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Chapter 12

Man

Man

The scholastic
philosophy gave the place of man to a God conceived by the medieval Church,
which was inspired by the ancient Greek views in respect of their gods and
mixed this conception with some religious myths. The Greek gods had a hostile relation
with man and were considered to be apprehensive of man's gaining access to the
Holy Fire and acquiring knowledge and power. They regarded man as their rival
on the earth, who should be checked by any means possible.

The lords of the
species, which were believed to be controlling the forces of nature were
afraid lest man should overcome these forces and should subdue nature.

The story of Adam's
Paradise was depicted as an attempt by God to keep man ignorant. The Forbidden
Tree of which man was not supposed to eat, was represented as the tree of
knowledge which man should not approach so that he might not rise in rivalry
with God.

Furthermore, Adam's
disobedience was believed to be an eternal sin and a total depravity of human
nature. At last for the salvation of man and his deliverance from his original
sin, God Himself had to appear in the body of Jesus Christ through the Holy
Ghost. Thus spirituality became the speciality of the successors of Jesus and
the churchmen.

From this point of
view man is a despicable sinner. Only the ecclesiastical ministers deserve
divine blessing. The key of the hidden treasures being in their hand, one must
approach them for one's salvation.

Knowledge became
confined to the Christian doctrines and all intellectual faculties were devoted
to the discussion and interpretation of the religious texts. Virtue lay in the
attachment to the organization of the established church.

Man believed to be
deprived of divine grace, became a captive in the hand of the custodians of the
sanctuary of the son of God. As he had lost everything, man was compelled to
surrender himself submissively. In this process what totally disappeared was
his self‑respect. This was the position of man in the West prior to
Renaissance.

Appearance of New
Humanism

Naturally this situation had a reaction. Renaissance began
as a revolt against the existing conception of God and brought about the re‑birth
of man. Humanism took roots in a new form and tried to emancipate man from the
bondage of the God which was imposed on him. But alas! The emancipated man was
put into the clutches of new human gods and was placed under a new bondage,
that is to say mechanism, expansion and diversification of consumption and a
race of exploitation and making profit.

The way of thinking was freed from the shackles of medieval
doctrines. Sciences flourished, but they all were harnessed to serve the cause
of the enhancement of production and exploitation.

As all restraints were removed and stress was laid on
complete freedom, man was given to libertinism and permissiveness and his life
became meaningless (as is the case with Western Liberalism).

Again man' has been forgotten, and the question still
remains: What is man? What should he be? What should he do to remain a man and
attain human perfection?

Man from the Qur'anic
point of view

The story of Adam as portrayed in the Qur'an shows that in
the course of his material development and physiological changes, [4] man
reached a stage where he obtained a new birth [5] with the infusion of the
Divine spirit. [6] Then in the course of his normal development, he suddenly
experienced a divine change as the result of which he was transformed into such
a super being [7] that even the angels were asked to pay obeisance [8] and the
world forces were made subservient, to him.

The Forbidden Tree of Paradise is not that of knowledge
which should not be approached, but it is a tree of lust which should be
controlled. It is a means by which man tests his will‑power and the power
of self‑control. Even man's disobedience is a symbol of the freedom
granted to him by Allah.

To have access to knowledge' is not forbidden to him: In
fact, it is a gift with which he has been especially blessed. Allah taught him
that which none else knew. [9] Knowledge is one of the factors by which man
gained superiority over the angels. [10]

Even Adam's expulsion from Paradise was a forerunner of a
sort of self‑sufficiency, the blooming of his talents and the beginning
of his creative struggle. [11] It was a stage preliminary to his self‑making.
Though fall' came in the wake of disobedience, but it did not culminate in
condemnation and permanent contempt. As the result of seeking forgiveness and
attaining self‑consciousness, it became a matter of blessing. [12]

Man's relation with Allah is not that of hostility or
rivalry, for Allah is Self‑sufficient and All‑powerful. Even if all
men disobey him, He is going to lose nothing. [13] He is far away from jealousy
and any kind of anxiety. Therefore man cannot place any restraint on Him
through his disobedience. Man's disobedience is only a manifestation of his
free will and power of choice granted to him by Allah.

Allah appointed man as His vicegerent on the earth, [14]
that is to say, He gave him authority and power. Not only that, whatever man
could use and could control in the heavens was also subdued to him. [15]

Allah is not apprehensive of man. He urges him to settle on
the earth [16] and make use of all the forces hidden in its mountains and
plains. [17]

Man's domination over land and sea and his control of them
is one of the requirements of his dignity. [18]

According to the Qur'an man is neither a predestined being
[19] nor has he been given a free reign to pass an aimless life. [20]

He has been endowed with many capabilities, dispositions and
motives accompanied by a sort of inner direction [21] and innate guidance [22]
which, if not corrupted, will lead him to truth, knowledge, [23] and all stages
of creative skills, including those of new discoveries based on previous
experience, those of the invention of new tools and equipment for the expansion
of his control of nature and those of increasing his efficiency in overcoming
any hurdles which he may have to face.

Besides that, man is also the bearer of the Divine trust'
[24] representing consciousness, will and power of choice, which are the symbol
of his humanity and make him a responsible being. This Divine trust is that
magnificent gift of Allah, which the heavens, the earth and the mountains were
not competent enough to accept. Only man could bear the responsibility of
having the power of conscious choice and free will.

Range of Man's Choice and Will

In order to know the conditions, limits and the field of
man's choice, to ascertain the effects of this power on him, and to find out
what factors influence his way of thinking, we must take the following points
into consideration:

(1) Innate nature of man and his disposition

Man has many motives and instincts which pull him towards
themselves. Some of his instincts are derived from a material source, and some
others from a Divine spirit.

You may call these instincts propensity, disposition, natural
urge, tendency or inclination. Some most important of these instincts are as
under:

a. Inclination towards and need of food, clothing and
shelter;

b. The instinct of self‑defense;

c. Sexual urge;

d. Aesthetic sense;

e. The instinct of gaining position and respect;

f. The instinct of seeking truth and liking it;

g. Love of knowledge;

h. Love of justice;

i. Fellow‑feeling;

j. Love of perfection and a desire to seek it.

Such instincts and urges are interwoven with the innate
nature of man, [25] and hence they are not transient and acquired. But still
their existence does not mean that man is a captive of them. These instincts
only bring about a sort of inclination and attraction. They work as a motive
force, but they do not tie the hands of man. Man has the power to follow or not
to follow them. It is within his power to satisfy his instinctive desires or to
restrain them, to supervise and guide them or to change their direction.