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It mentions the spiritual effects of prayer, and
states how the prayer can edify man. It explains that it is on account
of this exaltation that man can dissociate himself from indecencies. Elsewhere,
after laying down rules for observing the fast, the Qur'an explains the
rationale for its command:
Prescribed for you is the Fast, even as it was
prescribed for those that were before you --haply you will be God-fearing.
(2:183)
Similarly, with respect to other commandments
like those regarding zakat (alms) and jihad, the Qur'an clarifies their
necessity for individual, as well as for society. In this way, the Qur'an,
not withstanding the transcendental nature of Divine commandments, clarifies
fully their worldly and terrestrial relevance, and asks men to cogitate
upon their rationale until their meaning becomes explicit, so that it may
not be imagined that these laws are based on a series of occult notions
beyond the power of human comprehension.
4. Combating Deviations of Reason
Another evidence in favour of the Qur'an's affirmation
of the authority of reason --which is more conclusive than that mentioned
above-- is the battle it launched against all those agents which obstruct
the proper functioning of reason. For clarification of this point, we are
forced to mention certain things in the way of an introduction.
The human mind can, in many cases, fall into error.
This fact is acknowledged by all of us. However, this danger is not limited
to the intellect alone, but can equally befall the senses, and feelings
as well. Just for the sense of vision, scores of visual errors and optical
illusions have been pointed out. In the case of reason, too, there are
times when people frame an argument and rationale and draw an inference
on its basis, but later on they realize that the basis of their conclusion
was erroneous. Here the question arises, whether the faculty of reason
should be suspended on account of its occasional failures, or whether we
should employ other means for discovering the errors of the intellect and
seek to avoid such errors. In answering this question, the Sophists said
that reason should not be relied upon, and that, basically, argumentation
and reasoning is an absurd practice. Other philosophers have given a fitting
reply to the Sophists, and said that though the senses can also err like
reason, but no one has ever recommended their suspension. Since it was
not possible to discard reason, the philosophers resolved to find ways
of making reason secure from error. During their efforts in this regard,
they discovered that all arguments consist of two parts, namely, matter
and form. Like a building which has various ingredients in its construction,
like, lime, cement, steel, etc. (matter), to acquire a specific structure
(form). In order to attain the permanence and perfection of its construction,
it is essential to procure proper material as well as to draw a perfect
and faultless plan. For the correctness and accuracy of an argument, too,
it is essential that its content and form be both free of error and defect.
For judging the validity of the form of any argument, the Aristotelian
or formal logic came into existence. The function of formal logic is to
determine the accuracy or inaccuracy of the form of an argument, and help
the mind to avoid errors in the process of reasoning.
But the major problem that remains is that solely
formal logic is inadequate for this purpose, because it cannot alone guarantee
the validity of an argument. It can give assurance about one aspect alone.
To obtain the perfection of the material aspect, the use of material logic
is also essential, that is, we need certain criteria for controlling the
quality of the rational material.
Thinkers like Bacon and Descartes strove hard
to evolve some kind of material logic similar to the formal logic of Aristotle,
which was devised for formal reasoning. They did obtain certain criteria
in this regard, though they are not as universal as those of Aristotelian
logic, but are, to a limited extent, helpful in preventing the mind from
committing errors in reasoning. Some may be surprised to know that the
Qur'an has presented such principles for the prevention of any lapses in
the process of reasoning, which surpass in merit and precedence the efforts
of philosophers like Descartes and others.
The Qur'anic Viewpoint
Regarding the Sources of Error
Among various sources of error mentioned by the
Qur'an, one is that of taking conjecture and hypothesis for certainty and
conviction. If a person were to adhere to the principle of putting conviction
only in certainties and of not confusing between conjectures and certainties,
he would not fall into error. The Qur'an lays great emphasis on this problem,
and has clearly stated in one place that one of the biggest errors of the
human mind is pursuit of conjectures and hypotheses. In another verse,
which is addressed to the Prophet (S), the Qur'an says:
If thou obeyest the most part of those on earth,
they will lead thee astray from the path of God: they follow only surmise,
merely conjecturing. (6:116)
In another verse, the Qur'an says:
And pursue not that thou has no knowledge of ...
(17:36)
This is the word of caution to mankind extended
by the Qur'an, for the first time in the history of human ideas, warning
mankind against this kind of error.
The second source of error in the reasoning process,
which is particularly relevant in social issues, is imitation. Most people
are such that they accept whatever beliefs that are current in their society.
They adopt certain beliefs merely for the reason that they were followed
by their preceding generation. The Qur'an bids people to carefully scrutinize
all ideas and judge them by the criteria of reason --neither to follow
blindly the conventional beliefs and traditions of their ancestors, nor
to reject them totally without any rational justification. It reminds us
that there are many false doctrines that were introduced in the past, but
were accepted by the people, and there are also certain truths that were
presented in the distant past, but people resisted them on account of their
ignorance. In accepting any ideas or principles, men are advised to make
use of their intellects and rational faculties, and not to indulge in blind
imitation. Very often, the Qur'an puts imitation of ancestors in direct
opposition to reason and intellect:
And when it is said to them: 'Follow what God
has sent down', they say, 'No; but we will follow such things as we found
our fathers doing.' What? Even if their fathers had no understanding of
anything, and if they were not guided ? (2:170)
The Qur'an constantly reiterates the view that
the idea of antiquity of an idea is neither the evidence of its falsity,
nor is it a testimony of its truthfulness. Antiquity affects material objects;
but the eternal truths of existence never become old and outmoded. Truths
like:
God changes not what is in a people, until they
change what is in themselves ... (13:11)
are true for ever and ever. The Qur'an asks us
to face issues with the weapon of reason and intellect. One should neither
forsake a belief for fear of becoming the target of others' ridicule and
banter, nor should he accept a belief just because it is upheld by some
important and well- known persons. We should ourselves study and investigate
the roots of all matters and draw our own conclusions.
A Third effective source of error pointed out
by the Qur'an is
Selfish motives tarnish virtue and merit,
A cascade of curtains gallops from the heart
towards vision.
Unless one maintains objectivity and neutrality
in every matter, he is unlikely to think correctly. Reason can function
properly only in an atmosphere that is free of selfish desires and motives.
A well-known anecdote of al-Allamah al-Hilli, can illustrate this point.
A problem of fiqh was put before al-Allamah al-Hilli:
If an animal falls inside a well, and the carcass cannot be removed; what
should be done with the well? Incidentally, during the same days, an animal
happened to fall into the well in his own house, and it became inevitable
for him to deduce an injunction to solve his own problem, too There were
two possible ways to solve the issue: Firstly, the well should be totally
closed, not to be used again; secondly, a fixed quantity of water should
be emptied from the well and the rest of well's water would be clean and
usable. The 'Allamah realized that he could not give a completely impartial
verdict about the problem without interference from his own personal interest.
Accordingly, he ordered his own well be closed. Then, with an easy mind,
free of the pressure of selfish motives. he turned to deducing the details
of verdict in the second case.
The Qur'an contains a large number of warnings
regarding the evil of submission to personal desires. The following is
just one instance of it:
They follow nothing except conjecture, and what
the self desires ... (53:25)
Qur'anic Outlook Regarding the "Heart"
Perhaps I need not explain here that in the language
of literature and mysticism the term heart does not mean the organ situated
in the left side of the human body, which pumps blood into the blood vessels.
What is implied is the sublime and distinguishing faculty of the human
soul, as can be readily understood from the following examples from the
Qur'an and verses of Sa'di:
Surely in that there is a reminder to him who
has a heart ... (50:37)
My heart was alarmed
[on sensing the coming danger],
While I, a thoughtless dervish,
Do not know what
this wandering prey has come across.
These two examples make it obvious that the connoted
meaning of the heart is quite different from the bodily organ. Elsewhere,
the Qur'an refers to the ailments of the heart:
In their hearts is a sickness, and God has increased
that sickness ... (2:10)
To cure this sickness is beyond the powers of
any man of medicine, even the heart specialist; only the doctors of the
spirit can diagnose such diseases and suggest proper remedies.
Definition of the Heart
What is the definition of this heart then? An
answer to this question is to be sought in the reality of human existence.
Every human being, although he is a single individual, possesses myriads
of existential dimensions. The human "self" encompasses myriads of thoughts,
desires, fears, hopes and inclinations. Like the ocean which links all
rivers with one another, all these components of the human personality
are related to the same center, which unites them with one another. The
"self" itself is the deep and unfathomable ocean, whose depths no one can
claim to have charted out and to have discovered all its mysteries. Philosophers
mystics, and psychologists --each of them has tried in his own specific
way to explore its depths, and has succeeded only to a certain degree in
discovering its secrets. Perhaps the mystics, a bit more than others, have
been successful in this regard. What the Qur'an refers to as the heart,
is the reality of that ocean, which includes all that we name as the manifestations
of the soul, to which all its rivers and tributaries are connected. Even
reason is one of the various rivers associated with this sea.
In places where the Qur'an speaks of revelation,
it does not make any mention of reason; rather it is merely concerned with
the heart of the Prophet (S). This does not mean an absence of rational
and demonstrative reception of the Holy Qur'an on the part of the Prophet,
but it was his heart which, in a state that we cannot imagine, obtained
the direct experience and awareness of those transcendental realities.
The verses of Suurat al-Najm and Suurat al-Takwir describe the state of
this union to some extent:
Nor speaks he out of caprice. This is naught but
a revelation revealed taught him by one terrible in power, very strong;
he stood poised, being on the higher horizon, then drew near and approached
nearer, two bow's length away, or nearer, then revealed to His servant
that He revealed. His heart lies not of what he saw. (53:3-11)
The Qur'an mentions all these things to show that
these matters are basically beyond the range of rational understanding.
Truly this is the word of a noble messenger having
power, of honoured place with the Lord of the Throne, obeyed, moreover
trusty. Your companion is not possessed; he truly saw him on the clear
horizon; he is not niggardly of the Unseen. (81:19-23)
Muhammad Iqbal offers a fine interpretation of
this subject. He says that the prophet is one who, at first, imbibes the
entire truth, and later on, in order to enrich the world and to alter the
course of history, communicates everything that has reached him by the
way of Revelation.
Wherever the Qur'an speaks of the revelation and
the heart, al- though its import transcends the limits of reason and thought,
its speech is not irrational or anti-rational. It expounds a vision which
surpasses human reason and sensibility, and enters a domain which is, basically,
beyond reason and intellect.
Characteristics of the Heart
The Qur'an regards the heart, also, as an instrument
of understanding. In fact, the greater part of the Qur'anic message is
addressed to the human heart --a message which is audible to the ears of
the heart alone, and is inscrutable to other receptive faculties. Accordingly,
it attaches great importance to the care, protection, and development of
this instrument. In the Qur'an, we recurrently come across such notions
as purification of the self, purity and enlightenment of the heart, and
purification of the heart:
Prosperous is he who purifies it [the self]. (91:9)
No indeed; but that they were earning has overwhelmed
their hearts. (83:14)
And about the salvation and enlightening of the
heart, the Qur'an says:
If you fear God, He will assign you [the capacity
of] distinguishing ...(8:29)
But those who struggle in Our [cause], surely
We shall guide them in Our ways... (29:69)
Contrarily, the Qur'an recurrently reminds that
indecencies infect and darken the human soul, and deprive the human heart
of sublime inclinations and virtuous tendencies. At one place, speaking
on behalf of the believers, it says:
