A Rationale and Antidote for the Greatest Trouble - Part 2

In the first part, we arrived at the conclusion that "critical thinking" and "thought based action" are integral parts of the defense against the troubles of Antichrist. However, the inherent divergence of opinions among the critical thinkers is an issue to be digested, because Islam constructs a firm rejection against disputes. In this article, we are going to scrutinize the difference between what Islam really says and what people understand, and how people are paving with their very hands the way for the coming of Antichrist.

When you listen to the preachers or the religious leaders, they would appreciate the differences of opinions among the scholars and would consider this as a blessing from God. In this context, the classical example given is the difference of opinion among the imams of the four major schools of practice (i.e. hanefi, shafii, maliqi, hanbali). But when it comes to the contemporary issues, anything that diverges from the teachings of those imams of centuries ago are considered as part of the dispute that is condemned in the Quran and hadith. If you ask why, here is the explanation they give.

There are verses in the Quran that tell about the clarity of the meanings in the Quran, hence the corrupt nature of the requests for new interpretations. Prophet Muhammad himself made interpretations, and he implicitly endorsed his companions and the first two generations following them to do the same. Us, who are not among those generations and who are 14 centuries away from them, who are engulfed in worldly innovations, etc. etc. are not qualified to make interpretations. If really necessary, the scholars that are trained in Islamic schools of fiqh would extract jurisdictions. Other Muslims need not worry, and just need to obey the rulings from those holy scholars.

So, we, the ordinary Muslims, go home thinking that our religion has already been analyzed thoroughly, and there is no need for further scrutiny, there is no room for real discovery. Even if there is an extraordinary situation, there is a knowledgeable elite to address it. Despite this conclusion of ours, the unprecedented complexities of the humanity and the propositions from science and philosophy don't leave us alone, and we find ourselves in endless arguments, so we keep bothering the scholars and imams.

It is exactly when the scholars feel cornered that they look for a solution, i.e. new interpretations. But when this happens, the believers split into groups. Some of them support the new interpretations and some others condemn those novelties as corruption. In this spectrum of opinions, we can see those who welcome almost anything as Islamic on one end, and the extreme conservatives and fundamentalists on the other.

Seeing this weird picture, non-Muslims cannot decide which one of these various opinions represents Islam. So, they either study the religion themselves, and arrive at their own conclusion, or they listen to what the media says and stay distant.

Is this state of disconnection and polarization pleasing to God? Before we say anything further, it is crucial that we see directly what the Quran and Hadith say about the topic of disputes, disagreements and differences.  

"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." (49/13) 

"It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding. [Who say], "Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower." (3/7-8)

"And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment." (3/104-105)

Before looking at the hadiths, first let's make sense of these verses to further our analysis.

The first verse teaches us that the differences among people are actually will of God. Then, difference of opinion should not be evil, just by itself. In fact, this notion is highlighted in the second verse through the words of those firm in knowledge. These people admit that all those different interpretations could potentially be intended meanings by God. So, they carefully go for what they think is true, and ask in humbleness from Allah guidance and correction. By logic, you can see that people who are not firm in knowledge, instead of scrutinizing their opinions and thinking critically, exhibit hostility towards such differences in opinion, and comfort themselves by suppressing and silencing other opinions. And in fact, it is this hostility, which is burgeoning in an atmosphere of diversity but threatening diversity itself, that is criticized in the third verse. In other words, rather than the differences in opinions, it is the bigotry and polarization that is disliked and condemned in this verse.

Having read and pondered over the verses from Quran about the issue, now let's look at some of the relevant words of Prophet Muhammad pbuh:

"Beware! The people of the Book before were split up into seventy two sects, and this community will be split into seventy three: seventy two of them will go to Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and it is the majority group." (Grade: hasan, Abu Dawud 4597)

Among the classical commentaries about this hadith, you can hear that there are going to be exactly 73 groups among Muslims. This, I think, is a very shortsighted opinion. This hadith could mean that the Muslims are going to be divided at least as much as the people of the book, hence the difference of opinions.

The second half of the hadith forces us into further scrutiny. Why? Because in the appearance, it tells that the majority is always truthful, but we know that there are other hadiths implying otherwise (Sahih Al-Bukhari 7052,7055,7059,7062,7064,7066,7084). Plus, history is a testimony that majority is not necessarily always true. So, there must be other intentions behind these words.

One meaning could be that forced and misguided interpretations of the Quran will not be embraced by majority in the long run. So, the time is going to be a test for the veracity of an opinion. Another meaning could be that this expression is an exaggeration to highlight a notion. That notion is the difficulty of finding the path pleasing to Allah in times of aggravated disputes. Accordingly, this hadith is a call for attention. A third meaning is that this hadith is specifically talking about the near future after the prophet pbuh. We know that he was informed by God about certain events that are going to unfold after his death. But he was not given all the details, so, the prophet is trying his best to warn his companions and the generations following them of the upcoming conflicts.

Contemplating these options, we see that rather than the difference of opinions, it is the conflicts due to difference of opinion that we are alerted about in this hadith. The following hadith shows us another situation that we need to avoid:

"The most despicable amongst persons in the eye of Allah is one who tries to fall into dispute with others (for nothing but only to display his knowledge and power of argumentation)." ( Grade: sahih, Muslim 2668)

Again here, rather than the discussions, it is an evil motivation driving the discussions that we are warned against. That is dispute for its own sake, rather than for the sake of discovering the subtleties of the path of God and acting accordingly. 

"I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error." (Grade:sahih, Abu Dawud 4607)

This hadith is a very famous one that is used as a weapon to defeat an argument that is not voiced by the classical scholars or conservative imams. Briefly, what they say is: "anything that you claim, if it is new, it is wrong, because the messenger of God says so in this hadith! After all, anything he says is revealed to him, as told in the Quran: Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed,... (53/3-4) " Furthermore, "And whatsoever the messenger gives you, take it. And whatsoever he forbids, abstain (from it)." (59/7). Since you wouldn't like to position yourself against the prophet, you feel awkward to continue, and shut up.

But if you have more courage and wisdom to clarify yourself, you explain the rationality of your point and underline the incompatibility between the classical stance and the modern conditions. Then, they stop you with the Quranic verse (5/3) about the perfectness and completeness of Islam. At this point, you are not expected to say even a single word, because who are you to say anything about religion of God, given that you are not a trained scholar. Hasn't Muhammad pbuh said "whoever says (something) about the Qur'an according to his own opinion and he is correct, yet he has committed a mistake." (Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2952)

The shear warning against anything and everything new has burdened the early scholars as well, because clearly, with the passage of time and the change of conditions geographically and culturally, there must be new injunctions for the practice of religion. Plus, the prophet himself approved of such interpretations at other occasions. So, what is meant here?

The bottom line in that discussion is that a novelty that supersedes and puts to oblivion a clear injunction in religion is what is condemned in this hadith. So, the points that are left vague are not at the target of this hadith. Furthermore, we can see, using our previous analysis of the verse from chapter Ali-Imran (3/7-8), that the effort to suppress other opinions while highlighting and promoting yours is an indication of the falsehood of that path. And this hadith is reiterating that in view of the upcoming conflicts after the death of the prophet. In fact, the history shows us that in the times following the prophet, there have been efforts to establish a politically guided interpretation of Islam while curtailing the other free thinkers.

The second point about the holy status of everything that the prophet utters is an exaggeration and a clear misinterpretation of the verse, because the context of that verse refers to the Quran itself. Second, life details of the prophet Muhammad pbuh and several Quranic verses criticizing/correcting him are against those who claim this verse as a proof that everything is revealed to him. If you are interested, you can read another blog specifically on this issue (Chosen From Among Us Humans).

And then comes the perfectness and completeness of Islam. What people have difficulty in understanding is that the perfection and completeness of Islam is not due to its coverage of all possible conditions and thoughts that could occur to humanity, but rather due to its simplicity and approval of "interpretations in an atmosphere of friendly divergence". This is the whole point of this blog, but let's make it clear through Quran and hadith.

Had the Quran taught everything that we need in an explicit manner, there would be no need for scholars at all, or even a messenger thereof. So, the example of the prophet is needed to understand the book of God, or to establish a methodology to interpret it. This is how all scholars, classical or non-traditional, find authenticity within the borders of Islam. If you curtail the work of some scholars, or any thinker for that matter, you render all interpretations baseless. In the end, all of these efforts throughout the history and the hadiths and verses about their authenticity are clear evidence that perfectness of Islam lies in the "brevity of its pillars of faith and small number of clear orders" and in its invitation to "think and take lessons from the creation", hence a stable belief with a dynamic intellect.

And finally, we saw the hadith about the mistake of those who make interpretations of Quran based on their own opinion. First, is there anyone who is not making their own opinion? It is easy to see that the target of this hadith is forced interpretations to justify worldly ambitions and lack of fear of God (Probing Fear of God) while interpreting the Quran. Second, the scholars themselves are making their own opinions based on knowledge, and they try to come to a conclusion with a sensitivity towards what is pleasing to God.

The last point to discuss in this issue is "are you a trained scholar of religion?" This question, itself, actually summarizes a lot of things that pave the way for the coming of the Antichrist. When people leave the job of learning, understanding and interpreting the Quran to a certain group of people, they basically turn themselves into non-thinkers and imitators. This, in itself, is a problem, and anyone living as such is vulnerable to all kinds of misguidance in today's world. No individual today has the luxury of not thinking. Everybody has to think for themselves, and scrutinize the matters relevant to them. After all, one of the manners severely criticized in the Quran is to say "we saw our forefather doing this" (e.g. 31/21, 2/170). And the prophet Muhammad pbuh himself told in his farewell sermon to spread his words, because "those who were not present there could understand better than those who were present at that sermon".

After all this discussion, you can see that neither the Quran nor the hadith has an objection to difference of opinions or the inherent divergence in the thoughts of critical thinkers, as long as they are kept in an environment of friendly diversity.

However, when you look at the Muslim world, you see a strong tradition to unify everything, rather than friendly diversity. Even today, some of the most severe clashes break out between Islamic congregations. It seems that the bigger the Islamic communities and the higher the ambition to gain power, the less is the intellectual activity, the less is the tolerance for diversity. So, growth of the Islamic groups today is acting as an invitation to the conflicts due to Antichrist?!?! This needs a discussion on its own.

More Quranic verses and Hadith on the issue:

"Indeed, they who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price - those consume not into their bellies except the Fire. And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And they will have a painful punishment. Those are the ones who have exchanged guidance for error and forgiveness for punishment. How patient they are in pursuit of the Fire! That is [deserved by them] because Allah has sent down the Book in truth. And indeed, those who differ over the Book are in extreme dissension." (2/174-176)

"... Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ." (5/48)

"And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ." (11/118)

"A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Qur'an for a people who know, as a giver of good tidings and a warner; but most of them turn away, so they do not hear. And they say, "Our hearts are within coverings from that to which you invite us, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a partition, so work; indeed, we are working." " (41/3-5)

"'No people go astray after having followed right guidance, but those who indulge in disputes.' Then he recited the Verse: "Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people.' " (Grade: hasan, Ibn Majah 1/48)

"The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) recited this verse: “He it is who has sent down to thee the Book: in it are verses basic or fundamental . . . .” Up to “men of understanding”. She said: The Messenger of Allah then said: When you see those people who follow that which is allegorical in the Quran, those are the people whom Allah has named (in the Quran). So avoid them." (Grade: sahih, Abu Dawud 4598)

"Whoever says (something) about the Qur'an according to his own opinion and he is correct, yet he has committed a mistake." Weak-Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2952

A Rationale and Antidote for the Greatest Trouble - Part 1

What is the greatest trouble of all times? You could answer this question in many different ways, but I chose to go with the answer in the words of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh.

"There would be no creation (creating more trouble) than the Dajjal right from the creation of Adam to the Last Hour." (Grade: sahih, Muslim 2946)

"Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: the rising of the sun from the west, the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast and (the death) of one of you or the general turmoil." (Grade: sahih, Muslim 2947)

"I warn you of him, and there was no prophet but warned his followers of him; but I will tell you something about him which no prophet has told his followers: Ad- Dajjal is one-eyed whereas Allah is not." (Grade: sahih, Bukhari 92/74)

"Narrated `Aisha: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in his prayer, seeking refuge with Allah from the afflictions of Ad-Dajjal." (Grade: sahih, Bukhari 92/76)

Antichrist is also addressed in the Bible, too:

"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time" (Daniel 7/25)

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2/3-4)

In different communities, there are varying opinions of the Antichrist as to who he is and when he will appear. On one hand, these brainstorms are good in the sense that they may awaken a vigilance against this trouble of all times. However, instead of focusing on the action and mission of the Antichrist, if we focus on his identity and his appointed time in history, we miss the real point. Remember, he is going to deceive people about the truth. He could disguise himself, too, and your efforts to pinpoint him would go in vain! Worse, if you are not well equipped, you may even fall to his schemes, let alone recognizing him. So, instead of focusing on the exact name-place-time of Antichrist, it makes more sense to analyze his actions and the social conditions hosting his mission.

The coming of the Antichrist is decreed in the destiny; so, there is no escape from it. But, knowing that his coming is going to be accompanied by lots of troubles and conflicts on earth, we can ask why divine wisdom allowed it? Which actions of ours could be making us deserve such a punishment? To answer this question, let's remember certain facts.

First, the varying descriptions of the Antichrist has been interpreted as a sign that the same trouble is going to appear at different times and places throughout the history, although The Antichrist is going to come towards the end of time. So, instead of actions of a single person, we are looking at a problem that is due to an indispensable aspect of humanity from its beginning to its end.

Second, in the Quran, we are told that any tribulation that visits us is due to our own actions (4/79). So, a tribulation of the size of Antichrist must be related to community-wide or global mischief. Nevertheless, the coming of this misfortune can, at the same time, be a bitter medicine for the humans to heal from their mischief. Therefore, during the events of the Antichrist, there might be losses, but in the end, humanity, or that community, gets out cleared. 

Third, there is no clear hadith or Quranic verse about the identity of the Antichrist. Plus, similar to the wisdom behind the uncertainty of the time of death or the wisdom behind the uncertainty of the end of time, etc., the fact that Antichrist is not well-defined could be due to a reason. Regardless of what you think that reason is, if you claim a person to be the Antichrist and announce this information as a well-established fact, you are going against the wisdom of Sunna and the Quran. Those who think a person to be the Antichrist would not anymore stay vigilant against its deceptions, and would render themselves prone to the plots of the greatest misfortune of all times.

Having established these three points, now let's think about what makes us, humans, deserve this punishment from our Creator.

In the history, the greatest disaster that hit the disbelievers is the Great Flood. Virtually all disbelievers were eradicated from the face of the planet. Why did this happen? If we read carefully through the Quran, we see that the individuals in that community did not suffice with their rejection of the divine call but worked systematically to misinform and disinform the rest of the people so that no one would even listen to Noah pbuh (23/23-25). Furthermore, they extended their influence to the new generations so that none of the new generations could think clearly (26/11-116, 71/26-27). Plus, they successfully (!) executed their system and proved beyond doubt that they are enemy of God (29/14).

If we turn towards the believers, on the other hand, the greatest misery befell them must be the losses and destructions that took place through the 19th and the 20th century. During this period, not only did they fail on the material side, but also collapsed in term of their faith and religion. At first, the believers thought that this was due to lack of technological power. Over the decades, many Muslim countries acquired that, but still, no clear victory is visible. Then, they said it is due to the political systems. Again over the decades, they tried different options to no avail. Lack of education was put forward as another reason of demise. Countless schools were opened, but still education is not a shining star among Muslims, despite the clear orders from the Quran to read and think and work! Then the believers started talking about misunderstandings and misinterpretations in the religion. After years of studies, the best of the achievements are the reiteration of the past scholars or misguided justifications of the worldly ambitions and innovations. So, it looks like despite the changes on the outside, we did not change inside that much after two centuries of tribulations.

"Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron." (13/11)

If you think about it, perhaps all of the suggestions from the believers played a role into their demise in history. However, what is the underlying energy that is driving everything else? I would answer this question as lack and suppression of critical thinking and the unlimited resistance to change. And these two are synonyms of what I described above about the disbelievers: misguiding the society and maleducating the new generations to suppress free thinking. Therefore, anytime free thinking is blocked and locked among the humans, gates of misfortune are opened!

"And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty." (8/25)

"And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped." (39/54)

"By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! Either you command good and forbid evil, or Allah will soon send upon you a punishment from Him, then you will call upon Him, but He will not respond to you." (Grade: Hasan, Tirmidhi 2169)

This could be a great clue to what is going to invite or host Antichrist. You wonder why? Let's read and ponder the below hadith:

"The Prophet pbuh said about Ad-Dajjal that he would have water and fire with him: (what would seem to be) fire, would be cold water and (what would seem to be) water, would be fire." (Grade: sahih, Bukhari 92/77)

So, Antichrist is going to deceive people so much that that they are not going to truly understand what they see with their eyes. One way this could happen is through the blocking of the critical thinking ability so that people accept anything as it is presented to them, without questioning whether it makes sense or it is in line with the commandments of God or whether it is acceptable in the framework of the Sunna. Actually, there is another hadith, which signals that such a state is actually underlying the troubles of Antichrist:

"No prophet was sent but that he warned his followers against the one-eyed liar (Ad-Dajjal). Beware! He is blind in one eye, and your Lord is not so, and there will be written between his (Ad-Dajjal's) eyes (the word) Kafir (i.e., disbeliever)." (Grade: sahih, Bukhari 92/78)

Is it at all possible that you see someone with a clear mark on his forehead, saying disbeliever? No. So, this must be a conclusion of the reason, not eyes. If the people are not able to come to that conclusion, that means an obstruction of the reason.

Second, let's say you see that person, you know the above hadith, and he is offering you water. Would you accept it? One of the first things we teach our children is not to accept any edibles or drinks from strangers. Would you do the same, if you deemed that person as stranger, let alone Antichrist? No. Therefore, Antichrist must be someone who is going to look like "someone from among us", and he is going to block the reason, so that people are going to accept the water from him, which is going to take them to fire. However, due to lack of reason, you are not going to understand why you are burning, and drink more "water" in a vicious cycle.

So, the power of Antichrist is not really due to his personal superiority, but due to the lack of reason and intellect among the people, due to a social atmosphere that drives people away from thinking. Then, the receipt for the coming of the Antichrist, or the antidote thereof, has to do with the critical thinking and free discussion of ideas and events.

But the problem is that whenever there are people who start questioning, who think critically or who are trying non-conventional ways of doing things, they keep talking, preventing real action. They lead to disagreements, disputes; and perhaps they indulge in sinful extremes. Plus, there are many Quranic verses and words of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh that admonish us to avoid dispute! So, what are we going to do?

Have You Ever Talked to God?

They say "If you speak to God, it is prayer. If God speaks to you, it is schizophrenia." This saying is worth thinking about, but on the other hand, it brings a gloomy message implicitly, that is God does not speak to you!

Today, there is more than ever research about being happy, and the ultimate finding from these studies is that "meaning" is what makes humans happy. Even success or wealth does not make people really happy, if there isn't a bigger picture it is part of. What makes us human is our inquisitiveness about and ability to probe into the unseen. So, anything that hinders this avenue for exploration makes us unhappy, no matter how comely it may seem.

Interestingly, in case of misfortunes, those who cannot see a meaning beyond what is surrounding them, or those who don't have a belief thereof, in other words, those who believe the existence to be nothing but the seen and the visible, fall into depression. In the Quran, repeatedly, belief and conviction about the unseen are listed as an important property of the believers. Thus, they believe in an unseen good in the face of the misfortunes befalling them.

Pondering our issue in the beginning, what makes us really happy and strong in the face of troubles is the communication between us and the unseen. This is how all those prophets stood amidst the oppressive people. This is how the first believers sustained under the harsh social and economic conditions. But what is going to happen when there are no prophets and messengers? Doesn't God talk to ordinary people? Do we have to become schizophrenic in order for God to speak to us?

Read the following verses from the Quran. The first quotation is from the story of Children of Israel. One of them, Samiri, makes a statue of a calf, and they embrace it as god. In this context, Allah tells:

And he extracted for them [the statue of] a calf which had a lowing sound, and they said, "This is your god and the god of Moses, but he forgot". Did they not see that it could not return to them any speech and that it did not possess for them any harm or benefit?" (20/88-89)

Quite literally, one test for anything to be god is formulated by Allah as "talking to its creatures" and "providing for them and protecting them". But, we, ordinary humans, have never heard Allah, either! And, when we pray to Him, is He directly answering them? No! Nevertheless, this test is exactly what Allah wants us to apply!

The same approach is reiterated in the following verses:

"Indeed, those you [polytheists] call upon besides Allah are servants like you. So call upon them and let them respond to you, if you should be truthful. Do they have feet by which they walk? Or do they have hands by which they strike? Or do they have eyes by which they see? Or do they have ears by which they hear? Say, [O Muhammad], "Call your 'partners' and then conspire against me and give me no respite. Indeed, my protector is Allah, who has sent down the Book; and He is an ally to the righteous. And those you call upon besides Him are unable to help you, nor can they help themselves." " (7/194)

Here, similarly, the assumed gods are expected to respond to the calls and help the inquirers in order to qualify as god. Allah tells that those other than Him are not able to do these. But again, when we are in trouble and call upon Him, does He respond, or does He magically deliver us from trouble? On the contrary, in the Quran, He admonishes us to be patient until the appointed term for things to pass.

"If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allah does not like the wrongdoers - And that Allah may purify the believers [through trials] and destroy the disbelievers. Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allah has not yet made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those who are steadfast?" (3/140-142)

So, whether you call upon God or not, the things are going to happen as decreed before. Nevertheless, you, as a believer, would pray to God, because He instructs us to do so, in the first place. But again, this is a communication in our belief, in our mind. Isn't it the same for the disbelievers or idol worshipers? They could think the same way, that is they could explain why their gods are not responding in a human way, just like Allah is not responding in a human way!

Let's remember that it is Allah, subhanehu wa ta'ala, who led us into this inquiry. So, there must be a solution to all this.

"And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." (40/60)

There are two major distinctions between the divine call and all others. First, Allah sent humanity his words multiple times throughout the history, Quran being the last and best preserved. Quran is His living word and His talk to anyone who listens until the end of time. So, clearly, if you want to talk to God and hear Him, read His book.

If you talk to any Muslim, they will tell about the mysterious coincidences between the Quranic verses and their needs. That is when they really feel that God is talking to them. In short, when we put Allah to the test He instructs us to apply, His talking will be the intertwining of the Quran and our lives. No god ever sent words that live with us.

The second distinction between the divine call and all others is the existence of the life after death, the coming of the judgment day. As seen in the verse from chapter Ali-Imran above, this life is a process of purification and distinction. So, the things that befall us might appear as the action of others or haphazard natural events, but at a deeper level, they are a scenario written for a purpose and with a wisdom.

Still, we humans want to feel with company in times of trouble, and want to be assured of safety. That is when we are given the means to meet Allah anew, if we accept the invitation.

"And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided." (2/186)

In order for God to respond to our inquiries, we are asked to respond to Him as a prerequisite. And what He wants from us is something that each individual must listen to in their hearts. That is, they must speak directly to God and act accordingly. Actually, when you listen to God in your heart, you will see that He talks to you not only at times of trouble but always:

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire." (3/190)

So, the answer to the second question about being provided for and being protected depends on your presence with God. God tells that He is with you, but your conscience of His presence is what determines whether you can see His hand at work or not.

"... and He is with you wherever you are..." (57/4)

In the end, what is so interesting is that Allah encourages us to put Himself to test in order for us to reach ultimate conviction in our belief and to completely and sincerely submit to Him.

Peace on the Messenger

"But Allah would not punish them while you, [O Muhammad], are among them, and Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness." (8/33)

Although this verse initially addresses the disbelievers of the time, it puts forward a timeless rule. To stay safe from punishments both in this world and in the hereafter, we need to keep the messenger of God among ourselves and we need to repent for our sins. In this blog, I would like to ponder on the first half of this rule, i.e. keeping the messenger among ourselves.

Yes, it doesn't make sense to physically keep the messenger with us. But the verse must have a message that goes beyond the life time of the prophet. What could that be?

In a previous blog, I had discussed the meaning of reciting peace on the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him). A take-home message from that discussion was that rather than a robotic reiteration of prayers for the messenger of God, deeds that are going to make him happy are closer to the spirit of salawat. This stance is similar to what I am looking for as an answer to my question above: rather than a material presence, a spirit that gives life to our deeds and fuels our thoughts...

The divine rule for sending a messenger to any creation is to choose someone from among them. So, prophet Muhammad was a human being like us. During his life time, he was physically among people, and his status as a human was well recognized. For this point, you can read two earlier blogs: Chosen From Among Us Humans and To Praise or Not To Praise the Messenger. But after his death, he was not only taken away physically but also pushed above!

Yes, he was taken by God, and was buried in Medina. His memories stayed with his companions for long. The early scholars who collected and published the hadith knew well to see that spirit, and were able make interpretations according to their times, just like their holy teacher did when not guided by revelation. In this regard, although the prophet was missing physically, he was present spiritually.

But at some point, rather than living the spirit he represented, blind imitation of his actions and literal implementation of his words started to dominate the minds. With that, Muhammad's all words pbuh became timeless, and praising him to a super or beyond human level became standard. With that standard, the questioning, understanding and re-interpreting his words as necessary became impossible. Consequently, understanding and interpreting the Quran became crippled. That is when the entire Muslim world started seeing failures and losses globally, which took place during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Today, we are still suffering from the dehumanization of the prophet Muhammad. Rather than a human being, who is in touch with the divine at times and who is using his human capacity to his best, we see a character who is timeless and above all thought processes, negating any attempts for critical thinking. This image does not reflect the reality. That means prophet Muhammad pbuh is not among us spiritually, either.

This is a sign of danger!

However, there is another border of danger related to the way we treat the messenger. If over praising and pushing out of the human boundary is the upper limit, the lower limit would be treating him like anyone:

"Do not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as the call of one of you to another. Already Allah knows those of you who slip away, concealed by others. So let those beware who dissent from the Prophet's order, lest fitnah strike them or a painful punishment." (24/63)

"O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not." (49/2)

"And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah . If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would be in difficulty, but Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the [rightly] guided." (49/7)

So, instead of robotically calling peace on him hundreds of times, we could try to emulate his attitudes towards his family and other people. Instead of mechanically performing certain actions of his in worship, we could embrace his critical thinking and wisdom in seeking God's pleasure.

In short, let's be companions of his with whom he would feel pleased.

Probing Fear of God

Fear is a fearful word. Where ever it is, we avoid there. And this sense of avoidance is perhaps why fear has been placed into the human nature: to protect the valuables. In fact, if we go back in time to the periods of humanity when there was little to no knowledge of the natural phenomena, it was fear that led many people to God. Having a rope of safety gave confidence to the individuals scared of uncertainty.

If we continue our traverse in time and look at the Biblical history, among the Christian circles there is the concept of "God of the Old Testament" and the concept of "God of New Testament". What is meant by these concepts is that the way God dealt with humanity before Jesus's time, peace be upon him, was more of an action-reaction type. That is, if people kept doing their unethical deeds for long periods, and if they did not heed the man of God, and furthermore if they tried to physically suppress those who call to the way of God, then a calamity falls upon them.

But beginning with Jesus pbuh, the chastisements from God were drawn back to the extent that with the coming of Muhammad pbuh, the mass destruction events were practically cancelled. Giving more respite and delaying the punishment does not necessarily mean forgiving or forgetting, but rather providing more opportunities to repent. However, during this time of "more opportunities", it is possible that people are going to think "oh see, nothing is happening; God must be ok with what we are doing", and so bury themselves deeper in sin to the point that when death comes to them, there is no more excuse they can utter.

Being merciful and compassionate, God wants humans to avoid such tragic ends. This is why He has placed fear of Himself in our hearts:

"... And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination. Say, "Whether you conceal what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it. And He knows that which is in the heavens and that which is on the earth. And Allah is over all things competent. The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present [before it] and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that [evil] was a great distance. And Allah warns you of Himself, and Allah is Kind to [His] servants." "  (3/28-30)

Nevertheless, fear is not a concept devoid of colors and tones. There are different types of it, and the implications of these different fears are different. Let's see examples of these from the Quran, and ponder over the implications. Keep in mind that in the following verses and in the verses I added to the end of this article, some of them include words that are derivatives of fear, and such words are translated in ways that lose the link to the root, i.e. fear. So, I indicated those in parentheses.

Ittiqa:

"O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous (=those who fear)" (2/21)

"And his people came hastening to him, and before [this] they had been doing evil deeds. He said, "O my people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace me concerning my guests. Is there not among you a man of reason?" " (11/78) 

"And when Jesus brought clear proofs, he said, "I have come to you with wisdom and to make clear to you some of that over which you differ, so fear Allah and obey me." (43/63)

"Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous (=most God fearing) of you." (49/13)

"... And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect ... And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him of his matter ease." (65/2-3,4)

Khashyah:

"Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do." (2/74)

"[ Allah praises] those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him and do not fear anyone but Allah . And sufficient is Allah as Accountant." (33/39)

"Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge." (35/28)

"If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled (=with khashyah) and coming apart from fear of Allah . And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought." (59/21)

Khawf:

"We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve." (2/38)

 "And cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. And invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good." (7/56)

"They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend." (32/16)

To remind again, if you are interested, you can read more Quranic verses related to the concept of fear of God at the bottom of this article. But now, let's try to make sense of the differences between these variances of fear.

1- Ittiqa (or taqwa) is used for virtually all of humanity: believers, people of the book and non-believers. So, ittiqa is the fear of God that can be felt and practiced by the entire humanity. Imagine that even the prophet Lot used this word when he was calling his people to their senses. You may ask how it is possible that a person who doesn't believe in God has fear of God? This is a fair question, and the answer lies in the difference between the way people name ittiqa according to their value systems and beliefs. That is to say that the fear of God that is expressed through ittiqa or taqwa involves a broad sense of respect to basic human rights and sensitivity towards conserving the creation in order to avoid conflicts and corruption. Such universal values are shared by all humanity, and every human being has the potential to feel, understand and exercise it. However, of course there is an ultimate point in taqwa that is formulated in the second chapter of the Quran:

"This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah (those who have taqwa); who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, and who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]." (2/2-5)

2- Khashyah, unlike ittiqa, involves a sense of belonging and respect to the Creator. It also entails a humbleness towards God and affinity towards the creation. Therefore, khashyah is sensible exclusively by those who believe in God, but not necessarily Muslim though. For example, read the Quranic verse addressing the Children of Israel:

"And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah ] (those with khashyah), who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him." (2/45-46)

3- Khawf is exclusively related to a real danger or harm. This feeling may be caused by actually facing the danger or by attaining a level of awareness that is equivalent to vision. So, the believers who have attained a level of certainty in belief for resurrection and the judgment day and who lived according to that conviction may feel this fear of God's punishment. For those who are not at the same level of conviction, this kind of fear may sound appalling. But for those who have it, it is an indispensable component of life. As for those who deserve the punishment of hell are going to experience khawf in the afterlife, for they will have lived in this world irresponsibly without any khawf.

"But for he who has feared the position of his Lord are two gardens; so which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" (55/46-47)

Aside from these, if you look at the number verses containing these three words, ittiqa is the most mentioned. And this makes sense, because if you think about it, in this life, ittiqa is the prerequisite for both khashyah and khawf.

Another noteworthy point is that among these three words related to fear, only ittiqa is used in the imperative form. If you look again to the differences between the three words, you will see that the other two are flavored with a connection to God, whereas ittiqa is not necessarily a feeling related to belief in God. So, the Merciful Lord considers this factor in the psyche of His creation, and speaks accordingly. To state it more explicitly, a non-believer who is causing disorder and harm in general may be called to feel fear (ittiqa), but that person will not have a sense of belonging and respect to God (khashyah) nor the ultimate fear (khawf) that is sensible through facing punishment or by having a mental certainty thereof.

After this much research and pondering over the different colors of fear, now let's look at our daily lives, and let's see how these findings relate to our journey in this world.

Ittiqa or taqwa is the broadest and most fundamental form of fear of God, as we talked. Remember that this fear involves a respect for basic human rights, conservation of the creation and obedience to the laws of the universe. That being said, a person who violates human rights at home or in the social life or at a higher level are violating their act with God by not fearing Him in those actions. In more simple terms, they are committing sin by violating human rights.

Similarly, a person who is killing the nature or neglecting the rules necessitated by scientific findings is again acting against taqwa, fear of God. Or an engineer who is underdesigning the system at their hands, a contractor who is not obeying the design parameters are acting without taqwa, fear of God.

Another set of lessons arise by virtue of living near the end of time. More and more, we are surrounded by things of uncertain nature. You may find yourself asking "is this really what God wants us to do". This kind of questioning may arise either due to the appearance of a new thing or action or due to the incompatibility of the religious teachings with the modern life conditions. This issue deserves discussion in its own, but here I would like to show how the feeling of fear plays a significant role in these matters.

First of all, we know that in the religious matters, the more something is explicitly stated the more is the responsibility thereof. In other words, if a matter is not crystal clear, then the weight of mistaking in it is much less, and the room for interpretation or trial-error is much larger (Maidah 5/101). Of course this doesn't mean that we should pursue everything that is doubtful, but it means we can explore things with a watchful mind and heart. This is how we can reach the easiness of religion pointed at in the words of the prophet Muhammad (Bukhari, Belief, 29/39). Therefore, we should be thankful for this flexibility introduced by our Lord.

However this may sound good in theory, this flexibility for interpretation is not so welcome by people. Many times, people don't think at all, and dump the work of thinking to scholars who are not necessarily equipped with the breadth of knowledge required for understanding the ever-complicated conditions of today. So, religion is conserved as it was centuries ago. Yes, conserving the core of the religion is of utmost importance but recognizing the things that are of cultural origin and improving them is another imperative.

This is exactly where fear kicks in. Fear of mistaking or fear of diverging from the way of the majority or fear of thinking unlike the scholars block most people. So, they end up with thinking one way but practicing another way. This is the state of a hypocrite. In your mind, after your research into the authentic sources and critical thinking, you conclude that doing A is what is pleasing to God, and you are 90% sure about it. And that 10% is due to the fact that the countless scholars until now hasn't expressed such a thing. Because you don't want to fall apart from the majority, and because your fear of God is shaped around an understanding of God that doesn't welcome critical thinking, you give in to "not doing A", which you think is contrary to God's pleasure, and continue your life with the majority. This is actually fearing people rather than fearing God!

In fact, this misguided behavior is implicitly criticized in the Quran:

"O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do." (61/2-3)

First lesson from reading these verses is that people should tell what they are practicing. The event that precedes the revelation of these verses is that some people were talking, and they were saying "had we known what is the most pleasing action for Allah, we would do it". Many points that we discussed are actually built into this single event.

One, if that most pleasing action is revealed to you and you refrain from it, you actually disobey God; so, if God left something uncertain, keep it uncertain, and exercise free will with caution (fear). Two, expressing eagerness towards something of unknown nature is an unfounded feeling, similar to falling in love at first sight and proposing marriage, thinking that you want to live with that person until eternity. Three, putting a prerequisite condition on those who want to talk about religious matters is a check against religion becoming ever more difficult. That is, when it comes to speaking about the do's and do-not's of the religion and the higher level of sensitivities per the feeling of fear of God, people may tell a lot, and they have a tendency to generalize the meticulous life principles of the saint people, which elevates religion to an unpractical level. This is, perhaps, one reason why God placed a condition like this, i.e. you should be practicing first, then you can talk about it.

A final point in this matter is "the benefits of sins". I know it sounds nonsense, but if you would like to see a more detailed analysis on this subject, read this article. As I mentioned above, due to cultural interjections and interventions to the understanding and interpretation of religion, certain perceptions form over time, and these perceptions tell that doing such and such thing is a sin. So, people abstain from it as if it is an explicit ban from God. But of course that is not the case, rather it is a matter of uncertain nature. Such things need to be re-thought and analyzed, which is not an easy task, not necessarily because of the complexity of the issue but because of the misuse of fear factor.

If something is judged by the previous generations and scholars to be a sin, "who are we to question them", right? So, we avoid that thing, which is not necessarily a sin. However, if God created something, there is probably a benefit from it, and that benefit may become indispensable by time. So, we see benefit in what we perceive as "sin", and we think that the religion is "prohibiting" it... Then, the growing hunger from not meeting that need pushes people to really sinful ways. That is, fearing people and having a misguided fear of God leads to disobedience to God.

In short, fearing God is not "not thinking". Fearing God is not confined to the mosques and prayer rugs. Fearing God is not a luxury disguise for fearing people.

Some other verses related to fear of God:

Ittiqa:

"This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah (those who have taqwa); who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, and who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]." (2/2-5) 

"O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous (=those who fear)" (2/21)

"[Fighting in] the sacred month is for [aggression committed in] the sacred month, and for [all] violations is legal retribution. So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who fear Him." (2/194)

"And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption. And when it is said to him, "Fear Allah," pride in the sin takes hold of him. Sufficient for him is Hellfire, and how wretched is the resting place." (2/205-206)

"And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah . Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly." (2/281)

"And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me." (3/50)

"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]." (3/102)

"They are not [all] the same; among the People of the Scripture is a community standing [in obedience], reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night and prostrating [in prayer]. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous. And whatever good they do - never will it be removed from them. And Allah is Knowing of the righteous (those who fear)." (3/113-115) 

"O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek the means [of nearness] to Him and strive in His cause that you may succeed." (5/35)

"Say, "Not equal are the evil and the good, although the abundance of evil might impress you." So fear Allah, O you of understanding, that you may be successful." (5/100)

"O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty." (8/29) 

"Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allah and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people." (9/109)

"And his people came hastening to him, and before [this] they had been doing evil deeds. He said, "O my people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace me concerning my guests. Is there not among you a man of reason?" " (11/78) 

"And it will be said to those who feared Allah, "What did your Lord send down?" They will say, "[That which is] good." For those who do good in this world is good; and the home of the Hereafter is better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous -" (16/30)

"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient. And be patient, [O Muhammad], and your patience is not but through Allah . And do not grieve over them and do not be in distress over what they conspire. Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good." (16/125-128)

"And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears (khashyah) Allah and is conscious (ittiqa) of Him - it is those who are the attainers." (24/52)

"And the one who has brought the truth and [they who] believed in it - those are the righteous (=fearing)." (39/33)

"And Allah will save those who feared Him by their attainment; no evil will touch them, nor will they grieve." (39/61)

"And when Jesus brought clear proofs, he said, "I have come to you with wisdom and to make clear to you some of that over which you differ, so fear Allah and obey me." (43/63)

"And indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another; but Allah is the ally of the righteous (=fearing)." (45/19)

"The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy." (49/10)

"Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous (=most God fearing) of you." (49/13)

"So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allah ]; it is better for your selves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful." (64/16)

"... And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect ... And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him of his matter ease." (65/2-3,4)

Khashyah:

"And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah ] (those with khashyah), who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him." (2/45-46) 

"Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do." (2/74)

"And those who join that which Allah has ordered to be joined and fear (khasyah) their Lord and are afraid (khawf) of the evil of [their] account," (13/21)

"And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears (khashyah) Allah and is conscious (ittiqa) of Him - it is those who are the attainers." (24/52)

"[ Allah praises] those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him and do not fear anyone but Allah . And sufficient is Allah as Accountant." (33/39)

"Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge." (35/28)

"Who feared the Most Merciful unseen and came with a heart returning [in repentance]." (50/33)

"If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled (=with khashyah) and coming apart from fear of Allah . And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought." (59/21)

"Indeed, those who fear their Lord unseen will have forgiveness and great reward." (67/12)

"So remind, if the reminder should benefit; He who fears [ Allah ] will be reminded." (87/9-10)

Khawf:

"We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve." (2/38)

 "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient," (2/155) 

"And cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. And invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good." (7/56)

"And those who join that which Allah has ordered to be joined and fear (khasyah) their Lord and are afraid (khawf) of the evil of [their] account," (13/21)

"Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient." (24/55) 

"And [he was told], "Throw down your staff." But when he saw it writhing as if it were a snake, he turned in flight and did not return. [ Allah said], "O Moses, fear not. Indeed, in My presence the messengers do not fear." (27/10) 

"They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend." (32/16)

"They will have canopies of fire above them and below them, canopies. By that Allah threatens (=scares, frightens) His servants. O My servants, then fear Me." (39/16)

"And We left therein a sign for those who fear the painful punishment." (51/37) 

"But for he who has feared the position of his Lord are two gardens; so which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" (55/46-47)

 "[The hypocrites are] like the example of Satan when he says to man, "Disbelieve." But when he disbelieves, he says, "Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds." " (59/16)

A Futuristic Perspective on Slavery

Slavery is a concept that is condemned in the modern world; at least in the public domain. However, we know that it is still active in different forms. In fact, certain individuals could blame different ideologies and economic models as forms of slavery. Here, rather than fighting against slavery, I am going to take a different position on the issue. First, I am going to start from today, then I am going to stretch into the future.

Those who consider "fighting against Islam" as a kind of worship highlight the fact that Islam did not abolish slavery. The classical answer to this claim says that slavery was at the heart of the economy and international politics at the time, and abolishing it at once would be equivalent of asking the impossible from people; so, instead of abolishing slavery, Islam suggested everything possible to stop it (e.g. freeing a slave having enormous reward or the same being used as expiation for certain transgressions) other than forbidding it, and also Islam regulated the conditions of the slaves so that they could live under acceptable conditions. Although the second half of the answer is a base to work with, the first half does not stand against critical thinking.

For example, interest was also at the heart of the economy of that society, but Islam forbade it; and actually, it was forbidden in a way unlike other personal sins (2/275-279). Similarly, alcohol consumption was eventually forbidden (5/90-91), and was condemned severely in the words of the prophet Muhammad pbuh. But the same did not happen for slavery! On the contrary, Islam came with regulations regarding the conditions of the slaves! These regulations addressed their rights, which included feeding, clothing and marriage. So, the condition of a slave after Islam was not like what was seen in the West. But formulating an answer on this matter is not my purpose.

I believe that we need to calm down and look at the world around us with a more objective pair of eyes. Today, there is significant human trafficking around the world, and those who do the trafficking and those who, later, employ these poor people are bound by no laws. As such, true exploitation is taking place, and that is happening mainly because we don't want to see it! If, instead of rejecting the idea, we accepted "being a slave" as a human condition, those who are currently suffering in this unregulated and cheap economy could be followed by law and would live under conditions that are more fit for human honor.

Another case is the conditions of the middle and lower class. A lot of people criticize the modern life for one reason or another, and I may agree with some of them and not with some others. I, too, know that some people complain just to decrease their work and increase their comfort, without a regard for deserving their salary. So, not all objections from the working class are fair objections in my opinion. However, there are certain minimal conditions that come with being human. You don't earn them, you have them by virtue of being a human in the society. These rights could be defended more fairly, if the capital holders and regulators paid attention to the rights of "slaves". What I mean is, if we make a comparison by saying "if the slaves are deserving that much, a free individual should deserve much more", then we would regulate the modern life and the distribution of capital in a more fair and compassionate way.

In short, if we give up our arrogance in the face of divine wisdom and heed the directions in the matters of "slavery", we could provide a more humane substrate for most people on this planet. But this is not where I want to stop my discussion.

We are living in times where robotic technology is advancing with an unprecedented speed. With the biological and genetic developments, the idea of androids may become a reality not so late. So, imagine you have an android servant at home. By virtue of having a biological aspect, this servant is going to have what is equivalent of feelings. That is, if you shout at them, they are going to feel sad; if you deprive them of power and keep their batteries low, they are going to suffer. So, are you going to exercise your anger on them? Are you going to become a monster by committing domestic violence?

But there is also the positive picture. You treat your servants with kindness, primarily because you are an honorable human and secondly they share your happiness and sorrow in their android ways. So then, you become friends and have intimate times with them. Of course this, too, is open for discussion, but it is going to be here whether you like it or not. So, rather than resisting it, it is better to tame it. And the good news is, we have a template to work on: the concept of slavery.