THE REVEALER (AL-MURSIL) THE MESSENGER (AR-RASUL THE …

THE REVEALER (AL-MURSIL)

THE MESSENGER (AR-RASUL)

THE MESSAGE (AR-RISALAH)

MUHAMMAD BAQIR AS-SADR

Translation: Dr. Mahmoud M. Ayoub

WOFIS

WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICESTEHRAN -IRAN

First edition 1400/1980Second edition 1406/1986

Published by

World Organization for Islamic Services,P. O. Box No.11365-1545,

Tehran - IRAN.

In the Name of Allah,The All-compassionate, The All-merciful

Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all being;the All-compassionate, the All-merciful;the Master of the Day of Judgement;

Thee only we serve, and to Thee alone we prayfor succour;

Guide us in the straight path;the path of those whom Thou hast blessed,

not of those against whom Thou art wrathful,nor of those who are astray.

O' Allah! send your blessings to the head ofyour messengers and the last of

your prophets,Muhammad and his pure and cleansed progeny.

Also send your blessings to all yourprophets and envoys.

Dear Reader,

The book you now have in hand is one ofthe many Islamic publications distributed by thisOrganization throughout the world in differentlanguages with the aim of conveying the messageof Islam to the people of the world.

You may read this book carefully andshould you be interested to have further studyon such publications you can contact us througha letter. Naturally, if we find you to be a keenand energetic reader we shall give you a de-serving response in sending you some otherpublications of this Organization.

You may express your views on this publi-cation and the subject matter discussed in it, andhow far you have benefited from it or whichpart of the subject matter has proved useful toyou and your environment. You will be able,in this manner, to introduce yourself as one ofour good and active reader.

Meanwhile, you can keep our address at thedisposal of your friends and those individualsinterested in Islamic Studies.

Publications Secretary,WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES,

( W0FIS).

CONTENTS

Page

PUBLISHER'S PREFACE:

AUTHOR'S FOREWORD ................ 25

1. THE REVEALER ................... 31

1. Belief in God, the Exalted ........... 332. The Scientific Argument for the

Existence of God, the Exalted ........ 47

a) Definition of the Method andDelineation of its steps ............ 50

b) Evaluation of the Method ......... 52

3) How to Apply the Method to Provethe Existence of the Creator .......... 64

In Arabic.......................... 15English translation ................... 19

II. THE MESSENGER ................. 103

4. The Philosophical Argument ......... 75

a) An Example of the PhilosophicalArgument for the Existence ofthe Creator ..................... 78

b) The Materialist Position towardthis Argument .................. 87

5. The Attributes of God, Exalted be He . . 97

a) His Justice and Rectitude .......... 98b) Divine Justice as Argument for

Reward and Punishment........... 100

A) Introduction: The General Phenom-enon of Prophethood ............. 105

B) Demonstration of the Prophethood ofthe Greatest Messenger, Muhammad . . 111

C) The Role of Outside Factors andInfluences ...................... 132

III. THE MESSAGE ................... 135

Islam .......................... 137

NOTES............................... 1 49

GLOSSARY .......................... 157

PUBLISHER'S PREFACE

The great scholar and brilliant Islamic thinker,as-Sayyid Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr, one of thegreat scholars and jurists of Imami (Twelvers)Shi'ism, in the noble city of an-Najaf al-Ashraf,Iraq, is too well known through his works andoriginality of thought for us to introduce himto readers in the Muslim world. He has written,on Islamic philosophy, Falsafatund (Our Philo-sophy), a comparative study of Islamic philosophyand other schools of philosophy in the West,both ancient and modern, with special attentionto the philosophy of dialectical materialism. Hehas also written al-Usus al-mantiqiyyah 10-istigrd'(The Logical Foundations of Induction), a studywith a new approach to the inductive argumentaiming at the discovery of the common logicalfoundation of scientific investigation and faith

1 9

Publisher's Preface

in God. The present book is based on that studyand contains a good summary of it.

In the field of Islamic economics, the authorhas written Iqtisddund (Our Economics), in twovolumes. The first volume is dedicated to a comparative and objective study of contemporaryschools of economics, especially Marxist economics.The second volume is an attempt to discover abasis for an Islamic economics, or an Islamicschool of economics. This study is thorough andbroad in its scope. The author has also written inthis field al-Bank al-ld rabawf ff al-Islam (Towardsa Non-usurious Islamic Bank), which is a disser-tation presenting an Islamic alternative to usury.Usury, which is the foundation of the banking andexchange business in modern capitalist society,is strictly prohibited by Islam. The author has alsowritten a detailed study of all aspects of bankingin the light of Islamic jurisprudence (figh). On asomewhat related subject, he has also written abook entitled al-Insdn al-mu 'asir wa'l-mushkilahal-ijtimd Yyyah (Contemporary Man and SocialProblems).

In the field of historical studies, the authorhas written Fadak fi"'t-tdrfkh (Fadak in History),

20

Publisher's Preface

which is a study of the political history of Islamduring the first century of the hijrah. The startingpoint of this study is the investigation of Fadak,a region of the Hijaz, near Medina, the Illuminated,which the Prophet gave as an inheritance to hisdaughter, the pure and righteous Fatimah az-Zahra'(the Radiant), peace be upon her. The authorexamines in this book the opinion adopted by theauthorities which came to power after the deathof the Prophet, peace be upon him and his house-hold, concerning this inheritance. It is a study ofthe point of view of the rulers and their attitudestowards this problem, as well as the point of viewof those who were wronged and whose rightfulclaim to their usurped property was ignored; theseare the people of the household of the Prophet,peace be upon them all.

The Sayyid has composed another work onwildyah (authority of the Imams), which relates onthe one hand to the study of Fadak, and on theother to the fundamentals of Islamic faith. In thiswork, he attempts to answer two questions: Howdid Shi `ism originate and how did the Shi'ah com-munity arise? This book was originally written asan introduction to another work entitled Tarikh

2 1

Publisher's Preface

al-Imdmiyyah wa asldfihim min ash-Shi `ah (A His-tory of the Imamis and their Shi'ah Predecessors),written by Dr. `Abdulldh Fayydd. The Sayyid'sintroduction was later extracted from the bookand published separately in several editions. He haswritten several other works on the fundamental ofIslamic belief, other than the work under consider-ation, including a book on the al-Mahdi, and thepresent study. Similarly, in usul al filth (Funda-mentals of Jurisprudence), which is the author'sprimary field of specialisation, he has written anumber of works. All his books appeared in closelysuccessive editions, a fact which proves much morethan can be expressed here concerning the eminentplace which the author occupies as a scholar.

Among the many works of the author is thepresent study, small in its size, but large in itssignificance and scope, a book of great benefit.This treatise was first written as an introductionto the author's book al-Fatdwa al-wddihah (ClearLegal Opinions) and published with it. Later, how-ever, it was detatched and published separately.

When we decided to bring out this profoundstudy in an English translation, we saw fit to letthe book itself and our brief introduction to some

22

Publisher's Preface

of the author's works suffice to introduce him toEnglish readers. God, praised be He, has providedDr. Mahmoud Ayoub, a professor at the Universityof Toronto, Canada, to undertake the task oftranslation.

We pray God, praised and exalted be He, tomake of this book a source of blessing and benefit.We pray also that he prolong the life of His Eminence, the author, and grant success to the trans-lator. We pray that God accept our endeavour as apure offering for the sake of his noble face andthat He set our steps firmly on the straight pathand grant us success to do that which pleases Him.He alone is the best Master and best Supporter.

Peace be upon you, God's mercy and Hisblessings.

WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES,(Board of Writing, Translation and Publication).

17/7/1399

23

Tehran - IRAN.

12/6/1979

AUTHOR'S FOREWORD

In the name of God the All-merciful,the Compassionate.

I have been requested by some of our greatscholars, a large number of our students and otherbelievers to follow the guidance and example ofthe great scholars before us in investigating asubject whose importance grows day by day.Earlier scholars used to append to their treatiseseither a brief or detailed introduction in proofof the existence of the Creator and the basicfundamentals of religion. This was because anyscientific study is only an expression of personalreasoning (ijtihad), attempting to comprehend theprecepts of the sacred Islamic law (shari ah) withwhich God the Exalted sent the Seal of theProphets as a mercy to humankind.' This expres-

2 5

Author's Foreword

sion, moreover, depends fully on the acceptanceof these fundamentals: faith in God, the Revealer,the Prophet as Messenger and the message withwhich he was sent. These together constitutethe basis and content of any scientific study, aswell as the reason for humanity's need for it.

I complied with this request in the beliefthat therein is God's pleasure, and because theneed it would fulfill is great indeed. Nonetheless,I was faced with the following question. In whatstyle should I write this introduction so that itshould have the same degree of simplicity andclarity as the work for which it was originallyprepared, that is, my book

al-Fatawa al-wadihah(Clear Legal Opinions)? I also wished the bookto be accessible to anyone capable of understand-ing the legal ordinances contained in the fatawd.I discerned, however, a basic difference betweenthis introduction and the book. Legal fatwasare simply the results of analogical reasoning(ijtihad) and deduction

(istinbat) without theneed for proof or analysis, while mere presentationin such an introduction would not suffice. It isimperative, therefore, to resort to verification(istidlal)

because sacred law demands persuasion

26

Author's Foreword

and conviction with regard to the fundamentalsof religion. The purpose of such an introductionmust be the firm establishment of the fundamen-tals of religion and its basic principles. This ispossible only through argument, yet argument aswell has its own levels. Each level, even thesimplest and most obvious, must be completelypersuasive. Had human sentiment (wijdan) beentruly free, the simplest means of proof of theexistence of the wise Creator would have sufficed.Were they created out of nothing, or are they thecreators?2

For the last two centuries, modern thoughthas not allowed human sentiment to remain lib-erated and pure. Hence the need for proof wasmade all the more imperative for those who haveobtained some knowledge of modern thought andits special methods of investigation, in order forthose gaps to be filled which simple obviousproofs would have filled had human sentimentbeen left unfettered.

I had before me two choices: the first wasto write for those who still live with a freesentiment, untouched by the demands of modernthought, and thus require only simple arguments.

27

Author's Foreword

In that case, the idiom would be clear to thereaders of the entire work, that is, al-Fatdwdal-wdoihah and the introduction to it. The secondchoice was to write for those who have comeinto contact with modern thought and have, toa greater or lesser degree, accepted its frameworkand attitudes with regard to theology. I decidedthat the second choice was more suitable.

Nevertheless, I endeavoured to be generallyclear in what I wrote, bearing in mind the averageuniversity student as well as the reader of highereducational achievements. I have, as much aspossible, avoided complicated terminology and thelanguage of mathematics. I also avoided complexexpositions. -At the same time, I took into con-sideration the capacity for comprehension andretention of the more serious student, in thatI have presented points of special significancewith brevity, and have referred him to other ofmy works for greater depth, such as The LogicalPrinciples of Induction (al-Usus al-man tiqiyyah117-istigrd'). We likewise endeavoured to enablethe less accomplished reader to find in the partsof the introduction a good source of clear ideasand convincing evidence. The first step in the

28

Author's Foreword

scientific inductive argument for the existence ofthe Creator may be considered in itself sufficienton a general level. We shall first discuss theRevealer, then the messenger and finally the mes-sage. Success comes from God; on Him I rely andto Him I turn for help.

29

Part One

the RevealerGod, Praised and Exalted be He

1. BELIEF IN GOD, THE EXALTED

Since the earliest times of human history,man had attained faith in God, worshipped Himalone in sincerity and manifested a deep relationship with Him. This took place before man reach-ed any stage of purely philosophical reasoning orthe comprehension of the methods of demon-stration. This faith was not the child of classstruggle, nor was it the invention of exploitersor tyrants as a justification of their exploitation.It was not the invention of the exploited in orderto justify their own suffering. This is becausefaith has preceded all such conflicts in humanhistory. Faith in God was not born out of fearand the feeling of awe in the face of natural catas-rophes and nature's unpredictable behavior. For,had faith been born of fear, or had it been theresult of awe, then the most religious among men

33

The Revealer, the Messenger and the Message

throughout history would have been the onesmost given to fear and dread. On the contrary,those who have carried the torch of faith acrossthe ages have been people of great strength, ofcharacter and will. This faith, rather, expressesa fundamental inclination in man to be devotedto his Creator. It manifests a pure conscienceenabling him to discern the connection betweenman and his Lord and between God and theuniverse which He created.

In the next stage, man reached metaphysicalthinking and inferred from things around him inthe universe general concepts such as being (wujud)and non-being (adam), possibility

(imkan) andimpossibility (istihalah), unity (wahdah) and mul-tiplicity (kathrah), compositeness (tarakkub) andsimplicity (basatah), part (juz') and whole (kull),priority (taqaddum) and posteriority (ta'akhkhur)and cause (`illah) and effect ( ma lul). Man thentended to use these concepts and apply themto the construction of arguments in support ofhis original faith in God, praised and exalted beHe, and to justify and explain it in philosophicalterms.

When, however, scientific experimentation

34

The Revealer (al-Mursil)

began to appear as a tool of knowledge, andthinkers thus realized that these general conceptsin themselves were inadequate for the study ofnature and the discovery of its laws and for theuncovering of the secrets of the universe, theybelieved sense perception and scientific observa-tion to be the principle avenue of any pursuitof these secrets and laws. This orientation towardsense perception in investigation generally en-hanced human knowledge of the universe andbroadened it to a high degree. This trend beganits march by asserting that sense perception andexperimentation are two of the most importanttools which human reason and knowledge mustemploy in pursuit of the discovery of the secretsof the universe and its all-encompassing order.Thus instead of a Greek thinker, like Aristotle,for instance, sitting in his closed room and pon-dering over the relationship between the motionof a body in space and the power of a bodymoving it, and then deciding that the motion ofthat body would cease with the cessation of themoving power, instead of that, Galileo began hisexperiments and continued his observation ofmoving bodies to infer a relationship of a differ-

35


ent sort. He asserted that a body encountering anexternal force which moved it would not ceaseits motion, even when that force ceased, until itencountered another force which arrested its mo-tion.

This empirical trend meant encouragementfor investigators of nature and the laws governingits phenomena to arrive at their conclusions intwo stages. The first is observation by the sensesand experimentation, and the gathering of resultsfrom these. The second is a rational stage consist-ing of the arranging and harmonizing of theseresults and the interpretation of them in a generaland acceptable manner. This trend, however, asa scientific method, was not meant to take theplace of reason. Nor was any scientist able todiscover a secret of the universe or a law ofnature simply by observation by the senses andexperimentation without the aid of reason. Thisis because a scientist must always analyze thedata gathered through observation by the sensesand experimentation in order to reach conclusionsthrough the use of his rational faculty. We knowof no great scientific investigation which has beenable to dispense with the second stage in favour

3 6


of the first, or that did not go from the firstto the second stage, as has already been indicated.Thus the problems of the first stage would bematters of sense perception, while those of thesecond, conclusions based on rational proofs dis-cerned by the mind, but not matters of directsense perception.

Thus, for instance, with regard to the lawof gravity, Newton did not feel directly thegravitational force of two bodies. Nor did hefeel that this force was proportional to the inverseof the square of the distance between the centresof mass of the two bodies, and directly propor-tional to the product of the masses of the twobodies.3 Rather he perceived the stone as it camedown towards the ground and the moon rotatingaround the earth and the planets around the sun.He pondered all this and endeavoured to in-terpret these phenomena, relying on Galileo'stheory of the uniform acceleration of bodies fall-ing or rolling down inclined planes.4 He likewisemade use of Keppler's laws of planetary motion,the third of which states, "The square of theperiod of rotation of a planet around the sunis proportional to the cube of its distance from

3 7


it."5 In the light of all this Newton discoveredthe law of gravity. He supposed that, "A grav-itational force of attraction between two particlesis always determined by the masses and the dis-tance between them. "6

It should have been possible for this empiricaltrend as a method of investigating the order ofthe universe to present a new and illuminatingargument in support of faith in God, exalted beHe. This should have been possible, in view ofthe fact that this method has uncovered aspectsof harmony in the universe which can be usedas proofs of an intelligent and wise Creator.Scientists, inasmuch as they are concerned withnatural phenomena, have not interested them-selves with the clarification of this problem, whichhas for long been considered as a metaphysicalmatter outside the scope of strictly scientificconcern. Soon, however, new directions appearedwithin the discipline of philosophy, outside thescope of natural science, which endeavoured to"philosophize" this empirical method and presentit in the terminology of formal logic. This newphilosophy declared that the only means of know-ledge is sense experience, and where sense per-

3 8


ception ends human knowledge ceases. Thus what-ever is inaccessible to the senses and cannot beverified by direct experimentation, cannot beproved by any other means.

This empirical and experimental trend wasused to counter the idea of faith in God, theExalted. Since God is not a being subject to senseexperience, capable of being seen and felt, thereis no way of proving His existence. The methodwas not employed by scientists, who practisedthe experimental method with success, but bypeople with different philosophical and logicalinclinations, who attempted to interpret, but mis-applied, the empirical method. They used it inaccordance with their own inclinations. Gradually,these extreme approaches fell into conflict. Fromthe philosophical point of view, for instance, theyfound themselves obliged to deny objective reality,that is to say, to deny the reality of the universein which we live, as a whole and in its details.This is because, they argued, there are no meansof knowledge other than the senses. The sensesintroduce us to things as we perceive them, notas they are in themselves. Therefore, when weperceive something, we can assert its existence

3 9


in our sense perception. As for its existence outsideour consciousness, that is, its objective existence initself, independent of and prior to our act ofexperiencing it, we have no proof. Thus whenone sees the moon in the sky, for example, one isable only to assert his perception of the moonat that instant. But the advocates of this newphilosophy were unable to ascertain or demon-strate fully whether the moon exists in the skyin reality, or whether it had an objective existencebefore the viewer opened his eyes and saw it.This is like a cross-eyed person seeing things whichdo not exist in reality: he can assert his ownperception of these things but is unable to as-certain their actual existence. This new empiricaltrend in the end destroyed sense experience itselfas an epistimological method, by making it thefinal arbiter of the limits of human knowledge.This meant that sense knowledge became a merephenomenon of the mind, lacking objective exist-ence endependent of our consciousness and per-ception.

With regard to logical aspects, the logicalpositivist school, the most recent current schoolin the development of empiricist philosophy, came

40


to the conclusion that every sentence the truth orfalsehood of which cannot be verified by senseexperience is simply a cluster of empty words.It is like haphazard sounds of the alphabet repeat-ed endlessly. The sentence, on the other hand,whose truth or falsehood may be verified, mustbe made up of meaningful words. If sense expe-rience can ascertain the agreement of its purportwith reality, then it must be considered a truesentence. Thus the sentence, "Rain comes downfrom the sky in winter" is a true sentence. Thesentence, "Rain comes down from the sky insummer", while being a meaningful sentence, isfalse in its purport. * The sentence, "Somethingcomes down during the `Night of Power' (Lay-latu'l-qadr)' which can be neither seen nor felt",has no meaning regardless of whether it is trueor false. Thus any report whose truth cannot beverified by the senses is nonsense. Therefore,with reference to the above sentence, it is likesaying `daas' descends from heaven on the Nightof Power (`daas' being only a nonsense syllable).

*

This example applies, of course, only in predominantly

desert climates, (Publisher's note)

4 1

nayeb


The reference to a subject such as `daas' addsnothing to the truth value of a sentence. Hence,both sentences tell us nothing, even though thesecond provides a subject. From this it followsthat the sentence, "God exists", is like saying"Daas exists", and the two reports are equallymeaningless. This is so because the existence ofGod, the Exalted, cannot be known throughsense perception or experimentation.

This logical approach has its own inner con-tradiction because its own general premise cannotitself be verified by direct sense experience. Inaddition, it is, in its assertion, a meaninglesspremise. This logic, which claims that any reportwhich sense experience cannot verify is meaning-less, makes a general claim. Every generalization,however, ipso facto goes beyond the realm ofsense experience because senses can only perceiveat any given moment individual objects or partsof a whole. This approach, therefore, is not onlyself-contradictory, but also contradicts all scien-tific generalizations which we employ to explainnatural phenomena in general terms. This is be-cause generalization in any form cannot be verifiedby sense experience: It is rather inferred from

42


observation of concrete and limited phenomenaof sense experience.

8

Fortunately, however, science did not lendsuch philosophical trends any appreciable atten-tion in its forward march and continuous evolution. Instead, scientists always began with senseperception and experimentation in their endeavourto discover the universe, but then went beyondthis narrow approach which such schools of phi-losophy or logic had imposed on scientific inves-tigation. Science must in the end endeavour torationally arrange these phenomena within theframework of general laws and then go on todiscover and explain their inter-relationships.

The influence of these extremist philosoph-ical schools has greatly diminished even over thematerialistic schools of philosophy. The new materialistic philosophy, as chiefly represented bythe advocates of dialectical materialism, has clear-ly rejected these trends. Dialectical materialismgave itself the right to go beyond the frameworkof sense perception and experimentation withwhich a scientist begins his investigation; it soughtto go even beyond the second stage with which ascientist must conclude his investigation. This was

43


necessary in order for the investigator to be ableto compare the various results of scientific theo-ries and arrange them under a general theoreticalset of rules and specify the relations betweennatural phenomena which these results presuppose.

Dialectical materialism, which is heir to mate-rialistic thought down through history, has itselfbecome an abstract philosophy from the pointof view of these modern empirical extremistphilosophical positions. The new materialistic phi-losophy has finally arrived at a view of the worldwithin a dialectical framework. This means thatboth materialistic and theistic thought have reach-ed a consensus on the need to transcend thelimits of sense experience, by which the newextremist materialistic schools advocated that sci-ence and philosophy be bound. It then becomespossible for investigation and knowledge to utilisetwo stages. The first consists of collecting theresults of sense experience and experimentationand the second of interpreting these results theo-retically and rationally. The actual disagreementbetween the theistic and materialistic approachesis concerned with the way in which the conclusionsreached in the second stage are to be interpreted.

44


Materialism rejects any interpretation which pre-supposes the existence of wise Creator, whiletheism insists that the interpretation of theseresults can never be ultimately convincing with-out the assumption of a wise Creator.

We shall now present two modes of demon-stration of the existence of the wise Creator,praised and exalted be He. In each, the resultsof sense experience and experimentation will bepresented on the one hand, and the rationalinfluence in proof of our argument on the other.We shall call the first mode the scientific orinductive proof (ad-dalil alistiqraii) and the secondthe philosophical proof (ad-dalil al falsafi. We mustfirst, however, explain what we mean by scientificproof.

Scientific argument is any proof which de-pends on sense experience and experimentation.It follows, moreover, the method of inductivedemonstration, which is based on the principleof the computation of probability (hisab al-ihti-malat). Hence, the method we shall follow indemonstrating the existence of the Creator isscientific proof based on the method of inductiveargument, which itself rests on the computation

45


of probabilities. (The method of the argument isnot the argument itself. One may, for instance,demonstrate that the-sun is bigger than the moonbecause scientists say so. The method employedhere is the acceptance of the statement of scien-tists as a proof of the truth. You may argue thatsomeone will die soon because you saw in adream that that person actually died. The methodemployed here is the use of dreams as an argumentfor the truth. Likewise, you may argue that theearth is a big bipolar magnetic field, possessingtwo poles, one negative, the other positive. Theargument in this case is based on the fact that theneedle of a compass which is set in a horizontalposition faces north and south. The method follow-ed here is the use of the experiment as proof.Thus the validity of any argument is fundamen-tally related to the method on which it depends.)For this reason we refer to the scientific argumentfor the existence of the Creator as the inductiveproof. It will be our task now to clarify thismethod.

46

2. THE SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT FORTHE EXISTENCE OF GOD,

THE EXALTED

It has already been observed that the scien-tific argument for the existence of the Creatorfollows the method of inductive demonstration,which is based on the computation of probabil-ity. We wish, however, before presenting thisargument, to explain this method and then toevaluate it in order to determine the extent towhich it can be relied upon in the discovery ofthe truth of things. The inductive method basedon the computation of probability has an ex-tremely complex and highly precise structure.Therefore, a complete and precise evaluation ofthis method can be achieved only through adetailed and thorough analysis of the logicalfoundations of induction (al-Usus al-mantiqiyyahfil-istiqra') as well as the theory of probability.'Our purpose here is, however, to avoid difficult

47


and complicated constructions and analyses notreadily accessible to the average reader. We shalltherefore do two things; first, delimit the demon-strative method we shall follow and explain itssteps briefly and succintly. We shall, secondly,evaluate this method and determine its validity.We shall do this not through a logical analysisof the method and the discovery of its logicaland mathematical bases, but through practicalapplications acceptable to any rational humanbeing.

It must be stated at this point that themethod we use in demonstrating the existenceof the wise Creator is the same method we confidently employ in our daily life as well as inour scientific experiments. What follows will pro-vide sufficient evidence of the fact that themethod of demonstration of the existence of awise Creator is the same method we use to provethe truths of everyday reality as well as scientifictruths. Since, therefore, we trust this methodwith regard to the reality of everyday life, wemust trust it also with regard to the proof ofthe wise Creator, who is the source of all truth.

You receive a letter in the mail, and you

48


conclude from merely reading it that it is fromyour brother. Similarly, when one sees that acertain physician has succeeded in curing manyillnesses, one trusts this physician and considershim to be a skillful one. Likewise, if after takingpenicillin ten times, one found each time thathis body reacted to it in the same negative manner,one would conclude that he had an allergy topenicillin. In all these cases, the method used isthe inductive method based on the computationof probability. Similarly, with regard to naturalscience, when a certain scientist had observed someparticular characteristics of the solar system inthe course of his research, he was able to concludethat these separate bodies had all been a part ofthe sun from which they had later separated.When this same scientist monitored the paths ofplanetary movements, he was able to deduce theexistence of the planet Neptune, even before hewas able to observe the planet with his sense ofvision. Science, in light of special phenomena,was also able to postulate the existence of elec-trons before the discovery of the cloud-chamber.Scientists, in all these cases, have used the inductivemethod of proof, based on the computation of

49


probability. We shall employ the same methodin our argument for the existence of the wiseCreator.

a) Definition of the Method andDelineation of its Steps:

The method of inductive argument basedon the computation of probability may be sum-marized clearly and simply in the following fivesteps:

1. We encounter on the level of sense percep-tion and experimentation numerous phenomena.

2. After observing and collecting our date,we go on to interpret them. What is required inthis stage is to find a suitable hypothesis on thebasis of which we can interpret and justify thesephenomena. By its being suitable for the inter-pretation of these phenomena, we mean that ifit is actually established it must be inherent in,or at least in consonance with, all these pheno-mena which themselves actually exist.

3. We notice that the hypothesis, if it werenot suitable and actually established, would in-dicate that the possibility of the existence of the

50


phenomena is very scant. In other words, tosuppose the incorrectness of the hypothesis wouldmean that the degree of probability of the exist-ence of the phenomena, compared with the prob-ability of their non-existence, or the non-existenceof at least one of them, is very small: one in ahundred or one in a thousand, and so forth.

4. We therefore conclude that the hypothesismust be true, a fact which we infer from oursense experience of the phenomena on which itis based, as we have seen in step one.

5. The degree of verifiability by the pheno-mena of the hypothesis offered in the secondstep is directly related to the probability of theexistence of these phenomena and inversely relatedto the probability of their non-existence. (Wemean by the probability of their non-existenceeither their non-existence altogether or that ofat least one of them.) If we assume the in-correctness of the hypothesis, even then thesmaller this ration, the greater would be the degreeof verifiability, so that in many ordinary casesit could attain a degree of absolute certainty.(This according to the second stage of proofby induction.)lo

51


There are, in reality, precise measures orregulations for evaluating degrees of probabilitybased on the theory of probability. In ordinaryeveryday situations, people apply these measuresunconsciously in ways that are very close to theircorrect application. For this reason, we shalllimit ourselves to the evaluation of this naturalapplication without entering into the logical andmathematical principles of its evaluation." Theseare, then, the steps which we usually follow inany inductive. argument based on the computa-tion of probability, whether in our every daylife, on the level of scientific investigation, or inproof of the existence of the wise Creator, praisedand exalted be He.

b) Evaluation of the Method

We shall, as we have already promised, eval-uate this method in the light of its practicalapplication with illustrations from ordinary everyday life. We have already observed that whenyou receive a letter in the mail, and upon readingit conclude that it is from your brother andnot from another person who happens to like

5 2


you and wishes to correspond with you, you areemploying the method of inductive proof basedon the computation of probabilities. The problemof the identity of the sender would be solvedby using the following steps:

1. You observe many indications such asthe letter bears a name which agrees completelywith that of your brother. The handwriting is thatof your brother and the style of writing andformat are those usually employed by your broth-er. In addition, even the mistakes and items ofinformation are those usually made, or suppliedby your brother. All this you infer from thehabits and ways of thinking of your brother.The letter would, moreover, express opinions andask for things which you know to expect fromyour brother.

2. In the second step you ask, "Did mybrother actually send this letter to me, or is itfrom another person with the same name?" Hereyou would find in the indications previouslyobserved sufficient bases for a good hypothesisfor interpreting and 'justifying these data as evi-dence of the fact that the letter was in realityfrom your brother. Conversely, if you were led to

5 3


conclude that the letter was from your brother,then all the data observed in the first step wouldhave to be provided.

3. In the third step you would further ask thefollowing question: "If this letter was not frommy brother, but from another person, then whatis the degree of probability of all these indica-tions and characteristics being simultaneously pre-sent for me to observe in the first step?" Such apossibility requires a large number of assumptions.This is because for us to accept all these indicationsand characteristics we must first assume thatanother person bears the same name as the brother.He must further resemble him in all the character-istics above discussed. The possibility for such alarge number of coincidences to happen simulta-neously is slight indeed. Moreover, as the numberof the coincidences that must be assumed increases,the probability of their simultaneous occurrence isconversely diminished.

The logical principles of induction teach usthe way to measure probability and explain howit diminishes. They further explain how probability decreases in proportion to the assumptionsit requires. We need not enter into the details

54


of all this because it is a complex subject, toodifficult for the average reader to comprehend.Fortunately, however, perceiving low probabilitydoes not depend on the understanding of thesedetails, as for example, the falling of a manfrom a high place to the ground does not dependon his understanding of the force of gravity orhis knowledge of the scientific principles of grav-ity. Thus the recipient of the letter requiresnothing to infer that the existence of a personresembling his brother in all the coincidences andcharacteristics above discussed, is very improbable.

4. In the fourth step, you would reason asfollows. Since the congruence of all these occur-rences is very improbable, if you were to supposethat the letter was not from your brother, therewould then be a far greater likelihood that theletter was from your brother because these coin-cidences do actually exist.

5. In the fifth step, you would connect theconclusion of the fourth step, i.e., the possibilitythat the letter was from your brother, with thesmall degree of probability of the existence ofall the characteristics of the letter without it beingfrom your brother. The connection between these

55


two steps means that the possibility of the letterbeing from your brother negates the probabilityof its being from someone else, in inverse propor-tion. Thus the smaller the degree of probability,the greater would be the opposite likelihood andthe more persuasive. If, moreover, there was noopposing evidence, then the five steps just present-ed provide convincing evidence of the validity ofthe method on the level of everyday life.

Let us now take another example, this timefrom the realm of scientific knowledge, wherethe method may be employed to demonstratea scientific theory. Let us consider the theoryconcerning the development of the planets andtheir separation from the sun. The nine planetswere originally part of the sun from which theyseparated as burning pieces millions of years ago.Scientists generally agree with regard to the prin-ciple of the theory, but differ concerning thecause of the separation of these pieces from thesun. Demonstration of the principle on whichthey agree would follow these steps.

i. Scientists have observed a number of phe-nomena which they perceived by means of thesenses and experimentation. These are:

5 6


a. The rotation of the earth around the sunis in harmony with the rotation of the sun aroundits axis, each complete rotation being from westto east.

b. The rotation of the earth around its axisis concurrent with the rotation of the sun aroundits axis, that is, from west to east.

c. The earth rotates around the sun in an orbitparallel to the equatorial line of the sun, so thatthe sun would resemble a pole and the earth apoint rotating around it, like a millstone.

d. The elements of which the earth is madeare for the most part found in the sun as well.

e. There is a close similarity between theelements of the earth and those of the sun intheir chemical composition, in both hydrogenpredominates.

f. The speed of the rotation of the eartharound the sun and around its own axis is inharmony with that of the rotation of the sunaround its axis.

g. There is a measure of agreement betweenthe age of the earth and the age of the sun,according to the calculations of scientists.

h. The inside of the earth is hot, which

57


proves that the earth in its early stages was veryhot.

ii. These were some of the phenomena whichscientists observed through sense experience andexperimentation in the first step. In the second,they decided that there is a hypothesis by whichall these phenomena could be explained. Thismeans that if the hypothesis were to be actuallytrue, then it would inherently belong to thesephenomena and justify them. The hypothesis holdsthat the earth was part of the sun from which itseparated, for whatever reasons. With this assump-tion, we can explain the foregoing phenomena.

The first is the fact that the harmony of therotation of the earth around the sun and thatof the sun around its own axis is due to themotion of both being from west to east. Thereason for this harmony becomes clear on thebasis of the above hypothesis, which furtherholds that if part of any body in motion isseparated from it while remaining drawn towardsit by a thread or some other means, that separatedpart will always move in the same original orbitin accordance with the law of continuity. As forthe second phenomenon, which is the harmony

5 8


of the rotation of the earth around its axis withthe rotation of the sun around its axis, this alsocan be sufficiently explained by the same hypoth-esis and according to the same law. The sameholds for the third phenomenon as well. As forthe fourth and fifth phenomena, which demon-strate a close similarity of composition and pro-portion of the elements which make up the earthand the sun, they become self evident on thebasis of the fact that the earth was part of thesun. The elements of a part must be those of thewhole. The sixth phenomenon, namely, the har-mony between the speed of the earth's rotationaround the sun and around its axis and that ofthe sun around its axis becomes clear becausewe know that both motions of the earth origi-nated from the motion of the sun. This we knowon the basis of our earlier hypothesis, whichpresupposes the separation of the earth from thesun. This not only explains the observed harmony,but also delineates its cause. On the basis of thesame hypothesis, we can explain the similarityin age of the two bodies, which is our seventhphenomenon. Likewise, the eighth, which is theintense heat of the earth in its early stages, can

59


be explained on the basis of the same hypothesis.iii. If we were to suppose that the theory

of the separation of the earth from the sun isnot true, it would be highly unlikely for all thesephenomena to exist together and be closely con-nected. In this case, they would simply be acollection of coincidences without any intelligibleconnection among them. Therefore, the prob-ability of their existence, if we suppose the falsityof our theory, would be very small indeed. Thisis because this supposition would require a largenumber of hypotheses for the explanation ofthese phenomena.

With regard to the harmony between themotion of the earth around the sun and thesun around its own axis, from west to east, wewould have to assume that the earth was a bodyfar away from the sun, created independentlyor part of another sun from which it separatedsubsequently drawing near to our sun. We wouldalso have to suppose that this earth, travellingfreely in space, upon entering its orbit aroundthe sun entered at a point west of the sun.For this reason, it continues to rotate from westto east, that is, in the direction of the sun's

60


own rotation around its axis. If it had insteadentered at a point east of the sun, it would havemoved from east to west.

As for the harmony between the rotationof the earth around its axis and the rotation ofthe sun around its axis from west to east, wewould have to suppose that the other sun fromwhich the earth separated was itself rotating fromwest to east. As for the rotation of the eartharound the sun, in an orbit parallel to the equa-torial line of the sun, we would likewise have tosuppose that the other sun from which the earthseparated was at that moment situated in thesame plane as the equatorial line of our sun.As for the similarity of the elements of the earthand the sun and their composition, we wouldhave to suppose that the other sun from whichthe earth separated contained the same elementsand in similar proportion. As for the speed ofthe rotation of the earth around the sun andaround its own axis, being harmonious with thespeed of the sun's rotation around its axis, wewould have to suppose that the other sun fromwhich the earth separated exploded in a waywhich gave the moving earth a speed similar to

6 1


that of our sun. As for the age of the sun andthe earth and the heat of the earth in the earlystages of its development, we would have tosuppose that the earth separated from another sunhaving the same age as our sun and that it sepa-rated in a manner which led to its intense heat.Thus we see that the possibility of the simulta-neous existence of all these phenomena on theprinciple of the invalidity of the theory of theseparation of the earth from our sun, requiresa large number of coincidences, the probabilityof whose simultaneous occurrence is very small.In contrast, the separation theory alone is suffi-cient for explaining these phenomena and con-necting them together.

iv. In the fourth step we conclude that sincethe coincidence of all these phenomena, whichwe observe in the earth, is improbable exceptto a very small degree, on the assumption thatthe earth was not separated from our sun, it mustbe highly probable (since all these phenomena doindeed exist) that the earth did indeed separatefrom our sun.

v. In the fifth and last step, we connectthe possibility of the separation hypothesis, as

62


inferred in the fourth step, with the low prob-ability of the coincidence of the phenomena inthe earth without its having been separated fromthe sun, as we decided in the third step. Theconnection between these two steps would showa strong improbability for the third step and,conversely, a high probability for the fourth.We are able by means of this method to demon-strate the separation of the earth from the sun,by which means scientists achieve absolute con-viction of this fact.

63

3. HOW TO APPLY THE METHODTO PROVE THE EXISTENCE

OF THE CREATOR

After having become acquainted with thegeneral method of the inductive argument basedon the computation of probabilities, and evaluatedit through the foregoing applications, we shallnow proceed to apply it to the demonstrationof the existence of the wise Creator. We shallfollow the same steps as before.

1. We notice a constant concord betweena vast number of individual phenomena and man'sneeds as a living being and the continuation oflife for him. We find, for instance, that anychange or substitution of any of these phenomenacould mean the extinction of human life on thisearth, or at least its paralysis. We shall now givea few examples of these phenomena.

The earth receives from the sun a quantityof heat sufficient for the development of life and

64


the fulfilment of the needs of living beings forheat, no more and no less. It has been observedthat the distance separating the earth from thesun is in complete harmony with the amount ofheat required for the existence of life on thisearth. Had this distance been double its presentmeasure, there would have not been enough heatto support life on earth. Conversely, if it were halfits present measure, the heat would have been toointense for life to endure. We observe furtherthat the earth's crust and the oceans togethercontain in their various chemical compounds apreponderant quantity of oxygen, such that itconstitutes eight-tenths of all of the water inthe world. In spite of this, and in spite of thegreat tendency of oxygen to combine with otherchemical elements, still a portion of it remainsfree in order for it to participate in the formationof air. This portion provides one of the mostessential conditions of life because all living beings,humans as well as animals, require it for breathing.Were all the oxygen on earth to be combined withother elements, it would not have been possiblefor life to exist. It has been further observedthat the quantity of pure oxygen available accords

6 5


perfectly with man's needs in his everyday prac-tical life.

The air contains twenty-one percent oxygen;had this ratio been greater, the environment wouldhave been constantly threatened with outbreaksof fire. Had this ratio, on the other hand, beensmaller, life would have been difficult if notimpossible. Nor would fire have been available insufficient quantity to fulfill its proper functions.

We observe another natural phenomenonwhich repeats itself millions of times throughoutlife. It is an activity which ensures the availabilityof a specific quantity of oxygen all the time. Whenhumans and animals breathe in air, they inhaleoxygen which is received by the blood and dis-tributed throughout the body. Oxygen then beginsthe process of combustion of the food in thebody, from which carbon' dioxide is produced.Carbon dioxide then passes into the lungs and isexhaled, thus ensuring a constant flow of thisgas. Carbon dioxide is in turn a necessary condi-tion for plant life. Plants separate oxygen from it,which they breathe out into the air, purified andready to be breathed in again. Through this ex-change between animals and plants, it is possible

66


to retain a constant quantity of oxygen and with-out it this gas would have been unavailable andhuman life would never have been possible.

This exchange, moreover, is the result ofthousands of natural phenomena which have coin-cided in order to produce this specific phenomenawhich is in perfect accord with the requirementsof life. We further observe that nitrogen, because itis a heavy gas, has a tendency to descend. Thuswhen it combines with oxygen in the air itbecomes light enough to be useful for life onearth. We observe also that the quantities of bothoxygen and nitrogen which remain free in theair are in perfect proportion for the one tolighten the other. Were oxygen to increase ornitrogen to diminish, this process could not takeplace.

We notice that the air in the earth remainsat a constant amount, not exceeding one millionthof the global mass. This quantity is just right toensure the possibility of human life. Had it beengreater or smaller, life would be difficult or evenimpossible. This is because its increase would have

.meant a greater pressure on human beings whichthey would not have been able to support. Like-

67


wise, any decrease in it would make it possiblefor meteors, which we see every day, to burn allliving things, and even to penetrate the earthitself.

We further notice that the earth's crust,which absorbs carbon dioxide and oxygen, is sostructured that it cannot absorb them completely.Had it been thicker, it would have absorbed them,and plants, animals and men would have perished.Similarly, the distance of the moon from theearth is of a specific measure necessary for makinghuman life on earth possible. Had this distancebeen relatively smaller, the tide caused by themoon would have been so strong as to movemountains from their places.

We observe many instincts in living beings.Even though an instinct is an abstract notion, in-capable of observation by direct sense experience,the conduct which such instincts express is notabstract. It is, rather, a phenomenon perfectlycapable of scientific observation. Instinctive con-duct resulting from thousands of instincts withwhich we become acquainted in our daily life andscientific investigation, is in constant accord withthe aim of promoting and protecting life. Such

68


instinctive conduct is often on a high level ofcomplexity and technical skill. If we were tobreak down this conduct into its individual com-ponents, we see that every component is perfectlysuited for the promotion and protection of life.

The physiological structure of man exhibitsmillions of natural, physiological phenomena. Yeteach phenomenon, both in its physiological roleand structure, as well as in its close link with allother phenomena is always suited to the jobof promoting life and protecting it. Let us con-sider, for instance, the group of phenomena whichwork together to produce the faculty of sight andhelp us to sense things around us in useful ways.The lens in the eye refracts images onto theretina which is made up of nine layers. The lastlayer contains millions of rods and cones allarranged in such a way as to make possible thefaculty of sight. There is one anomaly, namely,the image which is reflected onto the retina,which is reversed. This, however, is only a slightanomaly, because sight itself is not involved atthis stage. Instead, the image is corrected bymillions of nerves leading to the brain, where itis transmitted from the eye. Only then is the

69


process of seeing complete, at which stage itbegins to play its important role in the overallpurpose of promoting life.

Even beauty, fragrance and splendour asnatural phenomena are found to exist in inviron-ments suited for their role of promoting life.Thus flowers which are usually pollinated byinsects are especially attractive, possessing bright,beautiful colours and enticing fragrances in orderto attract the insect and therefore facilitate theprocess of pollination. Flowers, which are pollin-ated by air, on the other hand, do not possessthese characteristics. The phenomenon of sexualpairs or mates in its general similarity betweenthe physical structure of male and female in man,animals and plants, and in sexual interaction forthe perpetuity of life, is yet another manifesta-tion of the harmony of nature with the functionof promoting life.

70

If you were to reckon up the dimensions ofGod's favour, you would not be able to com-pute them; surely God is ever forgiving, ever


merciful. (Qur'an, 16:18)2. We find that, in millions of cases, the

continuous harmony between natural phenomenaand the process of insuring and promoting life maybe explained by a single hypothesis which postu-lates a wise Creator of this universe who willedto provide this earth with the elements of lifeand Himself direct their functions. This hypothesispresupposes all these instances of harmony.

3. In the third step, we pose the followingquestion: If the hypothesis of a wise creator werenot actually demonstrable, what would the possibility of the existence of all these congruencesbetween natural phenomena and the process of lifepreservation be without there being an intendedpurpose for this order? It is clear that the prob-ability of this alternative must presuppose a vastnumber of coincidences. If, as we saw in a previousexample, the possibility is very remote that theletter you received was not from your brother butfrom another person resembling him in all respects(since the possibility of resemblance of one thou-sand characteristics is very small), how great doyou think is the probability that this earth onwhich we live was the creation of non-teleological

7 1


matter, one which resembles the wise Creatorin millions of attributes?

4. In the fourth step we conclude that thehypothesis presented in the second step, whichpostulates a wise creator, is valid.

5. In the fifth step, we connect this prevailingpossibility with the small probability which wepostulated in the hypothesis of the third step.Since probability decreases as the number ofcoincidences in the contrary increases, it is naturalfor the degree of this probability to become sosmall that it cannot in any way compare with thehigh probability of the third step in the demon-stration of any scientific law. This is because thenumber of coincidences which must be postulatedin the third step is greater than that of thepossibilities of the opposite case. Hence, everyprobability of this kind must in the end dis-appear.

12 Thus we reach the incontrovertible con-

clusion: that there is a wise creator of this universeas the innumerable signs (ayat) of His power andwisdom in the universe testify.

72


We shall show them our signs in the furthestregions and in themselves so that it maybecome manifest to them that it is the truth.Is it not sufficient that your Lord is witnessover all things? (Qur'an, 41:53)

Surely in the creation of the heavens and theearth; and the alternation of night and day;and the ship which sails over the sea, ladenwith goods useful to humankind; and thewater which God has sent from heaven torevive with it the earth after its death, anddispersed in it every kind of beast; and thechange of the winds; and the clouds, made to

7 3


serve between heaven and earth, are signs forpeople who understand. (Qur'an, 2:164)

. . .,. Turn your gaze again (to heaven); doyou perceive any flaw? Then turn your gazetwice again; your sight shall return to you dulland discomforted. (Qur'an, 67:3 -4)

74

4. THE PHILOSOPHICAL ARGUMENT

Before embarking on the discussion of aphilosophical argument for the existence of theCreator, praised and exalted be He, we mustsay a word about the philosophical argument andits parts and the difference between it and thescientific argument. Argument itself may be con-sidered under three categories: the mathematical,the scientific and the philosophical. The mathe-matical argument is employed in the area ofmathematical sciences and formal logic (al-mantiqas-suri ash-shakli-). This argument rests on onefundamental principle, the principle of non-con-tradiction, which asserts that A is A and willalways remain A. Any argument based exclusivelyon this principle and its consequences, we callthe mathematical argument. Its validity is admittedby everyone.

The scientific argument is usually employedin the domain of the natural sciences. It rests

7 5


on data capable of proof either through senseexperience or scientific induction, in addition tomathematical proof.

The philosophical argument depends for itsestablishment on objective reality in the externalworld, on intellectual knowledge which needs noempirical verification or sense experience. It pre-supposes, however, mathematical proof. This doesnot necessarily mean that the philosophical argu-ment does not actually rely on information ob-tained through sense perception or the inductivemethod. It rather means that it does not regardthese as sufficient evidence, and therefore relieson the intellectual information within the con-text of the demonstrative method applied toprove a case which had been established.

The philosophical argument, therefore, differsfrom the scientific argument in the way in whichit deals with intellectual information which remains outside the scope of the mathematicalargument. On the basis of our discussion so farof the notion of the philosophical argument, wemust face the following question: Is it possibleto rely simply on intellectual information or ideaswhich the mind intuits without recourse to sense

7 6


perception, experimentation or scientific induc-tion? The answer to this question must be in theaffirmative.

These are the data of our under-standing, the validity of which is accepted byall, such as the principle of non-contradiction, onwhich are based all pure mathematical sciences.It is a principle whose validity we establish onthe basis of intellectual reasoning, and not on thebasis of supporting evidence and experiments with-in the scope of the inductive method. The proofof this is that the degree of our trust in thisprinciple is not affected by the number of ex-periments and verifications which do not agreewith it. Let us take a concrete example: twoplus two equals four. Our belief in the validityof this simple mathematical equation is too firmto need further verification. We would not evenbe ready to listen to any argument in proof ofthe opposite fact, nor would we believe anyonetelling us two plus two in one unique case equalsfive or three. This means that our belief in thistruth has no connection with sense perceptionor experimentation, for in that case it would beaffected by them positively and negatively.

If we actually admit the truth of this prin-

7 7


ciple, in spite of its independence from senseperception and experimentation, it is natural forus to admit that it is sometimes possible for usto trust the validity of our intellectual percep-tions, on which depends the philosophical argu-ment. In other words, the rejection of the phili-sophical argument simply because it is based onintellectual perceptions which do not rest onempirical or inductive knowledge, must also meanthe rejection of the mathematical argument, be-cause it rests on the principle of non-contradic-tion, in which our belief depends neither onexperimentation nor induction."

a) An Example of the PhilosophicalArgument for the Existence

of the Creator

This argument depends on the followingthree principles. The first is the axiom whichasserts that every effect has a cause from whichit derives its existence. This is a truth which manperceives intuitively and which scientific induc-tion confirms. The second is the principle whichasserts that whatever differing degrees of possi-

7 8


bility, fullness and perfection exist, it is impossiblefor the less possible, less complete or less perfectto be the cause of that which is higher than it-self. Temperature, knowledge and light are ofvarying degrees of intensity and perfection. Itis impossible for a higher degree of temperatureto emanate from one lower than itself. It islikewise impossible for a person to obtain a goodknowledge of the English language from one whohimself has little or no knowledge of it. Nor is itpossible for a feeble source of light to be the causeof a source greater than itself. This is becauseevery higher degree constitutes a qualitative andquantitative increase over the one below it. Thisquantitative increase cannot be bestowed by onenot in possession of it. When you wish to financea project from your own capital, you cannot putinto this project an amount greater than thatyou already have.

The third principle is the assertion that mat-ter, in its continuous evolution, assumes variouslevels of change and intensity. Thus even a smallparticle which has no life and is not a vitalcomponent, constitutes an aspect of being ofmatter. Protoplasm, which is the essential compo-

79


nent of life in plants and animals, constitutes ahigher form of existence of matter. The amoeba,which is a microscopic unicellular animal, consti-tutes a still higher step in the evolution of matter.Man, as a living, feeling and thinking being, mustbe considered to be the highest form of being inthis universe.

These different forms of being raise thefollowing question: Is the difference among themsimply a quantitative one in the number of particles and elements and the mechanical relationamong these, or is it a qualitative and quantitativedifference, expressing a variety of degrees ofbeing and stages of evolution and perfection?In other words, is the difference between manand the dust of which he was made simply one ofnumber, or is it a difference between two levelsof being and two stages of evolution and perfec-tion, just like the difference between a feeble anda brilliant source of light? Ever since man putthis question to himself, he has believed, throughhis a priori intuition (fitrah), that these formsconstitute levels of being and different stages ofperfection attained by life, wherein the humanform is the highest manifestation of being in

80


matter. This high level, moreover, is not in itselfthe limit of evolution. Rather, as life attains newand higher forms, it manifests higher levels ofbeing. Hence the life of a living, feeling andthinking being constitutes a higher and fullerdegree of being than the life of plants, and soon.

Materialistic philosophy, however, for overa century, has rejected this idea and adoptedinstead a mechanical view of the universe. According to this view, the outside world is made up ofsmall molecules moved by a simple homogeneouselectro-magnetic forces attracting and repellingthem within the framework of general laws. Thatis to say, the function of this force is limitedto influencing the interrelated motion of thesemolecules from one locus to another. Throughthis motion of attraction and repulsion, thesemolecules unite and separate to produce differentmaterial forms. On this basis, mechanical material-ism limited evolution to the motion of materialparticles from one locus to another in space.It explained the variety of material forms by themotion of coalescence, separation and distributionof material particles without any novelty occur-

8 1


ring in this process. Matter, according to this view,neither grows nor attains a higher level of beingthrough its evolution; it only coalesces and scat-ters in various ways like a piece of dough whichyou may manipulate into various states, althoughremaining a piece of dough in your hand withoutany essential change.

This hypothesis was inspired by the scienceof mechanics, which was the first branch of scienceto be allowed to develop freely its methods ofinvestigation. The discovery by this science ofthe laws of mechanical motion and the explana-tions it offered of familiar motions of ordinarybodies, encouraged the development of this hy-pothesis, which took into account the motion ofstars in space. The constant growth of knowledgeand the introduction of scientific methods ofinvestigation into many fields of study, demon-strated the invalidity of this hypothesis and itsinability to explain all motions in space mechan-ically. It also demonstrated its inadequacy insubsuming all material forms under the mechan-ical motion of bodies and particles. Science thusconfirmed what man had perceived in his pureintuitive state (fitrah), namely that the diversity

82


of material forms is not simply the result of themotion of material bodies from one place toanother. Rather, it is the result of a variety ofquantitative and qualitative evolutionary processes.It has also been proven through scientific experi-ments that no numerical structure of moleculeswould constitute life, feeling and thought. Thisleads us to suppositions which are completelydifferent from those advanced by mechanicalmaterialism, because we discern in life, feelingand thought an actual process of growth of matterand a characteristic evolution in the degrees of itsexistence. This is true regardless of whether thecontent of this characteristic evolution is itselfmaterial or nonmaterial.

To recapitulate, these are the three problemswith which we have been concerned:-

1. Every effect has a cause.2. The lower cannot be the cause of some-

thing higher than itself, with regard to degreesof being.

3. The diversity of degrees of being in thisuniverse and the variety in its form are qualitative.

In light of these three issues, we can clearlydiscern an actual development in quantitatively

8 3


evolved forms, which means the manifestation ofthe fullness of being in matter and a quantitativeincrease in it.

We should therefore ask, "Where did this in-crease come from, and how did this new multiplic-ity appear, since every effect must have a cause?"There are two answers to this question. The first isthat it originated in matter itself. Matter which hasno life, feeling or thought created through its pro-cess of evolution life, feeling and thought. This isto say a lower form of matter was itself the causeof a higher form without itself possessing the prop-erties of being enabling it to perform such a func-tion. This answer, however, contradicts our secondprinciple, which asserts that a lower form cannotbe the cause of another greater than it and richer inbeing. Thus, the idea that dead matter, devoid ofthe pulsation of life can grant itself or another mat-ter life, feeling and thought, is like the idea ofsomeone who has no knowledge of the Englishlanguage, nonetheless attempting to teach it toothers; or that of a dim light emanating a lightgreater than it in brilliance, such as the light of thesun; or that of a poor man with no capital, attempt-ing to finance big projects.

84


The second answer to this question is thatthis additional property, which matter manifeststhrough its evolution, must have originated from asource which is in full possession of it. This sourceis God, the Lord of the worlds, praised and exaltedbe He. The growth of matter, therefore is no morethan the creative process of growth and develop-ment which God manifests in His wisdom, ordi-nance and lordship over all things.

We have created man from a piece of clay.Then We made him into a sperm in a securereceptacle. Then We made the sperm a blood-clot; thereafter, We made the blood-clot intoa lump of flesh; then We made the piece offlesh into bones; then We clothed the boneswith ,flesh; thereafter We brought him into

8 5


being as another creature; blessed therefore isGod, the best of creators. (Qur'an, 23:12-14)

This is the only answer that would harmonizewith the three principles presented above. It.alonecan offer a reasonable explanation of the process ofgrowth and completeness of the forms of being onthe stage of this vast universe. To this argument, thenoble Qur'an points in a large number of its verses,with which it addresses the uncorrupted, originalintuition (ftrah) of man and his untainted reason.

Have you then considered the sperm that yousow? Do you create it or are rather We theCreator? (Qur'an, 56:58-59)

86

Have you then considered that which yousow? Do you sow it or are rather We theSower? (Qur'an, 56:63-64)


Have you then considered the fire which youkindle? Did you create its tree or are ratherWe the Creator? (Qur'an, 56:71-72)

Among His signs is that He created you fromdust, then behold, you are humans, scatteringyourselves about. (Qur'an, 30:20)

b) The Materialist Position towardthis Argument

We shall now indicate the attitude of ma-terialism toward this argument. Materialism, asa mechanical philosophy, is not obliged to consider this argument. This is because, as we havealready observed, it explains life, feeling andthought as forms of the coalescence and separa-

87


tion of particles and molecules. This operationresults in no novelty as such, except that of themotion of particles in accordance with a mechan-ical law. Neo-materialism, however, because itadmits the principle of quantitative and qualita-tive evolution of matter through these forms,encounters some difficulty from this argument.It has chosen a method for the explanation ofthis qualitative evolution which can harmonizewith the second problem already discussed andits own desire to regard matter as itself sufficientfor the explanation of its own evolutionary stages.This method holds matter to be the source offulfillment, and to thus provided the necessaryproperties for the process of its own qualitativeevolution. This it does, not in the same way inwhich a poor man would attempt to finance largeprojects, but because all the forms and proper-ties of this evolution are latent in matter fromthe very beginning. Thus the chicken is presentin the egg, gas in water and so forth.

The question of how matter could at oneand the same time be egg and chicken, or waterand gas, dialectical materialism answered by asserting that although this is a contradiction, con-

88


tradiction is the general law of nature. Everythinginnately contains its opposite with which it is incontinuous struggle. Through this struggle of twoopposites, a third inner contradiction arises andgrows until it becomes the synthesis of the twoopposites. Thus, it causes change in matter, 14 suchas an egg exploding suddenly and a chicken burst-ing out from it. Through this process, matterachieves its perfection continuously, in that theresulting synthesis constitutes the future, or nextstep forward.

In light of all this, we notice the following.What neo-materialism means precisely by its as-sertion that a thing contains its opposite must beone of the following:

1. It may mean that the egg and the chickenare two opposites or antagonistic forms, and thatthe egg makes the chicken and bestows on it thequalities of life, that is to say, a dead thing cangive birth to a living being and make life. This isexactly like a poor man attempting to finance largeprojects; it contradicts the a priori principle justdiscussed.

2. Does neo-materialism mean, on the otherhand, that the egg does not make the chicken, but

89


rather brings it forth, since it was already latent inthe egg? Thus an egg, while being an egg, was at thesame time a chicken, just like a picture whichlooks different from different angles. It is obviousthat if the egg is at one and the same time achicken, there is no process of development orfulfillment in the egg becoming a chicken. This isbecause whatever comes into being through thisprocess, was already in existence. It is like a mantaking out of his pocket money which, while inhis hand, was in his pocket.

For any process of growth to take place,that is, for anything new to actually occur throughthe process of an egg becoming a chicken, weare obliged to suppose that the egg was notpreviously a chicken but a chicken in the making,or something capable of becoming a chicken. Inthis way an egg becomes different from a stone,which can never become a chicken, as an egg canwithin specific conditions and cirsumstances. Themere potentiality of a thing does not necessarilymean its actualisation. Hence, if an egg is actu-alised into a chicken, the mere possibility of thisis not enough to explain the actual event.

If the various forms which matter takes

90


were to be the result of its internal opposites, thenthe variety of forms must be explained by thevariety of these inner opposites or contradictions.The egg, for example, has its own contradictions,which are different from those of water. For thisreason, its contradictions result in the chickenwhile those of water result in gas. This proposi-tion becomes obvious when we consider theprimary stages in the process of differentiationamong material forms at the level of particles,which constitute the basic units of the materialuniverse, such as protons, electrons, neutrons,anti-protons, anti-electrons (positrons) and pho-tons. Did every particle take a special form onthe basis of its inner contradictions so that aproton was concealed in its own material particleand subsequently came forth as a result of motionand struggle as in the case of the egg and thechicken? If we suppose this then how can weaccount for the variety of forms which theseparticles have taken, since this presupposes, ac-cording to the logic of inner contradiction, thatthese particles must themselves be different andvalid in their inner contradictions. That is to say,they must be different with regard to their inner

9 1


characteristics.We know that modern science tends to the

view of the essential unity of matter, and that theinner content of matter is one. Moreover, thedifferent forms which matter assumes are notsubstitutes for a single and constant content.Otherwise, it would have been possible for aproton to become a neutron and vice versa;that is, it would have been possible for the mole-cule to change its form as well as the atom andparticle, in spite of the unity and constancy ofthe content. This would mean that the contentis one, although forms vary. If so, how can wesuppose that all these different forms result frominner contradictions.

The example of the egg and chicken is itselfuseful in explaining this position. In order forforms to assume their characteristic variety indifferent eggs through their inner contradictions,it is necessary that eggs be different in theirinner structure. The egg of a hen and that ofanother bird produce two different birds. If, onthe other hand, the two eggs were those of a hen,then we could not suppose that their inner con-tradiction would produce two different forms.

92


Thus we see that the explanation of materialforms offered by neo-materialism, on the basisof inner contradiction on the one hand, and thetrend of modern science with its insistence onthe unity of matter on the other, have developedalong two completely divergent lines.

The third alternative is the view that holdsthat the egg consists of two independent oppo-sites, each possessing its special mode of existence;the one being the portion of the egg concernedwith fertilization, the other the rest of the egg'scontent. These two opposites engage in a continu-ous struggle until the fertilized portion prevailsand the egg becomes a chicken. This kind ofstruggle is familiar in the life of human beingsand has been for long recognized both in theirdaily lives and their intellectual life. Why, itmust be objected, mast we consider the inter-action between the fertilized, portion and therest of the egg the struggle of opposites? Whyshould we consider the interaction between thedust particles, its soil and the air, or the inter-action between the embryo in the mother's womband the nutritive materials it obtains from themother's body a struggle between opposites? This

93


in fact is no more than a designation, no betterthan saying that one form is intergrated into,or unified with another form. Even if we grantthat this interaction must be called a struggle,the problem remains unsolved as long as weadmit that this interaction leads to a new thirdform which is a numerical addition to the twoopposites. The question remains, where did thisadditional form come from? Did it come fromthe two struggling opposites, even though theyboth lacked it? It must be remembered that athing cannot give something else which it doesnot possess, as we have argued in the second ofour three principles just presented.

We are not aware of any instance in naturewherein the struggle between two opposites isthe real cause of growth. How could a beingparticipate in the growth of its own oppositethrough a struggle against it when struggle meansa degree of resistance and rejection. Resistance,as we know, diminishes the energy of growth inthe thing resisted instead of helping it to achieveit. We know that a swimmer, when he encountershigh waves, finds his movements hampered to ahigh degree rather than enhanced. If, therefore,

94


the struggle between opposites, however consider-ed, were to be the cause of the growth andevolution of the egg into a chicken, where is thegrowth, caused by struggle of opposites, of waterinto gas and its return into water?

Nature reveals that when opposites coincideor unite, the result is not growth, but the destruc-tion of both opposites. Thus the positive proton,which constitues the cornerstone of the atom,and which carries a charge of positive energy, hasas its counterpart a negative proton. Similarly,the negative electron which moves in the orbit ofan atom has its opposite counterpart. When thesetwo opposites meet, a process of atomic destruc-tion takes place which causes the virtual dis-appearance of matter, as the resulting energy isreleased and scattered in space.

We conclude from all this that the motionof matter without provision from and directionby an external source could not cause real growthor evolution to a higher and more specializedstage. It is therefore necessary in order for matterto grow and rise into higher planes of existence,such as life, feeling and thought, that there bea Lord who Himself enjoys these characteristics

9 5


and is able to bestow them on matter; The roleof matter in this process of growth is no morethan that of suitability, readiness and potentiality.It is like the role of a good child who is ready toreceive the knowledge imparted to him by hiseducator; blessed is God, Lord of the worlds.

96

5. THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD,EXALTED BE HE

When we believe in God, praised and exaltedbe He, as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe,directing its course in accordance with His wisdomand providence, it becomes imperative for us toknow His attributes through His creation and theperfection of His work. We should, furthermore,evaluate His characteristics in light of the splendor-ous manifestations which His works display. Thiswe do in exactly the same way as we evaluate anengineer on the basis of the mastery of his productor an author on the basis of the depth of his know-ledge and learning which his works contain, or thepersonality of an educator on the basis of the qual-ities and virtues which he imparts to those underhis care. In this way we shall be able to enjoy abrief glance of the attributes of knowledge, wis-dom, life, power, sight and hearing with which theexalted Creator is characterized. For the mastery

9 7

The Revealer (al-Mursil )

and precision manifested in the order of the uni-verse reveal His omniscience and wisdom. Thegreat energies it manifests reveal His sovereignityand omnipotence. The variety of life and thedegrees of intellectual discerment and sense per-ception reveal the life and consciousness whichthe Creator enjoys. The unity of purpose andarchitectural mastery with which this universe wasexecuted, as well as the close connections amongits many aspects, reveal the oneness of the Creatorand the unity of power from which this vast uni-verse emanated.

a) His Justice and Rectitude

We all believe, through our native intuitionand a priori reason, in general values that mustgovern our conduct. These are values which assertthat justice is truth and goodness and wrongdoingis falsehood and evil. We also believe that whoso-ever deals justly with others is worthy of respectand praise and whosoever commits wrongdoing andtreachery deserves the opposite. These values, fromthe point of view of native intuition (fitrah) andthe science of induction (istigra'), are fundamental

98


in directing human conduct aright, provided thatthere are no obstacles such as ignorance or thequest for material personal gain. This is becauseevery human being, if faced with the choice be-tween truth or falsehood in his inter-course withothers, or between trustworthiness and treacheryin his dealings, would choose truth over falsehoodand trustworthiness over treachery, provided thatthere is no personal reason or special interest thatmay cause him to deviate from these values. Thismeans that whosoever has no personal interest incommitting falsehood or treachery, would dealtruthfully and with trustworthiness and justicein his daily conduct. This principle applies exactlyto the wise Creator, praised and exalted be He,for He encompasses all these values which wediscern with our native reason because He grantedus this rational faculty. Because of His absolutepower and sovereignty over this universe, He hasno need for any bargaining or recourse to clevermanoeuvres. Thus we believe that God is just andwould not wrong anyone.

99

The Revealer (al-Mursil )

b) Divine Justice as Argument forReward and Punishment

The values in which we believe enjoin justice,straightforwardness, trustworthiness, truthfulness,fidelity and other such qualities, and codemn theiropposites. They do not just enjoin good qualitiesand condemn bad ones; they also call for the ap-propriate reward or punishment for each. The un-tainted native intellect perceives that wrongdoersand traitors deserve blame and just and trust-worthy people, who are ready to sacrifice every-thing in the way of justice and truth deserve praise.Everyone of us finds in his own conscience ( wijdan )the tendency, based on these values, to blame thedeviant wrongdoer and to land the just and straight-forward person. The only obstacle in the way ofthis attitude is a person's inability to take a suit-able stance or his own personal prejudice.

Since we believe that God, the Exalted, is justand impartial in His dealings and is capable of as-signing the appropriate reward or punishment, therecan be no obstacle in the way of his executingthose values which demand just reward or punish-ment for good or bad conduct. We should naturally

100


conclude, therefore, that God would reward therighteous for his righteousness and uphold theright of the wronged against his wrongdoer.-Wenotice, however, that rewards and punishmentsare not exacted by God in this life, although heis capable of so doing. This demonstrates, if wetake into account our previous arguments, thatthere will come a day of judgement on which therighteous person whose good deeds and sacrificein the way of noble ideals which went unnoticedin this life, and the wrongdoer who lived on thedestruction and blood of innocent people andhad escaped punishment in this life, will bothreap their just reward and punishment. This isthe day of resurrection, which will embody allthese absolute values by which human conductwill be judged; without it they would remainmeaningless.

101

the Messenger

Part Two

A) INTRODUCTION: THE GENERALPHENOMENON OF PROPHETHOOD

Everything in this vast universe carries withit its strict divine law which directs it and aids itto rise to the highest possible levels of fulfillment.Thus the seed, under the rule of its specific law,and within the framework of its special condi-tions, evolves into a tree. The sperm, likewise, inaccordance with the divine law operating in it,becomes a human being. Everything, from thesun to the proton, and from the planets moving inthe sun's orbit to the electrons moving in theorbit of a proton, all move according to a specialplan and evolve according to a special potentiality.This all-encompassing divine order includes theuniverse with all its aspects and phenomena, ascan be demonstrated by the argument of scientificinduction. The most important phenomenon in

105


the universe may be that of human free choice.Man is a choosing being, and that means that heis a purposive being. That is to say, man acts fora purpose which he seeks to achieve. He digs inthe earth to bring forth water, cooks in orderto eat tasty food and experiments with thephenomena of nature in order to know its laws,and so forth.

Other beings in nature, in contrast, act foralready set aims and not for purposes which theyset for themselves and seek their fulfillment. Thusthe lung, stomach and nervous system, in per-forming their physiological functions, perform apurposive activity. The purpose here, however, isnot one which they established through theirnatural functions; it is rather the purpose of theAll-knowing Creator.

Since man is a purposive being whose prac-tical attitudes are closely connected with specificpurposes which he comprehends and lives for;it follows that man is not determined by a strictnatural law, as for example, a raindrop falling in apredetermined manner in accordance with thelaw of gravity. Had his circumstances been similar,man would not have been a purposive being acting

1 06

The Messenger (ar-Rasul)

in accordance with a purpose existing in his mind.For man to be purposive, it is necessary that hebe free in his actions in order that he can actaccording to whatever purposes may arise in hismind. The link between man's practical attitudesand his purposes, therefore, constitute the lawcontrolling the phenomenon of choice in man.

Human purpose, moreover, does not arisehaphazardly. Man bases his purposes on the re-quirements of his personal interests and needs.These needs are dictated by, the environment andobjective circumstances which surround man. Thecircumstances, however, do not move man directlyin the way a storm, for instance, moves the leavesof trees. Had this been the case, it would annulman's role as a purposive being. It is thereforenecessary for objective circumstances to moveman, but only in that they stir him to act inaccordance with his own perception of his interestwithin a specific practical situation. Not everyinterest, however, is capable of moving the indi-vidual to action. Rather, this is achieved by suchinterests as the individual discerns to be his owninterests as well. Therefore, interests are of twokinds, short-term interests which often benefit

107


the purposive individual who acts strictly in selfinterest, and long-term interests which benefitsociety. Often, however, individual interests comeinto direct conflict with those of society. Thuswe observe that man is often moved not by thepositive values of an interest, but by the specialbenefits which may accrue to him. We observealso that there should be an objective necessitywhich can assure individual motivation by groupinterests as a necessary condition for the preserva-tion and progress of life in the long run.

On this basis, man has to face a conflictbetween the demands of the law (sunnah) of lifeand its preservation through an objective conductaimed at promoting group interests on the onehand, and individual tendencies demanding manto heed only his own individual interests and towork for his own individual benefit on the other.It was therefore necessary to find a formulacapable of resolving this conflict and creatingobjective circumstances which call for human mo-tivation in accordance with group interests.

Prophethood, in that it is a divine pheno-menon in human life, is the law which providesthe way to resolve this problem. This it does by

1 08


rendering group interests and all other greatinterests which go beyond the short-term aspectsof human life, into individual long-term interests.It achieves this by informing the individual ofthe continuity of his existence after death andof his final journey into the divine court ofjustice and recompense, where all human beingswill be gathered to see their deeds.

Whosoever does an ant's weight of good shallsee it, and whosoever does an ant's weight ofevil shall see it. (Qur'an, 99:7-8)

In this way group interests become identicalwith individual interests considered in the long run.

The paradigm of this solution consists ofa theory and the special educational process ofman based on it. The theory is the return ( ma'ad)to God on the day of resurrection; the educationalprocess is a continuous activity of divine guidance.That it must be a divine activity is because itdepends on the last day, that is, on the unknown(al-ghayb). This activity cannot take place except

109


through divine revelation, which is prophethood.Thus we see that prophethood and the finalreturn to God are two aspects of the same para-digm which provides the only solution to thatgeneral conflict in human life. This solution con-stitutes the phenomenon of free choice, and pro-motes it in the service of the true interests inhuman life.

11 0

B) DEMONSTRATION OF THE PROPHETHOOD OF THE GREATEST MESSENGER,

MUHAMMAD, GOD'S BLESSINGSAND PEACE BE UPON HIM

AND HIS HOUSEHOLD

As the existence of the wise Creator has beendemonstrated by the inductive argument and themethods of scientific argument, so likewise theprophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon himand his household, will be demonstrated by meansof the same scientific and inductive argument andthrough the same method we employ in proofof the various truths in our daily life and scientificinvestigation. Let us present some examples byway of introduction in proof of this truth aswell.

If a man were to receive a letter from one ofhis relatives who is a youth studying in a smallelementary school in a rural area, and if therecipient were to notice that the letter was written

111


in a brilliant idiom, employing learned and preciseexpressions, manifesting high artistic ability, thenhe would certainly conclude that another person,highly educated and possessing an unusual abilityof expression had dictated that letter to the youth.If we wish to analyze this argument and conclusion,we may divide it into the following steps: -

1. The letter was written by a country boystudying in an elementary school.2. The letter is characterized by an eloquentstyle, a high level of artistic excellence andan unusual ability to arrange ideas.3. The science of induction demonstratesin such situations that a youth of the char-acteristics noted in the first step could notformulate a letter of the qualities noted inthe second step.4. It must be concluded from all this that theletter was the product of another person ofwhose abilities the youth was able, in one wayor another, to take advantage.Let us present another analogy for the same

idea, this time a scientific argument. It is the argu-ment which scientists used in studying the electron.A scientist had studied a specific kind of ray which

11 2

The Messenger (ar-Rasul )

he produced in a closed tube. Then he focussed onthe middle of the tube a magnetic devise shapedlike a horseshoe. He noticed that the rays tendedto move toward the positive pole of the magnet-ic field and avoid the negative. He repeated theexperiment under different circumstances untilhe become certain that rays may be attracted bymagnetic power and that the positive pole is theone which attracts them. Since this scientist knewthrough inductive arguments and his study of otherrays, such as those of ordinary light, that rays arenot influenced by magnetic power or attracted byit and that a magnet attracts bodies, not rays, hewas able to conclude that the attraction of thespecial rays on which he conducted his experimentscould not be interpreted on the basis of the usualhypothetical information. He rather discovered anew force and a new truth, namely, that these raysare made of minute negative particles and are pre-sent in all material bodies because they are derivedfrom various elements. These particles were namedelectrons.

The process of demonstration in both analo-gies may be summarized as follows: Whenever aspecific phenomenon is observed, within the con-

11 3


text of specific factors and concrete circumstances,it is noticed inductively that these factors andcircumstances in similar situations do not neces-sarily lead to the same phenomenon. This points,therefore, to another unseen factor which must bepresupposed for interpreting that phenomenon.In other words, the conclusion, if it is greater thanthe circumstances and concrete factors in similarsituations, as demonstrated through the inductivemethod, reveal an unseen factor behind thesecircumstances and concrete factors.

This attests to the proof of the prophethoodof the greatest apostle, Muhammad, peace beupon him and his household, and the truth of themessage which he declared to the world in thename of heaven. The application of the methodto this argument takes the following steps:

l. The man who declared his message to theworld in the name of heaven hailed from theArabian peninsula which was one of most backward areas of the world at the time culturally,intellectually, socially, politically and economic-ally. He belonged specifically to the Hijaz, a regionof this peninsula which had not passed througheven the limited developments of the cultures in

11 4


neighbouring regions of the peninsula. Nor had itexperienced any social development to speak of,or attained any share of the intellectual wealth ofthat period worthy of mention.

Its poetry and literature reflected nothing ofthe intellectual currents of the world of that era.It was rather immersed, from the point of view ofreligious faith, in the chaos of polytheism andidolatry. The region had socially disintegratedunder the burden of tribal mentality. Its societywas therefore pray to tribal allegiances in all as-pects of its life.

All this led to deep social conflicts, struggleand senseless, purposeless raids. The country inwhich this apostle grew up knew no form ofgovernment except that which tribal allegianceshad dictated. The level of productive energy andthe economic circumstances contributed nothingto distinguish the Hijaz from the most backwardareas of the world at the time. Even reading andwriting, which are the simplest rudiments of educa-tion, were rare in that environment, where societyin general was an illiterate one.

11 5


It is He who has sent to the unlettered peoplean apostle from among themselves, reciting tothem and teaching them the Book and wis-dom, although they were before in manifesterror. (Qur'an, 62:2)

The Prophet was, from this point of view,a typical person. He did not read or write beforehis apostleship, nor did he receive any formal orinformal education.

You did not recite before it (the Qur'an)any other scriptures, nor did you inscribe itwith your right hand; otherwise the falsifierswould surely have doubted. (Qur'an, 29:48)

This Qur'anic text is a clear depiction of theapostle's intellectual attainments before his apostle-ship. It is an incontrovertible proof even for thosewho do not believe in the divine origin of theQur'an. It is, in any case, a text which the Prophet

11 6


declared to his people and expounded in thepresence of those who were fully acquainted withhis life and history, and no one objected to whathe said. Nor did anyone deny his claim. We more-over observe that the Prophet did not take part,before his apostleship, even in the intellectualforms of poetry and rhetoric which were popularamong the people at the time. There was no men-tion of any distinction of the Prophet over therest of his people, except in his moral commit-ments, his trustworthiness, honesty, truthfulnessand integrity.

He lived among them for forty years beforehis apostleship without their sensing anything dis-tinguishing him from them, except his pure conduct. No practical indications or trends towardsthe change which he declared to the world, afterforty years of his noble life, reflected themselvesin his behavior prior to that time.

Say: "Had God so willed, I would not haverecited it (the Qur'an) to you, nor would He

11 7


have made it known to you. " I have dweltamong you a lifetime: before it; do you notthen understand? (Qur'an, 10:16)

The Prophet, peace be upon him and hishousehold, was born in Mecca where he lived theentire period prior to his apostleship. He didnot leave it to go outside the Arabian peninsulaexcept on two brief journeys. The first was withhis uncle Abu Talib when he was still a youthin his early teens. The other was in his mid-thirtieswhen he accompanied a caravan carrying Khadi-jah's goods for trade. Because of his inabilityto read or write, he had no opportunity to readany of the religious texts of the Jews or Chris-tians. Nor did he become acquainted, to anyappreciable extent, with these texts through hisenvironment. Mecca was an idolatrous city bothin its ideas and customs, into which neitherChristian nor Jewish religious thought had pen-etrated. Religion had not entered into the life ofits society in any form. Even the hanifs (pureones) among the Arabs of Mecca who rejectedthe worship of idols were influenced by neitherJudaism nor Christianity. Nothing of Jewish orChristian thought appeared to have been reflected

118


in the literary or poetic heritage left for us by Qaisibn Sa'idah and others of the group. Had theProphet made any effort to be acquainted withJewish or Christian thought, it would have beennoticed. In such a simple environment which hadno relation with the sources of Jewish or Chris-tian thought, such an attempt would not havepassed without attracting

much attention andwithout leaving its imprint on many of the movesand relations that followed.

2. The message which the Prophet proclaim-ed to the world is embodied in the noble Qur'anand the Islamic sacred law

(shari`ah) which hasmany distinguishing characteristics. First, it camein a unique form of divine instruction about God,praised and exalted be He, His attributes, Hisknowledge and power and the nature of therelationships which exist between him and human-kind. The message also illustrated the role ofprophets in the guidance of humanity, the unityof their messages, their unique values and exam-ples. It spoke of God's ways (sunan) with Hisprophets and the continuous struggle betweentruth and falsehood and between justice andwrongdoing. It illustrated the close connection of

119


heavenly messages with those who are wronged andpersecuted, and the opposition of the messages tothose who exploit others through illegal interestsand business deals. This divine instruction, further-more, was not only greater than the religiouslevel of a society immersed in idolotry; it wasalso greater than all the religious cultures knownto the world at the time. Any comparison wouldclearly show that it came to correct whatevererrors other religious systems contained, to balancewhatever deviation they had suffered, and to bringthem back to the judgement of the pure, nativeintuition (fitrah) of man and his untainted reason.

All this was brought by an unlettered manwho belonged to an idolatrous society isolatedfrom other societies. He was a man who knewalmost nothing of the intellectual heritage orscriptures of his time. Yet he was the criterionof rectification and progress. The message, more-over, came with values and concepts regardinglife, humanity, social relations and right action.It expressed these values and concepts in laws andordinances which have been regarded even bythose who do not accept their divine origin, to beamong the most precious and noble ordinances

120


known to human history.Thus the son of a tribal society appeared on

the stage of world history suddenly to proclaimthe essential unity of humanity. The son ofan environment whose people devised oppressivesocial forms of distinction and superiority basedon ethnicity, lineage and socio-economic status,he came to destroy all such forms and to declarethat all human beings are to be equal.

...... Surely the most noble of you in the sightof God is he who is most pious ... (Qur'an,49:13)

He made this declaration into a reality formen to live by. He raised the female, previouslyburied alive, to her rightful place of respect toequal the male in humanity and dignity.

The son of the desert whose people thoughtonly of their petty cares and the alleviation oftheir hunger; whose men vied in glory withintheir clan distinctions, came to lead them toshoulder the greatest responsibilities. He unified

12 1


them in the battle of human liberty and thesalvation of the wronged everywhere from thetyranny of Chosroe (Khusraw) and Ceasar."

The son of a complete political and economicvacuum, in all its conflicts of usury, hoarding andexploitation, appeared suddenly to fill that vacuumand to make of that empty society an organizedunity possessing a complex legal, economic andsocial order. He came to abolish usury, hoardingand exploitation and to redistribute wealth sothat it might not be a commodity exchangedamong the rich few. He came to establish socialequality and security which other societies calledfor after centuries of social experimentation anddevelopment. All these turning points took placein a relatively short period of time, consideringthe slow pace of social changes.

This message speaks in the Qur'an of earlierprophets and their communities. It discusses eventsand crises in the life of these communities indetails unknown to the illiterate and idolatrousenvironment of the Arabian Prophet. Jewish andChristian learned men challenged the Prophet onmore than one occasion, asking him to discusstheir religious heritage. He met these challenges

122


with great courage. The Qur'an fulfilled theirdemands without there being any way of explain-ing how the Prophet himself could have acquiredknowledge of these details.

You (Muhammad) were not at the westernside (of at-Tur, that is, Mount Sinai) whenWe decreed for Moses the commission, norwere you among those who witnessed it. ButWe raised generations, and life was prolongedfor them. Nor were you a dweller among thepeople of Madian, reciting to them our verses;rather, We were the Sender. You were not onthe side of the Mount (at-Tur) when We called

1 23


(unto Moses); rather you were sent as amercy from your Lord to warn a people towhom no warner came before you, that theymay be reminded. (Qur'an, 28:44-46)

What overwhelms the observer is that the trueaccounts related in the Qur'an could not have beena simple case of plagarism of the two testaments,even if we allow that the idea that the two Bookswere well-known in the Prophet's milieu. Pla-garism is only a negative way of taking whatsomeone else had to offer, whereas the Qur'anassumed the positive role of correcting and modify-ing these accounts. It presents details of a storywith the purpose of purifying it from any ac-cretions or contradictions which do not agreewith inherent faith (fitrah) in Divine Oneness(tawhid), an enlightened mind and an uncorrupt-ed religious view.

Another proof of the truth of the messageis that the Qur'an attained such a high level ofclarity, eloquence and originality of expression.This made it even from the point of view of thosewho reject its divine origin, an absolute criterionseparating two stages in the history of the Arabiclanguage and the basis of enormous change in this

124


language and its literary methods. The Arabs whoheard the Prophet recite the Qur'an discerned thefact that it in no way resembled anything theyhad hitherto known in its power of elucidation andclarity of expression. One of them (al-Walid ibnal-Mughirah) declared when he heard the Qur'an,"By God, I have heard words which are neitherthe speech of men nor jinn! It is a speech of sweetsavour and grace. Its top is fruitful and its bottomis copious. It exalts and none can surpass it. Ittruly destroys all that falls beneath it."

The people did not allow themselves to listento the Qur'an because they felt its great effectand because of their fear of its great power, as itdepicted the state of their souls. This is a clearproof of the great uniqueness of Qur'anic expres-sion. It proves further that the Qur'an is not simplythe continuation of a familiar development of aliterary expression. The people had to succumbto the growing challenge with which the Prophetconfronted them. The Qur'an challenged them tobring one like it, or even only ten surpas like it.It went on to stress their inability to bring evenone surah like those of the noble Qur'an.

The Prophet offered this challenge to a

1 2 5


society which excelled in no other craft as it didin that of words. It was a society which excelledin the art of story-telling (hadith) and the re-counting of feats of glory. Their chief aim was toextinguish the light of this new message anddestroy it. Nonetheless, this society, which wasready to meet any challenge, however great, didnot wish to try itself and oppose the Qur'an inanything. It was because the people believed thatthe literary expression of the Qur'an was beyondtheir linguistic and artistic ability. The curiousthing was that the man who brought them this newliterary wealth lived among them for forty yearswithout their seeing him take part in a literarydebate or display any talent in the literary arts.These are just a few of the characteristics of themessage which the Prophet proclaimed to theworld.

3. Now we turn to the third step, throughwhich we shall demonstrate, on the basis ofscientific induction applied to the history ofhuman societies, that this message (having thecharacteristics studied in the second step) is fargreater than the factors and circumstances whichwe reviewed in the first step would allow. Although

1 26


the history of human societies has, on manyoccasions, witnessed an outstanding man who ledhis society a step forward, the case with whichwe are here concerned displays too many ex-ceptions to be just another instance of humansuccess in history. We first observe here a tremen-dous power of innate religious intuition (fitrah),an all-inclusive evolution of all aspects of life anda reorientation of values and concepts which relateto the various areas of life, raising it to a betterstate instead of carrying it simply a step forward.Thus the society of tribes leaped forward, underthe guidance of the Prophet, into the one universalsociety. The society of idols leaped suddenly tothe faith of Divine Oneness (deen al-tawhid); thereligion which corrected the other monotheisticreligions and removed from them all accretionsof falsehood and legend. The empty society be-came full, even becoming a society of leadershipbearing a culture which has illuminated the entireworld.

We notice further that any complete revolu-tion of society, if it is the child of concretecircumstances and causes, could not rise suddenly,improvised by one man. Nor could it be without

127


connection with earlier developments which pavethe way for it. It cannot arise without a precedingcurrent of intellectual and spiritual growth where-in a form of able leadership is allowed to matureand assume its role. Such a leader would thenwork to revolutionize society on the basis of thisnew development.

The comparative study of the processes ofsocial evolution has clearly shown that an intel-lectual process of change begins in any societylike seeds scattered in the soil of that society.Then these seeds rise together to constitute anintellectual current and gradually define its pecul-iar characteristics. It is then possible for a kindof leadership to grow within that current and bringit out onto the world stage as a front for a move-ment in opposition to the official establishmentin society. Through a long struggle, this currentwidens until it gains control.

In contrast to all this, we find that Muham-mad was not simply one link in a chain in thehistory of this new message. Nor was he part ofa general current of social change. The values andconcepts which he proclaimed were not simplyseeds, or an intellectual wealth growing in the soil

12 8


of the society in which he grew up. As for thecurrent which developed in his hands, and whichconsisted of the few elect among the first Mus-lims, it was the product of the message and theleader. It was not the climate which produced themessage or the leader.

Thus the difference between what the Proph-et brought and that of any other leader is not oneof degree, such as can be found among the variouselements constituting a new current of thought orsocial action. It was rather a fundamental andinfinite difference. All this goes to prove thatMuhammad was not part of a current, but thatthe new current was part of him.

History has proved that if the intellectual,religious or social leadership of a new trend isconcentrated in one centre through a specificmovement of intellectual and social change, thatcentre must possess the appropriate power, andintellectual ability. It would also be necessary forthese characteristics to be expressed in ways andmethods familiar in the life of ordinary humanbeings. It would further be necessary for thatcurrent to have a gradual process of practicalapplication that would produce and direct the

129


development of leadership.Again, in contrast with all this, we find that

Muhammad himself assumed the intellectual, reli-gious and social leadership in spite of the fact thathis situation, as an unlettered man who knewnothing of the intellectual achievements of histime or its prior religious traditions, did not makeof him a candidate for such a role. Nor did he haveany prior experience that would qualify him forthis sudden responsibility.

In light of all this, we must come to thefollowing conclusion, which alone offers us theonly reasonable and acceptable explanation. Wemust presuppose an additional factor behind theseconcrete circumstances. It is the factor of revela-tion, the factor of prophethood which constitutesthe intervention of heaven to guide earth.

Thus have We revealed unto you (Muham-

1 30


mad) a spirit of our command; you did notknow what the Book is nor what faith is.But We made it (the Qur'an) a light withwhich We guide whosoever We wish fromamong our servants, and you surely guide toa straight path. (Qur'an, 42:52)

13 1

C) THE ROLE OF OUTSIDE FACTORSAND INFLUENCES

The explanation of the message on the basisof revelation rather than the factors and circum-stances concretely operating in its history doesnot mean that we should ignore these circum-stances completely. They did play an influentialrole in accordance with universal social norms.Their influence, however, was in the course ofevents and its consequences, whether in promotingor retarding the success of the message. Themessage in itself is a divine reality above allmaterial conditions and circumstances. When, how-ever, it was transformed into a movement, acontinuous activity for change, it became pos-sible for it to be related to its circumstances andwhatever conditions and feelings surrounded it.It may, for instance, be supposed that the feelingof the individual Arab of being lost in a society

132


torn by strife, (where he himself represented incorporeal form his deity, history or ideal in astone which he might destroy in a moment ofanger, or in a piece of sweet which he coulddevour in a moment of hunger) made him lookup to the new message. It may be supposed thatthe feeling of the unfortunate and strugglingindividuals in Arab society under a heavy yoke ofwrongdoing and oppression by usurers and exploit-ers, compelled them to support a new movementwhich would raise high the banner of justice andabolish usurial capitalism. It may be further sup-posed that tribal feelings played an important rolein the life of the message, whether on the locallevel of struggle and rivalries among the clansof Quraysh and the prestige and protection whichaccrued to the Prophet from his clan identity, oron the nationalistic level in the feelings of theArabs of South Arabia towards those of the North.

The circumstances of a collapsing world andharsh conditions which the two great powers,Byzantinum and Persia, had endured, kept thempreoccupied with their own problems and pre-vented them from intervening quickly and deci-sively to abort the new movement in the Arabian

133


peninsula. All such propositions are reasonableand may be admitted. Such explanations, however,apply to events and not to the message itself.

13 4

The Message

Part Three

ISLAM

As for the message, it is Islam, the religion ofGod with which He sent Muhammad, Allah'sblessings and peace be upon him and his household, as a mercy to humankind." The first andforemost purpose of Islam is the establishmentof a relationship between man and his Lord andman's return (

ma`ad) to God (on the Day ofJudgement). Thus it first related man to the Oneand true God, to Whom man's untainted nativereligious intuition (fitrah) points. It stressed theOneness of the true God in order to abolish allmanner of artificial deification, so that it made theprofession of Divine Oneness (shahadah ), "Thereis no god but Allah," its motto.

Since prophethood is the only direct media-tion between creation and the Creator, its witnessfor the oneness of God, the Creator, and its

137


link with the One and true God may be consider-ed as sufficient basis for the proof of Divine Unity(tawhid ). Secondly, the connection of man withthe Day of Judgement and the return ( ma`dd) toGod is stressed in order that the only way inwhich conflicts may be resolved and at the sametime Divine Justice established can be found, aswe have already seen.

The message of Islam has its own character-istics which distinguish it from all other heavenlymessages. It has its peculiar qualities which makeit a unique event in history. We shall now discussbriefly a few of these qualities and characteristics.

First, this message has remained sound withinthe Qur'anic text without becoming subject toany change or alteration (tahrif) while otherheavenly scriptures suffered alteration and becamedevoid of much of their content. God the exaltedsays

We have surely sent down the noble recitation(the Qur'an) and We shall surely safeguard it.(Qur'an, 15:9)

138

The Message (ar-Risalah)

The preservation of the religious and legis-lative contents of the message is the only means ofenabling it to continue to play its educative rolein society.

A message that becomes devoid of its contentthrough loss or alteration, becomes inadequate asa link between man and his Lord. This is becausethis link is achieved not through mere nominalmembership in a religious community, but throughinteraction with an interiorization of the contentsof the message, both in thought and conduct.For this reason the soundness of the messageof Islam has been safeguarded by the soundnessof the Qur'anic text, which provides the messagewith the necessary condition enabling it to carryout its aims.

The second characteristic is that the pre-servation of the Qur'an, both in letter and spirit,means that the prophethood of Muhammad, Allah'sblessings and peace be upon him and his house-hold, did not lose the most important argumentin proof of its validity. This is because the Qur'anitself, as containing the fundamentals of the mes-sage and its sacred law, stands as the inductiveproof, in accordance with our preceding argu-

139


ments, of the prophethood of Muhammad andhis apostleship. This proof will remain valid as longas the Qur'an itself remains.

In contrast with this fact are other prophet-hoods, the proof of which is linked to specificoccurrences which happened in a moment andwere no more, such as the healing of the blindand the leper. Such occurrences are witnessedonly by their contemporaries. With the passingof time and the succession of centuries, such anevents loses their primary witnesses. It becomesthereafter difficult if not impossible to ascertaintheir truth by means of research and investigation.God would not oblige men to believe in or toseek to prove any prophethood whose proofcould not be historically ascertained. This is be-cause,

. . . God does not burden a soul except withthat which He has given it.

. . (Qur'an, 65:7)If today we rely on our faith in earlier proph-

ets and their miracles, it is because we rely on thereports of the Qur'an.

140

The Message (ar-Risa1ah)

Thirdly, the mere passage of time, as wehave argued, does not diminish the basic argumentfor the validity of the Islamic message. Not onlythis, it provides the argument with new dimensionsthrough the growth of human knowledge andman's tendency to study the universe throughscientific methods and experimentation. Further-more, the Qur'an itself preceded modern sciencein this trend. It linked its argument for theexistence of the wise Creator with the study ofthe universe and the investigation of its pheno-mena. It alerted man to the mysteries and benefitsthat would accrue to him from such an investiga-tion. Even modern man can still find in this book(which was proclaimed by an unlettered man inan ignorant environment hundreds of years ago)clear allusions to the discoveries of modern science.Thus the British orientalist, A.J. Arberry, Professorof Arabic at Oxford University, said when modernscience discovered the role of the wind in plantfertilization, "Camel herdsmen knew that thewind plays a role in the pollination of trees andfruits centuries before European science discover-ed this fact.""

Fourthly, this message has encompassed all

1 4 1


aspects of life. On this basis it has been able tobalance these various aspects. It was able to unifytheir principles and combine in one perspective themosque and the university, the factory and thefield, so that man is no longer obliged to live in adichotomy between his spiritual and material life.

Fifthly, this message is the only heavenlymessage which was implemented by the messen-ger, who brought it, and in the process of thisimplementation, achieved dazzling success. It wasable to turn the slogans it proclaimed into realitiesin the daily lives of human beings.

As the message entered into the stage ofimplementation, it entered into human historyand shaped it; this is the sixth characteristic.The message, furthermore, was the cornerstonein the process of constituting the communitywhich bore it and followed the light of its guid-ance. Because this message is of a divine origin,constituting the gift of heaven to earth, above thelogic of concrete factors and influences, the his-tory of its community was consequently linked toan unknown (ghaybi)

factor. It has an unseenbasis which is not subject to the materialisticconsiderations of history.

142


It is therefore a mistake for us to understandour history only in the context of concrete factorsand influences. Nor should we consider it as theresult of materialistic circumstances, or simply adevelopment in the capacities of production. Sucha view of history does not apply to a communitywhose very being is based on heavenly message.Hence, unless we include this message as a divinereality in our assessment, we cannot understandour history correctly.

The seventh point we wish to make is thatthe effect of this message was not limited to thetask of building a community. It rather wentbeyond it to become an effective power in theworld throughout history. Fairminded Europeanscholars have admitted that the Islamic culturalpush was the power which awakened Europefrom its slumber and guided it to its new course.

The Prophet Muhammad, Allah's blessingsand peace be upon him and his household, whocame with this message, (which is our eighthpoint) must be distinguished from all other proph-ets in the way he presented his message. This isbecause the message itself was the last divinedissertation; thus he declared that his was the

1 43


final prophethood. The idea of the seal of proph-ecy rests on two arguments. The first is a negativeone based on the fact that no other prophet hadappeared since on the stage of history. The otheris a positive one, asserting the continuity of thisfinal prophethood, accross the ages. It is importantto observe that the negative argument has heldtrue for the fourteen centuries which followed theappearance of Islam, and will continue to do sofor all time to come.

The fact that no other prophethood has sinceappeared on the stage of history does not meanthat prophethood has lost its role as one of thefoundations of human culture. Rather it is becausethe final prophethood came as heir to all themessages expressed by the long history of proph-ecy. It also contained all the perennial valuesproclaimed by earlier prophetic messages, not thetransient values which surrounded the long evolu-tion of that history. It therefore became theauthoritative norm capable of withstanding thetest of time with all the factors of novelty andevolution it had brought.

1 44


We have sent down to you the Book in truth,confirming that of the scriptures which wasrevealed before it and safeguarding it ...(Qur'an, 5:48)

The ninth point we wish to make is thatdivine wisdom, which had sealed prophethoodwith Muhammad, decreed that he should havevicegerents (awsiya') who would carry the burdensof spiritual leadership (imamah) and temporalauthority (khilafah) after the end of prophethood.They are twelve imams appointed by clear texts from the Prophet , peace be upon him andhis household, in many authentic traditions (aha-dith), on whose authenticity all Muslims haveagreed. The first is the Commander of the Faith-fuls `Ali (Amir al-mu'minin), son of Abu Talib,then his two sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, res-pectively. Husayn was followed by nine of hisdescendants, in the following order: his son `Alias-Sajjad (the Prayerful); then his son Muhammadal-Bagir (penetrator of divine knowledge); follow-ed by his son Ja'far as-Sadiq (the Truthful); thenhis son Musa al-Kazim (the Serene One, or one

145


who conceals his anger); followed by his son Àliar-Rida (the one contented with God); then hisson Muhammad al-Jawad (the Magnanimous); thenhis son Àli al-Hadi (the guide to truth); followedby his son Hasan al-Àskari and the last, Muham-mad ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi (the rightly guided one).

Finally, during the occultation (ghaybah) ofthe twelfth Imam, peace be upon him, Islam hasreferred the people to the jurist-scholars. Thus itopened the gate of ijtihad, that is to say, thediscovery of legal judgements, on the basis of theBook, (the Qur'an) and sunnah (prophetic prac-tice).

al-Fatawa al-wadihah* is an example of per-sonal effort (ijtihad) in the discovery of theordinances

of the Islamic shari ah

(sacred law)with which the seal of the prophets, God's bless-ings be upon him and the noble guides, his puredescendants, was sent. We began writing thisbrief treatise on the fundamentals of religion onthe twenty-seventh day of Dhu'1-hijjah, 1396 andcompleted it on the afternoon of the tenth dayof the sacred month, Muharram, 1397. We finish-

*

This is the name of the book to which this present

translation is an introduction. (Publisher's note)

1 46

nayeb


ed writing the last lines while sorrow was wring-ing the heart and tearing the soul. Today welive the day of `Ashura', commemorating themartyrdom of the eternal hero of Islam, ImdmHusayn, son of `Ali, peace be upon them both,who sacrificed his precious blood on this day.This he did in order for us to stand firm on thepath of The Revealer (alMursil), The Messenger(ar-Rasul) and The Message

(ar-Risalah).He faced death with his soul and all his

loved ones with unequalled courage. All this hedid in defence of the Message and the establishment of its standards, for the protection of thewronged ones and the alleviation of the sufferingsof those who are tormented on earth. He fell alongwith the elect of his household and companionsat the hands of reprobates, in defence of Islamand Muslims everywhere and in every age. Hedied in defence of a community where reprobateswished to deprive it of its will and to freeze itsrevolutionary conscience and its sense of its ownexistence. The Master of Martyrs stirred its con-science with his blood and by his courageousstand revived its will, and with his calamitiousdeath rekindled its great feelings.

147


To you, O' my master, Abu `Abdillah, (al-Husayn) I present the divine merit

(thawab) of thistreatise. With the copious flow of your preciousblood, you have preserved the lofty edifices ofthought. With the power of your stirring voice,the Message reached us sound and fragrant withthe blood of martyrs, with your blood and theblood of your children throughout history. I,seekguidance from God alone, He is our refuge; "ToGod do we belong and to Him shall be our return."

THE END

148

NOTES

1. See Qur'an, 22:107. (Translator's footnote)

2. Qur'an, 52:35. All Qur'anic translations are those

of the translator.

3. On Newton's law of gravitation, see Classical Mech-anics, H. Goldstein (Redding, Mass.: Edison Wesley),

fifth printing, 1957, p.65. (Translator's footnote)

4. Galileo's law of uniform accelerated motion is also

Newton's second law of motion. See ibid., p.1. (Trans-

lator's footnote)

5. On Keppler's laws of planetary motion, see ibid.,p.80. (Translator's footnote)

6. ibid., p.65. (Translator's footnote)

149

Notes

7. No one exactly knows when this night occurs, buttradition has it that it comes during the month ofRamddn, perhaps the twenty-seventh. On the essentialsignificance of Laylatu'1-gadr, see Qur'an, chapter 97.( Translator's footnote)

8. For greater detail, see our book al-Usus al-mantiqiy-yah li 'l-Istiqra', p.489.

9. This. we have done in our book, al-Usus al-mantiqiy-yah li 'l-Istiqra'. See especially the second part, pp.131-410.

10. ibid., pp.355-410.

11. For greater detail, see ibid., p.146-247.

12. There are two further problems which must be over-come. First, it may be observed that any probablesubstitution for the wise Creator, in accordance withthe method of inductive argument, requires that everyphenomenon be fully adjusted to the process of lifepreservation and be the creation of a blind necessityin matter. It further requires that matter, in spite ofinner contradictions and its effects in itself, be thecause of whatever phenomena take place in it. Thepurpose of the inductive method is to establish a pre-

150

Notes

ference for the hypothesis of a wise creator over anysubstitute theory. This is because that hypothesisrequires only one a priori supposition, namely, a wisebeing. Any substitute theory, on the other hand, pre-supposes practical necessities in matter equal to thenumber of the phenomena under investigation. Theprobability of such a substitute would be the prob-ability of a large number of events and coincidences;it would therefore increasingly diminish until it com-pletely disappears. This would be the case only if thehypothesis of a wise creator is not presupposed inexplaining a large number of occurrences and coinci-dences. This appears to be the case because a wisecreator, who would be an explanation for all thephenomena in the universe, must himself possess as-pects of knowledge and power equal to their number.Hence, the number which this hypothesis must pre-suppose should equal the number of blind necessitieswhich any substitute theory must presuppose. Thequestion, then, must be asked: Which of the two hy-pothesis should be preferred?

In answer, it must be said that a preference arises fromthe fact that these blind necessities are completelyunrelated, in that the presupposition of any one ofthem in no way determines the possibility of the exist-ence or non-existence of any other one. This means

15 1

15 2

Notes

in the language of the computation of probabilitiesthat each occurrence must be independent from anyother one, or at least the degree of probability of eachmust be independent from that of any other one. Incontrast, the knowledge and potencies which are re-quired by the hypothesis of a wise creator behind thephenomena under investigation, are not independentbecause what is required in the way of knowledge andpower as cause of some of the phenomena, must alsobe required for all. Thus the presupposition of anynumber of aspects of knowledge or power is not in-different to the presupposition of any other number.Rather, the one is inherently required by the other.This further means, in the language of the computationof probabilities, that the possibility of the entire clus-ter of aspects of knowledge and power is conditionedby the fact that the possibility of some as inferredfrom the possibility of others is so high that it oftenreaches the level of absolute certainty.

If we wish to evaluate the aggregate of knowledge andpower (which we must presuppose the wise Creatortopossess) and compare it with its counterpart of blindnecessities, as to their degree of probability, we mustfollow the method of the multiplication of the degreesof probability which is based on the principle of com-putation of probabilities. The value assigned to each

Notes

member of this aggregate must equal that of everyother member, and so on. This computation, as weknow, leads to the decrease of probability and as thecomputation factors diminish in number, the degreeof improbability diminishes in like proportion. Themultiplication principle, whether it be conditionedor independent, can demonstrate mathematicallythat in conditional probabilities we should multiplythe degree of one with that of another; although wemust presuppose the existence of the first member,which is often certain or very close to certainty. Thusthe multiplication could not lead to absolute invalid-ation or to a very small degree of probability. This isin contrast to independent probabilities, each memberof which would be neutral with regard to any other.In the first instance the computation would lead togreat contradictions in value. From this would alsoresult the necessity of a detailed apllication of onemethod in favour of the other, in order to explainthe conditional principle of multiplication as well asthe independent principle. (For further clarificationof the principle of independent and conditional prob-ability, see al-Usus al-mantiqiyyah li'1-istiqra', pp.153-154.)

The other problem is that arising from assigning avalue to the prior probability (ihtimal gabli) of the

15 3

Notes

case which has been demonstrated inductively. In orderfor this to be clarified, a comparison must be madebetween the inductive proof of the Creator, and itsapplication in our previous example demonstrating thatthe letter you had received in the mail was actuallyfrom your brother. This example implies that the speedwith which a person arrives at the belief that the letterhe received was actually sent by his brother (evenbefore opening the letter and reading it) is directlyinfluenced by the probability of the case. This we call`the prior probability of the case.' If, before openingthe letter, he supposes fifty per cent probability thathis brother would send a letter to him, then he wouldquickly arrive at the belief that the letter was actuallyfrom his brother, in accordance with the five steps ofthe inductive argument already discussed. If, on theother hand, the possibility of receiving a letter from hisbrother is negligible, because there is a high degree ofprobability that his brother was dead, he would not soquickly conclude that the letter was from his brother,unless he receives further evidence.

What, then is the way to demonstrate the existenceof the Creator on the analogy of the principle of priorprobability of the case? In reality, the case of theexistence of the wise Creator, praised be He, does notfall under the law of probability. It is rather, an a prior

154

Notes

truth whose certainty man's native intuition (fitrah)and conscience or pure sentiment ( wijdan) assert. If,however, we suppose that it is a case of probabilityand wish to demonstrate it by the inductive method,then we would determine the value of its prior prob-ability in the following manner.

We begin by considering every phenomenon underinvestigation independently. Two possibilities wouldthen present themselves: One is that of a wise creator,the other of a blind necessity in matter. Since we arefaced with two possibilities without any prior justifi-cation for preferring either one over the other, weshould divide the numerical ratio of certainty equallybetween them, so that each would be assigned fiftyper cent. Since, however, the probabilities in favourof a wise creator are inter-connected and conditioned,in contrast with those of blind necessity, which areindependent and unconnected, the multiplicationresults constantly in a decrease of the probability inthe hypothesis of blind necessity and a constant in-crease of the probability of the hypothesis of a wisecreator.

I have observed, however, after long study, that thereason why the inductive scientific argument does notmeet with much approval in European thought and

15 5

Notes

and is rejected by thinkers like Bertrand Russel is theinability of those thinkers to overcome the two prob-lems which we have here indicated and solved. (For anindepth discussion of the application of the inductiveargument for the existence of a creator and the way inwhich it is possible to overcome these two problems,see al- Usus .

.

,

pp.441 -451.)

13. For a detailed discussion of this point and the methodsof pure logic and positive logic as these relate to it, seeal-Usus . . . pp.480-500.

14. This is the dialectical process of thesis, antithesis andsynthesis on which Marxist materialism is based.(Translator's footnote)

15. Kisrah and Qaysar, the Persian and Byzantine em-perors, as absolute monarchs, became for Muslims asymbol and oppression. (Translator's footnote)

16. The author does not provide his source, but for avariant version, see: Muhammad Yusuf al-Kandahlawi,Hayat as-Sahabah, Muhammad `Ali ad-Dawlah, ed.,( Damascus: Dar al-Qalam), N. D. , 1st edition, vol. l ,p.114. (Translator's footnote)

17.

See Qur'an, 21:107. (Translator's footnote)

18. In this he refers to God's words: And we have sentthe winds as fecundators. (Qur'an, 25:22)

156

GLOSSARY

ADAM: non-being, the opposite of wujud (existence).

AWSIYA': vicegerents or representative of the Prophet,referring specifically to the twelve Imams.

BASATAH: simplicity; as a philisdphical term, it refersto an uncomposite thing or being, which is not subject togeneration and corruption.

DALIL: proof or argument; an argument to demonstratea hypothesis.

DALIL FALSAFI: the philisophical proof or argument,used specifically to prove the existence of God.

DALIL ISTIQRA'I: inductive proof or argument; in thisbook specifically used to indicate the method of scientificinduction used to prove the existence of God.

157

Glossary

DIN: religion or faith; an ideal to which a person adheres

and is willing to be judged by.

FATWA

(pl. fatawa) :

legal

opinion issued

by a jurist

dealing with a current problem.

FITRAH: that which is originally created; specifically,

man's original state of pure intuitive knowledge of God;

generally, the native religious sense.

AL-GHAYB: unknown, unseen and unpredictable; usual-

ly used to refer to divine knowledge of things to come,

e.g., the Day of Judgement.

GHAYBAH: lit., absence; used to describe the conceal-

ment or occultation of the twelfth Imam, who is in theworld but hidden from human sight.

HADITH: an account, report or a statement; technically,

traditions or statements related from the Prophet on theauthority of various transmitters.

HISAB AL-IHTIMALAT: the reckoning, computation or

calculation of degrees of probability, both positively and

negatively.

IHTIMAL (pl. ihtimalat): probability; something possible

or likely to happen.

158

Glossary

IHTIMAL QABLI: anteceedent or prior possibility, that is,

prior to the investigation of the probability of a thing by

the inductive method.

IJTIHAD: effort; specifically, considered personal opinion

arrived at through an effort of inference, induction or

analogy.

ILLAH: cause; a technical term used in Aristotetian

philosophy; cf. ma'1u1.

IMAMAH: leadership; generally used to describe the leader,

imam, in prayer; also a religious head of community. Tech-

nically, the term refers to the authority or leadership ofthe imams, descendants and successors of the Prophet.

IMKAN: possibility; used philisophically, the term refers

to the possibility or potentiality in the thing itself as well

as an external power which can bring a thing into being orwhich effects a major change in it.

ISTIDLAL: to use an argument or proof in establishing

a point or hypothesis.

ISTIHALAH: impossibility; the opposite of imkan (possi-

bility) .

15 9

Glossary

ISTINBAT: to delve into or penetrate a matter with theview of inferring a new idea or principle.

JUZ': part or part of a whole; used also philisophicallyto refer to particulars, in contrast with universals, cf. kull.

KATHRAH: multiplicity or variety; opposite of wahdah(unity).

KHILAFAH: representation of succession; more tech-nically, the term is used to refer to the temporal authorityof the Prophet's successors, caliphs.

KULL: lit., all; philisophically used to mean `whole' oruniversals, in contrast with juz' (particulars).

MA'AD: lit., return; the return of the soul to God whois its source of being ( mabda'); generally, the Day ofResurrection.

MA'LUL: effect; a philisophical term used to signifythe effect of a cause; cf. `illah.

MANTIQ: lit., speech; philisophically used to meanlogic.

AL-MANTIQ AS-SURI ASH-SHAKLI: formal logic.

160

Glossary

NASS: text transmitted or dictated, or statement estab-lishing a principle; specifically, the appointment of theimams by the Prophet.

SHARI'AH: lit., highway; it is the way to follow as stipu-lated by sacred law of Islam.

SUNNAH (pl. sunan) : trodden

path,

way or example,when referring to the sunnah of the Prophet; custom,when referring to cultural patterns; universal law whenreferring to natural phenomena.

TA'AKHKHUR: posteriority or that which succeedssomething else; specifically, the posteriority of the effectto the cause;opposite of taqaddum (priority).

TAHRIF: deviation or alteration; specifically, alterationof the earlier scriptures.

TAQADDUM: priority or something preceeding some-thing else; specifically, priority of the cause to the effect;opposite of ta'akhkhur (posteriority).

TARAKKUB: compositeness; opposite of simplicity, spe-cifically used to distinguish the composite temporal fromthe simple eternal being.

1 6 1

Glossary

TAWHID: Divine Oneness; specifically, the professionof the Oneness of God.

WAHDAH: unity; specifically of being or the universe,being the source of kathrah ( multiplicity), which is itsopposite.

WIJDAN: feeling, sentiment or conscience; the sourceof the unconscious reactions of a human being to hisenvironment.

WUJUD: existence or being, signifying being not as anabstract principle, but a dynamic force or presence; oppo-site of `adam (non-being)

* * * * * * *

16 2

THE REVEALER (AL-MURSIL) THE MESSENGER (AR-RASUL THE …

Documents

Transcript of THE REVEALER (AL-MURSIL) THE MESSENGER (AR-RASUL THE …