New Views of Islam: The Islamic Way of Life

[mahdi-]

I think we should all benefit from this intriguing article as it was what had enticed me to share it with the rest of you.

 

 

New Views of Islam: The Islamic Way of Life

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PART 1

 

We have seen from previous articles that man has Fallen or degenerated

(94:4-8). His real self, the Spirit within him (32:9) has become dormant or

unconscious and he is then said to be Spiritually Dead. He has, instead, an

Ego or false self, which is the result of attachments and fixations to

objects, particularly his own body and its senses. He becomes unaware of

what is Universal and Transcendental and his consciousness is narrowed down

to what are called worldly concerns, clustered around himself physically.

The purpose of the Prophets and the religion they bring is to facilitate

regeneration or spiritual resurrection (6:123, 8:24). Religion, from the

Islamic point of view means a re-connection with one's source, and

re-connection with the spirit within. We come from Allah and will return to

Allah, the ultimate Reality (31:30), and Islam is "Surrender to Allah".

Islam is a contract or covenant between Allah and man as in the following

verse:-

 

"Verily, Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth,

because the Garden will be theirs; they shall fight in the way of Allah, and

they shall slay and be slain, a promised binding on Him in Truth, in the

Torah and the Gospel and the Quran; and who is more faithful to His covenant

than Allah? Rejoice then in the covenant which ye have made with Him, for

that is the supreme triumph." 9:111

 

Islam is an objective and complete way of life. (3:19-20, 3:85, 39:3, 98:5,

30:29-32). That is, it involves all aspects of life - body, mind and soul;

action, motives and thought. It is a framework of Doctrines or Beliefs, a

Goal and a Method of achieving it, all at the same time. The doctrine is

that all things are in a state of surrender to Allah; the goal is that human

beings should also surrender consciously; the method is the practice of

surrender.

 

It is evident that if there is no value system or it cannot be justified

then it cannot matter what we do or are. Everything is equally futile.

Conscious, intelligent human beings have an inherent need for an objective

purpose. It is the goal that determines the value system. That which

facilitates it is good and that which obstructs or counteracts it is evil.

 

The most fundamental concept in Islam is "Allah". This should not be

confused with the ordinary concept of God, but refers to that which is

described in the Quran, the infinite reservoir and source of all that has

come into existence and all that which has not yet been actualised,

including human powers and potentialities.

The second fundamental concept is that the Universe and all things in it

have a purpose and a direction of development (30:8, 38:28, 11:7).

The third fundamental concept, which flows from the second, is "Surrender",

All things in the Universe are in a state of surrender to Allah (13:15).

The fourth fundamental concept is that was created as a vicegerent (2:30-32,

23:115, 51:56), a growing point, who was also require to Surrender

consciously and aid the purposes of Allah.

 

It follows, therefore, that the life of the individual is not an end in

itself. This can, of course, also be discovered by observing the objective

world. As the cells in the body die though the body continues, so all

individuals die, but the community and the species continues, and even these

give way to others (4:133, 6:134, 35:16, 10:14-15, 21:11). Development

continues and others replace all kinds of systems. As the Universe is a

system in which all things are directly or indirectly interdependent, then

no sub-system can arise in it which does not have a function with respect to

the whole. There is, therefore, a much more fundamental unitary reality

behind the surface of separate objects. Unfortunately, however, the

unregenerate person cannot perceive this greater reality. It is

transcendental relative to his restricted consciousness. The disintegrated

mind cannot see the underlying unity. But the potentiality for perception is

there and requires an appropriate discipline to actualise it.

 

"The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You believe not, but

rather say: We submit; for faith has not yet entered into your hearts; and

if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish aught of your

deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." 49:14

 

"We shall show them Our signs on the horizons and within themselves until it

becomes manifest unto them that it is the truth. Is not your Lord

sufficient, since He is Witness over all things?" 41:53

 

Note that verse 49:14 makes a distinction between submitters and believers

and that the covenant in 9:111 above refers to believers not submitters.

There is a further stage, those who are in submission by their very nature.

(6:162-164, 30:30, 16:123). There are Muslims, Mumins and Hanifs.

 

A fundamental concept connected with Allah is Tauhid, Unity, which has far

reaching consequences:-

 

(a) Allah is Unity and bestows unity on things. This makes wholes that ar

always more than the sum of the parts owing to the pattern, order or

structure. All things are systems belonging as interdependent parts to a

higher system and being themselves composed of interdependent parts. Thus

the Universe is One, Humanity is One, Life is One and Religion is one.

 

(b) There is no separation between the spiritual and the secular, mind and

matter, between economics, politics, science and arts. They belong to a

single system and are inter-dependent.

 

© There is distinction between truth and illusion, between good and evil,

between harmony and conflict, between the useful and the futile. These are

distinctions between Unity and multiplicity, unification and disintegration,

harmony and chaos. Evil, falsehood etc. are not something positive, but the

absence of Good and Truth etc.. Thus there is a distinction between Muslim,

(those who submit to Allah) and non-muslim.

 

(d) But there is no distinction in the activity of Muslims between worship

and any other personal, social or environmental activity no matter how

trivial or important - it is both. Work whether it be physical, social or

mental, the practice of a profession or trade, organizing, administration,

the pursuit of science, all are aspects of worship. Every action is either

service to Allah or it is not, and it is then futile or harmful to the

person himself. And if it is futile, then it is also harmful because it

wastes time, effort and resources that could have been more usefully

employed.

 

Part two follows.