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ISLAM:
FROM PAST TO FUTURE
Islam
completely changes the one who accepts it
The
most striking point which strikes the eye concerning Islam and the
history of Islam is that Islam completely changes the one who
accepts it, however ignorant, rude and ill-mannered, into an
embodiment of almost all virtues and human values. The
intellectual, religious, cultural, social and economic decadence
of the pre-Islamic, nomadic Arabs is known to everybody who has
some familiarity with the subject. It was Islam which elevated
them into being the guides and teachers of humanity for centuries,
and models for every age. The manner displayed by the Muslim envoy
to the Commander-in-chief of the Sassanid armies at the battle of
Qadsiye, and the speech he made before that commander is enough
for one of good reasoning to perceive how Islam changed 'stones'
into 'gold or diamond', a point which is sufficient by itself to
prove the Divine origin of Islam.
What
was the cause of Muslims?
Rabi'
Ibn 'Amir, who had been brought up in the dark, polytheistic
climate of Arabia, where life was considered to consist of killing
and plundering to eat, but, by the blessing of Islam turned into
one of the 'immortal' guides of humanity, enters the richly
ornamented tent of the Sassanid commander. He is in a white, loose
garment, wearing a turban and carrying a spear in his hand. He
dismounts from his horse in the tent, seizes the pillow upon which
the enemy commander is reclining, tears a hole in it and ties to
it his horse by the reins. He does not bow before the commander,
rolls up the carpet on the ground and sits cross-legged on the
bare ground. This is to show the dignity and superiority of Islam
over all other pseudo-religions and how Muslims renounce their
lives for the sake of their sublime cause. This cause is
proclaimed by him in answer to the question of the bewildered
commander about their cause:
Our
cause is to elevate men from the dark pits of worldly life to
the high, boundless realm of the spirit; from the humiliation
of worshipping false, and usually man-made divinities to the
honor and dignity of worshipping the One God, the only Creator
and Sustainer of the universe, and to free them from the
oppression and depressions brought about by false religions
into the luminous and peaceful climate of Islam.
This
is the testimony by one who has experienced the beauties of Islam
of how high Islam elevates its adherents culturally,
intellectually and spiritually.
Where
did Islam turn the course of human thought
It
was Islam which turned the course of human thought from
superstition, love for the unnatural and the inexplicable, and
monasticism towards a rational approach, love for reality, and a
pious, balanced worldly life. It was Islam which inspired the urge
for rational and scientific researches and proofs to verify the
truth of established convictions. It was Islam which opened the
eyes of those who had been accustomed until then to identify God
with the natural phenomena. It was Islam which, in place of
baseless speculation, led human beings to the path of rational
understanding and sound reasoning on the basis of observation,
experiment and research. It was Islam which clearly defined the
limits and functions of sense-perception, reason, intuition, and
spiritual experience. It was Islam which brought about a
rapprochment between the spiritual and the material values. It was
Islam which harmonized Faith with Knowledge and Action.
Which
evils did Islam eradicate?
It
was Islam which eradicated idolatry, man-worship, and polytheism
in all its forms, and created a firm faith in the Unity of God. It
was Islam which showed the path of spiritual evolution, moral
emancipation, and attainment of salvation through active
participation in the practical affairs of the world in which we
live.
Islam
brought home to man his true worth and position
It
was Islam which brought home to man his true worth and position;
those who acknowledged only a 'God-incarnate' or a 'son of God' as
their moral preceptor or spiritual guide were told by Islam that a
human being like themselves having no pretensions to Godhead could
become the vicegerent of God on earth. Those who proclaimed and
worshipped powerful personages as their gods were made to
understand that their false lords were merely ordinary beings and
nothing more. It was Islam which stressed the point that no person
could claim holiness, authority, or overlordship as his
birthright, and that neither was anyone born with the stigma of
untouchability, slavery, or serfdom on his person. It was Islam
which inspired the thoughts of the unity of mankind, equality of
human beings and real freedom in the world. Many principles of
good behavior, culture and civilization, purity of thought and
deed owe their origin to Islam. The social laws which Islam
legislated have infiltrated deep into the structure of human
social life, and the basic principles of economics which Islam
taught have ushered in many a movement in world history and hold
out the same prospect for the future. The laws of governance which
Islam formulated continue, and will continue, to exert their
influence. The fundamental principles of law and justice which
bear the stamp of Islam continue to form a perpetual source of
guidance for humanity. It was Islam which established the whole
framework of international relations for the first time
practically, and regulated the laws of war and peace. Islam, for
the first time in human history, established an ethical code of
war and regulated relations between nations on the ground of
common humanity. Islam, as Arthur Leonard says,
in
fact, has done a work. It has left a mark on the pages of
human history, which is so indelible that it can never be
effaced. That only when the world grows will be acknowledged
in full.
Should
it be regarded as strange that Islam founded almost the most
brilliant civilization in human history?
That
Islam founded almost the most brilliant civilization in human
history should not be regarded as something strange since the Quran
begins with the injunction, "Read: In the Name of your
Lord Who creates". The Quran orders man to read at a time
when there was nothing yet to read, this means he is commanded to
read the universe itself as the book of creation of which the Quran
is the counterpart in letters or words. Man has to observe
the universe and perceive its meaning and content, and as he
perceives this he comes to know more deeply the beauty and
splendor of the Creator's system and the infinitude of His might.
Thus, it is incumbent upon man to penetrate into the manifold
meanings of the universe, discover the Divine laws of nature and
found a world where science and faith complement each other so
that man will be able to attain true bliss in both worlds.
Otherwise, as Bertrand Russel says, "unless man increases in
wisdom (and faith) as much as in knowledge, increase of knowledge
will be increase of sorrow." (Impact of Science on Society,
p.121) "Science teaches man to fly in the air like birds, and
to swim in the water like fishes, but man, without faith, cannot
know how to live on the earth.," (Quoted by Joad in Counter
Attack from the East, p.28}
What
are the purposes of the Quran?
The
Sublime Creator has referred in His Book, the Quran, to
everything that He has allowed man to learn and made a means to
his material and spiritual progress. The first aim of the Quran is to make God known to man, to open the way to faith and worship,
and organize man's individual and social life, thus guiding man to
perfect happiness in both worlds. Thus the Quran makes references
to many things and makes use of them in order to achieve this aim.
It mentions each thing proportionally to its significance with
respect to this aim: the more significant a thing is, the greater
right it has to be mentioned in the Quran. Thus the Quran, while
elaborately explaining the pillars of faith, fundaments of the
religion, and the foundations of human life and essentials of
worship, it hints at some other things according to their
significance for human life. The meaning of a verse may be
compared to a rosebud: It is hidden by successive layers of
petals. A new meaning is perceived as each petal unfolds.
Does
the Quran allude to scientific developments?
For
example, it hints at technological advances and marks their final
development by mentioning the miracles of the Prophets. It
encourages man to fly in the air and alludes implicitly to the
fact that one day man will be able to make spaceships and
aircrafts by the verse, "And to Solomon the wind; its
morning course was a month's journey, and its evening course was a
month's journey." (34:12) It also invites man to search
for the remedy of every illness in this verse, "(Jesus
said:) I also heal the blind and the leper, and bring to life the
dead, by the leave of God." (3:49), and hints that man
will one day be able to cure every illness and thus gives the
impression that as if death would no longer overtake him. By the
verse, "Said he who possessed knowledge of the Book, 'I
will bring it (the throne of the Queen of Yemen) to you (to
Solomon in Quds) before ever your glance returns to you'"
(27:40) the Quran foretells that one day images or even the
things themselves will be transmitted in a moment through
knowledge of the Divine Book of the universe just as a man who
possesses knowledge of the Book of Divine Revalation is able to
bring things from a long distance before one's glance returns to
him. The Quran also symbolically informs us that it might be
possible to identify the killer of a person by some cells taken
from his body at the time of death by narrating that the killer of
a person was found out in the time of the Prophet Moses by smiting
the slain man with part of a cow which the Children of Israel were
ordered to slaughter by God (2:71-72). There are many other
examples in the Quran of allusions to the scientific and
technological advances to be made by mankind in future, but these
instances suffice to give an indication of the matter.
The
Quran, being the book for every age and every person until the
Day of Judgement, has great depths of meaning; it is an infinite
ocean in which every person of knowledge and ability can dive
deeply, and according to his capacity find its pearls and its
coral. Its scientific wisdom is, as it were, rejuvenated with the
passage of time. Every generation discovers its wisdom anew, and
its secrets continue to be revealed with the passage of time.
In
the verse about the creation of the universe, "Then, He
turned to the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the
earth, 'Come willingly or unwillingly.' They said: 'We come
willingly" (40:11) the Quran indicates that there is a
difficulty in the cooperation between the earth and heaven. As is
known, the molecules and atoms in the atmosphere try to escape
into space while the earth tries to attract and captivate them.
For the formation of an atmosphere, the motions leading to the
escape of molecules have to be counterbalanced by the
gravitational attraction of the earth. This is an almost
impossibly difficult condition to fulfill. From the standpoint of
Geophysics, these extremely difficult conditions require the
preservation of three important balances: (i) atmospheric
temperature, (ii) proportionate gravitational attraction on the
part of the earth, and (iii) the non-violation of this balance by
various radiant energies arriving from space. The Quran expresses
all these facts by the phrases "Then He turned to the
heaven.. and said to the heaven and the earth: Come willingly or
unwillingly". That the almost impossible conditions are
fulfilled only by God's power is indicated by the phrase,
"They said: 'We come willingly.'"
The
verses 75 and 76 of the Chapter 'The Fearful Event', "No,
I swear by the positions of stars; and if you but knew, that is
indeed a mighty oath" are interpreted by modern
scientists to allude to the 'star locations' or 'black holes' and
'white holes (quassars)'. The verse, "Glory be to Him, Who
created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as
their own selves, and many other things of which they know nothing"
(36:36), after beginning with the warning that God Himself is
beyond being involved in any duplication, any likeness or equal,
proceeds with telling of the existence of created things in pairs,
this existence indicates opposition simultaneously with
similarity. The scientific definition of the creation in pairs
implies 'similar opposites'. The Quran gives three examples of
existence in pairs: (i) Pairs produced by the earth
(positron-electron, antiproton-proton, antineutron-neutron; pairs
that differ in their physical and chemical characteristics, e.g.
metals and nonmetals; biologically opposed pairs: male and female
sexes of plants and animals, and physically opposed pairs.) (ii)
Pairs of their selves (man and woman, personality traits such as
cruel - compassionate, generous - mean, and traits which are
similar but subject to opposed value judgements such as hypocrisy
- consideration..) (iii) Pairs we do not know about. The discovery
of the positron and 'parity' (creation in pairs) may be regarded
as a turning point in contemporary Physics, a fact which was
mentioned fourteen centuries ago by the Quran.
The
verse "He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and
all that lies between them; He is the Lord of the easts"
(37:15) indicates the spherical shape of planets and their
rotations. Because the concept of the 'Easts' introduces infinite
dimensions, and differs for each location on the earth. A point on
the earth is in the east with respect to its western regions,
therefore the 'East' concept is different at every point on earth,
and these form an ensemble of easts. Besides, there are 180 points
of sunrise, that is, the Sun rises at one place for only two days
in the year so there are 180 'easts'. Therefore, this verse is
also indicative of meridians as well as of infinite dimensions,
and of the relativity of space and the spherical shape of planets
as well as the rotation of the earth.
The
French scientist Jacques Cousteeu has discovered that the
Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean differ in terms of their
chemical and biological constitution. Captain Cousteau conducted
various undersea investigations at the Straits of Gibraltar in
order to explain this phenomenon, concluding that "unexpected
fresh water springs issue from the Southern and Northern coasts of
the Gibraltar. These water sprouts gush forth towards each other
at angle of 45°, forming a reciprocal dam like the teeth of a
comb. Due to this fact, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean
cannot intermingle." Subsequent to this assessment, Cousteau
was amazed upon being shown the Quranic verse "He has let
forth the two seas, that meet together. Between them a barrier,
they do not overpass" (55:19-20). This verse further
invites our attention to the plankton composition of the seas, and
to the flora and fish distributions that change with variations in
temperature. There are many other verses in the Quran which shed
light upon scientific facts, and it invites everyone to study it:
"Now We made the Quran easy for reflection and study. Is
there any that will study and reflect?"
The
book of Revelation and the book of creation
Muslims,
obeying the injunctions of the holy Quran, studied both the Book
of Divine Revelation, that is, the Quran, and the book of
creation, that is, the universe, and founded a magnificent
civilization. Scholars from all over the 'old' world benefited
from the centers of higher learning at Damascus, Bukhara, Baghdad,
Cairo, Fez, Qairvan, Zeitona, Cordoba, Sicily, Isfahan, Delhi and
other great cities throughout the Muslim World. Historians liken
the Muslim World of the 'Middle 'Ages', dark for Europe but golden
and luminous for Muslims, to a beehive. Roads were full of
students, scientists and scholars travelling from one center of
learning to another. Many universal figures such as Jabir Ibn
Hayyan, Ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, Muhamad Ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, Farabi,
Avicenna, Abu'l-Hasan al-Mas'oudi, Ibn al-Haitham, al-Biruni, al-Ghazzali,
Nasir al-Din at-Tusi, Abu Bakr ar-Razi and many others were
shining like stars in the high sky of sciences. In his monumental
Introduction to the History of Science, George Sarton adopted the
practice of dividing his work chronologically into chapters,
giving each chapter the name of the most eminent scientist of the
period in question. For the period from the middle of the eighth
century (second century after Hijra) to the middle of the eleventh
century, each fifty-year period carries the name of a Muslim
scientist; there are seven in all. Thus we have 'the Time of al-Khwarizmi,
the Time of al-Biruni', etc. Within these chapters we have the
names of about one hundred important Islamic scientists and their
main works. John Davenport, a leading scientist observed:
It
must be owned that all the knowledge whether of Physics,
Astronomy, Philosophy or Mathematics, which flourished in
Europe from the 10th century was originally derived from the
Arabian schools, and the Spanish Saracen may be looked upon as
the father of European philosophy. (Quoted by A. Karim in Islamic
Contribution to Science and Civilization.)
Bertrand
Russel, the famous British philosopher writes:
The
supremacy of the East was not only military. Science,
philosophy, poetry, and the arts, all flourished.. in the
Muhammadan world at a time when Europe was sunk in barbarism.
Europeans, with unpardonable insularity, call this period 'The
Dark Ages': but it was only in Europe that it was dark -
indeed only in Christian Europe, for Spain, which was
Mohammedan, had a brilliant culture." (Pakistan
Quarterly, Vol. IV, No.3)
Robert
Briffault, the renowned historian, acknowledges in his book The
Making of Humanity:
It
is highly probable that but for the Arabs, modern European
civilization would have never assumed that character which has
enabled it to transcend all previous phases of evolution. For
although there is not a single aspect of human growth in which
the decisive influence of Islamic culture is not traceable,
nowhere is it so clear and momentous as in the genesis of that
power which constitutes the paramount distinctive force of the
modern world and the supreme course of its victory - natural
sciences and the scientific spirit... What we call science
arose in Europe as a result of a new spirit of inquiry; of new
methods of investigation, of the method of experiment,
observation, measurement, of the development of Mathematics in
a form unknown to the Greeks. That spirit and those methods
were introduced into the European world by the Arabs.
The
realm of Islam in its first five centuries
For
the first five centuries of its existence, the realm of Islam was
the most civilized and progressive portion of the world. Studded
with splendid cities, gracious mosques and quiet universities, the
Muslim East offered a striking contrast to the Christian West,
which was sunk in the night of the Dark Ages. (L. Stoddard, The
New World of Islam) This bright civilization lasted for a long
time. Down to the terrible disaster of the thirteenth century A.D.
it still displayed vigour and remained ahead of the Christian
West. (Ibid)
Cordoba
in the tenth century (under Muslim rule) was the most civilized
city in Europe, the wonder and admiration of the world. Travellers
from the north heard with something like fear of the city which
contained 70 libraries with hundreds of thousands of volumes, and
900 public baths, yet whenever the rulers of Leon Navarre of
Barcelona needed such things as a surgeon, an architect, a
dressmaker or a musician, it was Cordoba that they applied. (T.
Arnold, The Legacy of Islam, p.9) The Muslim literary
influence was so vast that for example in Spain it was found
necessary to translate the Bible and liturgy into Arabic for the
use of the Christian community. The account given by Alvaro, the
Christian zealot and writer, shows vividly how even the non-Muslim
Spanish were attracted to Muslim literature:
My
fellow-Christians delight in the poems and romances of the
Arabs. They study the works of Muhammadan theologians and
philosophers, not in order to refute them, but to acquire a
correct and elegant Arabic style. Where today can a layman be
found who reads the Latin commentaries on Holy Scriptures? Who
is there that studies the Gospels, the Prophets, the Apostles?
Alas, the young Christians who are most conspicuous for their
talents have no knowledge of any literature or language save
the Arabic; they read and study with avidity Arabian books;
they amass whole libraries of them at a vast cost, and they
everywhere sing the praises of the Arabian world..." (Indiculus
Luminosus, translated by Dozy)
The
effects of Islam on the peoples who accepted it
If
the purpose of education and civilization is to raise a sense of
pride, dignity, honor in individuals so that they improve their
state and consequently the state of society, Islamic education and
civilization then have proved to have done this. There is ample
evidence quoted by various writers showing how Islam has succeeded
in doing this to various peoples of various regions, e.g. Isaac
Taylor, in his speech delivered at the Church Congress of England
about the effects and influence of Islam on people, said:
When
Muhammadanism is embraced, paganism, fetishism, infanticide
and witchcraft disappear. Filth is replaced by cleanliness and
the new convert acquires personal dignity and self-respect.
Immodest dances and promiscuous intercourse of the sexes
cease; female chastity is rewarded as a virtue; industry
replaces idleness; license gives place to law; order and
sobriety prevail; blood feuds, cruelty to animals and slaves
are eradicated.. Islam swept away corruption and
superstitions. Islam was a revolt against empty polemics.. It
gave hope to the slave, brotherhood to mankind, and
recognition to the fundamental facts of human nature. The
virtues which Islam inculcates are temperance, cleanliness,
chastity, justice, fortitude, courage, benevolence,
hospitality, veracity and resignation... Islam preaches a
practical brotherhood, the social equality of all Muslims.
Slavery is not part of the creed of Islam. Polygamy is a more
difficult question. Moses did not prohibit it. It was
practiced by David and it is not directly forbidden in the New
Testament. Muhammad limited the unbounded license of polygamy.
It is the exception rather than the rule... In resignation to
God's Will, temperance, chastity, veracity and in brotherhood
of believers they (the Muslims) set us a pattern which we
should do well to follow. Islam has abolished drunkenness,
gambling and prostitution, the three curses of the Christian
lands. Islam has done more for civilization than Christianity.
The conquest of one-third of the earth to his (Muhammad's)
creed was a miracle.
The
reasons for the decay of Islamic civilization
Although
Islam ruled two-thirds of the old civilized world for at least
eleven centuries, laziness and negligence of what was going on in
neighborhood was responsible for the decay of the Islamic
civilization, but not of Islam itself. Military victories and a
sense of superiority induced Muslims to be content with what they
had achieved and to neglect further researches in the sciences.
They abandoned themselves to living their own lives, reciting the Quran
but without ever studying its deeper meanings. Meanwhile
the Western World made great advances in the sciences, which they
had borrowed from the Islamic civilization. As already mentioned
in this book, the sciences are in reality the languages of the
Divine Book of creation, which is another aspect of the religion.
Therefore, whoever neglects to study this book is destined to lose
in the worldly life, and this negligence was the reason why
Muslims fell under the domination of the West. The cruelty,
oppression, and hedonism, and the imperialistic tendencies of the
Western civilization have also made great contributions to this
result.
What
about tomorrow?
It
is impossible that Western civilization will last long since it is
materialistic and far from satisfying man's perennial needs.
Western sociologists such as Oswald Spengler and others predict
the collapse of this civilization, which is against basic human
nature and values. Islam has been available to humanity for
fourteen hundred years, and the luminous world of the future can
be founded upon the firm foundation of Islamic ethics,
spirituality and its socio-economic and administrative structure.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Said Nursi, Sozler (The Words 1, The Words 2), Istanbul,1958
- M.
Abdulfettah Sahin, Asrin Getirdigi Tereddutler I
(Questions This Modern Age Puts to Islam), Izmir 1990
- Haluk
Nurbaki, Verses from the Glorious Quran and the Facts of
Science, 1989
- Maurice
Bucaille, Kitab-i Mukaddes, Kur'an ve Bilim (Turkish
trans.) Izmir,1981
- Mustafa
as-Sibai, Some Glittering Aspects of the Islamic
Civilization, Lebanon,1984
- Arnold
Toynbee, Medeniyet Yargilaniyor (Turkish trans.)
Istanbul
- Rene
Guenon, Modern Dunyanin Bunalimi (Turkish trans.)
Ist.1979
- A.
Ahmad, Garbin Islam'dan Ogrendikleri, Istanbul
- A.Y. el-Hassan,
D.R. Hill, Islamic Technology, Paris,1986
- T.
Arnold, The Legacy of Islam, Oxford,1960
- S.
Hussain Nasr, Science and Civilization in Islam,
London,1987
- Sufi
Esays
- Haydar
Bammat, Islamiyetin Manevi ve Kulturel Degerleri,
(Turkish trans.) Ankara,1963
- Roger
Garaudy, Islam'in Va'dettikleri, (Turkish trans.)
Ist.1983
- Islam'in
Yasayanlara Cagrisi
(Turkish
trans) Ist.1986
- Gai
Eton, Islam ve Insanligin Kaderi, (Turkish trans.)
Ist.1992
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