By
December
25, 2020
Among the
deniers of ‘Religion’ are also those who argue that religion is created by man
for his so many needs, especially psychological. They argue that man himself is
above ‘Religion’.
In light of
Islam man has no role in the making of religion. The source of religion is
external. It is Allāh – the Almighty God, Who, with His utmost Beneficence and
Mercy guided man through His Messengers towards the Absolute Truth which could
not be known through the senses.
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Also
Read: Universal
Dimensions of the Qur'an and Historic Specificity of Islam's Theological
Sciences
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Absolute
reality is beyond. The physical world is only an evidence for the existence of
that reality. In order to acquire knowledge of the physical entity man has been
bestowed with some important faculties through which he gains knowledge. These
faculties include: senses and reason.
The
arrangement between the sources of knowledge, senses and reason, is such that
each one has its limits, and a particular sphere of activity beyond which it
does not work. In natural sequence, the knowledge of things man collects
through his senses cannot be deduced through bland reason. Similarly, the
knowledge of things that comes through reason cannot be discovered by senses
alone. In short, reason gives no guidance as far as the five senses work
efficiently, and when the five senses become helpless, reason starts
functioning. However, this demarcation is not a watertight one. In fact reason
operates simultaneously with the senses and also works on the pedestal of the
senses. Without senses reason has but a very meager role. The guidance given by
reason is not unlimited. This too stops at a certain limit. Then there are
things the knowledge of which can neither be acquired through senses nor
through reason. In order to find out answer to such questions, we cannot move
further without a divine source.
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Reason and
sense perception alone are not enough to show the ultimate way to God. It is
all the more necessary that some other superior source be there for such
guidance. Since that superior knowledge isbasically needed where reason does
not work, it is, therefore, not necessary that everything communicated through
that superior source be compulsively comprehended through reason; what is
beyond sense perception cannot necessarily be reasoned out through material
evidence.
The source
of Truth is beyond this world and beyond man’s own faculties. As said, absolute
Truth is not subject to reason. Since it is beyond, its knowledge is not a
subject of human experience and observation. As the source of light is the Sun
but its light is reflected by the objects it falls on, so is God the ultimate
source of Truth which reflected by the creation.
The means
through which the absolute divine knowledge comes to man is the revelation. It
is the real revelation, not the supposed revelation, which serves as the basis
of the True Religion — the single divine guidance for the whole mankind.
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Also
Read: The
Muslims’ ignorance /disregard of the Qur’anic guidance and its Colossal and
Recurring Cost
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Essence
of Revelation
Revelation
(Arabic: Wahi) is thus man’s spiritual need which helps him to the highest
issues of his life. The concept, nature and purpose of this Divine revelation
have been expressly stated in the Glorious Qur’an and the Hadith.
Besides
being a spiritual necessity, Wahi is also a rational need. Believing that Allāh
has created mankind for test and He will judge between them on the Day of
Judgement, it is quite reasonable to believe that He did not forsake man in the
dark. He has surely instituted some regular system for his guidance. Wahi and
the institution of Risalah (Prophethood) constitute the divine scheme to
guide man in matters beyond senses and reason. Therefore, Wahi is not only a
religious belief but also quite tenable the rejection of which amounts to a
rejection of the ultimate Wisdom of Allāh.
The method
it follows is that Allāh selects one of His servants, ordains him as His
messenger and to him reveals His Word, the Wahi.
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Also
Read: The
Broader Notion of Din Al-Islam Is Inclusive Of All Monotheistic Faiths
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The
physical world, as an object of observation, investigation and experimentation,
is not the whole in itself. It can only serve as the evidence for the absolute
truth enshrined in the revelation. The holy Qur’an states that the universe is
creation of Allāh. On and off the objects and the natural phenomena are
presented as evidences of the Divine, Unity, Power and Providence. Hence the
statements in the revelation has signs of its genuineness in the creation. Thus
says the Wahi:
“Behold!
in the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night
and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of
mankind; in the rain which Allāh Sends
down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is
dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the
change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between
the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.”
(Al-Baqarah 2:164)
Tradition
says that the holy Prophet of Islam used to retreat for days in the cave of
Hira to go in seclusion and needed solitude to ponder over the mysteries of nature.
His very substance was becoming saturated with the ‘signs’ in the heavens so
that he might serve as an entirely adequate instrument for a revelation already
inherent in these ‘signs.’ Sometimes he would to see pleasant dreams which in
turn proved true. But certain and
unambiguous knowledge of the Ultimate Truth beyond this physical world which
provided ample evidence for that Truth was yet far away. So in order to express
the deep and intimate personal relationship of the Divine Grace, Mercy and Tenderness
with man, Allāh sent down revelation as Divine Guidance to him (Al- Qur’an,
Al-Baqarah 2:38) so that it could act as criterion to judge between right and
wrong (Al-Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2:213, Al-Tariq 86:13).
Wahi is the highest source of knowledge which
answers a lot of metaphysical questions which cannot be answered by the
rational knowledge alone. Such question include, for example,
Such
questions shave been bewildering human mind ever since man set foot on this
planet. Such questions are directly related to our overall understanding of the
world and life.
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Also
Read: Who
Are Those Who Will Believe And Those Who Will Not?
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Revealed
Knowledge
Revealed
knowledge provides answers to these bewildering questions and addresses the
liturgical and eschatological issues, answers the questions regarding Allāh ﷻ’s
purpose behind creating mankind, and acts as guidance for the mankind to choose
the correct way with certainty.
As Din
(Absolute Reality) is divine, belief on the other hand, is essentially the
matter of heart and mind. Therefore, the Qur’an does not allow any coercion in
matters of religion and declares in clear terms that nobody can be forced to
accept any faith.
Islam gives
equal importance to both the aspects of human life i.e. the worldly life and
the life after death. It, in fact, considers the life after death as
continuation of this life. In fact Islam warns those people who are after the
luxuries of worldly life of great loss in the hereafter and gives glad tiding
to those who ask God for good in both the stations of life. The Holy Qur’an
testifies this in these words:
“There
are some who say, ‘Our Lord, give us abundance in this world.’ These shall have
no share in the world to come. But there are others who pray, ‘Our Lord, grant
us good in this world as well good in the world to come, and protect us from
the torment of the fire.’ They shall have a good share from what they have
earned.”
(Al-Qur’an,
al-Baqarah 2:200-2)
True
religion must broadly govern five fields of human life including the Imaniyyat
(the belief system) ‘Ibaadah, (worship), Mu‘Amalat
(transactions), Mu‘Asharat (mutual sharing in day to day social life)
and Akhlaqiyat (moral behaviour). Islam has a well-defined system of
belief and rituals. It governs mutual human relationships and economic
transactions on the basis of a well-organized system of moral and ethical
value.
True belief
is a matter of conviction. It is therefore, a learned thing involving the
believer’s free consent and deliberate judgment, “not a narrow-minded addiction
to a single track of thought, certainly not a ‘pre-judgement’ ”. Therefore, a
sincere believer is always on the way to the actualization of his belief.
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Also
Read: Science
and Religion
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It needs
almost three steps for a man to actualize his faith and become a true Muslim: Al-Tasdiq
Bi Al-Jinan (believing by heart), Al-Iqrar Bi Al-Lisan (giving
witness by tongue), and Al-‘Amal Bi Al-Arkan (acting by body organs) The
Muslims therefore, need to be called first to the actualization of their Iman.
This is an unending process. Yaqin (certitude) has no fixed state. It goes on
increasing day by day, moment by moment. That is what the Holy Qur’an points to
in clear terms:
“Believers!
Believe in Allāh and His Messenger and in the Scripture He sent down to His
Messenger, as well as what He sent down before.”
(Al-Qur’an,
al-Nisa’ 4:136)
Rational
Knowledge
Rational
knowledge comprises two spheres: science and philosophy. Both of these human
spheres of knowledge have no role in answering the above questions. Science and
religion have nothing to do with one another, being two entirely different
realms. The one has to do with observable phenomena and the other with matters
that are beyond the grasp of observation or experiment. As such, they do not
conflict, but neither can the one be used to confirm the other. Similarly
philosophy, although endeavors to engage with the metaphysical realm, has never
come up with any certain knowledge about it except some hearsay and conjecture.
Original
Headline: Is Religion Man-made?
Source: The Greater Kashmir
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/reason-sense-perception-alone-enough/d/123877
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