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THE CONCEPT OF MAN IN

WAH... ĪD AL-DĪN KHAN’S WORKS

By

*

Muhammad Amin Abdul Samad

*

Dr. W. Haddad God and Man in

Nov. 28, 1978 Contemporary Muslim

Thought (397-702D)

INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES

MCGILL UNIVERSITY

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INTRODUCTION

This paper is an attempt to outline the concept of man as presented

by Wah.īd al-Dīn Khān in the following texts: a. al-Islām wa ’l-‘As.r al-

H...adīth, 1st ed. (Cairo: al-Mukhtār al-Islāmī, 1976), b. H...ikmat al-Dīn, 1

st

ed. (Cairo: al-Mukhtār al-Islāmī, 1973), and c. al-Islām Yatah.addā, 4th ed.

(Cairo: al-Mukhtār al-Islāmī, 1973). The writer presents man as God’s

vicegerent on this earth, who is created to worship Him and to obey Him

by applying the Sharī‘ah (Islamic law)

This paper is divided into four chapters: 1. The objective study of

man, 2. The purpose of man’s creation, 3. Man’s responsibility for his words and deeds, and 4. The law of God. Polemically by nature, Khān

used to cite Qur’ānic verses as well as Prophetic traditions to support his

view.

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I. THE OBJECTIVE STUDY OF MAN

Khān has referred to a number of studies on man in which scholars

reached what they called “objective answers,” for example: a. Man is a political animal. Politics is a dominant motive. Man’s

private life, family or social existence is based on, directly or

indirectly, political aspirations; b. Man is an economic animal. His attitude is molded by economic

conditions; c. Man is a spiritual animal, and his existence can be completely

refreshed by reviving and stimulating his spirit. For example,

listening to music, or looking at a beautiful scene, etc., may enable one to perceive another world, the spiritual reality in which there is

love and purity of soul, instead of envy and hatred.

The advocates of this school of philosophy which Khān allows to

remain nameless asserted that spiritualism directs one’s feeling away from

the material world to a spiritual realm inside oneself as broad as the material one.

Basically, Khān agreed with the advocates of this view that man consists of rūh (soul, spirit) and ‘aql (reason). Because soul delights

feeling, Khān contends that the response of the call of soul should be

exclusively based on feeling. The charm of the fine arts can create feeling. That experience, however, cannot grasp the whole of human existence, and

as a result, this feeling will disappear.

Man is in need of a clearly known and fixed point as the centre of his

hopes and aspirations. Such a fixed point would become the goal of

human journey. Lacking an inspiration of this kind his soul will be lifeless, and will wander without any refuge. Khān called it al-h.arakah al-

īmānīyah (the believing movement). Its centre is God and His Revealed

Book.1

1 Khān, . al-Islām wa ’l-‘As.r al-H...adīth, pp. 40-45.

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II. THE PURPOSE OF MAN’S CREATION

a. ‘Ibādah (Worship)

Khān cited the Qur’ānic verse in which Allah stated the purpose of

man’s creation, namely, “I created

the jinn and human kind only that they might worship Me.” (Q. 51:56).

Worship is total submission to God. This submission, according to Khān, has two levels: 1) the submission of man’s limbs and external works to

Allah, and 2) the submission of man’s heart to Allah, and the participation

of his internal world in His kingdom (malakūt Allāh).

These two levels of worship embody themselves in the Qur’ānic

verse: “…Lo!

Worship preserveth from lewdness and iniquity, but verily remembrance of Allah is more important…” (Q. 29:45). The writer asserted that the above

verse also explains the two levels of benefit obtained from the prayer: 1)

man becomes obedient to his Lord in his remembrance of Allah (dhikr Allāh). The latter is the highest level of achievement, because prayer does

not merely manifest itself through external submission, but also penetrates

into man’s heart. In this way, prayer becomes a spiritual link between man and his Lord.

In Khān’s view, these two levels of worship are also indicated into

the following h.adīth:

“Worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you are not able to [worship Him as you] see Him, then verily He sees you.” The higher level of

worship is worshiping Allah as we see Him, while the lower level is

worshiping and obeying Him with the strong belief that He sees us. Achievement (al-fawz) in the Hereafter is also on two levels, depending on

the level of worship one has performed on this earth. The higher level is

what the Qur’ān called al-sābiqūn al-awwalūn (the first to lead the way), while the lower level was called as.h.āb al-yamīn (those on the right hand).

The former will receive a special blessing from God, while the latter will

receive an ordinary one.2

2 Idem, H... ikmat al-Dīn, pp. 30-31.

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b. Muqtad.ayāt al-‘Ibādah (Requirements of Worship)

Worship is the basic devotion. But it has requirements to be fulfilled

by man as compliments of his devotion. However, both the worship and

its requirements are necessary for Muslims. Khān mentioned four requirements of worship:

1) Obedience (al-t.ā‘ah)

Obedience is a kind of worship dealing with the external affairs of

man, namely, his daily life. There are two kinds of obedience: individual

obedience (al-t.ā‘ah al-fardīyah) and social obedience (al-t.ā‘ah al-

jamā‘īyah).

Individual obedience requires that every Muslim should obey Allah in

matters dealing with his life as a whole. This includes precepts dealing with ethics and social life. For example, obeying Allah in his eating and

drinking. Muslims should obey Allah in their private lives. Khān cited the

following Qur’ānic verse to support his view:

“And it becomes not a believing man or a believing woman, when

Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they

should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray

in error manifest.” (Q. 33:36)

With regard to eating and drinking, Allah said:

“ O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We

have provided you, and render thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He whom ye worship.” (Q. 2:172)

Social obedience deals with the application of the Sharī‘ah (Islamic law) to the Muslim ummah (community). Khān asserted that the Sharī‘ah

was revealed at Madīnah after the establishment of Muslim community in

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that city. Similarly, the laws to the children of Israel were revealed to them when they had established their community in Egypt

2) Testimony (al-Shahādah)

What Khān meant by the shahādah here is the call to Islam to worship

Allah alone. The Islamic call should reach every person so that there would be nobody who would claim in the Hereafter that no call to Islam

had ever reached him. As evidence, Khān cited the following Qur’ānic verse:

“Messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the

messengers. Allah was every Mighty, Wise.” (Q. 4:165).

In Khān’s view, calling non-Muslims to Islam does not necessarily

mean to explain Islam to them in detail, but rather starting with the fundamentals of the faith, for example: believing in Allah, the revelation,

the Hereafter, etc.

3) Enjoining What is Good and Prohibiting What is Reprehensible (al-

Amr bi ’l-Ma‘rūf wa ’l-Nahy ‘an al-Munkar)

A Muslim should not live for his own good alone, but also for the

good of his community. Therefore, Khān divided the concept into two

sections: individual and social. In the individual section, it is the work of an individual Muslim to give his advice to his Muslim brothers

according to his ability. This is what the Prophet meant by “Religion is

advice” ( ).

As for the social aspect, Khān asserted that if the Muslim community enjoys freedom and free choice, there should be leaders

representing this community in carrying out laws imposed on their

community. This had been done by Prophet Moses when he divided his people into twelve tribes with twelve leaders. But if the community does

not enjoy full freedom of action, then teachers and propagators should be

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appointed. This had been done by the Prophet before the hijrah, when 75 people (among whom two women) attended the Second Pledge of

‘Aqabah. In this pledge 12 leaders (3 among the Aws tribe and 9 among

the Khazraj) were appointed, to whom the Prophet said: “You are responsible for your own people.” This is also the case when Ja‘far was

appointed as the leader of the Muslim refugees to Ethiopia. The case

will be the same with Muslims living outside Muslim lands, where a leader should be appointed to arrange their affairs and to impose their

religious duty in their community.

4) Defending Religion (Nas.rat al-Dīn)

Defending religion is also called “raising the Word of Allah” (i‘lā’ kalimat Allāh). It has many aspects depending on the situation and the

kind of danger. Khān mentioned some leading personalities in Islam in

defending religion, among which were: ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz, Ah.mad ibn H...anbal, al-Ghazālī, and S.alāh. al-Dīn.

A Muslim is not enjoined to go beyond his ability in defending

religion. The ruler uses his power, while the scholars use their writings and speeches.

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III. MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS WORDS AND DEEDS

The author tried to prove scientifically that whatever man said and did was recorded and he would be responsible for them in the Hereafter.

With regard to the words of man, Khān asserted that the moment man moves his tongue, it creates waves in the ether forever, and this can

be heard again. But Khān admitted that science has not yet invented an

instrument that can receive the sound waves of the words of people from the past. However, scientists believe in the possibility of inventing such

an instrument in the future. We do not know who these scientists are, for

the author did not give us any name or reference.

3 Ibid., pp. 46-64.

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The main problem is not receiving this sound wave, but rather making distinctions among so many sounds, or in other words, selecting

one sound, so that only one sound is heard. This is the problem of radio

transmission where every radio station transmits in different wavelengths. Whenever man invents a receiver for the voices of people

of the past, the idea of the existence of the Last Day would be acceptable

by means of analogy. The writer gave the example of Dr. Mus.addiq’s

case. Dr Mus.addiq (Mosaddek) was the former Prime Minister of Iran.

A tiny tape-recorder was put in his cell and recorded whatever he said.

This recording was later used against him in court.

Khān concluded that this finding was not contradictory to the idea of

the existence of the invisible angels of God who record and print on “the

pages of space” (s.afah.āt al-kawn) whatever we say. The Qur’ān said:

“He uttereth no word but there is

with him an observer ready.” (Q. 50:18).4

Regarding the deeds of man, Khān contended that all of our deeds,

even in the dark, were imprinted in space as pictures. It has been proved

by science that everything emanates heat permanently everywhere in every condition. This heat forms the shapes of things from which it

comes. Man has invented an instrument called the evapograph which

can receive heat waves. Unfortunately, this instrument can only produce a graph of something that occurred hours ago.

5 Khān concluded that it is

not far from reality to say; that our deeds are registered on the screen of

the universe. Guilty people on the Last Day would say, as mentioned in

the Qur’ān:

“…Ah! Woe to us! What kind of a book is this that leaveth not a small

thing nor a great thing but hath counted it!…” (Q. 18:49).6

4 Idem, al-Islām Yatah.addā, pp. 80-81.

5 One example given by the author is that on one dark night an unidentified plane was

flying over New York City. By using the evapograph to measure the atmosphere

over the city, the plane was identified. Ibid., quoting Reader’s Digest (November,

1960). 6 Ibid., pp. 81-82.

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IV. THE LAW OF GOD

Dealing with the problems of civilization the author discussed

legislation and law. He asserted that the real legislator is God, Who created mankind. He denounced laws based on the will and the approval

of people. The proscription against alcohol, American law does not

prohibit drinking wine, because it accepts the right of man to freely choose his food and his drink, as long as he does not disturb people in his

community. Adultery according to the law is not a crime as long as it is based on mutual consent. Britain was compelled to legalize many

prohibited relations between man and woman in spite of the protest of

scholars and jurists.

The author stressed the importance of ethics. According to him law,

in order to stand firm must have an ethical basis. Some examples are: oaths given by the accused, the accuser or the witnesses are accepted;

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criminals are considered guilty in court as well as in society. Khān

stressed the importance of belief in the Hereafter, that rather than the fear of the police and the court, it can prevent people from committing crime.

It is evident that the criminals could use experienced lawyers, or give false

testimony, and thereby escape punishment.

Defending the Divine Law as the only legal and correct one, the

author dealt with the question of equality between man and woman, a principle that has been advocated by many people. Scientists like Alexis

Carrel, he contended, have agreed that woman is very different from man

and therefore cannot be equal in everything. Carrel said:

The differences existing between man and woman do not come

from the particular form of the sexual organs, the presence of the uterus, from gestation, or from the mode of education. They are of a

more fundamental nature. They are caused by the very structure of

the tissues and by the impregnation of the entire organism with

7 A man at the court of Western Circuit (? ) gave false testimony and said:

“If I am telling a lie, let God make me die here this moment.” He hardly finished

speaking when he fell down and died. Ibid., p. 143, quoting Sir Alfred Denning, The

Changing Law (N.p., 1953), p. 103.

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specific chemical substances secreted by the ovary. Ignorance of these fundamental facts has led promoters of feminism to believe that

both sexes should have the same education, the same powers, and the

same responsibilities. In reality, woman differs profoundly from man. Every one of the cells of her body bears the mark of her sex. The

same is true of her organs, and above all, of her nervous system.

Physiological laws are as inexorable as those of the sidereal world. They cannot be replaced by human wishes. We are obliged to accept

them just as they are. Women should develop their aptitudes in accordance with their own nature, without trying to imitate the males.

Their part in the progress of civilization is higher than that of men.

They should not abandon their specific functions.8

Polygamy is another example. Khān asserted that closing the door of

polygamy opens the doors of immorality. Statistics issued by the United Nations in 1959 stated that the illegitimate children in the world had

increased 60 %. In Panama itself, 3 out of 4 children were illegitimate. In

Muslim countries, this number was close to zero. Egypt, the Muslim country most influenced by the West, had an illegitimacy rate of less than

1 %.

In the field of Islamic penal law, Khān mentioned the two purposes of

the capital punishment: 1) the elimination of the seed of crime; 2)

prohibiting retaliation when diyah (blood money) is paid. According to the author abolishing capital punishment would increase crimes. One

example is that when Sri Lanka (Ceylon) abolished capital punishment in

1956 the number of crimes increased. The Prime Minister Bandaranaike himself was assassinated by an armed man who entered his house. After

his burial the Parliament held a meeting which lasted for four hours,

concluding with a new law on capital punishment.

In the matter of livelihood (al-ma‘īshah) Islam recognizes individual

property. Khān observed that a country like the Soviet Union which applies collective ownership of land, has declined in land production and 8 See Alexis Carrel, Man, the Unknown, 2

nd ed. (New York & London: Harper H&

Brothers, 1939), pp. 89-90. Alexis Carrel was a French surgeon who was awarded

the Noble Prize in 1912 for his success in suturing blood vessels and the transplanting

of organs.

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cattle breeding. In 1962, 170 000 head of cattle died in one province due to lack of grass (pasture) and negligence in breeding. The Soviet Union

was compelled to import millions of tons of wheat from Australia, Canada

and the United States. Between 1941 and 1956 Soviet Union imported 1.25 million tons of wheat from the United States.

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EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION

The author’s major goal in writing his books was to defend religion,

namely, Islam, from materialistic secular influence by showing that science is in harmony with Islam. The author is a journalist, and the

motto of this profession is, “A journalist should know everything under

the sun.” He seemed to have studied the subjects related to his topic very thoroughly. However, he lacked certain details. He did not provide us

further explanations in solving the problems he was raising in his writings.

In dealing with man, either as a political, economic, or spiritual

animal, the author did mention any names of scholars who upheld these

views. In fact, the writer in his work al-Islām wa ’l-‘As.r al-H...adīth gave

us only two footnotes at the bottom of pages 43 and 52. Furthermore, the book has no bibliography, and for further study on man we must locate the

author’s bibliography ourselves.

In dealing with the purpose of creation of man the author in his book

H...ikmat al-Dīn mentioned only the Islamic point of view, namely, that

man is created to worship God, but not the views of philosophers. He

elaborated his point basing his argument on the Qur’ānic verses and the h.adīths. He referred to many books on the Qur’ānic exegesis (tafsīr al-

Qur’ān), the h.adīths and fiqh (Islamic law).

With regard to man’s responsibility for his words and deeds, the

writer did cite many Qr’ānic verses, but he did not give us details on the evapograph, the instrument invented to record heat waves. We do not

9 Khān, al-Islām Yatah.addā, pp. 146-152.

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know who invented it and when it was invented. The only reference given to us in his work al-Islām Yatah.addā is Reader’s Digest, November,

1960.

The author was propagating the application of Islamic law (Sharī‘ah) not only for Muslims, but also for non-Muslims. In his book

al-Islām Yatah.addā he gave us many references on law. He tried to trace

some shortcomings of laws which are not based on the Sharī‘ah. Indeed, the problems of law in this book were given in detail, but not in others.

Compared to the other two books, al-Islām Yatah.addā is the

biggest one. It is also the earliest one to have been published. The fact that it was reprinted three times in 1973 (once in Kuwait and twice in

Cairo) indicates its popularity among Arabic speaking readers.

However, the defects of this book as well as the other two, are that some Western authors’ names were written in Arabic characters only,

although the titles of their works were written in Latin characters, for

example: and . Those who will do further research

have to know the right spellings of these names in Latin characters.

Another defect of Khān’s works is that he did not mention the

names, places and dates of the publication of most of the books referred

to in his writings. This makes it difficult for those who want to check the author’s reference. Different editions would sometimes make a

reference to different pages. For example, the author referred to Alexis

Carrel’s Man, the Unknown on page 93, while it is on pages 89-90 in the 1939 edition. He must have been using the first edition in 1935.

In spite of these shortcomings, Khān’s books are very valuable to Muslims. He himself is considered one of the great contemporary

Muslim thinkers on the Indian sub-continent.