Islam is based on truth, logic & common sense and not on blind belief, superstitions and ritual acts of worship. It’s about searching and pondering to eventually arrive at the truth to become the enlightened being Allah created us to be.
With the name of Allah most Beneficient ever Merciful
Islam is based on clear proofs and being witness to the Truth as this verse states:
“How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and after they bore witness that the Messenger is true and after clear proofs came to them And Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers. Al Quran 3:86.
A narration of Hazrath Ebrahiem (AS) in the Holy Quran shows just how important logic and common sense is. Hazrath Ebrahiem (AS) broke all the statues except for the largest one and hung the axe around the neck of this statue.
When he was questioned as to who broke the statues he replied that they must ask the big statue. They replied that the statue does not talk. He then told them ‘how can you worship something that does not talk or defend itself.’
Throughout the Holy Quran, Allah Subhanatallah uses logical reasoning and analogies to teach difficult concepts. As an example one of the analogies used to explain the most difficult concept of ‘life after death’ is this:
“…While the earth appears to you lifeless and barren, it throbs (with life) and swells (with growth) and puts forth every kind of beautiful herbage, when We send down water upon it. Such is (the epithet of life and nature) to prove that Allah alone is the Truth and it is He Who brings the dead to life and He indeed is Possessor of power to do all that He will,..” Al Quran 22:05.
These verses do not command but they are appealing to our reason and common sense.
Although the Holy Prophet ﷺ, depended solely on Allah Subhanatallah, much of his actions and teachings also conformed to sound logic. When he noticed a companion fasting continuously he told him not to fast in this manner because of health reasons and prescribed for him a certain amount of optional fasts.
When a companion commented on someone rushing off to work instead of coming to the mosque the Holy Prophet ﷺ told him that it is also important for people to take care of the needs of their family and this is also a part of religion.
He discouraged becoming monks and nuns but instead encouraged his followers to live a balanced life. It would have been so easy for him to encourage religion only and it could have been so easy for him to encourage such requests and thoughts because he was foremost a religious teacher.
All his teachings are logical and practical so that we could derive the best of both worlds.
All the companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the compilers of Hadith, the learned Imaams etc. also used logic and common sense. Hadith methodology is the science developed by the compilers of Hadith and this science is recognised today because of its rational, scientific approach.
Once Hazrath Abu Hanifa(RA) was asked: why are men allowed to have four wives while a woman is only allowed one husband? Is this not discrimination? He could not give an answer immediately and he pondered deeply over it.
His daughter Hanifa noticed his pensive mood and enquired as to what bothered him. When she heard his predicament she replied in the most subtle way: “If milk from four goats were poured into one bowl would you be able to differentiate the milk of each goat.” He realised then, that if one woman has to have many husbands, then to identify the father of the child would be a problem.
This shows how perfect our religion is. Unlike our man-made laws of today which results in long term chaos, religious laws are flawless.
Now imagine how proud Hazrath Abu Hanifa (RA) felt when he learnt that his religion was so thorough. His faith definitely increased and if we too ponder, instead of just accepting everything we read or hear, then we too, would taste the sweetness of faith.
Our faith would not be built on just hearsay but it would be firmly built on what we can vouch for from the bottom of our hearts.
The Holy Quran time and time again asks us to reflect and we give just two examples:
“Say, I advise you (to do) one thing, (it is) that you keep Allah (before) you, stand up in twos (collectively) and ones (singly) and then ponder (over the teachings of this Prophet). (You will come to the conclusion) that there is no vestige of insanity in (this) companion of yours (Muhammad). He is only a Warner to you of a great calamity which is impending (over you).” Al Quran 34:46.
This verse came down when some of the people of Mecca were accusing the Holy Prophet ﷺ, of insanity. What is important in this verse, is its opening line: “Keep Allah in thought” when we are reflecting because it is He we rely on to guide us. Get input from others and put the facts together so that we could make an informed choice.
“These are the persons who remember Allah standing, and sitting and (lying) on their sides and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth (and say,) `Our Lord! You have not created (all) this in vain. Glory be to You, save us from the punishment of the Fire.” Al Quran 3:191.
In everything there is the sign of Allah, if we but only ponder over it. Pondering and reflecting boils down to thinking of Allah Subhanatallah and this is prayer too.
“Know O son that everything in the universe is a jug which is (filled) to the brim with wisdom and beauty. In everything in the universe is a drop of the Tigris of His Beauty, which because of its fullness is not contained under the skin (which should enclose it). It was a hidden treasure: because of its fullness it surged up and made the earth (like) a sultan robed in satin.” Matnawi 1:2860
Allah Subhanatallah and His Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, does not want us to be blind, ritualistic followers. They, in fact, abhor and dislike this. They want us to think, to ponder, to reflect, to question and to contemplate because it is only when we do this, that we could develop certainty of faith based on logic.
“…And who do not shut their ears and eyes to the commandments of their Lord (but listen to them attentively and with their eyes open) when they are reminded of them (so that their belief is based on conviction and not on mere hearsay).” Al Quran 25:73
At the same time we must remember not to ponder to find fault in others or our religion but to earnestly seek to learn more about our religion and our Creator.
Some things are difficult to understand and we must never write them off. Instead we must keep them in the back of our minds and whenever the opportunity arises to learn more about this then we must try again.
Sometimes the results we get, when we search, would be different to what we were taught because there are many different views and opinions today as there were in the times of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, and although it is difficult to accept the Truth when it is different to what we have been taught, we have to follow the Truth for this is what religion is all about.
Many are the people that punt a certain way and we must be careful not to become blind followers. At the same time there are those few who earnestly teach what is right and when we find such people then we must try to make the most of them.
The following is a quote from the Mathnawi which teaches us not to be ritualistic.
It teaches that Allah Subhanatallah does not want our prayers and our fasts but He wants a person who has taken lessons from his prayer, fasts and charity to make himself better.
“The stipulation of (implied) in ‘he that comes with good, (shall be rewarded tenfold) does not consist in doing (good): it consists in bringing the good to the presence of God. You have a substance (essence) human or asinine (bestial) (bring that to God): how can you bring (to Him) these accidents (words and deeds of worship) which have passed away? As regards these accidents of fasting and prayer – since that which does not endure for two moments becomes naught. It is impossible to carry over the accidents (into another state) but they (may) take away diseases (defects) from the substance. So that the substance becomes changed by means of this accident, as when disease is removed from abstinence. Conjugal intercourse was the accident: it passed away, and the substance, which is the child, was produced from us…. Similarly the planting of the garden is the accident: the produce from the garden became the substance – behold the object (for which the garden was planted)…. Do not say then, ‘I have done deeds (prayer etc.)‘: show the income (fruit) of those accidents, do not evade (my request). Mathnawi 2:944
End.
Peace and blessings be upon Muhammad Sallallahu Allayhi Wasallam.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi, December 2015.
The Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr/Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saab RA).
Author: Mohamed Hassan Gaffoor WhatsApp; +27 84 910 1486