SEEKING A REMEDY BY OTHERS - Islamic Teachings in Brief [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

SEEKING A REMEDY BY
OTHERS

The underdeveloped countries of the world
that have thought of their progress and improvement in the last century,
despite the fact that they have accepted a social government, but as they
have disregarded the weaknesses of laws and have not benefited from the
power of religion, they have led a gloomy life and their environment has
become a model of savagery.

On the other hand, the progressive and intelligent people
of the world who have discovered the weaknesses of laws have sought a
remedy to save them from absolute failure and have thus taken another
course of action.

These people organize the method of their education in
such a way that individuals, willingly or not, will be brought up by a
series of proper ethics, so that upon entrance into the field of activity,
they will consider the laws sacred and inviolable.

This kind of education results in the regular progress of
laws and, as a result, guarantees the prosperity of the society to a
considerable extent and saves the laws from failure.

It should be realized that there are two modes of
thinking by which a society educates itself.

(1) Thoughts and beliefs such as philanthropy,
benevolence, and compassion towards subordinates which are based upon
realism and are undoubtedly adopted from divine religions. From antiquity,
before progressive societies evolved, religion invited people towards this
mode of thinking. Consequently, the prosperity and welfare experienced in
progressive societies due to these thoughts are considered as the
blessings of religion.

(2) Useless and unreal thoughts and beliefs that have no
value except in the realm of superstition such as inculcating people with
the belief that if they suffer or get killed to save their country, their
names will be imprinted in history with golden words.

Although these superstitious thoughts render practical
results and may influence an individual to make sacrifice in the
battlefield and to destroy a large number of the enemies, their
disadvantages overshadow their advantages. This way of thinking makes man
superstitious and disrupts his instincts of realism, because for those who
disbelieve in Allah and the Day of Judgement who consider death as
inexistence and annihilation, the everlasting life and prosperity after
death has no meaning whatsoever.

Due to his Allah-granted nature and temperament, man
seeks a religion. This is because, in the course of life, he constantly
struggles to provide prosperity for himself and uses all possible means to
meet his requirements. He always seeks effective causes which are
undefeatable. On the other hand, there are no causes in the world with
permanent and undefeatable effects.

The fact that man, on the basis of his nature, demands an
undefeatable cause and seeks an indestructible refuge to which he can
connect his life and find peace of mind for his prosperity is demanded by
religion. It is only the Almighty Allah whose will can never be overcome
and subdued. Allah is free from pretext and shortcomings. The way of life
that is connected to Allah is only the religion of Islam and nothing
else.

Therefore, it can be said that man's instinctive yearning
is one of the best reasons. that substantiate the threefold fundamentals
of religion (i.e., Tawhid (monotheism), Nubuwwah
(prophethood) and Ma'ad (resurrection), because man's instinctive
perception which is an inherent part of his particular framework never
makes a mistake. For example, man never mistakes the meaning of friendship
for that of animosity. Nor does he mistake the feeling of thirst in his
own natural perception for being quenched.

It is true that man sometimes desires to have feathers in
order to fly as a bird or to be in the sky like a star, but he,
wholeheartedly and earnestly, seeks a real support for his happiness, an
absolute comfort, or a completely humanitarian life. As long as man lives,
he will never give up this idea. If an undefeatable cause (Allah) did not
exist in the world of existence, man would not have thought of it with his
immaculate nature. If an absolute and unparalleled peace and tranquillity
(which is the peace and tranquillity of the world Hereafter) did not exist
and if the religious policy (sent to us through prophetic mission) was not
legitimate, then this desire would not have been engraved on man's
mind.

A
RESUME OF THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS

In conducting a brief investigation on the
origination of religions, the most confident approach that can be depended
upon from a religious point of view is the Holy Qur'an, because it is free
from errors, mistakes, prejudice, and spitefulness. The Holy Qur'an states
this briefly by saying:

"Surely the (true) religion with Allah is
Islam...(3:19)."

The divine religion, which is the very religion of Islam
has accompanied man from the first day that he came into existence. As
stipulated by the Holy Qur'an, the present generation of man originates
from one man and one woman. In the Holy Qur'an, the man has been called
Adam. He was a prophet to whom divine wahy (divine revelations) had
been descended. Adam's religion was. very simple and included a few
general regulations such as the people should remember Allah and should be
kind to each other and specifically to their parents and should keep aloof
from corruption, murder, and evil acts.

After Adam and his wife, their children spent their lives
with extreme simplicity and without differences of opinion. As the number
of people increased, they gradually gathered together and formed a
community life. In this manner, they learned how to live and came closer
to civilization. As the number of people proliferated little by little,
they divided themselves into different tribes, in each of which there were
noblemen whom the people respected. Even after the demise of these nobles,
the people made their statues and paid tribute to them. It was exactly at
this time that idolatry became prevalent, and as it is cited by religious
leaders, idolatry originated in this way. The history of idolatry confirms
this matter as well. Little by little, as a result of the unjust behaviour
of the mighty towards the weak, differences of opinion sprang up. These
disagreements and accidental differences of opinion resulted in various
forms of conflicts in life.

The generation of these conflicts that led to man's
deviation from the path of prosperity towards misery and destruction was
the reason that Compassionate Allah assigned prophets and sent a Divine
Book that settled man's differences. As the Almighty Allah states:

"(All) people are a single nation; so Allah raised
prophets as bearers of good news and as warners, and He revealed with them
the Book with truth, that it might judge between people in that which they
differed... (2:213)."

THE RELIGION OF
ISLAM

The holy religion of Islam is the last divine
religion, and for this reason it is the most perfect of them all. With the
advent of this religion, the former religions were abolished, for by
having a perfect religion, there is no need for an imperfect one.

The religion of Islam was sent down to man through our
Honourable Prophet, Muhammad (SA). This door of salvation and prosperity
was opened to mankind at a time when human societies had passed through
the periods of immaturity and mental incapacity and had become prepared to
gain their ideal perfection and acquired the capability to gain knowledge
in divine and sublime matters along with their application.

Therefore, Islam has introduced facts and teachings
suitable to the understanding of a realistic man as well as praiseworthy
ethics that distinguish men, has provided instructions that reform
individual and social aspects of man's life, and has also recommended the
observance of these factors.

For this reason, the religion of Islam is a universal and
eternal religion. It consists of a series of religious tenets and
practical and moral provisions, the application of which, ensures man's
welfare and happiness in this world and the Akhirah (the world
Hereafter). The regulations of Islam are such as to bring about the best
conditions of life and the most progressive human transcendency for
individuals and societies observing them.

Islam grants its excellent advantages to all people and
societies equally. Adults and children, the wise and the ignorant, men and
women, the white and the black, easterners and westerners can, without
exception, enjoy the benefits and advantages of this holy religion to
attain their needs in the best and the most perfect manner possible. This
is due to the fact that Islam has established its teachings and
regulations on the basis of creation and has considered man's needs and
tries to settle them. The nature and structure of all men are identical
even if they belong to different races and generations. It is evident that
human society, from east to west, is regarded as a typical family, that is
to say, the members of society are all human. The adults and children, men
and women, the wise and the ignorant, the white and the black,... are
members of this family. They all share the same principles and foundations
of human characteristics. The needs of various individuals and different
races are the same. Posterities are also descendants of this very family
and will definitely inherit their requirements.

Consequently, Islam is the religion which fulfils the
actual and natural needs of man. Islam is adequate for everyone and will
survive for ever.

Thus, the Almighty Allah calls Islam a human
nature-inspired religion and invites people to keep human nature alive.
Theologians have stated that Islam is an easy religion which does not
treat man with severity.

THE
IMPORTANCE ISLAM ATTACHESTO
MAN'S COMFORT

Just as religion possesses an excellent position in
regard to other social policies, Islam, too, enjoys an excellent position
among other religions. Thus, Islam is more advantageous than other
policies for human societies. This fact is clarified by comparing Islam
with other religions and social policies.

COMPARISON OF ISLAM WITH OTHER

RELIGIONS

Among all religions, Islam is the only one that is
entirely social. The teachings of Islam are not similar to those of the
present-day Christianity which only takes into consideration people's
happiness in the world Hereafter and ignores their worldly happiness. The
teachings of Islam are neither like the present religion of Judaism that
only endeavours to educate a particular nation. The teachings of Islam,
unlike the instructions set forth by Magus and some other religions, have
not focussed on only a few limited subjects relating to ethics and
actions.

Islam has considered education and prosperity necessary
for this world and the world Hereafter for everybody and for ever at any
time and place. Evidently, except Islam, there is no other means for
reforming societies and providing the people with happiness in this world
and the world Hereafter. First, since the global relations are getting
closer and stronger day by day, the reformation of one society or nation
from among all human societies will be fruitless and, in fact, it
resembles the purification of a drop of water in a contaminated large pool
or a river. Second, only the rectification of a particular society at the
expense of neglecting other societies is contrary to the fact of seeking
reformation. All ideas and thoughts about the creation of the world and
man that may be reflected in man's mind, all ethics that can be implanted
in the souls of people, and all actions and endeavours that may appear in
man's environment have been examined in the teachings of Islam.

However, in Islam , realistic thoughts, on top of which
is the Oneness of the Almighty Allah, have been selected and considered as
the basis and foundation of religion.

In the ethics of Islam, that which is in fact approved by
sound judgement has been chosen and based on the principle of
monotheism.

Then, on the basis and principle of ethics, a series of
provisions and practical laws that examine the details of man's life have
been explained and, as a result, individual and social duties of black and
white, urban and nomadic, man and woman, young and old, servant and
master, king and the subject, rich and poor, have been clarified under
ordinary or exceptional circumstances.

"... Of a good word (being) like a good tree, the root
of which is firm and the branches of which are in heaven (14:24)."

Anyone, who enquires into the basic principles of
intuitive knowledge and ethical teachings of Islam and Islamic
jurisprudence, will find them like a boundless sea which renders the
wisdom helpless for comprehending and thought for reaching its depth.
Nevertheless, every part of Islam is linked with other parts and all parts
constitute an organized unit of theism and human fostering, revealed by
the Almighty Allah to His honourable Prophet.

COMPARISON OF
ISLAM WITH

OTHERSOCIAL
SYSTEMS

By careful examination of the policies of the
developed societies of the world, we realize that although the scientific
and industrial development of these societies has dazzled man's wisdom,
even though their power and strength has reached the moon and Mars, and in
spite of the fact that the illuminating institutions of their countries
have astonished man, these advanced policies, with their praiseworthy
progress, have opened up the gates of misery to the world of humanity.
They have also devastated the world twice in less than a quarter of a
century and have annihilated millions of innocent people. At present, too,
the third world war, which carries the message of man's annihilation,
threatens the inhabitants of the earth.

From the first day of their development, these very
policies have put other nations under the yoke of servitude by the name of
philanthropy and freedom. They have tied down the four huge continents of
the world with colonization and have surrendered them unconditionally to
Europe, thus providing the small minority of Europe with absolute ruling
over the property, life, and dignity of millions of innocent people.

It cannot be denied that the advanced countries enjoy the
material pleasures and blessings of their milieu and have attained most of
their humanitarian goals such as social justice and cultural and
industrial progress, but they have been entangled with misery and
wretchedness, the most important of which are international conflicts and
universal bloodshed. They also expose the world to more sinister and
bitter calamities than before.

It is self-evident that all these are the bitter and
sweet fruits of the tree of civilization and the direct results of the way
of living of these nations and societies that are superficially on the
path of progress.

But it must be realized that the sweet fruits, from which
man and society have benefited, originated from a series of praiseworthy
ethics such as truthfulness, honesty, conscientiousness, benevolence, and
self-sacrifice of these nations and not of their laws only. This is
because although the same laws exist in undeveloped nations of Asia and
Africa, their misery and humility augments day by day.

The bitter fruits of this tree, however, which have
unpleasantly given their acrid flavour to man and have caused misery and
wretchedness and have led the advanced nations, like others, to total
destruction, originate from indecent behaviours such as greed, injustice,
atrocity, selfishness, vanity, and stubbornness.

If we consider the instructions of the holy religion of
Islam, we come to the realization that Islam orders the performance of the
first part of these attributes and prohibits the second part. As a whole,
Islam has invited man to perform any righteous and correct act suitable to
man's interests and has placed this policy as the basis of its education.
On the other hand, Islam warns man of committing any unrighteous and
incorrect act which disrupt man's tranquillity (although it may benefit a
particular nation or people).

From what has been expressed, the following conclusion
can be drawn:

(1) The policies set forth by Islam are more praiseworthy
and beneficial for man than any other social policy.

"...That is the right religion, but most people do not
know (30:30)."

(2) The clear points and sweet fruits of the present
civilized world are entirely due to the blessings of the immaculate
religion of Islam and the living examples of its holy principles and
tenets and living signs that have fallen into the hands of westerners.
Centuries before the signs of western civilization appeared, Islam had
invited people to follow the same ethics by the application of which
westerners outpaced us.

Before his martyrdom, the Leader of the Faithful, 'Ali
(AS), stated to the people: "Do not act in such a way that others may
outpace you in practising the decrees of the Qur'an."

(3) According to the instructions of Islam, ethics must
be considered as man's essential objective and the cornerstone of laws.
Disregarding decent ethics and establishing laws only to meet the
materialistic interests of people will only focus their attention on
materialism and will deprive them of spiritualism which is the only mark
of distinction of man over animals. It will replace spiritualism with
brutality, as in wolves and tigers, and with docility as in cows and
sheep. Therefore, the Holy Prophet (SA) stated:

"My main objective is the moral education of people."