just as they are enamored with their position, holding their heads high because of their 'social backing' in this world, Allah will have them dragged into hell on those very heads. Further, Allah describes that forelock as a lying, sinful forelock. These characteristics had become engrained in their very personality. In fact, the qualities chosen to define this forelock are not random. This short, but powerful description is tied directly to the former verse, where lying is directly attributed to Abu Jahl for his "denying" the truth, and sinning is attributed to him for his "turning away" from the truth.

"Then let him call his help-mates. WE shall summon Our guards."

When people in positions of power are threatened, they feel the need to call their friends, which may be politicans, media, body-guards or any of the like in their defense. Further, it is one of the reason they act arrogant in the first place. Deluded by the backing of their armies, they are embolded by the illusion that they can do whatever they want, without any accountability. And Allah retorts to this conception in their minds in what seems to be a sarcastic tone. As Allah states elsewhere in the Quran, in order to remind them of their over-estimation of their own power and ability:

"How many nations did We destroy before them that were mightier than they?"

And than the surah finally culminates in a very profound reality.

"Certainly not! heed him not and bow down in prostration and draw near [Me]".

Muhammad (S) is told not to focus on these personalities. There is an essential message that is being taught, and that is the objective of the religion is to establish nearness to the Almighty. Islam itself does not get itself caught up in blind hatred of a personality, to such an extent that this personality or that, this country or that, this ideology or that is the focus of its mission. It has no need to dominate it's rhetoric with the 'enemy', because it is meant to instruct men and purify them, as alluded to in the very beginning of their surah. Neither is Islam a political ideology, social or economic ideology, or a platform to jump on when one wants to protest an unjust cause. Pharoah's come and go... Even the men who led the world powers men could not halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease despite their positions in society, as well as their uninhibited access to radical advances in scientific technology. Not only men, but nations too, rise and fall... They are all transient, while Islam is eternal.

Allah will ultimately deal with ALL criminals, and whether justice is established in this world or not, too God Almighty everyone will return. Even if a just order was established in this world, one muist not be deluded into thinking that Islam has succeeded, because the pens of the angels recording the deeds of men will not stop writing. One must always keep it clear in his mind that this religion was sent to take men from the worship of creation to the worship of Allah, and one must engage one's self individually all the time with respect to God's revelation.

"[Let him think so] for verily to His Lord will he [one day] return."

Everybody is accountable for their own actions, and if one thinks one can assure one's own salvation by focusing on how other's act, they are gravely mistaken. Let man remember his origins, and the bounties God has bestowed upon him, and than let him weigh his conduct in light of how much he does as an appreciation for these bounties, because as stated above:

"Certainly not! heed him not and bow down in prostration and draw near [Me]".

Restoring Muslim Dignity

Most people believe that the success of Muslim civilization is evident from the duration of its rule over a third of the known world. While it is PARTIALLY correct to recognize that this time period does testify to the dynamism and purity of Islam, one must not confuse the extent of the duration as successful in terms of a purely Islamic perspective. Muslim history, like every other civilization, has been plagued throughout its existence with internal strife and agitation.

The reality is that the many centuries that make up most of the period of the khaleepha was the by-product of the initial spiritual impulse Islam had generated IN THE VERY BEGINNING of its existence in space-time. One must remember that it is the spiritual life forces which bind society together to pursue a specific goal. According to the hadeeth books, Muhammad's (S) first command of revelation was to read, followed immediately by the proclamation to "Arise and WARN". The prophetic religious experience cannot remain content with the individual alone, because it is too over-flowing for it to be contained.

As Iqbal quotes a pious saint as saying,

"Muhammad of Arabia ascended to the heavens and returned,
by God if I ascended, I would never return."

Muhammad (S), that day, could no longer remain introverted and he (S) never returned to the cave of Hira again.

When Islam burst forth in the world through Muhammad's powerful experienced, it shattered the world-view of a few individuals, who began to imbibe the truth the Prophet was proclaiming. This awakening was not just an acceptance of certain logical propositions, and dogmas that were satisfictory to reason, but this awakening could be said to be a TOTAL transformation of consciousness, with the roots originating from the very depths of the human personality. Islam began its movement in the world. We can measure the extent of this impact on the social order through the practice of wealthy Muslims, such as Abu Bakr and Uthman bin Affan, starting to free slaves of all races.

When Jafar (R) went before the King of Abyssinia, he informed the king about the teachings of the Prophet (S). The noble cousin of the Prophet did not just state that Muhammad (S) taught them the oneness of God, but in actuality what he (S) was doing was making them realize the IMPLICATIONS of tawheed.

"He commanded us to speak the truth, to honor our promises, to be kind to our relations, to be helpful to our neighbors, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed, to avoid obscenities and false witness, not to appropriate an orphan's property nor slander chaste women. He ordered us to worship Allah alone and not to associate anything with him, to uphold Salat, to give Zakat and fast in the month of Ramadan. We believed in him and what he brought to us from Allah and we follow him in what he has asked us to do and we keep away from what he forbade us from doing. Thereupon, O King, our people attacked us, visited the severest punishment on us to make us renounce our religion and take us back to the old immorality and the worship of idols."

The formation of the Muslim State in Medina was just a natural outcome of this awakening. As Malik Bennabi points out, the first real social act of the spiritual impulse of Islam that gave birth to Islam AS A SOCIAL ORDER was the pact of fraternal brotherhood made between the Muhajireen and the Ansar of Medina by the Prophet (S) himself. The latter opened up their homes and wealth to their brethren who had been forced to flee Mecca, to the extent that one Ansar would ask his brother Muhajireen to tell him that if the latter so desired, the Ansar would divorce one of his wives for the former to marry.

It is during the initial periods of a particular civilization that we can gage the dynamism of the faith at work. The spiritual forces within man are providing the very impulse to change society in accordance with the internal revolution. This is precisely why the Muslim world was innovative in every respect, to the extent that Muhammad (S) adopted the methods of the Persians in building a ditch to defend the city of Medina from attack. When the Quraysh witnessed this, they exclaimed in astonishment:

"By God, Muhammad has innovated something new!"

Umar the Great (R), during his rule, can credited with initiating ground-breaking reforms, to an extent that he (R) can rightly be considered the founder of the original social security system. He was so visionary, that he saw the need to separate the qadis, i.e. the judicial branch, from the main government. Judges were given complete independence to form their judgements. His predecessor Abu Bakr (R) played his role brilliantly too, securing the independent existence of the Muslim ummah after the leader that formed the basis of their religion and social existence had just passed. The apostates who revolted during his rule, thinking that with the death of Muhammad (S), Islam was finished. But they forgot already that God Almighty had taught the Muslims in Uhud that the idea can never be blurred by the personality.

"And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels!s, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful."

This period of the friend of Muhammad (S) revealed to the world that the Muslims were SELF-CONSCIOUS. Muhammad (S) was not the only one that awakened with the revelation of the Quran, but EVERY SINGLE MUSLIM awakened. The collectivity had been formed, and its power shone to the rest of the world, as it brought the Persian and Roman Emipres to their knees. Muslims, dressed in common garments, with their faces dignified by the light of tawheed went before kings dressed in silk without fear of anything.

But as time passes in the life of any civilization, and man starts to interact more and more with the soil, losing the necessary balance between the spiritual and temporal, the bonds that form society tend to break. The first break in civillization can be witnessed on a collective level, such as the Battle of Siffeen in the Muslim world, during the time of Ali (R) and Muawiya (R). The scholars have clearly noted that the first break in Islam was of a political nature, i.e. it was institutional. The issue of forced bayaah or allegiance to the ruler signified the first rupture in the philosophy of tawheed. "Men are all equal before God" was corrupted on the political plane with the origins of a monarchy. When the REAL DECLINE of a civilization 'march in history' begin, and the historical inflexion of civilization turns downward to use the words of Bennabi, the bonds of civilization bgin to break on an INDIVIDIUAL LEVEL. Men of that society begin to move towards two extremes. One of the extremes is an excessive infatuation with the world, including a negation of moral values, and the other is a drift into the realm of asceticism and nihilism.

While Islam showed AN inherent ability to keep a civilization in strong over any other 'ideology' despite the turmoils that faced it over time, eventually the Islamic impulse that kept the civilization moving in the right direction began to weaken, because even the impulse generated by religion is dependent upon the PEOPLE internalizing it. Muslim society was still able to sporadically produce marvellous contributions in certain fields, because the momentum had not totally dissipated. The architectural monuments of the Mughal Empire, the philosophical works of the Persians, coupled by the strength of the Turk were still evident in civilization. But these contributions were limited, and eventually. the dynamism waned to the the extent that we witness nowadays, a force equivalent to almost zero. This is precisely why one finds hardly any signficant contribution to humanity by the Muslim world.

Yet, the spiritual forces of Islam still showed, and continue to show their vitality on an INDIVIDUAL level. Even during the period of a civlizations decline, monumental and towering giants such as Imam ibn Taymiyya, Shaykh Sirhindi and Imam Ghazali arose. These figures responded to the challenges that were faced at a particular moment in time, and kept the fire of Islam burning in the hearts of the ummah. And what is further unique about this phenomenon of Islam is that these intellectual geniuses were not confined to a particular geographic location, but were scattered throughout the Muslim world.

"A tree from neither East nor West"...

The problem for the civilization is no longer that of institutions according to Bennabi. We see many movements content with simply relying on the UN mandates, and other schemes, to secure rights, and this is glaring proof of their not being able to last or make any signficant impact. The Muslim problem, as Bennabi points out, is that man, as an INDIVIDUAL, has lost his civilising elan. He needs to return to the original spiritual source of the religion, i.e. the Quran. Or as Iqbal puts it:

"Neither Razi nor Zamkashari will do you any good,
if the Quran itself is not revealed ON YOURT OWN HEART...."