Chapter IV: Part III: The Straight Path Arabic: islām = madhab for Man (1)

being:--

(1) the path of Grace (= path of those who
obtain Grace)

(2) not the Path of Sin (=path of those
who deliberately go wrong).

(3) nor the Path of Error (=path of those
who by mistake go astray).

Observe:--

(_a_) Each of the three duties in the second part
corresponds with the three attributes mentioned in the
first part.

(_b_) The third part, the Path of Grace, _i.e._, the
straight path, is _the mean between two extremes_--the
path of deliberate sinners on the one hand and the path of
unwitting stragglers on the other.

(_c_) The Islamic prayer is simpler than the Christian
prayer. I do not say the one is good and the other is bad.
No; _both_ are _very_ good indeed, but the one _seems
simpler_ than the other. Compare them.

_The Christian Prayer._ _The Muslim Prayer._

THE LORD'S PRAYER. THE FATIHA.

_Adoration._ _Adoration._

(_a_) Our Father which art in (_a_) Praise be to God, Lord
heaven, Hallowed be thy of the worlds, the compassionate,
name. Thy Kingdom the merciful, King of the day
come. of reckoning.

_Submission._ _Submission._

(_b_) Thy will be done in earth (_b_) Thee only do we worship and
as it is in heaven. of Thee only do we ask aid.

_Supplication._ _Supplication._

(_c_) Give us this day our daily (_c_) Guide us into the right
bread. And forgive us our path--the path of those
debts as we forgive our to whom Thou hast
debtors. been gracious,
And lead us not into not the path of those
temptation, but deliver who are the objects
us from evil: for Thine of wrath nor of those
is the Kingdom, and the who have gone astray.
power, and the glory for Amen.
ever. Amen.

_St. Matthew_, vi 9-13. _The Qur'an_, i.

If you will carefully compare the parts of each Prayer which I have written as separate paragraphs marked (_a_), (_b_) and (_c_), you will observe that there is difference only in the language, but no difference whatever in the real meaning. There is in both Prayers absolutely the same spirit of

(_a_) Adoration,

(_b_) Submission, and

(_c_) Supplication.

Both begin with the _praise_ of the Lord to whom all praise is due. This is followed in both by an expression of our _entire dependence_ on Him and submission to His will. Lastly, there is _solicitation for guidance_, positive and negative, _viz._, guidance towards right action and guidance for avoiding temptation.

The three parts (_a_), (_b_) and (_c_) of the Christian as well as of the Muslim Prayer are in perfect accord with the results of a comparative study of the religious systems of the world. They correspond to three essential elements in _all_ religions, _viz._,

(_a_) _Belief_ in the existence of a Supreme Power which
is Infinite and Absolute,

(_b_) _Feeling_ of man's entire dependence on that Power,
and

(_c_) _Desire_ to seek or solicit guidance of that Power
in the daily life of man.

You will thus see that both the Lord's Prayer in the Bible and the Opening Chapter of the Qur'an go to the roots of all religions ever professed by man. They are truly Universal Prayers. No man need hesitate to join in the solemn recitation of either.

We ought to view all monotheistic religions--religions which enjoin belief in one God--in the spirit in which St. Peter viewed them when he said (_Acts_ x. 34-5): "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him." The same is the spirit of the oft-repeated definition of 'Muslims' in the Qur'an: [Arabic: llaḏīna ʾāmanū minkum wa-ʿamilū ṣ-ṣāliḥāt] "those who believe and work righteousness." "Trust in the Lord and do good," as the psalm says.

+Note 3.+

I.--_What is Religion?_

I have said that _true_ Islam is the _best_ religion in the world. I must prove my assertion. In order to do so I have to explain:--

I. What do I mean by religion? II. What is true Islam? III. Why is it the best religion?

I.--_Religion, God and Nature._

_Religion._--No thinking man can help asking himself the questions: "Whence has this world come? Whither is it bound to go?" in other words, "What was the _origin_ ([Arabic: mabdā]) and what will be the _end_ ([Arabic: ma'ād]) of the world of men, animals, plants and things that I perceive?" The answers which each man gives to these questions constitute his _religion_. A few earnest persons (poets, philosophers and theologians) try to answer these questions for themselves by patient study and earnest thought[13]. But a large majority of men and women merely take the answers taught them by their parents, teachers or priests. There may possibly be a small number of men who do not trouble themselves about these questions. These are not "thinking men" and may therefore be left out of account.

Religion is a silent and subtle power that works in the heart of man and makes for righteousness. It is generated by his conviction as to the beginning and end of himself and the world in which he lives and moves[14].

_God._--No intelligent and intelligible answers can be given to questions as to the origin and the end or the government of _Nature_[15] without assuming the existence of the _One and only one God_ who is _Infinite_ and _Absolute_, _i.e._, One who hath neither beginning nor end and who is not conditioned or limited by anything whatever[16]. The Infinite and Absolute One has been called by different names by different people at different times[17]. Yezdan, Ishwara, Jehovah, God, and Allah are the names, in different languages, of the same _Infinite and Absolute God_.

God of the Granite and the Rose
Soul of the Sparrow and the Bee!
The mighty tide of being flows
Through countless channels, Lord, from Thee.

*_Conceptions of God, His attributes, and His relation to Nature._--These have been and will ever be many and various. But I summarise three principal conceptions under each head, for I believe that other ideas, notions or conceptions are but combinations of two or more of these:--

I. Conceptions of God:--

1. God as the Ultimate _Law_.
2. God as the Omnipotent Energy or _Power_.
3. God as the Supreme Being or _Person[18]_.

II. Notions of God's principal attributes:--

1. God as Creator or Nourisher.
2. God as Preserver or Protector.
3. God as Adjuster or Judge[18].

[*] _Paragraphs marked with asterisks and their footnotes may be
omitted at the first reading._

III. Ideas of God's relation with Nature[20] (_i.e._, with the world of men, animals, plants and other objects, and their inter-relations, of which men are aware):--

1. All is _from_ God = God is _above_ Nature
which He created and
governs (Theism).

2. God is _in_ All = God is _in_ Nature although
Nature is not
God (Panentheism).

3. God _is_ All = God _is_ Nature and
Nature is God (Pantheism)[21].

* The above is but a rough summary. I have neither time nor space to explain and illustrate it. I have ventured to give some hints--imperfect hints, I fear--in the footnotes. I may however state here that, of the above three conceptions, notions or ideas Islam accepts the medium or the middle one which, as a little thought will show, includes the other two conceptions also. You need not at present try to understand the summary or the words given in brackets. My subsequent Notes will explain it to some extent. Please remember that there are many men and many minds, and that there are likely to be as many religions, as many conceptions of God, as many notions of His attributes, and as many ideas of the beginning or end of things, ([Arabic: mabdā' wa ma'ād]) as there are _thinking_ minds[22].

Let me conclude this Note with a short answer to the question why religion is necessary to Man[23]. No society is possible without religion, because of the dual nature of Man. As our poet says, [Persian: ba bahaa'm bahra dari ba malaa'ik neez ham] and as all modern men of science (such as Sir Oliver Lodge and others) admit, there is a higher and a lower in every man's nature, the one lifts him up and the other pulls him down in the scale of animal and social existence. Religion is necessary in order that every man's higher nature may conquer his lower nature in order that he may become a social being who is virtuous and does good of his own accord, and may not remain a mere beast whom the whip alone prevents from doing mischief. It is religion that fosters high-thinking and holy-living, so necessary for the advancement of the human race.

+Note 4.+

II.--_What is true Islam?_

The answer to this question is contained within the four corners, as it were, of the Opening Sura[24] [Arabic: Sura al-fātiḥa] which is a general summary of the whole Qur'an. I have already analysed it and asked you to compare it with the Christian prayer called the Lord's prayer. I am sure you have noted and admired its simplicity and clearness and its almost scientific precision and comprehensiveness. I am only amplifying what I have already said when I say that the Sura teaches three cardinal and eternal truths:--

_1st._--There is but One God who has created the worlds, maintains them, and rules them. In the inimitable words of the Sura of Purity.

[Arabic: Sura al-ʾiḫlāṣ]

[Arabic: qul huwa llāhu ʾaḥad] Say, God is one. } = One.

[Arabic: allāhu ṣ-ṣamad] God is Eternal. } = Infinite.

[Arabic: lam yalid] He does not beget } [Arabic: wa-lam yūlad] nor is He begotten. } = Absolute.[25] [Arabic: wa-lam yakun lahū kufuwan aḥad] } and He hath no kith or kin. }

_2ndly._--(_a_) God being our Creator, we have to _worship_, adore and love Him and Him alone. This is the duty we owe to God. (_b_) Again, God being our merciful Preserver, we have to seek the protection of Him and Him alone. This is the duty we owe to ourselves. (_c_) Finally, God being our Judge or Ruler, we have to solicit guidance of Him and Him alone. This is the duty we owe to our fellow-creatures (including lower animals) in the world we live in.

You must not fall into the error of believing that God is Creator at one time or place, that He is Maintainer or Preserver at another time or place, and that He is Judge or Ruler at a third time or place. No, no; He, being the One and only God, is all the three together, Creator, Preserver and Ruler, at all times and in all places. It is we who, in order to understand Him properly and adore Him rightly, separate in our minds His three principal attributes, and think of Him as our Creator _when_ we worship Him, think of Him as our Preserver _when_ we seek His protection, and think of Him as our Ruler or Judge _when_ we solicit His guidance. It is only we, finite and conditioned creatures, that are tied down to and limited by time, place and circumstances. To God there are none such. He is the One Infinite and Absolute, the One who hath neither beginning nor end--the One who is absolutely unlimited and unconditioned by time, place, circumstances, or anything else. This is the Islamic conception or idea of God.

_3rdly_.--What does the Sura teach us as to the guidance which we have to ask of God in our dealings with our fellow-creatures? It is guidance into the straight path. What is the straight path? It is the path of righteousness or the path of _Grace_ which is between two extremes, the path of _Sin_ and the path of _Error_. A Muslim's right path, _i.e._, his right course of conduct, lies between two extreme paths or courses of conduct, _viz._, on the one hand, the path of those who sin, who knowingly and deliberately go against the will of God, which is manifest in Nature, and on the other hand, the path of those who unwittingly, through ignorance, go against His will. The right path lies thus:--

_Path of Sin_ } _Path of Grace_ { _Path of Error_ } { which leads } which leads to { which leads to to ruin or } eternal bliss. { confusion worse destruction. } { confounded.

You thus see that _true_ Islam consists in a threefold duty to God, to oneself, and to others, and this duty is to be discharged by simply adopting, under God's guidance, _the mean between two extremes_. As our Prophet has pithily expressed it [Arabic: khair ul umoor-e ausatiha], "the best of things is the medium thing." This is the fundamental principle which underlies everything which is Islamic or Muslim.[26] Please remember it, as also the three-fold Islamic Duty:--

(_a_) Duty to God, which is Worship or Adoration implying,
as it does, complete submission to His will = [Arabic:
islām]

(_b_) Duty to yourself, which is self-preservation or
self-perfection = [Arabic: Aslām]

(_c_) Duty to others, which is peace and good will towards
them = [Arabic: islām]

"Islam"[27] as a religion means nothing more nor less than those three duties.

Islam is not Philosophy, much less is it Science. It is but a Religion, _an attitude of man's mind towards his environment_--the attitude of self towards others and God. Both Philosophy and Science influence one's attitude of mind. To that extent Islam has to reckon with both. It is therefore that Sufis and other philosophic sects have risen in Islam from time to time. The sphere of Islam is Faith manifesting itself in good works; and the spheres of Science and Philosophy are Knowledge and Reason. The latter often come into contact with the former, but can never be identified with it.

+Note 5.+

_What is not Islam._

In my previous Note I tried to sketch briefly what is true Islam. I now offer a few observations on, or illustrations of, what is _not_ Islam. In order to know anything quite well, it is desirable not only to know _what it is_ but also to know _what it is not_.

1. The religion taught by the Qur'an and the Traditions [Arabic: ahādith] of our Prophet is _Islam_ and not "Muhammadanism," as it is often named. Those who profess Islam are _Muslims_ and not "Muhammadans," as they are called. The word "Musalman" is but a corruption of the Arabic plural [Arabic: muslimūn/muslimīn] of the singular [Arabic: Muslim]. We and our religion have been called[28] after the name of Muhammad just as the terms Christians and Christianity have been derived from the name Christ. But "Muhammadanism" and "Muhammadans" are not at all the correct names of "Islam" and "Muslims" as you will presently see.[29]

2. From the point of view of Islam, all religions may be divided thus:

Religions are either,
|
|---------------|---------------|
| |
_False_: being beliefs} {_True_: being beliefs
in more gods than } or {in one and only God;
one, } {and True Religions
(Paths of Sin) } {are either,
|
+----------|----------+
| |
_Pure_, such as } {_Mixed_, such as
true Islam } {religions which
unmixed with any } {mix up inconsistent
inconsistent } or {ideas with
ideas. } {the idea of
} {one God.
(Paths of Grace) } {(Paths of Error)

Observe that a pure Religion, such as true Islam, comes in between false Religions and mistaken or mixed Religions, just as the Quranic Path of Grace lies between the Path of Sin and the Path of Error. It is the mean between two extremes.

3. It is not Islam to believe that there has been no true religion besides Islam.[30] Such an erroneous belief leads to intolerance, thereby begetting bigotry and fanaticism [Arabic: taa'ssub]. It is contrary to the teaching of the Qur'an and the Prophet. The first verse of the second Sura [Arabic: Baqrah = ʾ-l-m] commands us to believe in not only what was revealed to Muhammad but also in what was revealed to those who went before him. It clearly indicates that there are, and will ever be, many true religions of which Islam is one. Almost the first saying of our Prophet reported in collections of his traditions [Arabic: ahaadith] is "whoever says 'there is no god but God,' will attain Salvation" _i.e._, will obtain eternal bliss. This shews clearly that all religions which inculcate belief in one God are true religions--are right Paths of Grace which lead to eternal bliss. Observe that most Muhammadans (not Muslims) of to-day have forgotten this principle and have therefore become intolerant fanatics,[31] which accounts largely for the loss of political power of most Muhammadan Governments of modern times.

4. Neither is it Islam to believe that all religions are true. Such an erroneous belief leads to indifference, thereby begetting caprice and impiety. It is obviously contrary to the teaching of the Qur'an and the Prophet, for they both denounce many a false religion. If everybody thinks that every religion is true, there will be no two men professing the same religion, and there will be no real agreement between their thoughts and actions. Co-operation[32] [Arabic: ittifāq wa ittihād] among men (which is the root of Family, Society and State) would tend to become impossible. Note that it is the indifference to religion and the consequent impiety of some of the Muhammadans of to-day that accounts mostly for their lack of co-operation, and for their loss of political power in modern times. Degradation is the lot of _faithless_ Muslims, for as the Qur'an says, "Ye will be exalted only if ye be faithful Muslims."

From what has been said you can easily infer that we should adopt the mean between two extremes and must therefore believe that neither are all religions true nor are they all false, but that _some religions_ are true and that Islam is one of them. The characteristic mark of true religions is belief in one God; and this indeed is the reason why Muslims are permitted to eat and live with, and even marry, Jewesses, Christians and others who believe in one God and possess sacred Scriptures.

5. I, for one, would not hesitate to call all Monotheists (Jews, Christians, and other Unitarians [Arabic: muwahiddin]) _Muslims_, because they believe in one God: but I would not call them _Momins_ [Arabic: Momins,], because they do not believe in one God in accordance with the teaching of our Prophet. You know that our Creed [Arabic: kalimah] consists of two parts:--

(i) There is no god but God,
(ii) And Muhammad is His Messenger.

Those who believe in the first part are Muslims ([Arabic: Muslim ] = the peaceful)[33] and those who believe in the first as well as the second part of the Creed are Momins ([Arabic: Mumins ] = the faithful). Both Muslims and Momins are believers in one God; the only difference between them is that Muslims may not (like Momins) accept Muhammad as their guide in the belief. The Qur'an (iii. 83) defines Islam thus:--

Say ye; We believe in God, and that which hath been sent
down (revealed) to us, and that which hath been sent down
to Abraham and Ismail and Issac and Jacob and the tribes;
and that which hath been given to Moses and to Jesus and
that which was given to the Prophets from their Lord. No
difference do we make between them--and to God we are
resigned (Muslims).

6. "There is no deity but God." Since God is One, His Revelation to Man cannot be other than one and the same for all time. There has therefore been and will ever be but one true religion. That religion is Islam. [Arabic: ʾinna d-dīna ʿinda llāhi l-ʾislām] "Verily the (only) religion with God is Islam" (Q. iii 19). All the prophets from Adam to Muhammad received but one and the same Revelation and therefore preached Islam and Islam only. [Arabic: ḏālika d-dīnu l-qayyim] "It was (and is) the standard religion"--Q. xii. 40.[34]

Whenever any people went astray and deserted Islam for idolatry a prophet arose among them to preach Islam and bring them back to righteousness.[35] Each prophet or messenger of God did nothing but try to restore the universal religion to its pristine simplicity and purity.

It was only in interpreting the Revelation and applying it to the practical needs of their age, that successive prophets and their followers differed; and the differences gave rise to the so-called _religions_ and religious systems of the world.

+Note 6.+

_"Islam" and "not-Islam"._

I must devote this Note also to my observations on "Islam" and "not-Islam" in order to prepare you for a just appreciation of my contention that there are many good religions in the world but Islam is the best of them[36].

1. The Prophet Muhammad lived and died more than thirteen hundred years ago. There are now on the face of the earth no less than 250 millions (= 25 crores) of human beings who profess his religion, and who love and respect him just as his own immediate followers loved and respected him. These two simple facts are enough to prove--

(1) that there must be something real and
true in the religion professed by so many
people, and

(2) that the man who preached and established
it must have been both great and
good to an extraordinary degree;

for common experience leads us to conclude (_a_) that nothing which is false or unreal can survive centuries of change and (_b_) that none who is not good and great can be loved and respected by millions of men. No Muslim or Momin need therefore believe in any thing more than:--

(i) that Islam is a real and true religion, and

(ii) that Muhammad was a very great and good man.[37]

Thus, your belief in one God [Arabic: lā ʾilāha ʾillālāh] makes you a Muslim[38] (= _peaceful_), no matter by what other name you call yourself; and your belief in the goodness and greatness[39] of Muhammad [Arabic: Muhammad rasūlullah] makes you a Mumin (= _faithful_), no matter by what name others may call you. Let me quote here a passage from Sir Edwin Arnold's Preface to his beautiful poem "The Pearls of Faith: the Ninety-Nine Names of Allah:" [Arabic: asmāʾu l-ḥusnā]

"The soul of Islam is its declaration of the _unity_ of God: its heart is the inculcation of an absolute _resignation_ to His will. Not more sublime, in religious history appears the figure of Paul the tent-maker, proclaiming 'the Unknown God' at Athens, than that of the camel-driver Muhammad, son of Abdullah and Amina, abolishing all the idols of the Arabian Pantheon, except their chief--Allahu ta 'Ala, God the Most High--and under that ancient and well-received appellation establishing _the one-ness of the origin, government, and life of the Universe_. Thereby that marvellous and gifted Teacher created a vast empire of new belief and new civilization, and prepared a sixth part of humanity for the _developments and reconciliations_ which later times will bring. For Islam must be conciliated; it cannot be thrust scornfully aside or rooted out. It shares the task of the education of the world with its sister religions, and it will contribute its eventual portion to

--"that far-off divine event
Towards which the whole creation moves."

The _italics_ are mine. I shall have to refer to them in my subsequent Notes. Observe, the cosmopolitan poet uses only the word "Islam" and not "Muhammadanism".

2. It is not Islam or Eman [Arabic: īmān] to deify Muhammad or to represent him to be akin to God, as sometimes some Moulvies represent him and call him "the One (Ahad) in the guise of Ahmad[40]." Our Prophet himself never claimed that he was anything more than a mere man. Indeed, he taught us all to say [Arabic: Ash-hadu allā ilāha illallāh, wa Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasūlullāh] that he was but "a servant and messenger of God." The only thing he ever claimed for himself was that God had chosen him to be a messenger [Arabic: rasūl = payghambar] to convey His messages to men. "That an immense mass of fable and silly legend," says Rodwell, "has been built up upon the basis of the Qur'an, is beyond a doubt; but for this Muhammad is not answerable,[41] any more than he is for the wild and bloodthirsty excesses of his followers in after ages."

3. God's messages which Muhammad delivered to men were all collected soon after his death and are preserved intact in a remarkable book called the QUR'AN--a book which has lived through no less than thirteen centuries without undergoing the least alteration in a single word or even a dot! The difference in the messages contained in the Qur'an and the ordinary sayings of the Prophet reported in books on Hadis [Arabic: hadith] is simply this:--that when delivering God's messages Muhammad himself felt, and those who were in his company witnessed, that he was inspired by some divine energy or power which impelled him to say what he said; whereas at other times, when he was talking like an ordinary man, no signs of divine energy or inspiration were visible. It will carry me too far if I endeavour to explain here the real nature of "the divine inspiration" under which he delivered what he and others believed to be "divine messages". You will understand it if you read such books as Professor James's _Varieties of Religious Experience_. Let us, like good Momins, take it as a _fact_, what our Prophet's intimate companions [Arabic: ṣḥābah] vouched, that he appeared to be quite a different man when he uttered such messages. Their style or matter itself even to this day proves to all unbiassed minds that they are no ordinary sayings of an ordinary man. There is something unique in them which we can only feel but cannot define or express in words. Even historians and biographers like Gibbon and Muir and translators like Rodwell, Palmer and Lane-Poole are obliged, in spite of themselves, to admit and admire, what some of them call, the rugged grandeur and eloquence of the Qur'an. Even Sale says that some passages are really sublime.

4. We call the Qur'an _the word of God_, chiefly because it contains messages of high spiritual value delivered by _an illiterate man_ like Muhammad. It is neither a history like some of the books of the Old Testament, nor a biography like the four Gospels of the Bible. It is only a collection of sermons, commands, and instructions delivered and issued from time to time as occasions required. It contains, indeed, references to stories of older Prophets and previous events well known to the people of Arabia. But they are less by way of narration than by way of illustration. They are parables more or less ([Arabic: tilka l-ʾamṯālu naḍribuhā li-n-nās])[42]. Commentators like Zamakh-shari ([Arabic: tafsīr-e-kashshāf]) and Imam Razi ([Arabic: tafsīr-e-kabīr]) whose learning and authority cannot be questioned, have clearly proved that there is nothing in the Qur'an which is improbable or cannot be rationally explained to be quite in accordance with the laws of Nature [Arabic: qanun-u qadat]. If you read Sir Syed Ahmad's Commentary [Arabic: tafsir ahmadi] or his Essays [Arabic: khutbāt] you will find rational explanations of the ideas of Paradise and Hell, the Day of Judgment,[43] etc. I need not dwell on them here. I would however draw your attention to what is called the rule of "Parsimony in Thought" which is in vogue among men of Science. It is that if and when you can explain anything by what is well-known and understood by every one, you should not believe in the existence of "supermen" or assume the occurrence of supernatural events. When, for example, we can explain any action of Muhammad as an ordinary action of a reasonable man, we should not assume or believe that he performed a miracle. If we can explain the defeat and discomfiture of Abraham's Army by natural causes, such as an epidemic, we ought not to assume the occurrence of any supernatural event[44].

5. The Qur'an does not favour any particular system of Philosophy. It leaves Muslims free to adopt any system of thought that commends itself to them, provided that it is not inconsistent with the ([Arabic: tawhīd]) idea of the one eternal and absolute God. Thus the Qur'an confines itself to the sphere of religion--the sphere where man is brought face to face with his God.

(a) _What, then, is the object or aim of the Qur'an?_

To reveal a man unto himself. [Arabic: mun arafa nafsa hu arafa rabba hu] (He who has understood himself has understood his God.)

(b) _Why should a man be revealed unto himself?_

In order that he might know his true relation with the rest of the world so that he might shape his conduct accordingly _i.e._, be true to himself, true to others, and true to his God in thoughts, words, and deeds.

(c) _How does the Qur'an reveal a man unto himself?_

By showing him:--

(1) God in History[45] ([Arabic: huwa l-ʾawwalu wa-l-ʾāḫir]
He is the First and the Last.)

(2) God in Nature[46] ([Arabic: wa-ẓ-ẓāhir] He is the
Manifest.)

(3) God in Man's Conscience[47] ([Arabic: wa-l-bāṭin] and
He is the Hidden--Qur'an lvii. 3.)

In this sense the Qur'an is truly a revelation!

His sign is in all things, | * [Arabic: fa fi kulli šayʾin lahū]
|
Indicating that He is One. | * [Arabic: aayah naral anna hu wāḥid]

+Note 7.+

_III.--Why is Islam the best religion?_

My real task begins with this Note. I have to explain to you why I consider Islam[48] the best of the religions that are now professed by men all over the world. Mark, I do not say that other religions are not good, but I only say that Islam is the best religion of all those I know. Why do I say so? Because no other religion accords so well as Islam with the modern ideas of Science.

By applying the adjectives "good," "better" and "best" to religions, I indicate the _degree_ to which each religion, by its tenets and teaching, induces men to seek their welfare [Arabic: falāh]: and by the word "Science" [Arabic: ilm] I mean simply the systematised knowledge of things known and knowable.

_Science_ discovers things that are necessary or desirable for human welfare. _Arts_ generally show the way in which those things can be obtained or manufactured. _Governments_ provide, or ought to provide, facilities for scientific investigation and for improvement in arts. And it is _Religion_ that should move men to take the fullest advantage of the science and arts of the time. You may take a horse to a river but you cannot make him drink unless he is thirsty. If he is thirsty he will drink of his own accord; but if he is not, neither the appearance of clear water, nor the easy way to get at it, nor indeed your whip or coaxing can ever induce him to drink. In the same way Science may show you water or anything that is useful, Arts may show you different ways of getting it, the Government of your State may offer rewards or even threaten punishment; but you will not drink, that is to say, you will not take advantage of the good things shown you and placed at your disposal, unless you are thirsty, unless there is something in you which impels you to it. This thirst, this something that is the moving force or _motive_, is created or furnished by Religion.

The chief use of religion lies in the desire that it fosters in men to live well, and virtuously.[49] It is true that for most men the fear of punishment and the hope of reward, either here or hereafter, are motives for right conduct: and some religions (and even Islam as taught by some Moulvies) give glowing pictures of Heaven and Hell awaiting good and bad people after death.[50] But these motives are unworthy of the higher nature [Arabic: qu wa ye malakūti] of man. They are like the crack of a whip or the show of green grass to a horse that will not run. They are not so effective and lasting as the high spiritual motive for a virtuous life furnished by true religion. I cannot dwell further on this point without entering upon a philosophical or metaphysical discussion which is foreign to the purpose of these Notes. Suffice it to say that the spiritual or religious motive for virtuous conduct is the best of all motives, as it conforms to the higher or angelic [Arabic: malakūti] nature of man and assists him in subduing his lower or animal [Arabic: ba ha'i mi] nature.[51]

"The son of man is a unique | and complex product (of | Evolution) which has combined | in him the natures of | [Persian: Aadmi zada turfah m'a both the angel and the beast. | joo ne ast za fa-rish-ta sa-rish-ta If he leans towards the latter, | hay wan gar kunad mayl een shuwad his animal nature, he | wa kum azeen dar kunad qasn falls lower than the beast | aanshuwad beh azaan.] itself, but if he turns his | attention to the former, his | angelic nature, he rises higher | than the angel himself." |

It is but religion, true Religion, that enables the "son of man" _i.e._, mankind to surpass angels in godliness. Note, this is exactly what Sir Oliver Lodge says in his book, _The Substance of Faith allied with Science_.

There is another use of Religion to which I should refer briefly before I pass on to the main argument. You always intend doing many things but never succeed in doing them _all_, either because you change your mind or because somebody or something prevents you from carrying them out. It is nevertheless important to yourself and society that your wishes, which are naturally more numerous than your actions, should be as good as the actions themselves. Laws and social conventions cannot adequately control them, for they take account of only outward manifestations, that is, actions which flow or result from your inward desires, passions and prejudices. These are controlled by such religions as true Christianity and true Islam which take that as done which was merely intended to be done, and inhibit bad intentions even before they appear in action.

Now, whatever religion supplies the best motives for virtuous conduct and most effectively prevents mischievous intentions, must necessarily be one which conforms best with the most approved ideas of the science and arts of the time. I hold that Islam is such a religion.[52]

Let me begin by showing a conformity of Islam to a modern idea, that there are more worlds than one.[53] There are still some religions which assume that there is no other world than the world we live in, and that God created and maintains it for men only. Science has proved that such assumptions are unwarranted, and has even suggested grounds for believing that there are beings in the innumerable worlds of stars. This world of ours with its inhabitants has therefore no right to monopolise God to itself. Nor indeed have we, human beings, any right to consider ourselves as its superior inhabitants. Science is now-a-days on the track of finding out beings who are or who may be superior to man. Note that all this is implied in the expression [Arabic: rabbi l-ʿālamīn] "the Lord of the _worlds_" contained in the Sura and other parts of the Qur'an. It does not say "the king of the _world_" ([Arabic: rabbi l- ʿālam]) or of _men_ [Arabic: rabbi l- ʾinsān] but says generally and truly that God is the King or Lord of great or grand _worlds_: [Arabic: rabbi l-ʿālamīn], the definite article [Arabic: al] in Arabic is often used to express greatness or grandeur as in the word [Arabic: Allah] which means the Most High God.

According to Islam there are two sources of knowledge, _Science_ and _Revelation_: the one represents man's effort to learn God's ways, and the other represents God's grace to discover His ways to man.[54] I for one believe that the difference between the two sources of knowledge corresponds to the difference between "Experience" and "Intuition," between Acquired Ideas and Innate Ideas--a difference which modern philosophers (Spencer and Bergson) consider to be one of degree only and not of kind.

+Note 8.+

_Unity[55] and Union._

I cannot go over the whole field of Muslim theology to show how its ideas are in accord with the scientific thought of our days. I will confine myself to three principles and three maxims implied in the analysis of the Opening Sura [Arabic: Sura al-fātiḥa] given in one of my previous Notes[56].

I. The verse [Arabic: al-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi l-ʿālamīn; ar-raḥmāni r-raḥīm] points to _the Principle of Unity_:

There is but one God who created the worlds,
maintains and rules them.

From this results the _Maxim of Union & Loyalty_:

Union is strength = Be loyal to your King.

II. The verse [Arabic: ʾiyyāka naʿbudu wa-ʾiyyāka nastaʿīn] points to _the Principle of Perfection_:

Worship of God, His protection, and guidance
are necessary for the perfection of our
mind and body.

From this results the _Maxim of Self-help_:

God helps those who help themselves = Be
true to yourself.

III. The verse [Arabic: ṣirāṭa llaḏīna ʾanʿamta ʿalayhim ġayri l-maġḍūbi ʿalayhim wa-lā ḍ-ḍāllīn] points to _the Principle of Moderation_:

It is the straight path of righteousness that
enables you to avoid crooked paths of sin
and error and leads you to happiness.

From this results the _Maxim of the Average_:

Adopt the mean of two extremes = Be moderate
in everything.

I will now endeavour to shew, as briefly and as simply as possible, how the principles and maxims I have stated correspond with the best scientific ideas of the present age. By "the best scientific ideas," I mean nothing more than _conclusions_ arrived at by eminent men of science after severe study and prolonged investigation. I can only refer to the conclusions as such without attempting to summarise the reasoning, etc. by which they have been reached. You may read the works of authors I shall name, if you wish to learn more of their thoughts.

I.

_Principle of Unity._

1. The first Principle of Unity [Arabic: tawhīd] implies that there is but one Energy or Force whose different transformations we call _forces_, but one Life whose appearance in different shapes we call _lives_, and but one Mind whose different manifestations we call _minds_. But the universal Energy, the

[Sidenote: 1. Herbert Spencer. 2. Dr. A.R. Wallace. 3. Prof. James. 4. Sir Oliver Lodge. 5. Dr. Theodore Merz.]

universal Life, and the universal Mind[57] [Arabic: rabbi l-ʿālamīn, ar-raḥmāni r-raḥīm, māliki yawmi d-dīn] are themselves but so many forms, appearances or manifestations of the one Being [Arabic: Allah] who is Infinite [Arabic: ṣ-ṣamad] and Absolute [Arabic: lam yalid, wa-lam yūlad]. This is exactly what scientific men and philosophers have said and are saying to-day. Read the works of any of the eminent men mentioned in the margin, and you will find that the conclusion they have reached after life-long investigations, tallies remarkably with the conception of God which Islam formulated centuries ago.

Every child begins with the experience of 'This is _mine_' and 'That is _not mine_.' This experience matures in the adult into "I" and "not-I"--the _subject_ that knows and the _object_ that is known. We call the _knower_ or subject, Mind; and the _known_ or object, Matter. Most modern Philosophers agree in believing that Mind and Matter are but two aspects of One Reality underlying All. Just as a big building like the Falaknuma Palace presents different aspects when viewed from different directions, and yet is one and the same building; so the Reality of Existence _appears to us_ in different aspects as Mind and Matter, and yet is one and the same Reality[58].

Dr. Theodore Merz of the Durham University, at the end of his grand survey of the Scientific Thought of Europe in the 19th Century,[59] says: "The scientific mind advances from the idea of Order or arrangement to that of Unity through the idea of Continuity."

The process adopted by Science of arriving at Unity is only the reverse of what Islam adopted: the former begins _a posteriori_ with Order finds Continuity and arrives at Unity, but the latter started _a priori_ with Unity, passed over Continuity, and found Order, thus:--

_Science._ _Islam._

1. Order 1. Unity = [Arabic: rabbi l-ʿālamīn] = [Arabic: Allah]
= The Reality[50]
of which both Mind and Matter
are different aspects.

2. Continuity 2. Continuity = [Arabic: raḥmāni wa r-raḥīm] = Force
or Energy.

3. Unity 3. Order[60] = [Arabic: māliki yawmi d-dīn] = Order
or Process.

What Sir Edwin Arnold calls the soul of Islam, _i.e._, the Principle of Unity, so patently corresponds with the ultimate results of modern Science and Philosophy, that I need not dwell on it at any great length. It is sufficient to point out that Science has now proved three Unities, the Unity of _Substance_, the Unity of _Force_, and the Unity of _Process_; and Philosophy has shown that the three Unities resolve themselves into One Infinite Power.[61]

"There is no strength (to avoid }
evil) nor ability (to do good) } [Arabic: La hawla wa la quwwata
great and supreme." } ʾillā bi-llāhi alee-eil aẓīm.]

_Maxim of Union and Loyalty._

2. How is the Maxim of Union and Loyalty inferred from the principle of Unity? Man, being a creature of God, should try to be godly and godlike, try to imitate God in actions, try to co-operate with his fellow creatures for the good of all, and should thus attain the ideal: "Union is Strength." This is the Islamic doctrine of Atonement[62] (= at-one-ment [Arabic: fana fil-lah]): to be _at one_ with God by _union_ and _co-operation_ with God's creatures so far as your and their constitutions and environments allow. But you need not bother yourself with theories at present. It will be enough if you remember that the ultimate aim or the sole object of the Prophet's mission was to establish the universal union and brotherhood of mankind by means of a firm belief in the eternal truth of God's unity. He preached the Unity of God and worked all his life for the union of men into a universal Brotherhood.

In order that you should _co-operate_, _i.e._, work together with your fellow-men for the good of all, your work must needs be _co-ordinated_. It must be guided and directed so that it tallies with the work of others. This guidance and direction comes from your leader, whom you and your fellow-workers must obey, in order to attain the best results. Co-operation thus implies Co-ordination which requires a leader--Caliph or King--whom you ought to follow loyally. _Loyalty to your leader_ is therefore the gist of co-operation. The Qur'an and the Traditions are full of injunctions for obedience to "those in authority among you" [Arabic: ʾulī l-ʾamri minkum][63] "The surest way of pleasing God is to obey the King."

Modern Science teaches exactly the same thing. I have a series of little books in my Library called "People's Books" published at 6d. each by Messrs. Jack, London. One of them on "Zoology" is written by Professor MacBride, F.R.S. He traces the development of Man from Protozoa,--little specks of animalculæ--and points out how each species of animals has risen higher than another by (i) greater "inventive capacity", the capacity of adopting new means to an old end and old means to a new end: and (ii) higher "tribal morality" implied in co-operation and loyalty to leaders. He says: "Mankind progresses by the appearance of individuals in whom (besides the inventive genius) the instincts of co-operation and loyalty are more strongly developed". It is precisely those instincts that Islam fosters by its doctrine of the universal brotherhood of Muslims--a doctrine which implies primarily loyalty to your King. Just as the affairs of a family like yours, consisting of a dozen members, cannot prosper unless each follows loyally the lead of the eldest, or the wisest among you; so the affairs of a nation can never be in a satisfactory condition unless each individual is loyal to his King and country, and co-operates with his Government by willingly doing what is required of him.

Muhammad enjoined [Arabic: utlibul ilm wa lov kaana bis seen] "Seek knowledge even if thou hast to go for it to China"--(the farthest country known in his days).

Delve gems of Science divine
Ev'n unto Cathay's mine.

He said that wisdom was the birthright of every Muslim who should seize it wherever he found it. He thus encouraged the learning of Science and the consequent acquirement of inventive capacity which is biologically as essential for human progress as co-operation and loyalty.

A study of animal life from the lowest animalcule to the highly civilized man, teaches us to know, feel and act, in a particular manner, _viz._,

(_a_) to _know_ our environment, _i.e._, to know the
Laws of Nature in order to improve our
general capacity for invention, manufacture
and commerce, (Knowledge)

(_b_) to _feel_ for our fellow-men in order to increase
mutual good-will so necessary for co-operation, (Sympathy)

(_c_) and to _act_ for the general good of our race
under the guidance of our political and social
leaders, (Loyalty).

"Knowledge, Sympathy and Loyalty" are thus the watchwords of the Science of to-day no less than of the Islam of our ancestors.[64]

+Note 9.+

_Perfection and Self-help._

Allow me to explain here that my object is not to persuade you to believe what I say but only to make you think for yourself. I will therefore avoid arguments and discussions as much as possible and content myself with bare outlines of certain Islamic doctrines and brief references to the corresponding ideas of modern Science. I shall be very pleased if they serve to excite your curiosity and stimulate your thought.

II.

_Principle of Perfection._

1. The second Muslim doctrine which I have called the Principle of Perfection may be inferred from the second part of the Sura:--It is essential for our perfect development that we should worship God and implore Him for help and guidance in the discharge of the three-fold duty of our life.

No sane man thinks that he is perfect as he is. There is always a feeling of some sort in our mind that somehow, and in some respect or other, we are not as perfect as we should be. It is to remove this feeling of imperfection inherent in us that we have to worship God and supplicate His help and guidance. If you ask: "Why should I worship God?" Islam answers your question by asking another: "Why should you admire beauty in Nature and Art?" You can answer only: "Because it is beautiful. I am so constituted that I cannot do otherwise than admire a beautiful object when I see it". You are unable to give any other reason satisfactorily accounting for your admiration of the beautiful. Islam returns a similar answer to your question: _"You should worship God because He is God"._ You, as one of His creatures, cannot help worshipping or reverently adoring Him when you see, at every instant of your life, manifold manifestations of His divine Goodness and Beauty. Some Sufis[55] even go to the extent of identifying God with "Infinite Beauty" [Arabic: husn-e azlee] which is the object of their love [Arabic: ishq] and ecstasy [Arabic: wajd].

You remember the verse which every devout Muslim recites when he hears the news of the death of any one: [Arabic: inna lil lahi wa inna ilaihi raji-ūn]

"Verily we are God's and to Him we shall return".

This as well as some other verses support the Islamic belief in the re-union of a man's soul with God. As I have mentioned in my previous Note, Islam conceives that there is but one Universal Soul. Small parts--infinitesimal fractions--of the Universal Soul are confined in men's bodies and break free at death to re-join the Whole[56]. This belief is in entire accord with Sir Oliver Lodge's theory (or "speculation", as he calls it) put forward in his book, _Faith allied to Science_. Without stopping to enquire how far the belief indicated by Qur'anic verses, or the theory advanced by a man of science, is supported by scientific facts, I would only point out that it gives a clear and intelligible meaning to the word "worship" [Arabic: ibadāt]. It is the communion of the fractional soul, which is somehow confined in a man's living body, with the Whole Soul, the Soul of the Universe, to which it--the fractional soul--shall return some day freed from the trammels of the flesh. This "communion" [Arabic: ibadāt] includes Adoration [Arabic: tasbīh wa tahlīl] and Prayer [Arabic: du'ā].

I cannot do better than quote Sir Oliver Lodge's admirable description of the meaning and object of Prayer:--

"In prayer we come into close communion with a Higher than
we know, and seek to contemplate Divine perfection. Its
climax and consummation is attained when we realize the
universal Permeance, the entire Goodness and the Fatherly
Love of the Divine Being."

[[Arabic: al-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi l-ʿālamīn, ar-raḥmāni
r-raḥīm.]

Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, compassionate and
merciful, King of the day of Reckoning.]

"Through prayer we admit our dependence on a Higher Power,
for existence and health and everything we possess; we are
encouraged to ask for whatever we need as children ask
parents;

[[Arabic: adnee istajib lakum] Call upon me--I will
hearken unto you]

and we inevitably cry for mercy and comfort in times of
tribulation and anguish."

"The spirit of simple supplication may desire chiefly:--

"1. Insight and receptiveness to truth and knowledge.

[[Arabic: iyyaka na'budu] We worship Thee alone.]

"2. Help and guidance in the practical management of life.

[[Arabic: iyyaka nasta'een] We seek help from Thee alone.]

"3. Ability and willingness to follow the light
withersoever it leads."

[[Arabic: ihdinas sirātal musta-qīm] Guide us into the
right path]

Compare the verses I have placed in brackets with what Sir Oliver says, and you will observe how well he has interpreted the Qur'an. It looks as if he had the Opening Sura [Arabic: Sura al-fātiḥa] before him when he wrote. Even the sequence of his ideas corresponds _practically_ with the order of the verses. But you may be quite sure that he never thought of the Qur'an at all. He evolved it all from his own inner consciousness well trained by scientific studies.

_Maxim of Self-help._

2. There are numerous verses in the Qur'an which enjoin "purification [Arabic: tazkīm] of one's self" and prohibit "cruelty [Arabic: Tazkīya] to one's own mind". They obviously imply the rule of conduct which I have called the Maxim of Self-help. No one has expressed it more beautifully and truthfully than Shakespeare in the well-known speech of Polonius.

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

[Sidenote: Herbert Spencer, Prof. T.H. Green, Lecky (Historian), Profs. Muirhead, Mackenzie, and Sen.]

It is the basis of the ethical system advocated by authors mentioned in the margin. There are at present two contending schools of Morality. Each tries to determine what is 'good' or 'bad', and sets up a 'standard' or test by which men's actions should be judged as 'right' or 'wrong'. The standard according to the one school is Happiness (the surplus of pleasure over pain); according to the other it is Perfection (the fullest development of men as social beings). I think the latter school is more in favour now than it was at the end of the last century. Men of science now-a-days realize with Herbert Spencer that every one ought to develop himself by freely exercising all the powers of his mind and body to the fullest extent consistent with, and limited by, the _like_ exercise by his fellow men.[57] I cannot expatiate on this subject without entering into the realms of philosophy and metaphysics. I have only to say that the teaching of Islam as regards self-development is in entire accord with the views of latter-day moralists.

If you are a student of Ethics you will observe that the doctrine of "making the most of oneself" (Perfection) is, in accordance with the Islamic principle of Moderation, the mean of two extreme doctrines:--the doctrine of "duty for duty's sake" (Rigourism) on the one hand, and the doctrine of "the greatest happiness of the greatest number" (Utilitarianism) on the other.

+Duty--Perfection--Utility.+

I have to add that "self-perfection" really means "self-help," = due exercise of one's faculties with patience and perseverance. If you have not read Dr. Smiles' book on Self-help, you had better read it at your earliest convenience. I can recommend no better commentary on the saying: "God helps those who help themselves."[58]

+Note 10.+

_Moderation and Via Media._