By
Saad Ahmad
Saad.ahmad@gmail.com
Pope Benedict XVI in his recent lecture reflected upon the importance of reason in understanding the faith. His point being that domain of rationality and reason extends beyond the limits of empirical evidence. He further pointed out that Christianity’s original encounter with Greek philosophy enhanced the Christian thought. In making this point he also mentioned Islam as being fundamentally opposed to rational thought. He said that Islam’s spread was primarily through force and had little to do with rationality and reason. In this short essay I would provide an Islamic perspective.
Islam and Rationality
The pope has shown his ignorance of Islamic thought by mentioning some quotes from another Christian – giving no importance to the original Islamic text, i.e. Quran; which unlike the Christian Bibles is still available in its original form. There are two types of people; those who do not know and those who do not know that they do not know – pope has shown that he belongs to the latter group.
Islam’s message is universal and as opposed to other religions whose claim to universality was an afterthought of its followers Islam’s claim was made over 1500 years ago in the Quran.
And we have not sent thee but as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner, for all the mankind, but most know not. (34:29)
So by claiming to be a universal religion for all times, all races, and all religions Islam has challenged other philosophies on purely rational grounds because no religion with an element of irrationality can be acceptable to the universal consciousness of man.[i]
The Quran fully acknowledges the role of rationality in attainment of the truth – whether religions or secular.
Truth is the religion of Islam, Islam is the religion of Truth[ii]
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)’s constant prayer was:
God! Grant me knowledge of the ultimate nature of things[iii]
Impressed by this emphasis on knowledge, Professor Dr. Abdus Salam, the renowned Nobel Laureate said:
According to Dr. Mohammad Aijazul Khatib of Damascus University nothing could emphasize the importance of sciences more than the remark that “in contrast to 250 verses which are legislative, some 750 verses of the Holy Quran – almost one eighth of it – exhort the believers to study nature – to reflect, to make the best use of reason and to make the scientific enterprise an integral part of the community’s life”. The Holy Prophet of Islam – peace be upon him – said that it was the “bounden duty of every Muslim – man and woman to acquire knowledge.[iv]
Islam’s invitation to the mankind is primarily on rational grounds and not through force. The pope hinted that
… The emperor must have known that surah 2,256 reads: “There is no compulsion in religion”. According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Muhammad was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instruction, developed later and recorded in the Quran, concerning holy war.
This idea stems from his obvious prejudice against Islam and his lack of knowledge about the religion. If he only took the time to read the rest of the verse:
There is no compulsion in religion. Surely, the right way has become distinct from error; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (2:257)
So Islam relies on the strong rational basis of the religion to keep the followers within its fold and not on force. It relies on the “right being distinct from the wrong in the eyes of the believers” and not on coercion. And to his point of “later verses somehow changing the message” Quran emphatically rejects such notions:
Will they not, then, meditate upon the Quran? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much disagreement (4:83)
No verse of Quran abrogates another verse and all of them paint a consistent picture of tolerance and rational argument. It is the duty of every Muslim to invite others to the message of Islam through reason and wisdom – and not through force. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
Invite to the path of thy Lord with wisdom and comely admonishment and dispute with them in the best of manners (16:126)
As quoted earlier number of verses that exhort Muslims to use reason and rationality add up to 750. Against this not a single verse can be found that advocates irrational dogmatic invasion of the world.
Following are some of those verses:
Do you enjoin others to do what is good and forget your own selves, while you read the Book? Will you not then understand?(2:45)
And they say, ‘None shall ever enter Heaven unless he be a Jew or Christian’. These are their vain desires. Say, ‘Produce your proof, if you are truthful’. (2:112)
O ye people, a manifest proof has indeed come to you from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light (4:175)
And worldly life is nothing but a sport and pastime. And surely the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who are righteous. Will you not then understand? (6:33)
Have they taken gods beside Him? Say, ‘Bring forth your proof. Here is the Book of those with me, and the Book of those before me’. Nay, most of them know not the truth, and so they turn away. (21:25)
… Is there a God besides Allah? Say, ‘Bring forward your proof if you are truthful’ (27:65)
And We shall draw from every people a witness and We shall say, ‘Bring your proof.’ Then they will know that the truth belongs to Allah. And that which they used to forge will be lost unto them. (28:76)
The verses mentioned above are only a few of the many verses that invite the people to reason and rational thinking in order to arrive at the truth. Those who do not study Islam are often astonished by the rapid progress and spread of the religion. They do not realize that the real reason behind the spread of Islam is the power of reason and rationality. People were drawn towards the message because of its beauty and wonder – not because of any fear. This is a real miracle that has been recorded by history unlike the phantom miracles that other religions put forth – and that becomes a point of sore jealousy for the likes of the pope.
Islamic Concept of God
The pope has put forth a faulty argument about rational thinking in Islam and then he rationalizes the faulty premise by putting forth:
But for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent. His will is not bound with any of our categories, even that of rationality.
The pope is right about one thing – Islam’s view of God is much different than Christianity. It is certainly much more evolved and not bound by trivial ideas like “one is three and three is one”. Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion where there is only one God who is unique. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
Say, ‘He is Allah, the One;’
Allah, the Independent and Besought of all.
He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him . (112:2-5)
Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad – the promised Messiah[v] (peace of Allah be upon him) describes the concept Allah as follows:
In the language of the Noble Quran, Allah is the Perfect Being Who is rightfully adored, combining in Himself all perfect attributes, and free from every defect, the One without associate and the Source of all beneficence[vi]
Islam does not put forth an idea that only way to know the God is by believing in some mortal as a part of the godhead. It does not put forth an idea where that same god prays “O God why have you forsaken me” when put on the cross. It certainly does not put forth an idea that god was dead for three days. It does not put forth a god that is so powerless that he had to kill his only begotten son to somehow forgive the sins of the mankind. It certainly does not put forth a “rational god” that assumes that killing an innocent is the way to absolve others of their crimes and sins.
Islam’s view of God is certainly different from that. Islam certainly accepts that the God is not limited by human imagination – but it also tells us that human beings can know God and that ability has been imprinted on the human psyche.
The promised Messiah Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him) writes:
… the Exalted and Lord of blessings says: O My servants, know Me through My attributes and recognize Me through My excellences. I certainly do not suffer from any defect or shortcoming. Nay, My Praiseworthiness far exceeds the highest limits of praise rendered by those who praise Me. You will not find in the heavens or in the earth any praiseworthy feature that is not to be found in My countenance. If you tried to count My excellences you would not be able to number them, even if you exerted yourselves hard and took pains like the dedicated. Search well then if you can light upon a praiseworthy merit that you do not find in Me or can discover an excellence that is beyond Me and My Presence. If you feel that way then you have no knowledge of Me and are bereft of vision.[vii]
Our God is our paradise. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and have found every beauty in Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one's life to procure it. This ruby is worth purchasing though one may have to lose oneself to acquire it. Oh ye, who are bereft, run to this fountain and it will satisfy you. It is the fountain of life that will save you. What shall I do, and how shall I impress the hearts with this good news, and by beating what drum shall I make the announcement that this is our God, so that people might hear? What remedy shall I apply to the ears of the people so that they should listen?[viii]
About rationally understanding the God, he (peace of Allah be upon him) says:
The God of Islam is the same God who is visible in the mirror of the law of nature and is discernible in the book of nature. Islam has not presented a new God but has presented the same God Who is presented by the light of man's heart, by the conscience of man, and by heaven and earth[ix].
Our soul and every particle of our being are prostrate before the Mighty, True and Perfect God from Whose hand j every soul and every particle of creation together with all its faculties came into being, and through Whose support every being is sustained. Nothing is outside His knowledge, or outside His control, or outside His creation. We call thousands of blessings and peace and mercy on the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the chosen one, through whom we have found the living God who gives us proof of His existence through His Word. He demonstrates to us through extraordinary signs His shining countenance which possesses eternal and perfect power. We found the Messenger who manifested God to us and we found the God who created everything through His perfect power. How majestic is His power that nothing came into being without it and nothing can continue to exist without its support. That true God of ours possesses numberless blessings, numberless powers, numberless beauties and beneficences. There is no other God beside Him.[x]
And about understanding the God he (peace of Allah be upon him) says:
God Almighty, in order to bestow perfect understanding upon His humble creatures has set out His attributes in the Holy Quran in two aspects. First, He has described His attributes metaphorically as resembling some human qualities, as for instance, He is Noble, Merciful, Beneficent and becomes angry and has love and He has hands and has eyes and possesses shanks and has ears and that through eternity He has created, though nothing has personal co- existence, but only co-existence as species and even that is not essential or the operation of His attribute of creation, for though creation is one of His attributes the manifestation of His Unity and Singleness is also part of His attributes. None of His attributes falls into permanent disuse, but a temporary cessation of its operation is permissible. Thus God manifested His attributes of resemblance to man. For instance, God is Creator, but to some degree man also creates or fashions; and man can be called noble for, up to a point, he possesses the quality of nobility; and man can be called merciful for, up to a point, he possesses the quality of mercy and the quality of anger; and he has eyes and ears etc. This could create a suspicion in one's mind that man resembles God in respect of these attributes, and God resembles man. To repel this God has mentioned in the Holy Quran as a contrast His attributes of transcendence also, i.e. such attributes of which man does not partake at all in his being or in his qualities. God's creation is not like man's creation, nor is God's mercy like man's mercy, nor is His wrath like man's anger, nor is His love like man's love, nor is He in need of space like man.[xi]
He (peace of Allah be upon him) explains the limits of rationality as follows:
The Being of God is hidden upon hidden and beyond of beyond and is most secret and cannot be discovered by the power of human reasoning alone, and no argument can prove it conclusively; inasmuch as reason can travel only so far that contemplating the universe it feels the need of a Creator. But the feeling of a need is one thing and it is quite another to arrive at the certainty that the God Whose need has been felt does in fact exist. As the operation of reason is defective, incomplete and doubtful, a philosopher cannot recognize God purely through reason. Most people who try to determine the existence of God Almighty purely through the exercise of reason, in the end become atheists. Reflecting over the creation of the heavens and the earth does not avail them much and they begin to deride and laugh at the men of God. One of their arguments is that there are thousands of things in the world which have no use and the fashioning of which does not indicate the existence of a fashioner. They exist merely as vain and useless things. These people do not seem to realize that lack of knowledge of something does not necessarily negative its existence. There are millions of people in the world who regard themselves as very wise philosophers and who utterly deny the existence of God. It is obvious that if they had discovered a strong reason for the existence of God, they would not have denied it. If they had discovered a conclusive argument in support of the existence God, they would not have rejected it shamelessly and in derision. It is obvious, therefore, that no one boarding the ark the philosophers can find deliverance from the storm of doubts, but is bound to be drowned, and such a one would ever have access to the drinking of pure Unity. It is a false and stinking notion that belief in the Unity of God can be achieved otherwise than through the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, nor can man achieve salvation without it. How can there be a faith in the Unity of God unless there is perfect certainty with regard to His existence? Be sure, therefore, that belief in the Unity of God can be achieved only through a Prophet, as our Holy Prophet, peace be on him, convinced the atheists and pagans of Arabia of the existence of God Almighty by showing them thousands of heavenly signs. Up till today the true and perfect followers of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, present those signs to the atheists. The truth is that till a person observes the living powers of the living God, Satan does not depart from his heart, nor does true Unity enter into it, nor can he believe with certainty in the existence of God. This holy and perfect Unity is appreciated only through the Holy Prophet, peace be on him[xii]
Conclusion
It is Christianity and especially the Catholic Church that has traditionally opposed rationality and reason. The various episodes of Galilio and Newton are well known. The “rational” tradition of “witch hunts” is an integral part of the Catholic history. Throughout the Christian history rationality has been pitted against the religion. Christian ideas of trinity, original sin, resurrection, and rapture have been challenged by the secular scholars purely on rational grounds. It is strange that for the Church the person of Jesus is less important than the encounter with the Greek civilization. According to the pope:
Today we know that the Greek translation of the Old Testament produced at Alexandria – the Septuagint – is more than a simple (and in that sense less than satisfactory) translation of the Hebrew text: it is an independent textual witness and a distinct and important step in the history of revelation, one which brought about this encounter in a way that was decisive for the birth and spread of Christianity.
So for this pope Jesus’s (peace of Allah be upon him) words are of a far less value than this encounter. Today’s catholic beliefs are more like the pagan beliefs of that era and far removed from the true and pure teachings of Jesus Christ (peace of Allah be upon him).
Islam on the other hand is well founded in human psyche. It is a strictly monotheistic religion with evolved concepts of God, revelation, afterlife, and prophet hood. Islam’s strength is its reasonableness and it does not need any sword for its progress. Where the Catholic Church needs the Lateran Councils[xiii] to develop the Christian beliefs; with Islam we can actually refer to the Quran that has been preserved exactly as it was revealed to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
I sincerely hope that the pope takes time to understand Islam and actually read the Holy Quran before quoting it. Today Islamic and Christian civilizations are facing each other in the most unfriendly confrontation ever witnessed in the history. Inter faith dialogues evolve through mutual understanding and not by maligning the other religion – even if it is done in the guise of “I quote I quote”.
[i] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth p255
[ii] Ibid – p256
[iii] Allah Muhammad Iqbal, The reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam p11
[iv] LAI, C.H. KIDWAI, A (1989) Ideals and Realities, Selected Essays of Abdus Salam. 3rd ed. World Scientific Publishing Co, London pp. 343-344.
[v] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (1835-1908) (may peace be upon him) founded Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam. He claimed to be the Promised Messiah and the Reformer for the latter days as prophesized by Holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). More information may be found at http://www.alislam.org
[vi] Commentary on the Holy Quran Volume 1. Compiled from the writings and pronouncements of The Promised Messiah and Mahdi Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian. pp 71
[vii] Ibid pp74
[viii] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Kishti Nooh p 19-20
[ix] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Tableegh-e-Risalat, Vol VI p15
[x] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Naseem-e-Dawat, (Qadian, Ziaul Islam Press, 1903); Now printed in Ruhani Khazain, Vol.19, p. 3
[xi] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Chashma Marifat, (Qadian, Anwar Ahmadiyyah Press, 1908); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 23., pp. 260
[xii] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Haqiqatul Wahi, (Qadian, Magazine Press 1907); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 22, pp. 117-118
[xiii] A series of five important councils held at Rome from the twelfth to the sixteen century. From the reign of Constantine the Great until the removal of the papal Court to Avignon, the Lateran palace and basilica served the bishops of Rome as residence and cathedral. During this long period the popes had occasion to convoke a number of general councils, and for this purpose they made choice of cities so situated as to reduce as much as possible the inconveniences which the bishops called to such assemblies must necessarily experience by reason of long and costly absence from their sees. Five of these councils were held in the Lateran palace, and are known as the First (1123), Second (1139), Third (1179), Fourth (1215), and Fifth Lateran Councils. Other, non-ecumenical councils were held at the Lateran, among the best known being those in 649 against the Monothelite heresy, in 823, 864, 900, 1102, 1105, 1110, 1111, 1112, and 1116. In 1725, Benedict XIII called to the Lateran the bishops directly dependent on Rome as their metropolitan see, i.e. archbishops without suffragans, bishops immediately subject to the Holy See, and abbots exercising quasi-episcopal jurisdiction. Seven sessions were held between 15 April and 29 May, and various regulations were promulgated concerning the duties of bishops and other pastors, concerning residence, ordinations, and the periods for the holding of synods. The chief objects were the suppression of Jansenism and the solemn confirmation of the Bull "Unigenitus," which was declared a rule of faith demanding the fullest obedience. (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09016a.htm)
Saad Ahmad
Saad.ahmad@gmail.com
Pope Benedict XVI in his recent lecture reflected upon the importance of reason in understanding the faith. His point being that domain of rationality and reason extends beyond the limits of empirical evidence. He further pointed out that Christianity’s original encounter with Greek philosophy enhanced the Christian thought. In making this point he also mentioned Islam as being fundamentally opposed to rational thought. He said that Islam’s spread was primarily through force and had little to do with rationality and reason. In this short essay I would provide an Islamic perspective.
Islam and Rationality
The pope has shown his ignorance of Islamic thought by mentioning some quotes from another Christian – giving no importance to the original Islamic text, i.e. Quran; which unlike the Christian Bibles is still available in its original form. There are two types of people; those who do not know and those who do not know that they do not know – pope has shown that he belongs to the latter group.
Islam’s message is universal and as opposed to other religions whose claim to universality was an afterthought of its followers Islam’s claim was made over 1500 years ago in the Quran.
And we have not sent thee but as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner, for all the mankind, but most know not. (34:29)
So by claiming to be a universal religion for all times, all races, and all religions Islam has challenged other philosophies on purely rational grounds because no religion with an element of irrationality can be acceptable to the universal consciousness of man.[i]
The Quran fully acknowledges the role of rationality in attainment of the truth – whether religions or secular.
Truth is the religion of Islam, Islam is the religion of Truth[ii]
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)’s constant prayer was:
God! Grant me knowledge of the ultimate nature of things[iii]
Impressed by this emphasis on knowledge, Professor Dr. Abdus Salam, the renowned Nobel Laureate said:
According to Dr. Mohammad Aijazul Khatib of Damascus University nothing could emphasize the importance of sciences more than the remark that “in contrast to 250 verses which are legislative, some 750 verses of the Holy Quran – almost one eighth of it – exhort the believers to study nature – to reflect, to make the best use of reason and to make the scientific enterprise an integral part of the community’s life”. The Holy Prophet of Islam – peace be upon him – said that it was the “bounden duty of every Muslim – man and woman to acquire knowledge.[iv]
Islam’s invitation to the mankind is primarily on rational grounds and not through force. The pope hinted that
… The emperor must have known that surah 2,256 reads: “There is no compulsion in religion”. According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Muhammad was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instruction, developed later and recorded in the Quran, concerning holy war.
This idea stems from his obvious prejudice against Islam and his lack of knowledge about the religion. If he only took the time to read the rest of the verse:
There is no compulsion in religion. Surely, the right way has become distinct from error; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (2:257)
So Islam relies on the strong rational basis of the religion to keep the followers within its fold and not on force. It relies on the “right being distinct from the wrong in the eyes of the believers” and not on coercion. And to his point of “later verses somehow changing the message” Quran emphatically rejects such notions:
Will they not, then, meditate upon the Quran? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much disagreement (4:83)
No verse of Quran abrogates another verse and all of them paint a consistent picture of tolerance and rational argument. It is the duty of every Muslim to invite others to the message of Islam through reason and wisdom – and not through force. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
Invite to the path of thy Lord with wisdom and comely admonishment and dispute with them in the best of manners (16:126)
As quoted earlier number of verses that exhort Muslims to use reason and rationality add up to 750. Against this not a single verse can be found that advocates irrational dogmatic invasion of the world.
Following are some of those verses:
Do you enjoin others to do what is good and forget your own selves, while you read the Book? Will you not then understand?(2:45)
And they say, ‘None shall ever enter Heaven unless he be a Jew or Christian’. These are their vain desires. Say, ‘Produce your proof, if you are truthful’. (2:112)
O ye people, a manifest proof has indeed come to you from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light (4:175)
And worldly life is nothing but a sport and pastime. And surely the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who are righteous. Will you not then understand? (6:33)
Have they taken gods beside Him? Say, ‘Bring forth your proof. Here is the Book of those with me, and the Book of those before me’. Nay, most of them know not the truth, and so they turn away. (21:25)
… Is there a God besides Allah? Say, ‘Bring forward your proof if you are truthful’ (27:65)
And We shall draw from every people a witness and We shall say, ‘Bring your proof.’ Then they will know that the truth belongs to Allah. And that which they used to forge will be lost unto them. (28:76)
The verses mentioned above are only a few of the many verses that invite the people to reason and rational thinking in order to arrive at the truth. Those who do not study Islam are often astonished by the rapid progress and spread of the religion. They do not realize that the real reason behind the spread of Islam is the power of reason and rationality. People were drawn towards the message because of its beauty and wonder – not because of any fear. This is a real miracle that has been recorded by history unlike the phantom miracles that other religions put forth – and that becomes a point of sore jealousy for the likes of the pope.
Islamic Concept of God
The pope has put forth a faulty argument about rational thinking in Islam and then he rationalizes the faulty premise by putting forth:
But for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent. His will is not bound with any of our categories, even that of rationality.
The pope is right about one thing – Islam’s view of God is much different than Christianity. It is certainly much more evolved and not bound by trivial ideas like “one is three and three is one”. Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion where there is only one God who is unique. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
Say, ‘He is Allah, the One;’
Allah, the Independent and Besought of all.
He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him . (112:2-5)
Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad – the promised Messiah[v] (peace of Allah be upon him) describes the concept Allah as follows:
In the language of the Noble Quran, Allah is the Perfect Being Who is rightfully adored, combining in Himself all perfect attributes, and free from every defect, the One without associate and the Source of all beneficence[vi]
Islam does not put forth an idea that only way to know the God is by believing in some mortal as a part of the godhead. It does not put forth an idea where that same god prays “O God why have you forsaken me” when put on the cross. It certainly does not put forth an idea that god was dead for three days. It does not put forth a god that is so powerless that he had to kill his only begotten son to somehow forgive the sins of the mankind. It certainly does not put forth a “rational god” that assumes that killing an innocent is the way to absolve others of their crimes and sins.
Islam’s view of God is certainly different from that. Islam certainly accepts that the God is not limited by human imagination – but it also tells us that human beings can know God and that ability has been imprinted on the human psyche.
The promised Messiah Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him) writes:
… the Exalted and Lord of blessings says: O My servants, know Me through My attributes and recognize Me through My excellences. I certainly do not suffer from any defect or shortcoming. Nay, My Praiseworthiness far exceeds the highest limits of praise rendered by those who praise Me. You will not find in the heavens or in the earth any praiseworthy feature that is not to be found in My countenance. If you tried to count My excellences you would not be able to number them, even if you exerted yourselves hard and took pains like the dedicated. Search well then if you can light upon a praiseworthy merit that you do not find in Me or can discover an excellence that is beyond Me and My Presence. If you feel that way then you have no knowledge of Me and are bereft of vision.[vii]
Our God is our paradise. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and have found every beauty in Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one's life to procure it. This ruby is worth purchasing though one may have to lose oneself to acquire it. Oh ye, who are bereft, run to this fountain and it will satisfy you. It is the fountain of life that will save you. What shall I do, and how shall I impress the hearts with this good news, and by beating what drum shall I make the announcement that this is our God, so that people might hear? What remedy shall I apply to the ears of the people so that they should listen?[viii]
About rationally understanding the God, he (peace of Allah be upon him) says:
The God of Islam is the same God who is visible in the mirror of the law of nature and is discernible in the book of nature. Islam has not presented a new God but has presented the same God Who is presented by the light of man's heart, by the conscience of man, and by heaven and earth[ix].
Our soul and every particle of our being are prostrate before the Mighty, True and Perfect God from Whose hand j every soul and every particle of creation together with all its faculties came into being, and through Whose support every being is sustained. Nothing is outside His knowledge, or outside His control, or outside His creation. We call thousands of blessings and peace and mercy on the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the chosen one, through whom we have found the living God who gives us proof of His existence through His Word. He demonstrates to us through extraordinary signs His shining countenance which possesses eternal and perfect power. We found the Messenger who manifested God to us and we found the God who created everything through His perfect power. How majestic is His power that nothing came into being without it and nothing can continue to exist without its support. That true God of ours possesses numberless blessings, numberless powers, numberless beauties and beneficences. There is no other God beside Him.[x]
And about understanding the God he (peace of Allah be upon him) says:
God Almighty, in order to bestow perfect understanding upon His humble creatures has set out His attributes in the Holy Quran in two aspects. First, He has described His attributes metaphorically as resembling some human qualities, as for instance, He is Noble, Merciful, Beneficent and becomes angry and has love and He has hands and has eyes and possesses shanks and has ears and that through eternity He has created, though nothing has personal co- existence, but only co-existence as species and even that is not essential or the operation of His attribute of creation, for though creation is one of His attributes the manifestation of His Unity and Singleness is also part of His attributes. None of His attributes falls into permanent disuse, but a temporary cessation of its operation is permissible. Thus God manifested His attributes of resemblance to man. For instance, God is Creator, but to some degree man also creates or fashions; and man can be called noble for, up to a point, he possesses the quality of nobility; and man can be called merciful for, up to a point, he possesses the quality of mercy and the quality of anger; and he has eyes and ears etc. This could create a suspicion in one's mind that man resembles God in respect of these attributes, and God resembles man. To repel this God has mentioned in the Holy Quran as a contrast His attributes of transcendence also, i.e. such attributes of which man does not partake at all in his being or in his qualities. God's creation is not like man's creation, nor is God's mercy like man's mercy, nor is His wrath like man's anger, nor is His love like man's love, nor is He in need of space like man.[xi]
He (peace of Allah be upon him) explains the limits of rationality as follows:
The Being of God is hidden upon hidden and beyond of beyond and is most secret and cannot be discovered by the power of human reasoning alone, and no argument can prove it conclusively; inasmuch as reason can travel only so far that contemplating the universe it feels the need of a Creator. But the feeling of a need is one thing and it is quite another to arrive at the certainty that the God Whose need has been felt does in fact exist. As the operation of reason is defective, incomplete and doubtful, a philosopher cannot recognize God purely through reason. Most people who try to determine the existence of God Almighty purely through the exercise of reason, in the end become atheists. Reflecting over the creation of the heavens and the earth does not avail them much and they begin to deride and laugh at the men of God. One of their arguments is that there are thousands of things in the world which have no use and the fashioning of which does not indicate the existence of a fashioner. They exist merely as vain and useless things. These people do not seem to realize that lack of knowledge of something does not necessarily negative its existence. There are millions of people in the world who regard themselves as very wise philosophers and who utterly deny the existence of God. It is obvious that if they had discovered a strong reason for the existence of God, they would not have denied it. If they had discovered a conclusive argument in support of the existence God, they would not have rejected it shamelessly and in derision. It is obvious, therefore, that no one boarding the ark the philosophers can find deliverance from the storm of doubts, but is bound to be drowned, and such a one would ever have access to the drinking of pure Unity. It is a false and stinking notion that belief in the Unity of God can be achieved otherwise than through the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, nor can man achieve salvation without it. How can there be a faith in the Unity of God unless there is perfect certainty with regard to His existence? Be sure, therefore, that belief in the Unity of God can be achieved only through a Prophet, as our Holy Prophet, peace be on him, convinced the atheists and pagans of Arabia of the existence of God Almighty by showing them thousands of heavenly signs. Up till today the true and perfect followers of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, present those signs to the atheists. The truth is that till a person observes the living powers of the living God, Satan does not depart from his heart, nor does true Unity enter into it, nor can he believe with certainty in the existence of God. This holy and perfect Unity is appreciated only through the Holy Prophet, peace be on him[xii]
Conclusion
It is Christianity and especially the Catholic Church that has traditionally opposed rationality and reason. The various episodes of Galilio and Newton are well known. The “rational” tradition of “witch hunts” is an integral part of the Catholic history. Throughout the Christian history rationality has been pitted against the religion. Christian ideas of trinity, original sin, resurrection, and rapture have been challenged by the secular scholars purely on rational grounds. It is strange that for the Church the person of Jesus is less important than the encounter with the Greek civilization. According to the pope:
Today we know that the Greek translation of the Old Testament produced at Alexandria – the Septuagint – is more than a simple (and in that sense less than satisfactory) translation of the Hebrew text: it is an independent textual witness and a distinct and important step in the history of revelation, one which brought about this encounter in a way that was decisive for the birth and spread of Christianity.
So for this pope Jesus’s (peace of Allah be upon him) words are of a far less value than this encounter. Today’s catholic beliefs are more like the pagan beliefs of that era and far removed from the true and pure teachings of Jesus Christ (peace of Allah be upon him).
Islam on the other hand is well founded in human psyche. It is a strictly monotheistic religion with evolved concepts of God, revelation, afterlife, and prophet hood. Islam’s strength is its reasonableness and it does not need any sword for its progress. Where the Catholic Church needs the Lateran Councils[xiii] to develop the Christian beliefs; with Islam we can actually refer to the Quran that has been preserved exactly as it was revealed to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
I sincerely hope that the pope takes time to understand Islam and actually read the Holy Quran before quoting it. Today Islamic and Christian civilizations are facing each other in the most unfriendly confrontation ever witnessed in the history. Inter faith dialogues evolve through mutual understanding and not by maligning the other religion – even if it is done in the guise of “I quote I quote”.
[i] Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth p255
[ii] Ibid – p256
[iii] Allah Muhammad Iqbal, The reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam p11
[iv] LAI, C.H. KIDWAI, A (1989) Ideals and Realities, Selected Essays of Abdus Salam. 3rd ed. World Scientific Publishing Co, London pp. 343-344.
[v] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (1835-1908) (may peace be upon him) founded Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam. He claimed to be the Promised Messiah and the Reformer for the latter days as prophesized by Holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). More information may be found at http://www.alislam.org
[vi] Commentary on the Holy Quran Volume 1. Compiled from the writings and pronouncements of The Promised Messiah and Mahdi Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian. pp 71
[vii] Ibid pp74
[viii] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Kishti Nooh p 19-20
[ix] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Tableegh-e-Risalat, Vol VI p15
[x] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Naseem-e-Dawat, (Qadian, Ziaul Islam Press, 1903); Now printed in Ruhani Khazain, Vol.19, p. 3
[xi] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Chashma Marifat, (Qadian, Anwar Ahmadiyyah Press, 1908); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 23., pp. 260
[xii] Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace of Allah be upon him), Haqiqatul Wahi, (Qadian, Magazine Press 1907); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 22, pp. 117-118
[xiii] A series of five important councils held at Rome from the twelfth to the sixteen century. From the reign of Constantine the Great until the removal of the papal Court to Avignon, the Lateran palace and basilica served the bishops of Rome as residence and cathedral. During this long period the popes had occasion to convoke a number of general councils, and for this purpose they made choice of cities so situated as to reduce as much as possible the inconveniences which the bishops called to such assemblies must necessarily experience by reason of long and costly absence from their sees. Five of these councils were held in the Lateran palace, and are known as the First (1123), Second (1139), Third (1179), Fourth (1215), and Fifth Lateran Councils. Other, non-ecumenical councils were held at the Lateran, among the best known being those in 649 against the Monothelite heresy, in 823, 864, 900, 1102, 1105, 1110, 1111, 1112, and 1116. In 1725, Benedict XIII called to the Lateran the bishops directly dependent on Rome as their metropolitan see, i.e. archbishops without suffragans, bishops immediately subject to the Holy See, and abbots exercising quasi-episcopal jurisdiction. Seven sessions were held between 15 April and 29 May, and various regulations were promulgated concerning the duties of bishops and other pastors, concerning residence, ordinations, and the periods for the holding of synods. The chief objects were the suppression of Jansenism and the solemn confirmation of the Bull "Unigenitus," which was declared a rule of faith demanding the fullest obedience. (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09016a.htm)
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