Introduction
Humanism is the philosophy, which proclaims to provide an alternative to the religion. Its propagation started from America in early 20th century. People disillusioned with mysterious, mythical, irrational pagan practices like idol worship, incarnation, reincarnation of God, gods in human forms with wives and offspring and all other human limitations; get attracted towards Humanism due to its outward pragmatic and scientific appeal. The pragmatic Christians following the command of Jesus Christ that: “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?”(Luke;12:57), once undertake serious study of the Bible [especially the Gospels] are disappointed [like their learned predecessors, Arius (336 C.E) & Michael Servetus(1553 CE)]. The basic teachings of the Church such as Trinity and Vicarious Atonement find no mention in the Gospels. They fail to find even a single unambiguous statement in the entire Bible where Jesus Christ himself says, “I am God” or where he says, “worship me” rather he is found to say: “There is none good but one, that is, God”(Mathew;19:17). The verse in the whole of Bible which is interpreted to supports this Christian dogma [1st Epistle of John; 5:7,8] is not found in any Greek manuscript before the sixteen century’. Dr C.I, Scofield, D.D. backed by eight other D.D.’s in a footnote to this verse opine: “It is generally agreed that this verse has no manuscript authority and has been inserted.”The fundamentalist Christians still retain this fabrication whereas; in all the modern translations including the Revised Standard Version (RSV) this pious deceit has been unceremoniously expunged. Bible unambiguously mentions about one God [De;6:4; Isa;44:6; Mr;12:29-33;1Co;8:6; Ga;3:20; Eph;4:6]. Jesus Christ is found to says: “Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adna Ikhad ”“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord”. One is amazed to read Paul, the founder of Christianity saying: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the MAN Christ Jesus”(1Timothy;2:5). It is clear that Jesus Christ was a man and mediator [intercessor, like other prophets] between men and One God, he was not God! In fact, various verses of the Bible point to the actual mission of Jesus Christ, which was to fulfil the Commandments and the Law revealed to Moses (Mathew;5:17,18,19). Indeed Jesus Christ rejected any suggestions that attributed divinity to him, and explained his miracles as the power of the God (Mathew;12;28, Luke;11;20). Jesus Christ is found to be reiterating the message of monotheism that was given by all earlier prophets of God: “Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve.”(Luke;4:8). Jesus Christ through parable urged his followers to build the house of faith on solid foundations, the rock of his teachings not upon sand (Methew;7:21-27). Unfortunately the teachings of Jesus Christ were put aside and ignored. Further study and critical analysis reveals that the doctrines like Trinity, Salvation through Faith, Original sin are nothing but twisted derivatives from the corrupted scripture much after Jesus Christ. [More details in books, ‘Jesus & Divinity’, ‘Bible and Qur’an’, ‘Christianity-Doctrines’ by Aftab Khan available at: http://faithforum.wordpress.com & http://endeavour-peace.page.tl ]
Thoroughly confused paradoxically some find an easy alternative in ‘Humanism’, which comparatively appears to be rational and scientific, though focusing on materialism excluding spirituality. Interestingly ‘Humanism’ is the brain child of Unitarians and followers of Universalism, the anti Trinity Christians groups. Many resolute people like Yusuf Estates, Dr. Gary Miller, Malcolm X, Leopold Weiss with little effort find the Truth, available in the uncorrupted last scripture revealed to the last Prophet, in which God says: “Indeed, the truth deny they who say, “Behold, God is the Christ, son of Mary” – seeing that the Christ [himself] said, “O children of Israel! Worship God [alone], who is my Sustainer as well as your Sustainer.” Behold, whoever ascribes divinity to any being beside God, unto him will God deny paradise, and his goal shall be the fire: and such evildoers will have none to succour them! Indeed, the truth deny they who say, “Behold, God is the third of a trinity” – seeing that there is no deity whatever save the One God. And unless they desist from this their assertion, grievous suffering is bound to befall such of them as are bent on denying the truth. Will they not, then, turn towards God in repentance, and ask His forgiveness? For God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace. The Christ, son of Mary, was but an apostle: all [other] apostles had passed away before him; and his mother was one who never deviated from the truth; and they both ate food [like other mortals]. Behold how clear We make these messages unto them: and then behold how perverted are their minds! Say: “Would you worship, beside God, aught that has no power either to harm or to benefit you – when God alone is all-hearing, all-knowing?” Say: “O followers of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs; and do not follow the errant views of people who have gone astray aforetime, and have led many [others] astray, and are still straying from the right path.”(Qur’an;5:72-77). “AS FOR THOSE who are bent on denying the truth and on barring [others] from the path of God – all their [good] deeds will He let go to waste;’ whereas those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds, and have come to believe in what has been bestowed from on high on Muhammad – for it is the truth from their Sustainer – [shall attain to God’s grace:] He will efface their [past] bad deeds, and will set their hearts at rest.” (Qur’an;47:1-2).
This is an endeavour to briefly introduce ‘Humanism’ with a view to ascertain its viability viz the strictly monotheistic faith: The Islam.
Religion
Is Humanism a new religion or ideology? To find an answer one has to describe ‘Religion’, which may be defined as: ‘A personalized set or institutional system of beliefs and practices pertaining to the supernatural’. [Supernatural: An order of existence beyond human experience and observation]. This definition is intended to be as broad as possible, so that it includes as many of the recognized religions in the world as possible. Religion, as defined here, in no way depends on belief in the existence of God, gods, or any deities, whatsoever. This definition includes those who practice Japanese Shinto, for example, though they may not believe in any God or gods at all. It also includes shamanistic religions that, rather than focus on gods, focus instead on “behind the scenes forces”, supernatural forces. Rudolf Otto (1869-1937), the German theologian, philosopher, and historian of religion, coined the term ‘numinous’ (supernatural, mystical or spiritual) to designate the nonrational element of religious experience—the awe, fascination, and blissful exultation inspired by the perception of the divine. He believed that religion provided an understanding of the world that was distinct from and beyond that of science. He said; “The most important part of religion can not be stated through words. This is (apparently) illogical part of religion. Stable part of religion is the ideological part which is very important. But we should not forget that there is more which can not be put in to words’.
The beliefs and practices may be religious even though they are non theistic. A theist is in the position of making a positive claim about the existence of God. They are willing to assert something like “God exists”. An atheist makes a negative claim about the existence of God. They would assert that “God does not exist”. Both the theist and the atheist are making claims about the existence of entities in the universe. The agnostic is in a different position. An agnostic might say: “when it comes to God, I just don’t know whether or not God exists”. An agnostic is not willing to make a commitment either way about the existence of a God in the universe. Religions attempt to answer basic questions intrinsic to the human mind like: existence of God, creation of universe and humanity, human sufferings, evil, death and its aftermath etc. The main outwardly focused Abrahamic religions e.g., Judaism (Hebrews), Christianity, and Islam attempt to satisfy human quest through the Revealed knowledge received by the prophets and messengers of God, while inwardly focused religions like Jainism, Buddhism make use of perception of the true nature of reality. While exploring the historic development in theosophical and scientific aspects about ‘The God’ and ‘The Creation’ specifically in the three religions linked to Abraham (who was neither Jew nor Christian, rather the one who had totally surrendered in obedience to the will of God). This original religion of Abraham was revived in its unique spirit of monotheism, fourteen hundred years ago in concordance with the light of reason; exclusive of mysterious doctrines to cast a shade of sentimental ignorance round the original truths rooted in the human intellect, representing the latest development of the religious faculties. The beliefs supporting the existence of God or against it, including the middle positions have resulted in an array of doctrines, the most prominent among them are; Theism, Monotheism, Theodicy, Deism, Agnosticism and Atheism [now also emerged as Humanism].
Humanism & Religion
‘Humanism’ does not fit in to the classical definition of religion. It is an ideology or a system of thought that centers on human beings and their values, capacities, and worth. However since it presents itself as replacement of religion it could also be considered as religion. ‘Humanism’ is concerned with the interests, needs, and welfare of human beings like. The ‘Humanism’ is also the study of the humanities; learning in the liberal arts. The cultural and intellectual movement of the Renaissance that emphasized secular concerns as a result of the rediscovery and study of the literature, art, and civilization of ancient Greece and Rome is also called Humanism. Humanism, as a humanistic philosophy viewed as a nontheistic religion antagonistic to traditional religion. The definition of humanism as anthropocentricity or human-centeredness has a firmer claim to correctness.
Humanism is not a religion in the sense that it has nothing to say about the supernatural other than to reject it, along with all religious claims about knowledge of the supernatural. It does have a lot to say about nature, society and the self. Lamont says of Humanism in general: “That it is a philosophy of joyous service for the greater good of all humanity in this natural world and advocating the methods of reason, science and democracy.” Humanists believe that all forms of the supernatural are myth. Nature is the totality of all being, existing independently of any mind, mentality or consciousness. Physical nature is all there is. It is composed of matter and energy and it exists in an ever changing state of flux governed by the laws of science.
Symbols of Humanism:
Though Humanism advocates the equality of sexes, its initial symbol ‘Vitruvian Man’ is taken from Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawing. Leonardo da Vinci [1452-1519] was an Italian painter, engineer, musician, and scientist. The most versatile genius of the Renaissance, as a painter Leonardo is best known for ‘The Last Supper’, ‘Vitruvian Man’ and ‘Mona Lisa’. The pen and ink drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, depicting a man fitting his body to a circle and a square by adjusting the position of his arms and legs, is probably the most famous drawing in the world on the proportions of temples, he states that these buildings should be based on the proportions of man, because the human body is the model of perfection. He justifies this by stating that the human body with arms and legs extended fits into the perfect geometric forms, the circle, and the square. The circle, being connected to the dome of the sky and the cosmos with its spherical stars and planets continually circling the earth was a symbol of Dionysus, the soul. [Dionysus: The Greek god of vegetation and fruitfulness, known especially as the god of wine and ecstasy.] The square, on the other hand, is the natural way that humans relate to the physical world. This is why there are four directions, four seasons, and four basic elements. It is why a house has four sides and people sit on a four-legged chair. The square was a symbol of the Titanic human aspect. The first step to the liberation of the soul is to recognize that we are made of both aspects. In Pythagorean thinking, if a human can be shown to fit into both symbols this would be a geometric proof of our dual nature. In Venice around the year 1500, Leonardo once again demonstrated geometrically that the human soul is divine. The official symbol adopted by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), Great Britain, a world body for Humanism, it has also been adopted by many Humanist organisations and individuals worldwide is ‘The Happy Human’ (originally the Happy Man).
History of Humanism
Early Humanism- Ancient Greece: Greek philosopher and agnostic, Protagoros asserted: “Man is the measure of all things, of things that are, that they are, and of things that are not, that they are not.” Protagoros was a forerunner to Humanist views because he emphasizes the primacy of human values. His agnosticism is evident when he asserts: “As to the gods, I have no means of knowing either that they exist or do not exist. For many are the obstacles that impede knowledge, both the obscurity of the question and the shortness of human life.” Protagoros was banned from Athens for his “impiety” and his works were burned.
Ancient Asian Humanism:
Human-cantered philosophy that abandoned the supernatural can be found as early as 1000 BCE in the Lokayata system of Indian philosophy. Also in the sixth-century BCE, Gautama Buddha is reported to have expressed, in the Pali literature, a skeptical attitude toward the supernatural. Jainism rejects the idea of a supreme being, a creator, a creator spirit, even of creation. They consider universe to be eternal and uncreated. Confucianism, the scholarly tradition and way of life propagated by Confucius in the 6th–5th century BC and followed by the Chinese for more than two millennia. Though not organized as a religion, it has deeply influenced East Asian spiritual and political life in a comparable manner. The core idea is ren (“humaneness,” “benevolence”), signifying excellent character in accord with li (ritual norms), zhong (loyalty to one’s true nature), shu (reciprocity), and xiao (filial piety).
Christian Roots:
Rejection of mysterious and irrational doctrine of Trinity by pragmatic Christians is ongoing process. Arius [256-336 CE, Bishop of Alexandria] taught that Jesus was human with a beginning and an end. Jesus was a special human being, but human, not divine. – Arianism was condemned at first Ecumenical Council at Nicea [325 CE], though it survives in different forms even now. In 1553 CE – Michael Servetus was executed by the Calvinists for declaring the trinity to be a mad doctrine, declaring God as one indivisible. “Your Trinity is a product of subtlety and madness. The Gospel knows nothing of it… God is one and indivisible.” During 1700’s – Deism flourishes in Europe and the United States. The Universalists also originated in the 1700’s. The Universalists opposed the Christian dogma of eternal punishment for sinners. They believed that God “will finally restore the whole family of mankind to holiness and happiness. “In 1825- The Unitarian Church broke away from Congregationalists. Unitarianism is the religious movement that stresses the free use of reason in religion, holds generally that God exists only in one person, and denies the divinity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity.
Unitarian Universalists are creedless and deny the authority of dogmas promulgated by church councils. Their teachings historically have included the unity of God, the humanity of Jesus, mankind’s religious and ethical responsibility, and the possibility of attaining religious salvation through differing religious traditions. They emphasize the authority of the individual’s religious conviction, the importance of religiously motivated action for social reform, democratic method in church governance, and reason and experience as appropriate bases for formulating religious beliefs. Their traditional concern for social issues has caused Unitarian Universalists to give active support to the demands for equality of blacks, feminists, and other groups. Gains in equality for women within the Unitarian Universalists Association were significant, but its predominantly white, middle-class membership remains an issue.
Impact of Medieval Islamic Philosophical Thought:
Islam is the faith based upon knowledge, reason and wisdom, for it is ultimately knowledge of the Oneness of God combined with faith that saves man in this world and hereafter. The Qur’an is full of verses urging man to use his intellect, to deliberate, to think and to know, for the objective of human life is to ascertain the Truth, which could be achieved by recognizing and exploring the sings of God all around. Qur’an says: “Are the knowledgeable and the ignorant equal? In fact, none will take heed except the people of understanding.”(Qur’an;39:9), “He also made subservient to you whatever is between the heavens and the earth; all from Himself. Surely there are signs in this for those who think.”(Qur’an;45:13), “O’ Lord ! Increase my knowledge” (Qura’n;20:114, “[All this have We expounded in this] blessed divine writ which We have revealed unto thee, [O Muhammad,] so that men may ponder over its messages, and that those who are endowed with insight may take them to heart”(Qur’an;38:29).
It is obligatory for all the Muslims both men and women to acquire the knowledge of all sciences including the religious sciences to understand the signs of God and to harness the powers of nature. In early days of Islam, the knowledge of Din (faith) and dunya (worldly affairs) were not separate entities. The early Muslim education emphasized practical studies, such as the application of technological expertise to the development of irrigation systems, architectural innovations, textiles, iron and steel products, earthenware, and leather products; the manufacture of paper and gunpowder; the advancement of commerce; and the maintenance of a merchant marine. Thus during first half of millennia of its history, Islamic civilization has been keen to gain knowledge, be it physics, chemistry (alchemy), algebra, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, social sciences, philosophy or any other field. A critical analysis reveals that most of Muslim scientists and scholars of medieval period were also eminent scholars of Islam and theology. The earlier Muslim scientific investigations were based on the inherent link between the physical and the spiritual spheres, but they were informed by a process of careful observation and reflection that investigated the physical universe.
Islam established the right of intellectual freedom for both men and women. As long as Islam preserved its immaculate character, it proved itself to be the main defender and promoter of knowledge and civilization and the ardent ally of intellectual liberty. Islam advocates to maintain balance between the life of this world and struggle for the reward in hereafter, thus asceticism and monasticism are not part of Islam. The blending of religious and other knowledge at lower and middle levels prior to separation at higher lever for specialization in a particular discipline, would broaden the vision and provide adequate depth to the students of religious and other sciences. This will enable the Muslims to regain the lost leadership, prestige and respect.
The moment extraneous elements got attached; Muslims lagged behind in the race of progress. The great tragedy of Muslim history occurred over five centuries ago, when the study of Islamic sciences was separated from the other branches of knowledge in the Islamic learning institutions. An extract from Encyclopaedia Britannica is an eye opener for the Muslims: “The decline of Muslim scholarship coincided with the early phases of the European intellectual awakening that these translations were partly instrumental in bringing about. The translation into Latin of most Islamic works during the 12th and 13th centuries had a great impact upon the European Renaissance. The Europeans picked up the concepts of system of learning, universities and libraries form Muslim Spain, Cairo and Baghdad” According to Will Durant, the Western scholar, “For five centuries, from 700 to 1200 (C.E), Islam led the world in power, order and extent of government, in refinement of manners, scholarship and philosophy”. The use of intellect and scientific inquiry by medieval Muslim intellectuals had profound effect on Europe; the Humanists can not deny the indirect influence as far as the pragmatic approach is concerned. Unitarians and Universalists get the encouragement because the Doctrine of Trinity and other deviations to the original teachings of Bible and Jesus Christ are also rejected by Islam, which accord high status and glorifies Jesus Christ as the last Jewish prophet of God who preached monotheism and prophesised advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).(John; 16:12-14,7, 14:16 also Deuteronomy;18:18,19, Song of Solomon;5:16) [More details at ‘The Last Prophet’ , http://faithfourm.wordpress.com]
Humanism in Twentieth Century:
In the beginning of 20th century Humanism was established in to its formal shape:
1920 – Religious Humanistic movement was founded after Dr. Curtis W. Reese, a Unitarian pastor, gave sermons in Des Moines (1917) and Harvard Divinity School (1920).
1933 – Humanist Manifesto I written by three Unitarian ministers, two university teachers, and a philosopher. It is a Manifesto of Religious Humanism.
1941 – American Humanist Association founded in the United States.
1952 – International Humanist and Ethical Union founded in Amsterdam.
1961 – The Unitarians and Universalists merged forming the Unitarian Universalists Association.
1973 – Humanist Manifesto II issued. There are many Humanist associations and organizations established all over the world.
Sidney Hook is a contemporary American Philosopher; it is not clearly known whether or not he would count himself as a Humanist. He has written extensively about freedom, reason and tyranny of all sorts. His entry in Who’s Who in America echoes Socrates’ admonishment about the unexamined life: ” It is better to be a live jackal than a dead lion – for jackals not men. Men who have the moral courage to fight intelligently for freedom have the best prospects for avoiding the fates both of live jackals and dead lions. Survival is not the be-all and end-all of a life worthy of a man. Sometimes the worst thing we can know about a man is that he has survived. Those who say life is worth living at any cost have already written for themselves an epitaph of infamy, for there is no cause and no person they will not betray to stay alive.”
The people who refuse to submit their personal concerns to the criterion of absolute (revealed) moral standards and think that their own judgment as to what constitutes right and wrong is the only valid one, will create a society governed by the doctrine; ‘might is right’. All moral concepts – that is, all discrimination between good and evil, or right and wrong – are indissolubly linked with the concept of man’s responsibility to a Supreme Power: in other words, without such a feeling of responsibility – whether conscious or subconscious – the concept of “morality” as such loses all its meaning.
Religious Humanistic Movement:
The Religious Humanistic movement was founded after Dr. Curtis W. Reese, a Unitarian pastor, gave sermons in Des Moines (1917) and Harvard Divinity School (1920). In 1925 the Reverend John H. Dietrieh pointed out that Unitarianism was the natural environment for the development of Religious Humanism. “Unitarianism offered opportunity for the enunciation of Humanism by virtue of its underlying spirit of spiritual freedom, by its insistence upon intellectual integrity rather than intellectual uniformity, by its offer of religious fellowship to every one of moral purpose without regard to his theological beliefs. But this is not the important thing. The real reason Unitarianism was the natural soil for the growth of Humanism is the fact that Unitarianism was a revolt against traditional Christianity in the interest of the worth and dignity of human nature and the interest of human life.”
Humanist Manifestos:
Religious Humanism and, especially, the other forms of Humanism, deny the existence of a God active in natural or human affairs, hence no scripture. There are two Humanist Manifestos that set out in general terms the basic philosophical orientation of Humanism. Of course, not all Humanists would necessarily agree with either Manifesto. But they do tend to reflect the underlying attitude of Humanism. In 1933 the Humanist Manifesto I was written by three Unitarian ministers, two university teachers, and a philosopher. It is a Manifesto of Religious Humanism. Forty years later, in 1973, Humanist Manfesto II was issued. These events can be considered to be seminal in the founding of Humanism. The Religious Humanistic movement was founded after Dr. Curtis W. Reese, a Unitarian pastor, gave sermons in Des Moines (1917) and Harvard Divinity School (1920). In 1925 the Reverend John H. Dietrieh pointed out that Unitarianism was the natural environment for the development of Religious Humanism.
Beliefs:
Humanists believe that all forms of the supernatural are myth. Nature is the totality of all being, existing independently of any mind, mentality or consciousness. Physical nature is all there is. Universe is self created, composed of matter and energy and it exists in an ever changing state of flux governed by the laws of science. They do not believe in existence of God. Despite atheist belief, Humanists appears to have borrowed many ideas especially relating to just equitable society, human values and knowledge form the pragmatic strictly monotheist faith [Tawheed] -Islam.
Metaphysics:
Lamont provides a list of the basic metaphysical categories for humanism. These are the categories that humanists Lamont, at least commit themselves to. They are the fundamental categories that apply to all existential entities:
Substance – Manifestations of matter and energy.
Activity – Substance is always in a state of flux. Substance is becoming.
Form – Substance and Activity have form – structure and organization.
Quality – Substance has qualities such as solidity, shape, texture, colour and sound.
Quantity – Substance has quantity such as size, mass, velocity, intensity, location.
Duration – Substance has duration, it exists for a definite period of time.
Presentness – Substance exists only in the present, not the past nor in the future.
Causality – Substance exists as both an effect of causes, and as a cause, when active, of other events.
Necessity – Causality operates in “if, then” irregularities (Scientific Laws). If the “if” occurs, then necessarily the “then” occurs.
Contingency – Causality as an un-patterned, irregular, unpredictable relationship. Perhaps explicable after the fact, but unpredictable before. This category allows for human freedom, free will.
Individuality – Substance is discrete, individual, separate.
Relation – Substance exists in relation to other substances, never in total isolation.
Potentiality – Substance exists with inherent possibilities such as activity, interaction and change.
Eventuation – Substance continually moves in a process toward eventual successive results. The acorn becomes an oak, dies, rots, returns to nature. Eventuation does not entail direction nor progress.
Unity – Substance, every object or event, is one with itself.
Plurality – Substance, every object or event, is compound, made up of parts or enters into a plurality of relationships.
Nature: Nature is an incredibly beautiful, complex system of interactions of which we are part. We should appreciate and enjoy nature in this life time.
Humanity: Humans are a product of an ongoing, natural, evolutionary process. Mind and brain are one, a unity and there is no survival after death.
Freedom: Humanism rejects all theories of fatalism, predestination and hard determinism.
Fatalism: Some events, major events, will occur because their occurrence has been set up in advance [by whom?]. For example, whether or not a person gets married, how many children they have, or when they will die.
Predestination: All events that occur have been set up in advance [by whom?].
Determinism: Choices, events are constrained by past circumstances. Hard determinism asserts that all events are completely constrained. Soft determinism asserts that constraining factors sometimes can be overcome.
Free Will: Humanism recognizes that choice is conditioned, or constrained, by past circumstances. But humans have freedom of choice and control their own destiny, at least to some extent [Limited free moral Will as in Islam!].
Society: Humanism aims for the establishment throughout the world of democracy. The purpose of life is attainment of the good life in a harmonious society, within which each individual seeks to contribute to the welfare of the community.
Human Values: Human values are grounded in experiences in this worldly existence. Human freedom, progress, happiness and experiences are the highest values to be sought as goals for all humans, independent of race, sex, nationality or religion. Humans should seek to develop themselves to the fullest extent possible, scientifically, philosophically, socially and artistically.
Truth and Knowledge: Humanism stands utterly opposed to religious control of knowledge, belief and truth. Humanism in its scientific outlook aims for an unending, open-ended questioning of all basic assumptions, beliefs and convictions, even its own.
In brief the Humanists, including religious humanists, regard the universe as self-created. Humanism rejects the notion of supernatural forces. The material, physical universe is all there is, and it operates entirely on the basis of physical, scientific laws. The basic social goal of humanism is to develop a just society in the present and to have it continue into the future. Lamont recognizes that egoism must be balanced with altruism. They think that while acting in one’s own self- interest, one should consider the self-interest of others. While acting as a group for our self-interests, Humanists need to consider the self-interest of other groups, of human groups, at least. Within the balance between egoism and altruism, Humanism strives for a democratic, cooperative society based on equality, freedom and individual rights. In a Humanistic society there would be no discrimination based on sex, race or nationality. Women specifically would receive fair and equitable treatment.
Types of Humanism:
Humanism goes by many names: Scientific Humanism, Secular Humanism, Naturalistic Humanism, Democratic Humanism, Religious Humanism. Each of these types of humanism would be in general agreement with the Basic Concepts of Humanism. Each type of Humanism would place special emphasis on that aspect of Humanism for which it is named.
Viability of Achieving Goals:
Even by disregarding the atheist beliefs, one fails to understand as to how the Humanism ideals, could be achieved, keeping in view the selfish human nature and inherent evil impulses. Mere enlisting ideals and high sounding morals does not serve the purpose, there has to be means to achieve them. Generally it is observed that in most of societies [may be few exceptions] majority of people fall in to the category of ‘Have-nots’ or those with lesser resources, where as a tiny minority of ‘Haves’ enjoys all the perks, privileges and enjoy a luxurious life. This disparity could never be eliminated though reduced to an extent. Then there are unfortunate people born with incurable birth defects or suffer forum deadly disease, or natural disasters. How can they be compensated if this is the life ends in this world? If such humans know that they shall be compensated in hereafter, they can accept their status with positive hope. The Islamic concept of ultimate Divine Justice and accountability for reward to the faithful who performs good deeds and punishment for sinners and faithless in hereafter after resurrection helps to create a harmonious and peaceful society where every human irrespective of his/her faith can live at peace and security. Qur’an sums up the, purpose of creation:
“HALLOWED be He in whose hand all dominion rests, since He has the power to will anything: He who has created death as well as life, so that He might put you to a test [and thus show] which of you is best in conduct, and [make you realize that] He alone is almighty, truly forgiving. [Hallowed be] He who has created seven heavens in full harmony with one another: no fault will thou see in the creation of the Most Gracious. And turn thy vision [upon it] once more: canst thou see any flaw?(Qur’an;67:2-3);“for, suffering in hell awaits all who are [thus] bent on blaspheming against their Sustainer: and how vile a journey’s end!”(Qur’an;67:6); “And they [unbelievers] will add: “Had we but listened [to those warnings], or [at least] used our own reason, we would not [now] be among those who are destined for the blazing flame!”(Qur’an;67:10); “SAY: “[God is] He who has brought you [all] into being, and has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and hearts: [yet] how seldom are you grateful!” Say: “It is He who has multiplied you on earth; and it is unto Him that you shall be gathered [on resurrection].”(Qur’an;67:23-24).
Human is reminded in pragmatic and scientific way towards the wonderful creativity and powers of God, so that any rational human should understand the reality if he wills to: “CONSIDER the sun and its radiant brightness, and the moon as it reflects the sun! Consider the day as it reveals the world, and the night as it veils it darkly! Consider the sky and its wondrous make, and the earth and all its expanse! Consider the human self, and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be, and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God! To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity, and truly lost is he who buries it [in darkness].”(Qur’an;91:1-10). This brief message provides a scientific and logical inbuilt mechanism for establishment of a fair and just society unrivalled by any religion, philosophy or ideology including Humanism.
The message of Islam, received through Divine revelations was recorded [Qur’an] preached and practiced by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the role model as well as his companions. Its viability is well known to the world through its success. The scripture remains uncorrupted; its ideology is simple, practicable, pragmatic and free of myths and superstitions. It stands the test of science. On the other hand imagine an ideology dependent on different laws of different countries, only instructions and advice to do all considered to be good. Such a society may exist in the dreams but not on ground. If a man like Hitler kills millions, even if caught alive he can get maximum of death punishment or imprisonment for life, but it is not compatible with the mass murders he has committed. However if a person believes that one day he shall be resurrected, and put in to hell fire put after fair trial, he shall refrain to commit such heinous crimes. God says: “Hence, give them [unbelievers] the tiding of grievous suffering [in the life to come] unless it be such [of them] as [repent, and] attain to faith, and do good works: for theirs shall be a reward unending!”(Qur’an: 84:24).
Humanists do not believe in the Resurrection and the Day of Judgement, as they disregard the supernatural powers or events. Their theory of self creation of universe through natural process is absurd. The creation of the universe and humanity may be understood as a part of ‘Grand Design’ of God, which according to Qur’an is based upon trial, balance, justice and mercy. The design of creation may be elaborated further through this allegory: If there is some huge heap of junk lying on ground and there comes a tornado, once the tornado is over, it is found that the heap of junk is dispersed more haphazardly. If a tornado hits a city, rubble is found all around once it is over; there is no definite new organized pattern. If dynamite is exploded in a heap of rubbish, it does not result in good products like car or a house. If ‘Big Bang’ which produced the well organized galaxies, stars and solar system and earth why could not the tornado or an explosion produce some organized things? Because in case of the ‘Big Bang’ there is an all powerful all wise Creator, known as God or Allah. Where as in case of tornado (though with the will of God) there is no intelligent force operating with the intentions to create some thing out of it, the natural wild forces interact resulting in to confusion and destruction. Allah says: “We have created you from the earth, into it We shall return you and from it We shall bring you back to life once again.”(Qur’an;20:55). He has granted freedom of choice to the human through guidance, intellect and reason, resulting in individual responsibility and accountability. However He accepts repentance of sinners and forgives them as He has decreed mercy upon Himself but those who die as rebellious and disobedient to Him, will be punished in hereafter. Allah says: “To Him you shall all return. Allah’s promise is true. He is the One Who originates the process of Creation and repeats it (will bring it back to life) so that He may justly reward (hereafter) those who believed in Him and did righteous deeds. As for those who disbelieved, they shall have boiling fluids to drink and shall undergo a painful punishment because they rejected the truth.”(Qur’an;10:4).
Annotations
Human development also has stages like other creations, God says: “BUT NAY! I call to witness the sunset’s [fleeting] afterglow, and the night, and what it [step by step] unfolds, and the moon, as it grows to its fullness: [even thus, O men,] are you bound to move; onward from stage to stage. What, then, is amiss with them that they will not believe [in a life to come]? and [that], when the Qur’an is read unto them, they do not fall down in prostration? Nay, but they who are bent on denying the truth give the lie [to this divine writ]! Yet God has full knowledge of what they conceal [in their hearts].(Qur’an: 84:16-23). In these verses, God “calls to witness” the fact that nothing in His creation is ever at a standstill, since everything moves unceasingly from one state of being into another, at every moment changing its aspect and its condition: “from one state to another state” a phenomenon aptly described by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus by the phrase panta rhei (“everything is in flux”). Since the inexorable movement of all that exists from stage to stage or from one condition into another corresponds to a fundamental law evident in all creation, it is unreasonable to assume that man alone should be an exception, and that his onward movement should cease at the moment of his bodily death, not to be followed by a change-over into another state of being. Hence the unceasing human progression – conception, birth, growth, decline, death and, finally, resurrection on the day of Judgement.
Absurd Man-Centred World-View:
By stressing the fact that man is only a small, insignificant part as compared with the vastness and complexity of the whole God-created universe, Qur’an points out the absurdity of the ‘Man-Centred World-View’: “[O MEN!] Are you more difficult to create than the heaven which He has built? High has He reared its vault and formed it in accordance with what it was meant to be; and He has made dark its night and brought forth its light of day. And after that, the earth: wide has He spread its expanse, and has caused its waters to come out of it, and its pastures, and has made the mountains firm: [all this] as a means of livelihood for you and your animals.” (Qur’an;79:27-32).“Behold, as for those who call God’s messages in question without having any evidence therefore – in their hearts is nothing but overweening self-conceit, which they will never be able to satisfy: seek thou, then, refuge with God – for, verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-seeing! Greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth: yet most men do not understand [what this implies]. But [then,) the blind and the seeing are not equal; and neither [can] they who have attained to faith and do good works and the doers of evil [be deemed equal]. How seldom do you keep this in mind!” (Qur’an;40:56-58)
On Human Self-Sufficiency:
Many agnostics think that man is totally independent, “Self-Sufficient” and that, therefore, there are no limits to what he may yet achieve, and no need to assume that he is responsible to a higher Power. In this connection Qur’an while reminding the humble beginning of man, says: “[God] created man out of a germ-cell! Read – for thy Sustainer is the Most Bountiful One who has taught [man] the use of the pen taught man what he did not know! Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient: for, behold, unto thy Sustainer all must return.”(Qur’an: 96:2-7);“But as for him [human] who is niggardly, and thinks that he is self-sufficient, and calls the ultimate good a lie for him shall We make easy the path towards hardship: and what will his wealth avail him when he goes down [to his grave]?”(Qur’an: 98:8-11). And since this “self-sufficiency” is entirely illusory, those who build their world-view on it “will never be able to satisfy their overweening conceit”.
Deism:
Many humanists are Deists. Deism is generally defined as a belief in a God or Divinity. There was a Deist movement (1700’s) that held that God created the universe and then retired from active participation, letting the natural world evolve according to natural laws. Sir Isaac Newton, Voltaire and Thomas Jefferson have all been called Deists.
Continuous Control and Creativity:
Deism does not stand the test of reason and observable natural phenomena: “He governs all that exists, from the celestial space to the earth; and in the end all shall ascend unto Him [for judgment] on a Day the length whereof will be [like] a thousand years of your reckoning. Such is He who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception, as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature’s senses or mind: the Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace, who makes most excellent everything that He creates. Thus, He begins the creation of man out of clay; then He causes him to be begotten out of the essence of a humble fluid; and then He forms him in accordance with what he is meant to be, and breathes into him of His spirit: and [thus, O men,] He endows you with hearing, and sight, and feelings as well as minds: [yet] how seldom are you grateful!”(Qur’an;32:5-9)
God has not retired from His creativity, creation of new galaxies while destruction of old is not a simple phenomenon in the complex cosmos system. God says: “We are never unmindful of (Our) Creation” (Qur’an; 23:17). God did not abandon the Children of Israel during their forty years of wandering in the desert. He sustained them, protected them and provided with the food and water, and later Kingdom.(Qur’an;2:57, Exodus;16:15,35, Nehemia;9:20-22). “He adds to Creation as He pleases: for God has power over all things”. (Qur’an; 35:1).“If He so pleased He could blot you out and bring in a New Creation” (Qur’an; 35:16). Nothing exists of its own accord or fortuitously. It is God Who originates all creation. What appears to be death may be only transformation: for God can and does recreate. And His creative activity is continuous. Our death is but a phenomenal event. What we become after death is the result of a process of recreation by God, Who is both the source and the goal of all things. When we are brought back to him, it will be as conscious and responsible beings, to receive the consequences of our brief life on this earth. (Qur’an; 30:11 &,10:4).
As man’s knowledge of the processes of nature advances, he sees how complex is the evolution of matter itself, leaving out the question of the origin of Life and the spiritual forces, which are beyond the ken of experimental science. But this knowledge itself becomes a sort of “veil of Light”: man becomes so conscious of the proximate causes, that he is apt, in his pride, to forget the primal Cause, the ultimate hand of God in Creation. And then, creation is such a complex process. The fatara has been used in original Arabic text, which means the creation of primeval matter, to which further creative processes have to be added by the hand of God, or God “adds to His Creation as He pleases”, not only in quantity, but in qualities, functions, relations and variations in infinite ways. “To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth; when He decreeth a matter He saith to it: “Be”; and it is” (Qur’an;2:117). Lest anyone should think that the heavens and the earth were themselves primeval and eternal, we are now told that they themselves are creatures of God’s will and design. The materialists might say that primeval matter was eternal; other things, i.e., the forms and shapes as we see them now, were called into being at some time or other, and will perish. When they perish, they dissolve into primeval matter again, which stands as the base of all existence. We go further back. We say that if we postulate such primeval matter, it owes its origin itself to God Who is the final basis of existence, the Cause of all Causes. If this is conceded, we proceed to argue that the process of Creation is not then completed. “All things in the heavens and on the earth” are created by gradual processes. In “things” we include abstract as well as material things. We see the abstract things and ideas actually growing before us. But that also is God’s creation, to which we can apply the word khalaqa, for in it is involved the idea of measuring, fitting it into a scheme of other things. Here comes in what we know as the process of evolution. On the other hand, the “amr” (Command, Direction, Design) is a single thing, unrelated to Time, “like the twinkling of an eye” (Qur’an;54:50). Another word to note in this connection is “making” (ja’ala) which seems to imply new shapes and forms, new dispositions, as the making of the Signs of the Zodiac in the heavens, or the setting out of the sun and moon for light, or the establishment of the succession of day and night. A further process with regard to the soul is described (sawwa), bringing it to perfection. He can create a thing out of nothing and after no pre-existing similitude, while in other cases after the creation of primeval matter to which further processes have to be applied later, as when one prepares dough but leaves the leavening to be done after.
Laws of Nature: While “calling to witness” certain natural phenomena which are familiar to man because of their permanent recurrence, attention is drawn to the fact that what we call “laws of nature” are but the observable elements of God’s plan of creation – a plan in which His revelations play a decisive role: and so, by implication, the divine writ [Qur’an] granted to Muhammad [pbuh] is as intrinsically “natural” as any other phenomenon, concrete or abstract, in the realm of God’s creation. Qur’an says: “BUT NAY! I call to witness the revolving stars, the planets that run their course and set, and the night as it darkly falls, and the morn as it softly breathes: behold, this [divine writ] is indeed the [inspired] word of a noble apostle, with strength endowed, secure with Him who in almightiness is enthroned [the word] of one to be heeded, and worthy of trust!” (Qur’an;81: 15-21)
Existence of God:
The idea of a Supreme Power who is the First Cause of all things, the Creator and Ruler of heaven and earth has always been part of human nature from the beginning. He was not represented by images and had no temple or priests in His service. He was too exalted for an inadequate human cult. Hence there had been a primitive monotheism before people had started to worship a number of deities. Generally He faded from the consciousness of his people who formed images of many deities, His assistants, thus began the paganism. The name given to this divine Supreme Creator and Sustainer in English is God. The belief of a Supreme deity who created the world and governs it, still remains among the primitive African tribes. The belief on God was followed by His worship in different cultures.
Humanists deny the existence of God, the faith in God is axiomatic which man accepts with the help of his intuition without the need of a rational proof. It is an axiom, the proofs of which subsist in every thing in this world, yet it needs no proof. Although the proofs are so numerous that they can not be enumerated in this short space. [Books like; ‘Proofs of the Oneness of God’ by Sahaikh Jamaluddin al Qasimi, “God Manifest in the Age of Science”, written by thirty different and well established scientists and “Man Does not Stand Alone” will convince the reader that a true scientist, just as much as a layman, has to be a believer]. The Humanism lack of respect and contempt for God is prevalent among ill-informed scientists, who have deprived themselves of the characteristics of inborn faith and have consequently fallen into the abyss of disbelief, The books referred to contain many valuable discourses by reputable scholars, such as Frank Alien, world famous biologist, Robert Morris Budge, inventor of radar, John Cleveland Kawthrone, professor of Chemistry and John Herbert Blonde, Professor of physics, to name but a few.
It is worth mentioning here that Professor Frank Alien disproved the theory of the pre-existence or timelessness of the universe, as was propagated by the Greek philosophers. Science has now established that everything has a time limit, without elaborating on the evidence of the existence of God which has been expounded by scholars throughout the ages, To quote just one verse from the many verses in the Holy Qur’an, which are clear and irrefutable proofs. This verse sums up this question briefly and concisely: “And on earth there are signs (of God’s existence) visible to those who are endowed with inner certainty, just as (there are signs thereof) within your own selves. Can you not, then see?” (Qur’an;51:20-21). This must be sufficient proof for both scholars and laymen alike. Deep in our hearts we are all convinced of the existence of God. We call on Him in times of crisis or great difficulty; our inborn faith urges us to seek His help at such times. What’s more, if we look around we can see ample proof of His existence. The inner self is convinced by intuition and the intellect by logical proof.
So why would anyone deny God’s existence? Isn’t that rather like a person who, even though his clothes are soaking wet, denies having been anywhere near water? Anyone denying His existence does so because: “They have forgotten God and so God made them forget themselves”.(Qur’an;9:67). People are so absorbed with their own lives that they do not want to spend any time whatsoever in reflection and meditation. They keep themselves busy doing any job that comes their way, or in idle chat – or reading rubbish. The self becomes their biggest enemy and they live as if life is a burden they want to unload. No rational being can resign himself to a monotonous routine life. On the contrary, such a person has to think and reflect and wonder “Where did I come from? Where will I go from here? Where does my life begin and end?” He realises that life is not a span of time between the two points of birth and death. He knows that he existed before birth, in his mother’s womb, and prior to that he was just a drop of sperm which was created from the blood that ran through his father’s body. His father’s blood was formed from the food he ate, and this food was prepared from the fruits of the earth. So a long chain of unknown factors led to his birth. How then could he create himself through his intellect and will power when, at a certain time, he existed without either? A child is unaware of himself until the age of four. We are unable to remember our birth or the days we spent in our mother’s womb.
It is clear that man existed even before he was aware of himself, and it is absurd to say that man is his own creator. The questions we put to atheists and heretics should therefore be “Did you create yourself through your own will and intellect? Did you force yourself into your mother’s womb? Did you choose your own mother? Was it you who fetched the midwife to attend to your delivery? Were you then created from nothingness and without a creator?” Of course this is impossible. Was man created by those things which were in existence before him, such as the mountains, the sun and the stars? The French philosopher Descartes evolved the ‘Theory of Doubt’. He doubted everything, even his own self, yet when he thought of it he could have no doubt of its existence. And since there is no doubt without a doubter he made the famous statement “I think, therefore I exist”. Of course he existed, but who brought him into that existence? It goes without saying that material objects are inanimate and devoid of the power of reasoning. But can an irrational being create a rational being? How could a person who does not possess something give it to others? This was the stand taken by the eminent Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) against his father. His father was a sculptor who used to carve idols of gods out of stone. These idols, made by human hands, were worshipped by his people.
Abraham (peace be upon him) was puzzled and began to question himself asking; “How could I make a god and then pray to him and ask him to grant me what I want? My reasoning can’t accept that!” Then he began to think and to enquire. When he saw stars he mistook them for gods because they were not formed from the earth, like the stone from which the idols had been carved. But then when he saw the moon rising in the sky and giving more light than the stars, he considered the moon to be his god. But when the moon disappeared and the sun rose and shone in full blaze, he couldn’t help but consider the sun as his god. Alas, the existence of this god was also short-lived. How could a god abandon his kingdom and vanish out of sight? So there must be a supreme God beyond all these inanimate beings. It is He Who has created me and all these beings. The above argument is dealt with very clearly in the Holy Qur’an: “Did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay! They will never be convinced.”(Qur’an;52:36). This verse, a proof of Divine eloquence must come as a great blow to the rationalist who denies the existence of God by clinging on to the power of intellect as the source of all action.
The Nature:
“What is nature?” It is a common question. In Arabic, etymologically, the word means ‘something which is made natural.’ Who then, made it natural? Many unbelievers hold that “nature is coincidence – the law of possibilities”. We say that this description of nature can be compared to the story of two men who lost their way in the desert and came across a palace. It was an excellent example of architecture, furnished with exotic carpets, clocks, chandeliers and so on. The two men, spellbound by the sight of it, had the following conversation:
First Man: Somebody must have built this palace and famished it.
Second Man: What conservative and old fashioned comment! This whole place is the work of nature
First Man: How could nature have built such a palace?
Second Man: Well, the stones and rubbish that were originally here were formed into walls and partitions as a result of floods, winds and climatic change.
First Man: But what about the carpets?
Second Man: Oh – They were made from the wool that fell off sheep and dyed by mixtures of coloured metals. Then the wool was interwoven and the end product is these carpets.
First Man: How about the clocks?
Second Man: Due to certain climatic conditions, iron corroded and formed small round and flat pieces which became clocks.
Wouldn’t you think someone giving such answers was crazy?
Human Anatomy:
Is it a matter of sheer coincidence that the invisible cells in human liver carry out extremely difficult functions? They convert excess sugar in the blood into glycogen, which is later turned into glucose as and when required. These cells also produce bile, and maintain the cholesterol level in the blood, as well as producing red corpuscles and performing several other functions. Is it also just coincidence that the human tongue has nine thousand small buds on it which enable us to enjoy the sense of taste? The human ear has one hundred thousand cells that carry out the function of hearing, and the human eye has one hundred and thirty million cells which pick up rays of light.
Earth and Cosmos: Furthermore, consider the wonders and mysteries of the earth itself. The air that blows round it, the creatures living on it and the wonderful shapes of snowflakes. What beauty and precision! And many of the discoveries have only recently come to our knowledge. Look at the minerals found on earth and the flora and f fauna; the vast deserts, oceans, high mountains and deep valleys. Compared with the sun, you will find the earth is a very small and negligible entity. As for the sun, it too is like a particle of sand when compared with other stars, even though it is one million times bigger than the earth. In terms of speed of light, the sun is only eight minutes away from the earth, the speed of light being three hundred thousand kilometres per second. So, in eight minutes light travels more than the two million kilometres that separate the sun from the earth.
And what about the stars whose light reaches us in a duration of a million light years, very light year being equal to ten thousand billion kilometres! Astronomers have little information about these stars, including the galaxy, apart from the fact that it is a spot of illumination containing many stars which we human beings know nothing about. Only God knows. These stars whose size is beyond the scope of our imagination move at great speed and never bump into each other. How can that be explained? An astronomer in his article stated that the possibility of stars colliding is as slight as that of six bees colliding if they were flying in the earth’s atmosphere. The vastness of this atmosphere is for the bees similar to the space for the stars. The tremendous space in its entirety exists in the midst of a huge globe – the sky. This globe has a definite body. It is neither air nor atmosphere, nor the imaginary line that some scholars and commentators of the Holy Qur’an claim exists between the stars as a line of orbit. This globe surrounds the space containing all the stars, great and small. And, as God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an: “We have set up the sky, a roof well guarded”.(Qur’an;21: 32). Beyond this space is yet another space, the vastness of which is known only to God. It may be like the space in this globe, or even bigger. It is surrounded by another globe, still larger, beyond which may be a third space and a third globe, larger in size, then a fourth space with a fourth globe and a fifth, sixth and seventh space, each surrounded by a globe Then there are huge and magnificent celestial bodies: The Throne, the Seat of Power and all the creation that God has informed us about.
Atom: The Most Extraordinary Wonder:
Atom represents in minuscule form, all that exists in the space. And the human mind is unable to perceive its intricacies in just the same way as it cannot imagine the vastness and enormity of the space. All this is indomitable proof, therefore, of the fact that God exists. In the past, scientists and philosophers described the atom as “the unique particle that cannot be split”. It cannot be seen except through an electronic microscope. According to scientists, the atom is so small that if you were to arrange forty million atoms side by side, their total length would be no more than one centimetre. In the middle of every atom is a space containing the Nucleus around which small bodies known as electrons are in orbit, just like planets in space. This nucleus, when compared to the atom, is like a grain of wheat compared to a huge palace. And a nucleus by itself weighs more than one thousand eight hundred electrons. Is all that an act of sheer coincidence? All the writings based on high-flown theories regarding ‘Nature’, “Laws of Coincidence’, etc. are, to say the least, illusive and illogical. But to the pleasure of sincere believers such words are no longer valid in scientific circles and are usually only used by pseudo scientists.
The Sustainer of the Whole Universe:
God alone created everything – plants, animals, planets and all that we can see as well as all that exists in the unseen. He has created all this from nothingness, and what’s more, has laid down marvellous rules and regulation for everything. Very few of them have been discovered in the realms of physics, chemistry, medicine and astronomy. Only God possesses knowledge of all the major and minor aspects of everything in existence. It is He who knows the number of leaves on every tree and the shape of each leaf and its position. He knows how many insects exist in this world, their length, breadth and each part of their anatomy. He alone knows how many electrons, mobile and immobile, there are in an atom, and the mutations and permutations, progress and change which take place in them. All this knowledge is recorded in a book in His custody.
The Lord of the Universe:
He has the absolute right of disposal in it, just like the rights of a property owner. He bestows life and deals death. Can you protect yourself from death? And can you grant yourself immortality in this world? It is He Who causes illness and gives health. Is it possible, therefore, for you to heal a person whom God has deemed incurable? God alone bestows wealth and causes poverty. It is He who brings about floods and droughts. There, were once terrible floods n Italy that devastated cities. During the same period we heard about frightening droughts in parts of India; crops dried out, cattle died, and water was so scarce it had to be rationed. So who causes water to overflow in one area and to dry out totally in another? Who bestows daughters on some couples and sons on others? It is He Who causes people to die when they are infants and grants longevity to others who live to a ripe old age. He causes cold spells and snowfalls on some countries, and heat waves and earthquakes in others. And man remains helpless amidst all these phenomena.
The Lord to Be Worshipped:
If one really believes that God exists and that He is the Lord of all the Worlds and the Lord of Sovereignty, he/she should not worship anyone except Him. This means that no one should not associate anyone else with Him in any form of worship. The chapter in the Holy Qur’an entitled Annaas (Mankind) is a clear refutation to those who do not accept the Oneness of God, even though they believe in His existence, and that He is Lord of all Dominions. God almighty says: Say, I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind, the God (or Judge) of mankind” (Qur’an;114:1-2). Why has the word ‘mankind’ been repeated in these verses when the possessive pronoun ‘their’ could easily have been substituted? There are three separate but interconnected issues here. Namely, Our Lord is the Lord of mankind; He is their Creator; and He is their Protector: Our Lord is the Ruler of mankind. In other words, He is Absolute Disposer of their affairs. And our Lord is The God of mankind, which means that He alone is to be worshipped. No partner should be set up to be worshipped as an equal to Him. One has to either totally accept or totally reject these three issues. How could you differentiate between three identical issues accepting some while rejecting the others? All three are essential and inseparable.
Proof of Existence of God through Scientific Facts in Qur’an:
Islam is a faith based on the Reality and rational thought not on unscientific myths like many other religions. Allah says; “Soon shall We show them Our signs in the universe and in their own selves, until it becomes clear to them that this Qur’an is indeed the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a witness over everything?” (Qur’an;41:53). The learning of religious sciences go along with learning of other branches of knowledge which include social and physical sciences. Islam encourages reasoning, discussions and dialogue. Allah says: “Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for your Lord knows best who have strayed from His Path and who receive guidance.”(Qur’an;16:125). The Qur’an contains more than 6000 verses (ayahs-‘Signs’) out of which more than thousand refer to various subjects of science, such as Astronomy, Physics, Geography, Geology, Oceanology, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Medicine, Physiology, Embryology as well as General Science, mostly un known to humanity fourteen centuries ago. It may be kept in view that Qur’an is not a book of ‘science’, but a book of ‘signs’ (Ayah). It is found that the Qur’anic information on science does not conflict with the established scientific facts. It may go against certain scientific hypothesis or theories, which are not grounded in facts as many a times, the science retract its position. Many facts mentioned in the Qur’an have been discovered in the last few centuries some of them are referred below in brief:
Astronomy:
The creation of the universe by ‘The Big Bang’: “Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder?” (Qur’an;21:30). Initially there was gaseous mass before creation of galaxies: “Moreover, He Comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: “Come ye together willingly or unwillingly.” They said: “We do come (together) in willing obedience.”(Qur’an;41:11). The shape of earth; “And the earth, moreover, hath He made egg shaped.” (Qur’an;79:30). Moon has reflected light and sun has its own light; “And (who) made the moon a light (nur, reflected light) in their midst and made the sun as a (Glorious)Lamp(siraja-own light).(Qur’an;71:16). The Sun Rotates:” It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: All (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course.” (Qur’an;21:33). “It is not permitted to the sun to catch up the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law).” (Qur’an;36:40). The other examples are: The sun will extinguish;(Qur’an;36:38,13:2). The expanding nature of universe; (Qur’an;51:47).
Other Sciences: Nuclear Science: Atoms can be divided;(Qur’an;10:61). Geology: Mountains are like tent pegs firmly fixed providing stability; (Qur’an;78:6-7,21:31,79:32). Oceanology: Darkness in depths of ocean; (Qur’an;24:40).General Science: The water cycle;(Qur’an;39:21, 30:24,23:18).Botany: Plants & Fruits have male and female; (Qur’an;20:53, 13:3). Zoology: The bee and its skills; (Qur’an;16:68-69). Lifestyle and communication of ants; (Qur’an;27:17-18). Honey has healing for humankind; (Qur’an;16:69). Biology: Creation of man from water;(Qur’an;25:54). Creation of living being;“ We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” (Qur’an;21:30). Importance of fingerprints: (Qur’an;75:3-4) and the existence of pain receptors in the skin: (Qur’an;4:56). Embryology: Embryological stages; (Qur’an;23:12-14, 75:37-39,82:7-8). Embryo partly formed and partly unformed; (Qur’an;22:5). First sense of hearing developed then sense of sight; (Qur’an;32:9,23:78). Sex determination factor for child; (Qur’an;53:45-46,75:37-39).
The science has however not advanced to a level where it can confirm every statement of the Qur’an concerning science. According to Dr.Zakir Naik; suppose 80% of all that is mentioned in the Qur’an has been proved 100% correct, while for the remaining 20%, science makes no categorical statement, since it has not advanced to a level, where it can either prove or disprove these statements. With the limited knowledge through science available today one cannot say for sure whether even a single percentage or a single verse of the Qur’an from this 20% portion is wrong. Thus when 80% of the Qur’an is 100% correct and the remaining 20% is not disproved, logic says that even the 20% portion is correct.
It is a historical fact that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was ‘Ummi’ i.e. unlettered (illiterate). Before the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he never claimed to proclaim a Message from God. He was not in the habit of preaching eloquent truths as from a Book, before he received his Revelation, nor was he able to write or transcribe with his own hand. If he possessed these worldly gifts, there would have been some plausibility in the charge of the talkers of vanities that he spoke not from inspiration but from other people’s books, or that he composed the beautiful verses of the Qur’an himself and committed them to memory in order to recite them to people. The circumstances in which the Qur’an came bear their own testimony to its truth as revelation from God. It is just illogical to assume that an illiterate person brought up in the primitive Arabian environments with no tradition of scientific studies and knowledge, could bring out so accurate scientific facts fourteen centuries ago. Moreover it is beyond human capacity to have all the guesses correct without a single mistake, which in itself is sufficient to prove to a logical person that the origin of the Qur’an is divine. It is the existence of ‘The Creator’; only the God could have mentioned all these scientific facts 1400 years ago before they were discovered. Hence the logical conclusion: God exists, Qur’an is the word of God and Muhammad (peace be upon him), the messenger of Allah (God), who was commanded to:“Say [O Prophet]: “I am but a mortal man like all of you. It has been revealed unto me that your God is the One and Only God. Hence, whoever looks forward [with hope and awe] to meeting his Sustainer [on Judgment Day], let him do righteous deeds, and let him not ascribe unto anyone or anything a share in the worship due to his Sustainer!”. (Qur’an:18:110). [For details refer to books: ‘Qur’an and Science’ by Dr.Zakir Naik , “The Bible, The Qur’an and Science” by Dr. Maurice Bucaille, ‘Islam & Philosophy’, ‘Knowledge’, ‘Metaphysics’ by Aftab Khan available at: http://faithforum.wordpress.com & http://endeavour-peace.page.tl ]
The fundamental message preached by and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the same, as preached by all the previous Prophets from Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ, ‘self surrender to the will of God’ [one world for it in Arabic is Islam].
Summary of Arguments for Existence of God:
The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God may be summarized as:
The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.
The a posteriori argument, by which we proceed logically from the facts of experience to causes. These arguments are:
The cosmological, by which it is proved that there must be a First Cause of all things, for every effect must have a cause.
The teleological or the argument from design. We see everywhere the operations of an intelligent Cause in nature.
The moral argument, called also the anthropological argument, based on the moral consciousness and the history of mankind, which exhibits a moral order and purpose which can only be explained on the supposition of the existence of God. Conscience and human history testify that “there is a God that creates, sustains, governs and judges all in the heaven, earth, sea and below.”
The other stream of arguments for God’s existence, recently proposed in contemporary western philosophy are the proofs from ‘Religious Experience’
Principles of Conceptualization of Faith
Once belief in existence of God is firmly established, adherence to the true faith is next logical step. Renowned Arab scholar Sheikh Ali Tantawi has formulated the principles of conceptualization of faith, based upon his theological, philosophical and scientific knowledge, which are abridged:-
We have no doubts about anything that we can perceive through our senses we all accept this fundamental truth.
Certainty about past and present events received through a reliable source is as reliable as the certainty we would have had if we had been present.
The human imagination is unable to encompass things which are beyond the reach of human senses.
We have no right o refuse the existence of certain things which are not perceptible thorough senses.
The human mind, therefore, cannot go deeply into the realm of metaphysics. The human mind goes off balance when it tries to dominate the unlimited or infinite; it becomes the victim of impossible contradictions when it delves deeply into anything which is unlimited.
Faith in the existence of God is something which is inborn in every individual. It is a natural instinct and an urge-rather like the sexual drive. So we can say that man is an animal with a religion. This instinct may be overrun by physical desires, passion, ambition and craving for material comfort. However, when overcome by fear, danger or other crises, it rejects these desires and appears in its true and natural form.
The human language lacks a better expression, with a wider scope and range of meaning, which would include the spiritual aspects of love pf God and His attributes, for which normal words do not express the actual meanings.
The human self is always eager to rise to sublime heights, to an unknown world, the identity of which can only be acquired. Man becomes convinced, intuitively rather than intellectually, that this material life is not the ultimate goal and that there is beyond doubt another world beyond this. This subjective and psychological perception and intellect are the proofs of the existence of another world called Hereafter.
The Lord of this universe is fair, and that anyone who is just will not allow for injustice. He will not let the oppressive person go unpunished, nor will he deny justice to anyone who has suffered unfairly in this world.
Belief in another world (Hereafter) is a natural consequence to the, belief in the existence of God. [Details at ‘Hand Book of Islam’, ‘Islam and Philosophy’ available at http://FaithForum.Wordpress.com]
Resurrection:
This subject is again being elaborated here due its pivotal role in differentiating the Humanism from True faith. The concept of Resurrection and Divine Justice on the Day of Judgement is the question which preoccupies man above all others – the question as to whether there is life after death – has been variously answered throughout the ages. It is, of course, impossible to describe the innumerable variations of those answers; nevertheless, a few main lines of thought are clearly discernible, and their mention may be useful for a better understanding of the Qur’anic treatment of this problem. Some people – probably a minority – [like Humanists] seem to be convinced that bodily death amounts to total and irreversible extinction, and that, therefore, all talk about a hereafter but an outcome of wishful thinking. Others are of the opinion that after individual death the human “life-essence” returns to the supposed source of its origin – conceived as the “universal soul” – and merges with it entirely. Some believe in a successive transmigration of the individual soul, at the moment of death, into another body, human or animal, but without a continuation of individual consciousness. Others, again, think that only the soul, and not the entire human “personality”, continues to live after death – that is, in a purely spiritual, disembodied form. And, lastly, some believe in an undiminished survival of the individual personality and consciousness, and regard death and resurrection as the twin stages of a positive act of re-creation of the entire human personality, in whatever form this may necessarily involve: and this is the Qur’anic view of the life to come. God says: “ABOUT WHAT do they [most often] ask one another? About the awesome tiding [of resurrection], on which they [so utterly] disagree.Nay, but in time they will come to understand [it]! And once again: Nay, but in time they will come to understand!”(Qur’an;78:1-5); “That will be the Day of Ultimate Truth:whoever wills, then, let him take the path that leads towards his Sustainer! Verily, We have warned you of suffering near at hand – [suffering] on the Day when man shall [clearly] see what his hands have sent ahead, and when he who has denied the truth shall say, “Oh, would that I were mere dust!” (Qur’an;78:39,40)
Fundamental Principles of True Faith
The principles one has to accept to be a believer may be summarized as follows:
This material world is not the ‘all’ and ‘end of all’ of existence and life in this world is only a part of the eternal life.
Man existed even before he was born and will continue to exist after death; he did not create himself but had been created before he was conscious of his human existence.
The inanimate objects around him couldn’t have created him, as he is a rational being and they are not; everything in this universe has been created from nothingness by the one God, God the Almighty.
God is the only one who grants life and causes death. It is He who created everything, and if He wishes. He will destroy and obliterate it.
Almighty God does not resemble His creation in any way. He existed before this creation and He is eternal and has unlimited knowledge.
He is completely just in a way that cannot be assessed in human terms; it is He who has laid down what we call the laws of nature.
He has created everything according to a well-defined measure before all creation, thus all the phenomena of activity, inactivity, consistency and inconsistency that we can observe in both animate and inanimate beings have been clearly defined and distinct boundaries have been set.
Man has been bestowed with the power of intellect to deal with whatever matters he is presented with and he has been given the power of reasoning with which he can make his own choice and will power to enable him to achieve what he wants.
God has created an eternal life beyond this temporary life, where the doer of good will be rewarded with a life in paradise and the wrong doer will be punished and exist in hell. This God is One. No one else may be worshipped but Him; no one can take us nearer to Him to plead on our behalf without His permission. Thus we should worship God alone, in all sincerity and purity.
All the material beings that we can see and feel which have been created by Him. He has also created unseen beings, some animate and others inanimate, which we cannot see. Among the unseen beings are the angels, who have been created for absolute good; and then there are the Satans, who have been created as dark and negative forces.
Apart from these there is a third category of unseen beings, the jinn, who are divided into Satans and ‘good’ or ‘obedient’ jinn and from amongst human beings.
God selects certain people to whom the Divine Law (Shari’a) is revealed, so that they can guide humanity towards it, these people are the prophets.
This divine law is contained in all the books revealed from the God. God takes us through progressive “steps” in each book until the final book, the Holy Qur’an. Books that preceded it were either distorted or got lost and forgotten. The Holy Qur’an, however, has remained intact. The last of these prophets is Muhammad bin Abdullah, an Arab of the Quraish tribe. With him there was an end to all the previous divine messages and religions. There has been no other prophet since his time. The Holy Qur’an is the constitution of Islam. Whoever endorses the fact that it has been revealed by God and believes in it completely, is a Mu’min (believer). Iman (faith) in this sense can only be seen by God because human beings cannot penetrate into human hearts and know what is in them. Therefore it is essential, in order to be accepted in the fold of Islam, that a man declare his faith.
If a Muslim fails to perform some of his obligations and is remiss in practice or commits some such actions as are forbidden, yet he believes in the liability of all obligations and the impropriety of all unlawful deeds, he will continue to be a Muslim though he will be a sinner. [The concept of Takfeer i.e declaring a non-practicing Muslim, to be ‘apostate’ and liable to be killed; by some extremist groups, calling themselves as ‘True Muslims only’, is rejected.]
Conclusion
Humanism is the retort by desperate pragmatic Christian scholars [Unitarian Universalists], to the mythical, unscientific and illogical traditional Christian Doctrines, however they have gone far away from one extreme to another. Islam provides a balanced, scientific and rational solution, while maintaining the unity and existence of God, the Creator, Cherisher and Sustainer of universe, who has not created any thing without a purpose. God Says: “Our creation of the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them is not a game. Had We meant to make it a play ground, We would have done it by Ourself, without giving you discretion to do right and wrong, had We ever done so. Nay, but [by the very act of creation] We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes the latter: and lo! It withers away. But woe unto you for all your [attempts at] defining [God]”(Qur’an;21:16-18).
Humanists intend to serve the humanity, but with atheist concepts, devoid of accountability upon resurrection, it will remain a distant dream because people will lack inner motivation. People who suffer in this life being poor, or due to birth defects, incurable diseases, or fall prey to calamites [both natural or man made] can never be happy unless they hope to be compensated in hereafter. No system can work if it is without checks and balances, which do put some limits on the freedom. Islam is the only faith which provides guidance for successful way of life for both worlds, not restricted to rituals and dogmas but actions and performance of good deeds, while avoiding evils. Every noble act done for the betterment of humanity is considered as worship because it pleases the God. The history is witness that Islamic civilization and society even partially based upon Qur’anic principles ensured attainment of the good life in a harmonious society, each individual seeking to contribute to the welfare of the community. In Islam human values are given high priority for peaceful coexistence in this and hereafter. Equality of humanity and justice disregarding race or colour is hallmark of Islam. There is no restriction in attaining scientific knowledge, rather Qur’an encourages it by drawing attention to explore the signs of wonders the in the cosmos and in human self. The affairs in Islamic state are to be conducted through mutual consultation (shura, a form of democracy). The materialistic approach of Humanism discarding spirituality is deemed to failure like the communist ideology. Spirituality and belief in One Supreme Being is part of human nature, Humanist while advocating ‘nature’ in the same breath go against it – a paradox, self-denial.
Finally just for the sake of argument, if hypothetically one may consider the Humanism viz Monotheism, and grant probability of either being right or wrong as 50:50 [irrespective of strength of arguments of monotheist]. If 50% probability of Humanists being false materialise the Humanists are big losers because they have to suffer in hell fire for ever being unbelievers, while the true monotheists believers will ultimately be in a state of promised pleasure. In other situation assuming, if 50% probability of Humanists being ‘true’ materializes, the monotheists have nothing to loose, they had lived as good human in this world, performed good deeds to please their God and fellow human by establishing an equitable society. Hence believers are at win-win situation. Humanists and atheists need to give serious thought to this aspect, because the risk is too high to accept any error of judgement which shall result in timeless sufferings in hellfire. The message of Qur’an is very clear: “AS FOR THOSE who are bent on denying the truth and on barring [others] from the path of God – all their [good] deeds will He let go to waste;’ whereas those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds, and have come to believe in what has been bestowed from on high on Muhammad – for it is the truth from their Sustainer – [shall attain to God’s grace:] He will efface their [past] bad deeds, and will set their hearts at rest.” (Qur’an;47:1-2).
[P.S: Special acknowledgements for the great work by Abdullah Yousaf Ali and Muhammad Asad in translations and commentaries on Qur’an. Excerpts from ‘Tarif-e-A’m Be-Din-e-Islam’ by ’Shaikh Ali Tantawi, also synthesised in this article with gratitude.]
References
Encyclopaedia of Unbelief, two volumes, edited by Gordon Stein, Prometheus Books, Buffalo, New York, 1985. Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Arrogance of Humanism, David Ehrenfeld, Oxford University press, 1978. The Philosophy of Humanism, Corliss Lamont, Unger, 1982.”The International Bill of Human Rights: A Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, A Comprehensive Handbook of the United nations, Volume 2, Dr. Min-Chuan Ku. Lenn Evan Goodman (2003), Islamic Humanism, p. 155, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-513580-6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism, http://www.davincilife.com/vitruvianman.html. Translations and commentaries on Qur’an by Abdullah Yousaf Ali and Muhammd Asad. ‘Tarif-e-A’m Be-Din-e-Islam’ by ’Shaikh Ali Tantawi. ‘Qur’an and Science’ by Dr.Zakir Naik , “The Bible, The Qur’an and Science” by Dr. Maurice Bucaille. ‘World Religions’ by Dr John Stelze. Books and articles, contents published in DJ, by Aftab Khan: ‘The Last Prophet (pbuh)’; ‘Islam & Philosophy’; ‘Knowledge’; ‘Metaphysics’; ‘Bible & Qur’an’; ‘Christianity- Doctrines’; ‘Jesus & Divinity’; ‘Impact of Islam on West’; ‘The Creator’; ‘The Creation’; ‘The Guidance’; ‘Islam-A Perspective’; ‘Hand Book of Islam’; freely available at: http://peace-forum.blogspot.com , http://faithforum.wordpress.com & http://endeavour-peace.page.tl ]
