| Encouragement
for Reflection and Action:Following aspects
of Hidaayah are visibly spread through out the Quran: (1)
Man is invited to study carefully the history
of (i) humanbeings (nations) , and (ii) the earth and cosmos
(nature). The study makes it clear that whenever man
reflected on phenomena of nature and grasped the law of nature,
it opened up new avenues of progress and development
for him on the planet and in the space too. Furthermore in
case of all revealed religions, whenever nations followed
the straight path, i.e., the prescribed code of conduct, they
rose to the pinnacle of their glory. Whenever they deviated
they fell into disgrace and ignominy. These are, indeed, open
pages of history for study and reflection. (2)
The Quran further encourages analysis of these studies of
phenomena of nature in the light of the Fact and the ‘Truth’
(Laws) governing them, revealed by Allah, and gradually being
discovered by science, which show that the Source of these
phenomena and their governing laws is the same - One. (3)
The Quran emphasizes importance of practicability and pragmatism
in the ‘Hidaayah’ (laws) revealed to man. He is
encouraged to act and achieve. In the social realm also, success
is guaranteed as sure as the result of reaction of acid and
alkali under the given conditions of scientific laws. (4)
It also follows that the revealed laws (Hidaayah)
in any realm or sphere of life ,given to man, are harmonious
with all other immutable laws and the phenomena of nature,
within the same frame (plane of existence of the universe)
in which they operate. (5). Entire machinery
and mechanism of the universe(s) have been created in a manner
that no act remains unaccounted for or unpaid:
"Allah has created the heavens and the earth
for constructive purposes and that every one be
paid for what he has earned, and they will not be wronged."
45-22
(Wahy)
Wahii: Meaning:
Literal: The word Wahy means
communication. In the form of its verb, (Awhaa) for instance,
it means ‘he communicated’.
Technical: The term Wahy refers
to the communication of Allah to His Messengers, right from
Adam (Peace be upon him), the first, to Muhammad (Peace be
upon him), the last. It stands for both method or measure
of communication and the message communicated.
Quranic
Usage of the Term Wahii:“Undoubtedly,
the word Wahii is invariably used as a reference to the Message
sent to the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and the prophets before
him by Allah. But the word carries various shades of meaning.
The Quran has used the term quite a number of times denoting
about eight different meanings: (i) Conspiracy (Counsel):
6-112, 6-121, (ii) Message-Communication to the Prophets:
6-19, 20-13, (iii) Allah’s Conversation with angels:
8-12, (iv) Instinctive Measure: 16-68, (v) Human Communication
through Sign Language: 19-11, (vi) Intuitive Guidance: 28-7,
(vii) Promulgation of Natural Laws: 41-12, and (viii) Recording
/ (Response) by the Earth: 99- 4 & 5.”
(Pages 35-38, Quranic Studies
– An Introduction, Dr Israr Ahmed Khan)
Revelation
As Inspiration:See following verses of the
Holy Quran: 3–44, 4–163, 6–19,7–203,
10–15, 12–102, 16–43, 16–64, 16–68
to 69, 17–86, 18–27, 20–38 to 39, 21–45,
42–52, 46–9, 53–4.
Wahii
and Rubuubiyat:A.K.Azad explains function
of Rubuubiyah in ‘Wahii’, as follows: “In
Arabic ’Wahii’ means intuition or inward prompting
or revelation. Indeed it is a sort of nature's inward whisper
which suggests to every object of creation, its way of life".
The Quran designates this character of nature’s direction,
stimulated by the Divine Rubuubiyat, as ‘Wahii’
or ‘Inspiration’.
"And
thy Lord (Allah) Revealed to (Inspired) the bee:
‘Take you habitations in the hills, and
in the trees, and in the hives,
(and in what they erect)." (16-68).
Attention
to this aspect of Rubuubiyat was drawn by Moses (Peace be
upon him):
"Our Lord-Master-Owner-Sustainer is He (Allah)
Who has given to everything its particular form,
and then directed its development" 20-50
This Rubuubiyat
is referred as "smoothing of passage of life":
"Of what
did God create man? Out of droplet of spermagenitale,
He created him and fashioned in accordance with
his nature
And smoothened his passage”. (80-18 to
20)
The fundamentals are like boundary lines, within
which man is free to use his intellect and negotiate with
the situations emerging in his practical life in the world.
The Quran invites and encourages man, again and again to use
his intellect, all faculties and resources placed at his command.
Need
of Wahii:Wahii is essentially relevant not
only to behavioral and spiritual needs but it is relevant
to all human needs, including biological and material. It
is, therefore, important not only to understand basic human
needs, but also their nature and means of satisfaction. If
basic needs are not satisfied, man can turn into an insane
ascetic or become an animal. In respect of material and biological
needs, man belongs to the animal world also. It is in behavioral
and spiritual sense that he is basically different from the
non-human creation. Dr Israr Ahmed Khan explains these aspects
of human nature and need in “Quranic Studies –
An Introduction”, (pp.38-40): “Satisfaction of
material needs ensures physical strength, whereas that of
behavioral and spiritual ones consolidates the socio-cultural
fabric as well as fosters (closeness with God).. Man has been
endowed with an extraordinarily powerful mind to help and
guide him in all of his acts leading to the satisfaction of
his needs…But the human mind has some limitations which
render it dependent on the availability of the resources required
…The human mind could be likened to eyes that can carry
out their functions only when light is available.
Likewise, unless the package of principles guiding individual
and social behaviour is made available, man will grope in
the dark.. Between Adam (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Peace
be upon him) quite a large number of prophets were raised
from time to time to serve as, links (for sending Wahii)…
All of them delivered to their people only what they received
from their Lord, Allah… The Quran, the last package
consisting of principles of behaviour, was sent to the last
prophet through Wahii .”
What
is Divine Guidance:
"All Scripture is given by Inspiration of
God, and is profitable, for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness."
2 Timothy 3:16
"The
Law of the Lord is Perfect, converting the soul, the
testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."Psalms
19:7
If we translate ‘Ihdinaa’, a prayer
for Divine Guidance, by the English word guide, we shall have
to say: ‘Guide us to and in the Straight Way, all along.
The first step is to find the Straight Way, and the second
to keep in that Way. Otherwise we may either be wandering
aimlessly without finding the Right Path, or we may even go
astray aster finding it.
“Our own wisdom may fail in either case..
The Straight Way is often the narrow Way (in the sense that
it requires navigation and negotiation of the route all along
the alignment and there is no latitude for wavering and wandering)
or steep Way (requiring conscious and concerted effort to
climb it), which many people shun (90-11). By the world's
perversity, Straight Way is sometimes stigmatised and the
crooked way praised. How are we to judge? We must ask for
Allah's guidance. With a little spiritual insight we shall
see which are the people who walk in the Light of Allah's
Grace, and which are those that walk in the darkness of wrath.
This would also help our judgement.”
[Note 22,(1-6) Page,15,
The Holy Quran, Translation - A.Y.A.]
Dr Maurice
Bucaille, an eminent medical scientist of France converted
to Islam, has written a very famous book, titled "The
Bible, the Quran and Science". During a talk on this
book , organized by Islamic Council of Europe, 1978, in London,
he narrated his experience of finding the Truth or receiving
Hidaayah (finding the Right Way), in following words: "It
was certainly not a faith in Islam that first guided my steps
but simple research for the truth. This is how I see it today.
It was mainly fact which, by the time I had finished my study,
had led me to see in the Quran a text revealed to a Prophet".
The
Quran explains various aspects of Guidance
Allah created everything and provided guidance:
20-50
Allah created everything, developed, proportioned
and guided: 87-2&3
Guidance through Revelation: 20- 123 & 124
Allah's guidance saves from fear and distress:
2-38
Success and good of individual and society: 7-42&43,
10-108
Grant of guidance and its acceptance: 92-12 to
21, 76-3, 39-23, 17-97 & 98
Guidance in the Quran: 24-35, 27-91 & 92,
27-1 & 2
Losing by not taking guidance: 10-40 to 45, 2-16
Guidance
Imbued in the Genome:Allah makes the ‘self’
(genome) and gives it order, proportion, and perfection, inorder
to stand the test of his functionality in particular circumstances
in which it has to live its life. (See 87-2&3, 32-9 and
also Foot Note 120 to 2-117 of the translation and explanation
by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.) Allah breathes into it an understanding
of piety and right conduct, distinctly clear from sin, impiety
and wrongdoing in circumstances, in which he is placed. This
is one of the most precious gifts to man. This faculty of
distinguishing between right and wrong is one of the most
important bestowments of Allah. In verses 91-1 to 6, after
mentioning six external evidences this internal evidence is
mentioned alongwith Who (Allah) perfected it. This mention
highlights it as being the greatest of all. By these various
explanations man should learn that his prosperity, success,
and salvation depend on the right functioning of his own ‘self’,
– i.e., on his keeping his own ‘self’ clean
pure as Allah made it. It also clarifies that his failure,
decline, and perdition depend on his soiling his soul by choosing
evil. Allah explained to man the two paths - good and evil:
90-10. Then, Allah provided him with capability to recognize
difference between good and evil and their consequences.
"By the
‘self' and the proportion given to it, (7)
And its enlightenment, as to
its wrong and its right- (8)
Truly, he succeeds , that purifies it, (9)
And he fails that corrupts it (10) 91-7 to 10.
The word ‘Nafs' has generally been translated
as ‘Self'. After sequencing of ‘human genome'
(mapping of all human genes, which collectively constitute
human personality and determine all clues to human behaviour),
the nearest explanation of the concept of ‘Nafs' seems
to be available perhaps, in the term ‘genome’
which, in physical terms, represents composition of the ‘Self
'. Although one word translation does not correctly convey
entire sense, all shades of meaning and connotations, yet
for the sake of brevity, we have to choose the nearest possible
term. Genome (‘Nafs') has been equipped with all necessary
stock of genes, that determine trends and tendencies in human
personality capable of sensing, sifting, and differentiating
between good and evil, and right and wrong and then taking
a decision processed through the faculties of reasoning (Qalb,
Fuaad). The two ways are shown clearly. Then it depends upon
one's own wisdom to take a decision in the right direction.
"He (Allah) grants ‘Hikmah' (Wisdom)
to whom He wills,
and he, to whom ‘Hikmah' is granted, is
indeed granted abundant good.
But none remember except men of understanding"
2-269
"Whoever goes right, then he goes right,
only for the benefit of his own ‘self ’.
And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray,
To his own loss." 17-15
"O
you who believe! Take care of your own ‘selves'.
If you follow the Guidance, no hurt can come
to you,
from those who are in error." 5-105
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