Why Islam?
The question
"why?" demands a rational answer.
It is true that one cannot have an
adequate mental picture of some mathematical and scientific facts. For example,
one cannot have an adequate mental or visual picture of the curvature of space,
or one of the mathematical concepts of infinity. Nor can we really have an
adequate mental picture of the way in which certain animals experience things,
such as the way in which bats 'see' by using ultrasonic waves. However, know
these concepts to be true because of solid evidence and not because of some
non-rational ideas. Therefore we can say that we do indeed comprehend them.
Now what about the concept of a
singular, all-knowing entity which has created the universe. It is impossible
to have any mental or visual picture of such an entity, for evidence tells us
that this entity must be unlike anything in the universe because this entity
must be independent of space and time. The evidence for the existence of this
single intelligence lies in the design of nature itself, which we can freely
examine; hence, such an ideology is rational. If one realizes this - through
confirmation - then one can proceed to answer the question: Why Islam?
One of the main problems with an
atheistic ideology is that it cannot explain intelligence in the processes of
the universe. Another problem is that it tends to deprive life of meaning.
Furthermore, we know that human beings are naturally inclined to be honest;
however, in atheism there is a denial of an ultimate originator and of anything
beyond death, which creates a contradiction and leads to an inconsistency in
behaviour – on the one hand a person would be inclined to be honest, and on the
other to be dishonest 'to make the most of this world'. [If everyone insisted
on 'making the most of this world', society as we know it would not exist. As a
case in point, let us suppose that all those who wanted to 'make the most of
this world' resorted to thievery. If this happened, no one would be producing
the goods (growing food for instance) that the rest of us could steal. Hence it
seems that 'making the most of this world' as system of action is doomed to
failure. Could it then be a viable system of belief?]
Broadly speaking, with regard to
theistic ideologies we have the revealed, the distorted and the man-made. One
can easily say that a way of life communicated to humankind by the creator of
this universe is preferred to man-made ideologies. If one wants to follow the advice
of that which has made the universe and all that it contains - regarding what
is beneficial or harmful - then it is better to refer to pristine communication
from this originator, than to that communication which has been fabricated or
distorted by man.
Those ideologies claiming to be
based on revelations can be subjected to a number of tests, the first and most
important of which is that of consistency. We must look for two types of
consistency: internal and external. Internal consistency means that a statement
made in a book must not contradict another statement in the same book. External
consistency means that a statement made in a book must not contradict facts as
we know, be they psychological, physical, chemical, historical, geographical,
biological and so on. Applying these tests, consider the most important truth
that all the supposedly revealed ideologies proclaim, that is, the existence
and perfect attributes of God. God for all ideologies, that claim to be
revealed, is supposed to be all knowing, all merciful, everlasting etc.
However, some books imply that God's knowledge is limited and imperfect by
saying that, for example, God was deceived by a human. In contrast, the Quran
provides the perfect concept of an all-knowing, singular originator of this
universe.
This leads us to the next test -
that of authenticity. The question that should be asked is whether the
******ures that we have today are indeed a communication from the originator to
humankind. A study of the history of Islam would show that the present Quran is
exactly the same as that which was communicated about one thousand four hundred
years ago. During its revelation it was committed to memory by a large number
of people and also written down.
Yet another test is that of
comprehensiveness. A truly comprehensive ideology, revealed to humankind by the
designer of the universe, would describe the most beneficial system in all
spheres of life including the political, economical, social, medical and
environmental spheres.
Lastly, we might look at the test
of universality. Clearly, an ideology which is historically or graphically
bound is not as good as that which applicable to all human beings, irrespective
of the time and place of their origin.
In conclusion, if one uses the
criteria of universality, comprehensiveness, authenticity and above all,
consistency, one would find the Quran unique and worthy of investigation. It is
interesting to note that the Quran itself stresses the above-mentioned
approach. For example, in verse 82 of chapter 4, it is said, "Will they
not ponder about the Quran? If it had been from other than God, then they would
have surely found in it many inconsistencies."
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق