The Project Gutenberg eBook ofNotes on Islam

The Project Gutenberg eBook ofNotes on IslamThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: Notes on IslamAuthor: Sir Ahmed HussainEditor: Khaja Muhammad HussainRelease date: April 30, 2008 [eBook #25254]Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Turgut Dincer, Michael Ciesielski and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net(This file was produced from images generously madeavailable by The Internet Archive)*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOTES ON ISLAM ***

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Notes on IslamAuthor: Sir Ahmed HussainEditor: Khaja Muhammad HussainRelease date: April 30, 2008 [eBook #25254]Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Turgut Dincer, Michael Ciesielski and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net(This file was produced from images generously madeavailable by The Internet Archive)

Title: Notes on Islam

Author: Sir Ahmed HussainEditor: Khaja Muhammad Hussain

Author: Sir Ahmed Hussain

Editor: Khaja Muhammad Hussain

Release date: April 30, 2008 [eBook #25254]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Turgut Dincer, Michael Ciesielski and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net(This file was produced from images generously madeavailable by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOTES ON ISLAM ***

Printers mark

The following Notes were enclosed by the author in his weekly letters to his brother and sons who were students in the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh and Birmingham. I persuaded him to allow me to have them printed, as I thought they were suggestive and useful. He has however desired me to say that they should not be regarded as anything but concise memoranda jotted down (at short intervals between the busy hours of his official life) as general answers to questions put to him. They contain some passages which are too concise or abstract, if not vague or enigmatic. But, the author says, he left them designedly so in order to induce his readers to try to understand them or at least to seek explanation and illustration. Numerous foot-notes have been added for the same purpose.

He frankly admits that his view of Islam is neither quite orthodox nor quite heterodox but something midway between the two. It was put forward in order to make his boys think for themselves and argue with him. The first three Notes may be 'skipped' at the first reading.

Sincere acknowledgments are due to Nawab Imad-ul-Mulk Bahadur Bilgrami,c.s.i., Mr. J.C. Molony,i.c.s., Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahim,b.a.,b.l., Mr. Syed Ross Masood,m.a., and others who very kindly read the proofs and favoured the author with valuable suggestions.

Duty is DeityWork is Worship.—Sanskrit Proverb

11. Evolution & Survival

12. "Religion begins with the Fear of the Lord and ends in the Love of Man"

Worship TruthLove Humanity.—Islamic Maxim

Praise be to Thee my God, Lord of the Worlds!O Merciful, Compassionate art Thou!The King of all on Day of Reckoning,Thee only do we worship and adore,To Thee, most merciful, we cry for help;O guide us ever more on the straight path,The path of those to whom Thou gracious artOn whom Thine anger falls not then nor now,The path of them that from Thee go not stray.Amen.

Grant that the knowledge I get may be theknowledge worth having.—Thomas a Kempis.

Note 1.

Introduction.

TWO of you—Lateef and Altaf—will recollect that more than a year ago you wrote to me saying that you were puzzled by certain questions which a Missionary had put to you. I remember that Amjud or Mahmood even went so far as to ask what was the good of Islam, when countries and people professing that faith had weak governments and were crumbling to pieces under the influence of Christian Powers.2I answered your queries only in a general way as your University education had not then advanced far enough. But I think the time has now come when I should try to explain to you what I conceive to be the true spirit of the religion of our fore-fathers.

I firmly believe that Islam is the best3religion in the world—I mean, Islam rightly understood and interpreted andnottheMuhammadanism4of some of our formularist Maulavies,5who say that a man goes to Hell or Heaven according as he wears his trousers lower or higher than his ankles! They have degraded our religion by paying undue attention to formulas and forms to the exclusion and neglect of its living spirit and reality6. The poet Hafiz rightly stigmatised their vain controversies when he said that چون نديدند حقيقت ره افسانه زدند "since they did not see the fact, they ran after fiction."

I am more than ever convinced of two characteristics of Islam:—

1st.—It is not inconsistent withtrueChristianity, or with any othertruereligion7of which the fundamental principle is توحيد One God لا شريك له و حده "the Peerless One."8

2nd.—It conforms to modern scientific ideas better than any other religion.

I have already explained, in some of my letters9to you, why I believe that Islam is but a continuation and consummation of Christianity as taught by Jesus himself inhis own speecheswhich are reported in the Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament. We have nothing to do with the interpretation of his words by his Apostles and others after them. If we take the plain words and the plain meaning of those words reported to have proceeded from his own blessed mouth,10we clearly see that they teach the same sublime truths as our Prophet himself inculcated. Jesus did not live long to complete his mission, Muhammad completed it. Both were God's holy messengers رسل ال. Says the Qur'an: "This day I have completed your religion for you." اليوم اكملت اكم دينكم

I need not now go into details, or refer to other religions, to shew that the spirit of Islam is not inconsistent with their true spirit, if rightly conceived and interpreted in the light of modern science. I hope I shall be able some day to write down the result of my own thought and investigation in the matter. Icontent myself at present with drawing your attention to the first characteristic of Islam, and I propose to write a few Notes to draw your special attention to its second characteristic which is the more remarkable—the characteristic that it is quite consistent with modern ideas of science.

No scientific idea influenced the thought of the last century more profoundly than the idea of progress or development embodied in what is called the Law of Evolution. It is now widely accepted. You will be surprised to know that many an Islamic tenet is entirely in accord with it. Indeed Maulana Rumi outlined it poetically in his famousMasnaviin the thirteenth century, in the same manner as Lord Tennyson did in hisPrincessin the nineteenth. I desire that you should try to understand it in its modern form. I strongly recommend that you should read an admirable book by Edward Clodd calledThe Story of Creation11. When I first read it, some years ago, I felt it was as pleasant and interesting as a novel. Its introduction and Part II are quite easy to read. They will give you a very good idea of the great revolution which Darwin and Wallace, Huxley and Spencer have wrought in the thought of our own times.

Note 2.

The First Chapter of the Qur'an.

THE following is a translation of the "Opening Chapter" of our Holy Qur'an. I have analysed it by placing Roman and Arabic numerals, the first indicating verses آيات and the second indicating sub-divisions of verses.

Praise be to God,

(1) Lord (Nourisher)of the Worlds,

(2) the Compassionate,the Merciful

(3) King of the Dayof Reckoning (= dayof judgment.)

(1) Thee only do weworship,

(2) and Thee only dowe ask for aid.

(3) Guide us in theright Path (that is)

(1) to whom Thouart gracious,

(2) who are not objectsof wrath,

(3) and who go notastray.

The whole Sura divides itself into three parts and each part into three divisions thus:—

Three principal attributes of God:—

(1) Creator or Nourisher

(2) Protector

(3) Adjuster

Part II.—Man's duty to Godlies in,

(1) Worship

(2) Seeking His Protection

(3) Seeking His Guidance

(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).

(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, isthe 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;bothareverygood indeed, but the oneseems simplerthan the other. Compare them.

(a) Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come.

(a) Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, the compassionate, the merciful, King of the day of reckoning.

(b) Thy will be done in earthas it is in heaven.

(b) Thee only do we worship and of Thee only do we ask aid.

(c) Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.

(c) Guide us into the right path—the path of those to whom Thou hast been gracious, not the path of those who are the objects of wrath nor of those who have gone astray. Amen.

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 thepraiseof the Lord to whom all praise is due. This is followed in both by an expression of ourentire dependenceon Him and submission to His will. Lastly, there issolicitation 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 inperfect accord with the results of a comparative study of the religious systems of the world. They correspond to three essential elements inallreligions,viz.,

(a)Beliefin the existence of a Supreme Power which is Infinite and Absolute,(b)Feelingof man's entire dependence on that Power, and(c)Desireto seek or solicit guidance of that Power in the daily life of man.

(a)Beliefin the existence of a Supreme Power which is Infinite and Absolute,

(b)Feelingof man's entire dependence on that Power, and

(c)Desireto 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 (Actsx. 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: الذين آمتواوعملوا الصلحت "those who believe and work righteousness." "Trust in the Lord and do good," as the Psalm says.

Note 3.

I.—What is Religion?

Ihave said thattrueIslam is thebestreligion in the world. I must prove my assertion. In order to do so I have to explain:—

What do I mean by religion?

What is true Islam?

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 theoriginمبداٌ and what will be theendمعاد of the world of men, animals, plants and things that I perceive?" The answers which each man gives to these questions constitute hisreligion. A few earnest persons (poets, philosophers and theologians) try to answer these questions for themselves by patient study and earnest thought13. 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 moves14.

God.—No intelligent and intelligible answers can be given to questions as to the origin and the end or the government ofNature15without assuming the existence of theOne and only one Godwho isInfiniteandAbsolute,i.e., One who hath neither beginning nor end and who is not conditioned or limited by anything whatever16. The Infinite and Absolute One has been called by different names by different people at different times17. Yezdan, Ishwara, Jehovah, God, and Allah are the names, in different languages, of the sameInfinite and Absolute God.

God of the Granite and the RoseSoul of the Sparrow and the Bee!The mighty tide of being flowsThrough 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 UltimateLaw.2. God as the Omnipotent Energy orPower.3. God as the Supreme Being orPerson18.

II. Notions of God's principal attributes:—

1. God as Creator or Nourisher.2. God as Preserver or Protector.3. God as Adjuster or Judge19.

*Paragraphs marked with asterisks and their footnotes may be omitted at the first reading.

III. Ideas of God's relation with Nature20(i.e., with the world of men, animals, plants and other objects, and their inter-relations, of which men are aware):—

= God isaboveNature which He created and governs (Theism).

= God isinNature although Nature is not God (Panentheism).

= GodisNature 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, (مبد اٌو معاد) as there arethinkingminds22.

Let me conclude this Note with a short answer to the question why religion is necessary to Man23. No society is possible without religion, because of the dual nature of Man. As our poet says, با بها ئم بهره داري با ملائك نيزهم 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 Sura24سورة فاتحة 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.

2ndly.—(a) God being our Creator, we have toworship, 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 theprotection 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 Creatorwhenwe worship Him, think of Him as our Preserverwhenwe seek His protection, and think of Him as our Ruler or Judgewhenwe 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 guidanceinto the straight path. What is the straight path? It is the path of righteousness or the path ofGracewhich is between two extremes, the path ofSinand the path ofError. 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:—

You thus see thattrueIslam 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 خير الامور اوسطها "the best of things is the medium thing." This is the fundamental principle which underlies everything which is Islamic or Muslim.26Please 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 = اسلام(b) Duty to yourself, which is self-preservation or self-perfection = اسلام(c) Duty to others, which is peace and good will towards them = اسلام

(a) Duty to God, which is Worship or Adoration implying, as it does, complete submission to His will = اسلام

(b) Duty to yourself, which is self-preservation or self-perfection = اسلام

"Islam"27as 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 isnotIslam. In order to know anything quite well, it is desirable not only to knowwhat it isbut also to knowwhat it is not.

1. The religion taught by the Qur'an and the Traditions احاديث of our Prophet isIslamand not "Muhammadanism," as it is often named. Those who profess Islam areMuslimsand not "Muhammadans," as they are called. The word "Musalman" is but a corruption of the Arabic plural مسلمون مسلمين of the singular مسلم. We and our religion have been called28after 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:

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