Preface

For a long time, no extensive study or research was undertaken regarding the Qur’an and Sunnah, the great sources of the Ummah’s strength, purity, knowledge, and inspiration. By exceeding their own boundaries in various fields, or by excessively discussing and reviewing one or two branches of their multifaceted subjects, grave injustice has been done to the vast potential of the source of the eternal spring; on the other hand, the Ummah, and indeed the entire world, has been deprived of their broad usefulness.

Today, as the Ummah becomes increasingly conscious of its own problems, latent abilities, and aspirations in the context of reviving its leading role in the development of history and civilization, drawing water from that spring has become more timely and urgent. Revisiting these two sources is by no means outdated, excessively theoretical, an indulgence in memories of the past, or an escapist mentality. Rather, as in any great voyage of discovery, this endeavor may also involve various challenges and possible obstacles; yet, if one advances with firm resolve, there is no likelihood of returning empty-handed and empty-minded, by the grace and mercy of the Almighty, the guiding light of all travelers.

Indeed, its rewards are without limit. A better understanding of humanity’s latent potential and God’s plan; the revival of a balanced, active, and purposeful life; and the restoration of dignity, peace, and harmony—not only for the Ummah but for the entire world, which has repeatedly been led astray by false ideals and concepts.

The reality is that the brighter chapters of the Qur’an and Sunnah, through an exploration of the past (research and review), will create greater awareness of the dynamics of social and historical change and of humanity’s role on earth, and will sharpen and invigorate Muslims’ ability to meet the demands of the present and the challenges of the future. In this exploration, within the relevant human and relative spheres, we will be brought closer to Muslims and human society and, at a higher level—the highest level—to the Creator, the focal point of all life and endeavor.

In the first article of this book, Dr. Taha Jabir al-Alwani explains the Qur’an, revealed and protected by Allah, as a source of knowledge. It is a source from which benefit can be gained only through study. Dr. al-Alwani argues that there are two stages in studying the Qur’an. The first stage concerns the practice of spiritual excellence. The second calls upon human beings, as caliphs, to study the universe in order to undertake practical activity on earth. The welfare of this world and the Hereafter lies in carrying out both studies together and maintaining balance between them.

Earlier Muslims mainly focused on various aspects of the Qur’an and the Day of Resurrection, and regarded the revealed Revelation as a source of fiqh and laws. This limited study of the Qur’an suppressed, for a long time, the incentive to determine its usefulness in the context of place and time. For this reason, Dr. al-Alwani has emphasized a new perspective through which the Qur’an may be understood in a sound manner.

Similarly, Dr. al-Alwani’s second article, “Sound Study of the Sunnah,” will facilitate understanding the purpose of Hazrat Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) being a Messenger and make possible the rational implementation of the spirit of the Sunnah in accordance with the practical demands of our time and place.

In his article on the relationship between the Qur’an and science, Dr. Imad al-Din Khalil says that the Qur’an is not a textbook of science, but that it contains extensive scientific data in the form of pure scientific facts or guidance. In his view, to make use of this scientific data, the Qur’an presents a flexible and comprehensive method (system)—one that will not be subject to changes in place and time and will remain effective in every age and environment.

In recent years, advice has been offered from Islamic and other perspectives concerning a new study of the Qur’an and Sunnah. In this book, two renowned Muslim thinkers, Dr. al-Alwani and Dr. Khalil, present their views on a sound approach to these sources within an Islamic framework.

Dr. A. S. al-Sheikh Ali

Rashid Mas’udi

The Qur’an as the Primary Source of Knowledge

Dr. Taha Jabir al-Alwani

Islam, the final religion, is forgiveness, light, guidance, and a remedy for all created beings. “We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds” (Qur’an 21:107).

This message and its Book, the Qur’an, will always guide humanity and remain protected from every kind of deviation and distortion. The Almighty Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) [Subhanahu wa Ta’ala: May Allah’s praise and sovereignty remain inviolate. This expression is used when referring to Allah.] has said: “Falsehood cannot approach it, from before it or from behind it. It is a revelation from One who is All-Wise, Praiseworthy” (41:42).

The Holy Qur’an is the Book of Almighty Allah, revealed to humanity as guidance through Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him), the final Prophet (the Seal of the Prophets) [Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam: May Allah’s peace and mercy be upon the Prophet. This blessing is recited when the name of Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) is mentioned]. Indeed, there is no prophet after Muhammad (peace be upon him), and no Revelation will come after the Qur’an.

Prophets were sent successively until Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him). Prophets and Messengers were sent to every nation in its own language and in a manner suited to it. Undoubtedly, the prophets responded with the greatest attention to the needs of humanity.

There was no tribe or nation in the past to which a prophet or messenger was not sent (35:24).

Whenever We sent a Messenger, he conveyed the message in the language of his own people’s nation, so that he might explain it clearly to them (14:24).

In the missions of earlier prophets, divine signs and physical miracles were shown. The purpose was to astound people and encourage them to accept Allah’s Word. For example, one prophet would raise a mountain above his people to provide them shade; after parting the sea, his people would pass along a dry path between the two bodies of water; when a staff was thrown, it would turn into a snake; or when a hand was placed in a pocket and then brought out again, it would shine without causing any harm. Another prophet was given a miraculous she-camel as a symbol and sign. A third prophet could bring the dead to life and heal the blind and the lepers. When people still did not believe in the prophet after seeing these signs and miracles, they were taught through punishment and destruction. However, Allah the Exalted honored the Muslim Ummah and protected it from destruction.

When the unbelievers of Mecca demanded that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) make water gush forcefully from a spring for them, climb to heaven by means of a ladder, or possess a gold-plated house, Allah did not respond to their demands. They also questioned how a prophet could be a human being.

And they say, “What kind of messenger is this who eats food and walks through the marketplaces? Why has an angel not been sent down to him to accompany him and warn people? Or why has a treasure not been bestowed upon him, or a garden from which he could eat?” And the wrongdoers say, “You are only following a bewitched man” (25:7–8).

We have explained this Qur’an to the people in various ways, but most people persisted in disbelief (17:89).

They said, “We will never believe you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us; or until you have a garden of date palms and grapes and cause streams to flow through it; or until you cause the sky to fall upon us in fragments, as you claim; or bring Allah and the angels before us face to face; or have a house of gold; or ascend to heaven—and we will not believe your ascension until you bring down for us a book that we can read.” O Muhammad, say, “Glory be to my Lord! Am I anything but a human messenger?”

Whenever guidance came before the people, nothing prevented them from believing in it.

What prevented them was only their saying, “Has Allah sent a human being like us as a prophet and messenger?” (17:89–94).

In the same surah, concerning the unbelievers’ demands, Allah says: “We refrained from sending signs because the earlier people denied them and rejected them. We brought the she-camel as a clear sign, but they wronged her. We send signs only to make people fear when they see them” (17:59).

Allah the Exalted clearly explained to Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) that the unbelievers did not reject Allah’s message merely because of a lack of clear signs and miracles; there were other reasons as well. Through Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) [Alaihis Salam: May Allah’s mercy be upon him. This prayer is recited for other prophets.] unmistakable signs and miracles were shown to Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, yet they responded with doubt and reacted just like the unbelievers of Mecca.

We gave Moses nine clear signs. Now ask the Children of Israel about it. When he came to them, Pharaoh said to him, “O Moses, I think you are bewitched” (17:101).

Allah also told Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) that this Revelation required no other prophet besides him, nor any sign or book besides the Qur’an, and that He distributed it among them in various ways so that they might learn something. Yet most people do nothing but show ingratitude. Had We wished, We could have sent a warner to every town. Therefore, never obey the unbelievers, and strive against them with it—the Qur’an—with a great struggle (25:50–52).

Through this final Revelation, people have been invited to believe in Allah’s Word by studying, listening to, and understanding the Qur’an. This is sufficient to bring about the desired change in the minds and hearts of those who eagerly wish to hear and witness the word of truth. But the obstinacy and arrogance of those whose hearts have been sealed remain as before.

Yet these people say, “Why has no sign been sent down to this man from his Lord?” Say, “The signs are only with Allah. I am only a clear warner and admonisher. Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them? Indeed, in it is mercy and admonition for people who believe” (29:50–51).

Allah the Exalted has made reading the central matter in the life of this Ummah. The first word revealed to Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) by the angel Hazrat Jibril was Iqra (Read). In response, the unlettered Prophet said, “I cannot read.” Then the angel recited to him, by Allah’s command (Word):

“Read in the name of your Lord who created—created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught humanity what it did not know” (96:1–5).

In these opening verses, concerning the response through which the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) received Revelation [Ayat: A Qur’anic verse; also used to mean a manifestation of God’s power.], there are two commands. Each has both a divine and a human aspect.

The first command is to read—that is, to receive, understand, and proclaim the revealed Revelation. The divine aspect of this command is reflected in the fact that the Qur’an is Allah’s Word and Revelation, and that He revealed it to His Prophet so that it could be conveyed to humanity completely and acceptably. The human task is to reflect upon it, remember it, understand it, and continue learning it.

Do not hasten in reciting the Qur’an until its Revelation to you is complete. And say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge” (20:114).

We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance. Is there anyone who will take heed from it? (54:17)

“O Prophet, do not move your tongue hastily to memorize this Revelation. It is Our responsibility to make you memorize it and enable you to recite it” (75:16–17).

Thus, Allah’s responsibility is to reveal, send, collect, and preserve; the human task is to read, learn, and teach so that the spirit may become purified and cleansed. Then, as caliphs, they can fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to them, contribute to the building of civilization, and employ the necessary elements to produce the best people among humanity:

It is He who sent among the unlettered a messenger from among themselves, reciting His verses to them (62:2).

The second revelation concerning study emphasizes human society’s observation of the universe and understanding the meaning of its various elements and resources. Allah created all of these, and His oneness is clearly manifested in them. Indeed, divine precedence in creation, including the creation of humanity itself, is evident. He created man from a clinging clot (96:2). Humanity’s creation from a clinging clot, and the relationship between life and death, correspond with the other signs of the divine power active in this orderly universe. The purpose is to prepare humanity to acquire knowledge and develop civilization. This is a clear proof of Allah’s mercy, and His glory is proclaimed in everyone’s voice and language. “There is nothing that does not glorify Him” (17:44). The other purpose is to understand the logic of existence and creation and the purpose of existence.

He is the One who created you from the earth and settled you in it (11:61).

I created humankind and jinn only to worship Me (51:56).

These two readings are interconnected and occur together, and they take place in the name of Allah. Moreover, their interrelationship creates a link between Allah and humanity and certainly makes clear that, as caliph (representative), humanity becomes His associate in the Great Judgment. “He is with you wherever you are” (57:4). Allah has shown such mercy to humanity that He does not leave people alone in either of these two states. Rather, this verse makes known that He Himself guides humanity:

“Read, and your Lord is Most Generous.” He taught you the use of the pen and taught you what you did not know (96:3–5).

He knows humanity’s weakness, the limitations of its capacity, and the relative smallness of its knowledge and thought.

Does He not know what He has created? He is fully aware of the most subtle secrets and thoroughly acquainted with them (67:14).

Humanity was created weak (4:28). And you have been given only a little knowledge, O people (17:85).

Thus Allah taught Adam the names of all things. He taught through the pen and taught humanity what it did not know. The purpose was to complete humanity’s first reading; He made every thing subject to humanity, commanded it to travel throughout the world, and opened the necessary avenues for observation, reflection, and understanding. He also indicated its signs so that humanity could undertake the second reading. The combination of these two readings is a prerequisite for the welfare of this world and the Hereafter. Abandoning or neglecting either reading, or creating an imbalance between them, means moving away from Allah’s Word. The tragic consequence of such a process is to make worldly life difficult and cast the life of the Hereafter into serious loss.

“Whoever turns away from My signs will have a constricted life, and We will raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection” (20:124).

In this condition, humanity will deviate from its position as caliph and witness, and accept a life of humiliation and servitude.

Those who reject God will enjoy themselves in this world and eat like cattle. And Hell will be their abode (47:12).

They are like cattle—rather, even more astray—because they are utterly heedless of the warning (7:179).

By becoming excessively attached to the first reading without giving sufficient attention to the second, a reader may acquire many interpretations and analyses that can be highly beneficial to his ideas and consciousness. At the same time, this may lead him into a kind of spiritual stagnation and cause him to become absorbed in matters unrelated to his needs and responsibilities as caliph and bearer of civilization. This may be accepted or considered reasonable at a limited personal level, but if it occurs on the broad scale of the Ummah, or is adopted as part of the way of life, it will be extremely dangerous. For it will cause human values to be neglected and rejected. Consequently, a person may adopt a distorted view of the philosophy of individual life and of humanity’s role in the world as a human being. This may reach the point where he regards his very existence on earth as a burden and, hoping for success on the Day of Resurrection, attempts to withdraw from his responsibilities through extreme asceticism.

Some Characteristics of the Qur’an

The Holy Qur’an was revealed gradually, so that, at the time of revelation, people’s hearts and minds could receive, understand, and reflect upon it. It was therefore revealed in connection with particular situations and circumstances. As a result, ordinary people could understand it, and the words, meanings, commands, and instructions of the Qur’an became firmly rooted in their hearts and minds. Their hearts then opened to receive it, their minds understood it, and their mentality was elevated. Their entire lives responded to it and were transformed into lives of contentment and purity.

Thus, the Holy Qur’an can be a guide, a proof, and a reliable source for the earliest age as well as for later ages.

They say, “Why was the entire Qur’an not revealed to this man all at once?”—Yes, it was revealed in this manner so that We could firmly establish it in your mind, and for this purpose We arranged it in distinct portions according to a special order (25:32).

And We have revealed the Qur’an in stages so that you may recite it to the people, and We have revealed it gradually (17:106).

The Holy Qur’an was revealed as a challenge and a miracle that had a profound effect on people’s hearts, thereby illuminating their souls. In this way, the path to receiving God’s Word was opened, and they accepted it with complete dedication of body and mind.

The Holy Qur’an contains fundamental concepts, general laws, guidance, and admonition suited to all people, in every place and time and in every area of life. If it had discussed minor events and problems connected with the time of revelation, it would not have possessed the unique quality of universality across time and place, and people of later ages would have found extensive inconsistencies and incompatibilities in it. The brief accounts given of particular problems are necessarily of the same nature and ruling as the circumstances of every age, and are connected with the worship, inheritance, and history of earlier peoples and human beings. The Almighty Allah promised to preserve the Holy Qur’an and said:

Indeed, We have revealed the Qur’an, and We will surely preserve it from corruption (15:9).

The purpose behind preserving the Qur’an in its original language (and prohibiting its propagation in Arabic according to meaning and interpretation) was to ensure that this Book would remain capable, for all time, of establishing the way of life Allah has chosen for humankind. Millions upon millions of Muslims read and recite the Holy Qur’an in precisely the words and form in which it was revealed. Thus, whatever the Muslims’ ways and schools of thought may be, Muslims of every age and every country take the Qur’an as their foundation; this is one of Allah’s astonishing acts of power. For this reason, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his Companions, and the leading jurists [Faqih (plural: fuqaha): a scholar of fiqh; similarly, alim (plural: ulama) means a scholar] were firmly resolved that every letter of the Qur’an should first be fixed in people’s minds and then written down. The Tabi‘un (those who met the Companions) reported that the same practice was followed by the Companions of the Prophet. The Companions considered it prohibited to write down anything other than the Holy Qur’an. Other matters concerned practical application and its teachings. Such a situation never occurred with any religious or other book.

Regarding the meaning of the Qur’an, it may be said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) possessed the knowledge to explain every verse. Yet he did not do so. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Messenger of Allah explained a small number of verses after being taught by the angel Jibril (peace be upon him). These verses concerned the unseen and certain other matters that could be known only through revelation. Consequently, Qur’anic tafsir continued to expand, and for centuries Muslim intellectuals explored the Qur’an by various paths. Some succeeded and some did not. The Companions of the Prophet witnessed the revelation and knew the circumstances of revelation, the abrogating and abrogated verses [al-nasikh (abrogating): a Qur’anic verse whose content has been abrogated by another verse; such verses are called mansukh]. They also knew the circumstances related to these verses. Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) and Imam al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

It is erroneous, for two reasons, to assume that everything the Companions said about tafsir came from the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him). One reason is that Muhammad (peace be upon him) interpreted only a small number of verses. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) held this view. The other reason is that the Companions themselves held differing views in their interpretations of various matters; these were not reconciled, nor was everything explained by the Prophet (peace be upon him), although many may have done so. [Ibn Ashur: Shaykh Muhammad al-Tahir; Tafsir al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir, al-Dar al-Tunisiyyah, Tunis, 1984, pp. 28–29.]

The intellectual crisis caused by a limited understanding of the Holy Qur’an results in its meaning becoming confined to a particular period, or to a particular region or lineage.

In essence, the most effective way for a Muslim to draw near to God is to study the Qur’an while reflecting on its verses and meanings. Conversely, reading or studying without understanding is not commendable. The jurists agree that reading and reflecting on a small amount with understanding and contemplation is better than reading a great deal without contemplation. By contemplation here we mean reciting the verses, reviewing them, examining the passage in detail in order to know all its underlying meanings, and allowing intelligent and thoughtful people the freedom and continuity to reflect on the deeper meanings Allah has placed within them.

As a divine Book, the Qur’an is the most reliable source of every kind of knowledge and an authoritative guide for scholars of the humanities and social sciences. It contains general scientific principles and guidance that awaken and direct the human scientific spirit. Sadly, many Muslims have long held the view that the Holy Qur’an is essentially a source of the past history of various nations. Its stories are related as warnings, and it is also regarded as a repository of information about the Resurrection, the unseen, and the detailed rulings of fiqh [fiqh: Islamic knowledge through legal rules; knowledge of Islamic law; usul al-fiqh; the science of Islamic jurisprudence, namely the method of deriving laws from the sources of Islamic law and determining their scope].

They focused primarily on its poetic language, style, the powerful rhythm of Arabic, and the magical creativity of its imitable linguistic beauty. In fact, in the early period scholars largely limited their study of the Holy Qur’an’s miraculous qualities to these three matters. This can be seen in the works of al-Rummani, al-Baqillani, al-Murjani, Qadi Iyad, and other scholars. The Holy Qur’an was treated as a source of fiqh and law, limited to between two hundred and five hundred verses. The remaining verses were considered to have been sent solely for mild reproach, warning, and moral improvement. Such restrictions, however, not only confine the Qur’an’s miracle to linguistic ornamentation but also diminish encouragement to discover the matters that are renewable, applicable in every place and age, and evidence of the Qur’an’s miraculous nature.

Since we wish to create an excellent contemporary Islamic way of life with the aim of an Islamic renaissance, we must be aware that the rulings of fiqh occupy only a very small part of the Holy Qur’an’s broad scope. We must remember that Muslims should use their intellect to understand and reflect upon all the verses of the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an must be chosen as the primary source and foundation of all knowledge concerning human fitrah (natural disposition), as well as the social and applied sciences. In fact, every Muslim who specializes in any field of knowledge must turn to the Qur’an for inspiration and guidance. Conscious and thoughtful engagement with the Divine Book will help correct, expand, and reorganize one’s store of knowledge. As a result, Muslims will be able to build a true ummah of the Qur’an. Before reaching this stage, however, we must acquire several things:

The field of study concerning the miracles of the Holy Qur’an needs to be reviewed. In general, it is necessary to reconsider what additional features modern Muslims can identify in those aspects of the Qur’an commonly described as miraculous. In particular, research may include the Qur’an’s influence on human fitrah, its ability to produce the best people and the best families in any place or age, and its influence on the formation of society and nations. Muslim psychologists and sociologists may research this with interest. Likewise, Muslim applied scientists and scholars may find valuable material in the Qur’an. Muslim scholarly thinkers may investigate its miraculous nature in the ahkam through which it can establish a firm foundation for a beautiful human life and a system that is just, readily understandable, and applicable in practice.

Second, the necessity of reading the Holy Qur’an and tafsir must be reconsidered. We must move beyond the three purposes of learning about the past of countries and nations, the Resurrection, and the rulings of fiqh. There may be other essential purposes, the most important of which are:

1. To gain general guidance concerning human conduct and the sciences related to personal and social behavior and fitrah.

2. To learn the fundamental rules and guidance for reforming social and political systems, acquiring this knowledge in harmony with human and social nature, and striving to determine how this goal can be achieved. We can classify all branches of the social sciences according to the following two purposes. In this way, the Holy Qur’an becomes a reliable reference and ethical standard for scientists and scholars of every field, a reference whose content will never become outdated. Specialists in the social sciences, applied sciences, and literature will find valuable sources here for everyday counsel. This means that a Muslim must view the Holy Qur’an differently from the way it is viewed today; at present, they read the Qur’an in hope of receiving Allah’s mercy or to learn particular rulings. In this regard, we must resolve an important question concerning the two types of tafsir: al-tafsir bi al-ma’thur (interpretation based on reports from the Prophet and the Companions) and al-tafsir bi al-ra’y (interpretation through independent thought). This matter deserves attention because contemporary scholars and learned people cannot always investigate the life and practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Companions in support of their interpretations and conclusions. Consequently, personal opinion will have greater prominence in their statements. The question now arises: given the existence of the hadith collections, how can one proceed with al-tafsir bi al-ra’y? The hadith [hadith (plural: ahadith): the collective name for the sayings and actions issuing from the blessed mouth and conduct of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him). The capital H in English denotes the collection of the Messenger’s hadith. Scholars of hadith are called muhaddithun] clearly prohibits interpreting the Qur’an on the basis of personal opinion. Indeed, many Companions of the Prophet and the Tabi‘un refrained from offering any interpretation without the support of the Sunnah. Can we not, then, expect a genuine Muslim researcher to address any matter and apply his reasoning to interpret the verses of the Holy Qur’an? Of course, this is a major and delicate question. Its answer will become clear from the discussion below.

We have said that only a limited number of works of tafsir bi al-ma’thur from the Prophet exist. Therefore, reason demands that Muslim intellectuals be permitted to use reflection, contemplation, and rational inquiry to understand the Qur’anic verses:

Numerous works of tafsir have been published over the ages, and exegetes have adopted diverse approaches to explaining the meanings of the Qur’an’s rulings and other subjects. Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606 AH) said that, had he wished, he could have written books enough to load a camel in explaining Surat al-Fatihah. In fact, his tafsir of this surah was written in a huge volume. Many scholars, such as Ibn Atiyyah, al-Qurtubi, and Ibn al-Sabbagh, would derive hundreds of subjects from the meaning obtained from a single verse for examination. New questions would arise in this connection, and reflection would continue on matters related to cosmic law, forms of civilization, and so forth. For this reason, the Qur’an possesses a distinctive quality among the other revealed heavenly Books. Naturally, these matters had not previously been raised, nor had the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) explained them. To date, other scholars and learned people have not rejected this approach to interpreting the Holy Qur’an, provided that the proper conditions for tafsir are fulfilled. In Tayibi’s words, such conditional tafsir must conform to the requirements of the original wording and be free from artificiality, abnormality, verbosity, and excess [Ibn Ashur, op. cit., p. 12].

Thus, the interpretation of the Qur’an by personal opinion that the hadith prohibits in this sense falls into the following categories:

1) Interpreting through personal opinion without extensive mastery of the Arabic language and its style, the question of abrogating and abrogated verses for the purposes of the Shariah, and without attention to the occasion of revelation of the particular verse. This kind of casual tafsir is based entirely on conjecture and contributes nothing to the advancement of truth.

2) Interpreting on the basis of reflection and contemplation, while the tafsir remains defective because the exegete cannot take a comprehensive view of all matters related to the verse. In this case, the exegete relies on the apparent meaning of the verse, or on any one meaning of the subject, draws a conclusion, and assumes that the verse was revealed only with that meaning.

3) The final category is when an exegete supports the thought or opinion of a particular group and therefore seeks to interpret Qur’anic verses in support of his own opinion, without considering the meaning of the linguistic style or the occasion of revelation. The Bayaniyyah group may be cited as an example. Regarding their leader, Bayan ibn Saman al-Tamimi, they say, “This is a declaration to humanity” (3:138). The Qadianis claim that the “messenger giving good tidings who will come after me and whose name will be Ahmad” (61:6) means Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. The Batiniyyah claim that the Qur’an has an outward and an inward meaning. Muslims understand the outward meaning. As for the inward meaning, they employ it in support of superstitions collected from ancient philosophies, ancient religious beliefs, or the misleading opinions of their various leaders. So that no one could refute their arguments, the leading scholars of the ummah were unable to refute this notion and expose its purpose.

Next comes a kind of sign that is now referred to as a symbol. For example, a verse may have a symbolic meaning containing matters that are not immediately grasped by consciousness and whose meaning is not reflected in that language. Consider the following:

Who is more unjust than one who prevents the remembrance of God’s name in mosques and strives to destroy them? (2:114) Here some may claim that “mosques” means the heart, because the relationship between Allah and human beings is a relationship of the heart. Such an interpretation is completely unacceptable linguistically. However, three methods of tafsir may be acceptable:

First, restricting it to understanding the clear meaning of the words.

Second, reaching a conclusion from the clear meaning of the words. After careful reflection, learned exegetes may reach such a conclusion. Its basis must be a linguistic context consistent with customary expression, and it must not conflict with the aims and purposes of the Holy Qur’an.

Third, the exegete may use the intellectual, scientific, and cultural resources of his own age in interpreting the verse, to determine how compatible they are with the guidance of the Holy Qur’an. He may then decide how to explain the matter in light of the meaning indicated by the verse.

He grants wisdom to whomever He wills, and whoever is granted this knowledge has truly been granted a great wealth. Only those who possess understanding take instruction and admonition from these words (2:269).

When a modern Muslim economist reads Allah’s verse, “so that wealth may not circulate only among your rich” (57:7), and presents an idea about acquiring and distributing wealth and how it can best be used for the public good—an idea that Muslim scholars have never presented—he should not be opposed on the excuse that no one previously expressed such a view or that it lacks support in hadith. However, the purist Islamists (usuliyyun) [usuliyyun is disparagingly rendered as fundamentalists and inaccurately interpreted as purists. Its true meaning is “those committed to purity,” referring to those attached to the traditional interpretation of the Qur’an and Sunnah and not committed to ijtihad (see note 16)] believe that one may not arrive at any meaning beyond the basic concepts of the Arabs at the time of revelation. Their position too rests on a considered basis, but it may be examined.

Al-Shatibi, the author of al-Muwafaqat, says,

If some matters of the Shariah of the unlettered (ummiyyat al-shari‘ah) [formulated for the understanding of unlettered people] were formulated for its people—the Arabs—it is assumed that the rules are based on that. One consequence may be that many people expect the Qur’an to contain, besides ontology, logic, and semantics, all the natural sciences known to contemporary and earlier nations. But this does not accord with the principle followed previously. The honored early generations were most informed about the Holy Qur’an, its scientific character, and its contents. Nevertheless, they expressed no opinion beyond its specific injunctions and its teachings concerning the Resurrection. Yes, the Holy Qur’an contains references to sciences known and familiar to the Arabs. Yet learned people have been astonished by these incorporated sciences [Ibn Ashur, op. cit., p. 44].

Al-Shatibi’s view is founded on the idea that the Holy Qur’an is a source of law and was revealed to an unlettered nation such as the Arabs. Thus, the Qur’an’s concepts and literary style are determined by the Arabs’ own capacity for understanding. Many consider this respected scholar’s idea extremely mistaken, because the Holy Qur’an was revealed as a guide for people of every age and place. The Arabic language, with its breadth and richness, was the most suitable vehicle for carrying this message. This does not mean, however, that the Arabs were the only people capable of understanding its mentality, linguistics, or other meanings. Moreover, the Holy Qur’an contains many matters that the Arabs had not previously known or understood. These matters cannot be described briefly.

Allah said: “These are accounts of the unseen that We reveal to you. Neither you nor your people knew them before this” (11:49).

At the time of its revelation, the Holy Qur’an addressed the Arabs in a manner they could easily understand. Later, the scope of understanding expanded, and new circumstances and influences gave rise to various meanings in the original text that were not confined by linguistic limitations. This is in fact an important aspect of the Holy Qur’an’s miraculous nature: over the ages, a single Book, consisting of the same letters and words, can be understood and respond to diverse needs. In Tirmidhi, quoting Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), it is said that the miracle of the Qur’an will never end. If it is said that the Qur’an’s essential message may not go beyond its linguistic meaning, this implies that the Qur’an’s miracle is limited and confined by time and place. If the early generations made no particular statement about a verse, this does not mean that interpretation of such matters is prohibited. It generally means that they interpreted only those matters in which they were experienced and for which interpretation had become necessary.

From these matters it is known that a relationship between the Qur’an and the various sciences has always existed.

1) Various kinds of knowledge and science have been derived from the Qur’an. These include tawhid [the oneness of God; belief that Allah is One and Sovereign, the Creator of the universe and Owner of all creation; tawhid is the essence of Islam], tashri‘ (legislation), and usul (the sources of law).

2) Other sciences dependent upon it. These include linguistics and balaghah (the science of eloquence).

3) Indications of sciences have been given that assist in understanding the Qur’an and help strengthen confidence in it. This category includes many of the humanities and social sciences, as well as some astronomy and some applied sciences.

4) There are also sciences that have no relationship with it in any respect. Therefore, efforts must be made to reform the methods and techniques of Islamic thought and reconstruct the Islamic cultural system by establishing modern Islamic social sciences and humanities. At every level, the aim should be to establish, according to a specific plan, the best possible relationship between these subjects and the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah [Sunnah: the totality of what the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) said, did, approved, or disapproved]. This can be achieved on the basis of four principles.

The first and most important of these principles will be the reestablishment of the Holy Qur’an within the Islamic cultural sphere, ending the division between the Muslim mind and it, and making the Qur’an the principal source of knowledge for contemporary Muslims—as it was in the past. At that time, our forefathers turned to it for precise and comprehensive knowledge of life, humanity, and human laws and regulations.

The second principle should be to develop a method for understanding the Sunnah of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) and to use it in constructing an Islamic culture and civilization.

The third principle will be to apply sound methods for understanding the inherited Islamic tradition, use it in shaping our present culture, and derive the necessary lessons from it.

The fourth principle will be to focus on contemporary Arab thought, verify its methods of understanding, use it, and benefit from it. Priority must be given to devising methods for understanding and applying the Holy Qur’an. In this connection, a Qur’an file must be created to focus on research and study in the following areas:

1) Methods of understanding the Holy Qur’an and making the Qur’an the primary source of culture, knowledge, science, and guidance for modern Muslims.

2) Tafsir, ta’wil (interpretation of meaning), classification and indexing of the Holy Qur’an, and its relationship and relevance to Muslim sciences of the past and present.

3) The aims of the other subjects are (a) to revive Muslim intellectual ability regarding the proper implementation of the Holy Qur’an and (b) to restore the Holy Qur’an to its central and rightful place in modern Muslim culture, knowledge, science, and civilization. Thereafter, Muslim intellect will be reconstructed and reformed, and the Holy Qur’an will once again assume its role of distributing its light.

The aforementioned Qur’an file has been inaugurated in Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali’s book entitled Kayfa nata‘amal ma‘a al-Qur’an. Seminars and studies on various aspects of this subject will subsequently be conducted. [Methods of Understanding the Quran, IIIT Virginia, 1991, Herndon]

Pointing toward a new awareness, this book has attempted to bring the Qur’an into the real context of a changing world. In fact, no one should approach this book with that assumption.

This book answers all questions and proposes solutions to all problems through study and research, correcting many mistaken ideas about interpreting the Qur’an and Islamic matters. Nevertheless, it is only the first step toward creating modern Islamic methodological awareness. In this regard, emphasis must be placed on reviewing and evaluating the Islamic heritage in a human context.

This study and future works on the subject will not serve as obstacles to inherited works on Islamic thought. Rather, they will authenticate those works inherited through the tradition and respond positively to all Islamic schools and trends, especially those currents that arose before the age of decline, backwardness, and intellectual stagnation.

Someone must be commissioned to fulfill the Islamic responsibility of making the Holy Qur’an more acceptable to intelligent, rational people. This book consists of a large number of critical essays. Various subjects have been discussed here; elsewhere, it includes questions and answers concerning efforts to develop Qur’anic awareness consistent with methodological principles, in which no existing idea is accepted blindly without criticism or analysis.

The Holy Qur’an is a source from which scholars have been able to derive much within their own specialized fields of knowledge. Likewise, this great Book has served as a foundation for understanding the world, although their methods of applying it have differed with the historical development of human thought. The perspective of someone who studies the Holy Qur’an as an interconnected Book will differ from that of a selective reader who studies individual verses in isolation, without their proper context. Similarly, one person may view this great Book as a collection of stories, laws, encouragement, and warnings. Another reader may see it as a self-contained encyclopedia dealing with cosmic and dynamic existence, through which he can gain an objective understanding of this universe, its movements, and the world within the constantly changing contexts of time and place.

The Holy Qur’an explains its own special qualities, declaring that it is a complete Divine Book capable of addressing every kind of circumstance in all times—past, present, and future.

(O Prophet,) the Book We have sent down to you through revelation is the truth, confirming the truth of the Books that came before it. Allah is fully aware of His servants and watches over everything. Then We made those whom We chose from among Our servants heirs to this Book. Some of them wrong themselves, some follow a middle course, and some, by Allah’s permission, are foremost in good deeds. That is the great فضل (35:31–32).

This verse clearly states that, through its own process of renewal, the Holy Qur’an continually responds to circumstances and needs arising throughout the ages.

So I swear by the setting of the stars—and indeed, if only you knew, this is a tremendous oath. Indeed, this is a noble Qur’an in a hidden Book; none touch it except the purified. (56:75–79)

Through the Qur’an, Allah Almighty has related various accounts of our forefathers. This Holy Qur’an possesses a unique quality: it is an eternal, infallible, and exceedingly sacred Heavenly Book.

Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and indeed We will preserve it (15:9). Thus, it is an authoritative record that will serve future generations.

O Muhammad, before you We sent messengers only to men, to whom We revealed Our messages. Ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know. We also sent the earlier prophets and messengers with clear proofs and Books. And now We have sent down this Reminder to you so that you may explain and expound to the people the teaching that was revealed for them, so that they may reflect. (16:43–44)

It is an eternal Book confronting the distortion and alteration of the earlier Heavenly Scriptures.

Previously, We gave Moses the Book, and it was disputed in the same way. Had your Lord not already decreed a word, the disputing parties could have been judged decisively. Indeed, these people remain immersed in deeply troubling doubt. (41:45)

Moreover, the Qur’an has many other qualities. After the special circumstances surrounding the revelation had passed—during which verses revealed for particular reasons were dispersed—this great Book was arranged, by Allah’s command, into a systematic structural unity. The Qur’an is divinely preserved, and its qualities can be understood through its enduring contribution to solving human problems by unveiling its treasures according to the needs of each age, since it creates comprehensive awareness of the universe, its movement, and its relationships. Therefore, it holds authority over time, place, and change. It contains awareness of all existence, including the knowledge of Almighty Allah. Thus, the generations of the past, present, and future can never become the ultimate owners of this great Book. Rather, they learn from it according to the currents of thought of their own age and the needs of their civilization and historical circumstances.

The importance of Shaykh al-Ghazali’s book lies not in offering a new interpretation, but in its attempt to free contemporary Islamic thought from many shortcomings and errors before directing it toward the acquisition of knowledge and a clear methodology. This can be achieved within Islamic society, although we do not claim that this society has encompassed everything occurring in the world and all its consequences; we can say, however, that the process has begun. In any case, the idea of universality in thought and objectives is an Islamic quality. By identifying the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the final Prophet (Khatam al-Nabiyyin) and the Qur’an as the final and ultimate Heavenly Book, Islam began the first worldwide religious movement. Moreover, by extending its empire from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Indian Ocean in the east, Islamic civilization became both Eastern and central to the ancient world, uniting many civilizations and peoples along its course.

Universality is deeply rooted in the Islamic framework; therefore, it is our duty to reflect on the crisis of world civilization and its Islamic solution. This task must be carried out through methodological awareness, bringing the achievements of contemporary human thought into a single context and establishing Islam’s superiority throughout human history—although the Holy Qur’an has never been altered or modernized.

It is now necessary to shed light on the contemporary method required for awareness. Such awareness cannot be attained by devoting oneself solely to a particular era or period, or by neglecting or ignoring the surrounding environment. Development and progress do not consist merely of gathering contemporary achievements and adding the latest inventions to an old social structure; rather, they require qualitative changes in the economic, social, and ideological structures of society. This, in turn, requires a new perspective on the Holy Qur’an and an outlook oriented toward innovation in response to new realities. The concept of a contemporary society does not mean preserving an old society and its thought in the context of the future; rather, it is linked to historical change, and transforming society is essential for its transition into contemporary terms. These changes will make the rediscovery of society possible, and we too will be able to rediscover the Holy Qur’an within this changing world order.

Considered in this context, it becomes clear that many of our Arab and Islamic societies exist in the present age and consider themselves contemporary in theory. In reality, however, they do not live in contemporary circumstances; nor do they possess awareness of today’s global culture, its critical and analytical mindset, systematic knowledge, or interest in solving present-day problems. Arab and Islamic societies tend to cling to their past and traditional thought, even though they must live in the modern international age. This contradiction has given them a sense of contemporaneity while also making them incapable of responding to circumstances conducive to acquiring contemporary universal awareness. Thus, we find some influential intellectuals in these societies continuing to write books based on traditional thought and attempting to find the past within the present without investigating the nature of the world’s historical and social changes. They wish to formulate their material in the language of ijtihad concerning our rightly guided Companions, just as the Companions practiced it in their own age and applied it to solve problems. At the same time, these influential intellectuals ignore the historical differences between the two ages and find no need for ijtihad in the modern era. Instead of treating ijtihad as the model, the rightly guided Companions are taken as models for imitation.

We wish to break this trend and identify the historical activities that have obstructed the advancement of fiqh in the broad sense. The advancement of fiqh includes political and constitutional law, as well as the law of economics and international relations. We will now explain the historical events that caused the positions of the muhaddithun on various matters of the Sunnah related to the teachings and chains of transmission of the imams in different branches of fiqh to encounter reactions.

History had excluded certain matters, and contradictions emerged among the governing authorities, the scholarly community, fiqh, Sufism, those who studied the Qur’an without reference to the Sunnah, and those who studied the Sunnah without reference to the Qur’an. Such a historical perspective can help restore fiqh to its proper place. Under the Islamic method, such contradictions should not arise, because there is a single center for the activities and movement of the entire Islamic Ummah: the Qur’an, a Book free of contradiction. Consequently, Divine will and human effort can be harmonized so that the Qur’an may fully fulfill its role in creating a complete and balanced civilization, whose benefits will be shared by Muslims and all living beings.

And We have sent down to you this Book, explaining everything clearly, and as guidance, mercy, and good news for those who submit. (16:89)

On the Proper Study of the Sunnah

Dr. Taha Jabir Al-Alwani

From the beginning of Islam, the Sunnah has been interpreted according to the framework of the principles recognized by scholars and mujtahids. Its reliability ranks second only to that of the Qur’an. In practice, the two cannot be separated, because the Sunnah explains and expounds the Qur’an and implements its teachings and method.

Thus, the reliability of the Sunnah is an essential component of Islam, a matter that no Muslim of the early generations ever questioned. However, among later generations there were many people of limited knowledge and wisdom who could not distinguish the Prophet’s highly reliable and trustworthy hadith—that is, the Sunnah—from early stories and brief collections of events. They did not know how much evidentiary value should be assigned to such historical or abbreviated reports; what value they had as means of developing human knowledge; or whether they should be regarded as authoritative even when they conflicted with rational thought or empirical evidence. These people of limited knowledge assumed that discussion of such methodological and philosophical matters conflicted with the Sunnah itself. They treated the Sunan (conduct and actions) as related reports, regarded those reports as merely narrative accounts, and concentrated most disputes on the narratives. They failed to grasp the vast difference between the Sunnah and guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the manner in which these were transmitted at later stages. Furthermore, they saw no difference between reporting the Messenger’s activities, actions, and statements and reporting those of other people. As a result of this unfortunate confusion, questions arose about the reliability of the Sunnah itself, leading to extensive discussion in works on usul and hadith studies. This effort could easily have been used to develop correct methods for understanding, interpreting, and learning from the Sunnah, thereby helping Muslims in every age and place develop their thought and way of life in the light of its teachings.

Debate over unnecessary and deliberately contrived minutiae concerning the reliability of reports in general, and ahad reports in particular, produced negative, extremely serious, and harmful consequences. It deepened disagreement and controversy among Muslims. Consequently, many books descended into abstract and obscure discussions with no positive intellectual or practical effect. In debates over the status of the Sunnah in relation to the Qur’an and the alleged abrogation of the Sunnah by the Qur’an, Muslims became involved in unnecessarily long and repetitive criticism and in examining the authenticity of historical reports, transmitters, and chains of authority. Had anyone undertaken extensive efforts to study, analyze, and understand the primary text, to present hadith in the context of time, place, environment, and reality, and then review the isnad and compare it with numerous books, he could have understood the nature of the subsequent problems and confusion.

Certainly, considerable effort had to be devoted to writing valuable books on legislation. The Ummah’s needs would have been met more fully if such books had included all aspects of the Sunnah rather than discussing only its legal aspects. Since the Sunnah, in its entirety, represents the successive chain of guidance through the systematic implementation of the Qur’an within particular ideological, economic, and social circumstances and historical and geographical contexts, a systematic study of the Sunnah’s meaning is one of the most important and necessary aspects of the study of usul al-hadith. At that time Islam was being implemented to its fullest extent, and the Holy Qur’an itself played a leading role in giving practical form to Islam’s ideals and transforming that period of history into an age that future generations would find essential to follow. Thus, in implementing Allah’s Word, the Sunnah represents the highest, clearest, finest, and truest model. It is a realistic, learned, and comprehensive expression of the science of the Qur’an’s rules. Preserving the Qur’an in exactly the form in which it existed at the time of revelation and protecting it from every deviation appears to have served Allah Almighty’s will. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself showed the utmost determination to preserve every letter of the Qur’an and retained every vowel and punctuation mark. Therefore, an emphatic warning was issued that every letter of the Qur’an must be transmitted intact, exactly as it was at the time of revelation; rendering it in a translated form was prohibited.

But the matter of the Sunnah is not like that. Although the Sunnah was preserved, the strictness mentioned above was not imposed upon it. Moreover, unlike the Holy Qur’an, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not arrange for the hadith to be written down. Nor did he recite it with Gabriel or memorize it in the same manner as the Qur’an. The reason for this difference in approach is that the Sunnah should exist as lived experience at the highest level of human capacity, as exemplified by the Prophet. The Prophet (peace be upon him) followed the Qur’an fully and completely. Indeed, he applied its science of rules in every aspect of daily life and all worldly activities: preaching, teaching, issuing prohibitions, enjoyment, consultation, giving advice, judging, issuing fatwas, giving instructions, maintaining discipline, conducting war, establishing peace, concluding treaties, buying and selling, exchanging messages, marriage, divorce, construction, destruction, travel, and so forth.

The science of the Qur’an’s rules observed and followed the Prophet’s activities. Many Qur’anic verses evaluated this science of rules and, when necessary, criticized, analyzed, corrected, and directed it, because the process of application was conditioned by human limitations and by time and place. Therefore Allah says: Remember Allah as much as you can.

When applying the science of the Qur’an’s rules, every person other than the Noble Prophet should be evaluated by comparison with the Prophet’s method of application. For, unlike the Prophet, any other person may be susceptible to personal inclinations and spontaneous influences. For example, in prayer and worship, the people followed the Noble Prophet. Rather than merely following him, they should follow his example. Following an example means engaging the intellect in conscious activity; therefore, when necessary, all relevant factors should be consciously followed around that example. The International Institute of Islamic Thought has been emphasizing, as one of the most important matters for Muslim scholars today, understanding the Sunnah, its broad and ultimate analysis, and the proper perspective for using it as a source of Islamic knowledge and culture. This is especially necessary because, as a fundamental prerequisite for reconstructing Muslim knowledge, culture, and civilization, it is essential to explain the foundations and sources of Islam and the means of understanding them. To achieve this goal, the Institute has decided to undertake several programs.

First, its aim is to direct the attention of usul and hadith studies away from matters that have already been conclusively discussed and toward unresolved matters requiring solutions. In this regard, the Institute believes that, since no Muslim who has faith in Allah and the Messenger can deny the authority of the Sunnah, the question of the Sunnah’s authority has been conclusively discussed. The Institute has published Hujjiyyat al-Sunnah (The Legal Authority of the Sunnah), written by the renowned usul specialist Shaykh Abd al-Ghani Abd al-Khaliq. The book is a valuable scholarly work on this subject, the most important book in this field, and the Institute regards it as definitive in this matter.

The Institute has already sought to draw scholars’ and researchers’ attention to the use of information technology in making the Sunnah more acceptable to scholars and researchers in various fields. It has already supported many scholars working toward this objective.

Furthermore, the Institute has begun classifying the Sunnah thematically. It has also become involved in applying any scientific method that can help achieve our goal of making the Sunnah a source of knowledge in the social sciences, rather than restricting it merely to a source of fiqh.

Finally, the Institute has begun inviting distinguished scholars to write books on the various aspects of the Sunnah and its role in reconstructing Islamic civilization. The renowned scholar Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali has already written a remarkable book, al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah bayna Ahl al-Fiqh wa Ahl al-Hadith (The Sunnah between the Jurists and the Hadith Scholars). The book presents a method for understanding the Sunnah and draws a distinction between those concerned with isnad structures and reports and those interested in understanding the Sunnah and learning from it. In the Institute’s view, this learned scholar is so experienced and knowledgeable in writing books that he does not need anyone’s direction in composing a book or correcting its errors. Nevertheless, extensive criticism arose concerning some detailed information included in his book and some examples he used. The commotion became so great that the book’s central message was nearly submerged by these trivial details.

This book was primarily written for people who lack a basic knowledge of Sharia and research methodology, and whose knowledge of history, sirah, fiqh, and Arabic is insufficient for properly understanding hadith. Many people begin studying hadith and continue reading without understanding its nature, the alleged reasons behind the Prophet’s statements or actions, or the general meaning of the hadith. Their understanding is defective and confusing; as a result, they form a distorted conception of hadith and spread it among the public. Such people make the scholarly claim that the Sunnah has precedence over the Qur’an and can suspend it. Moreover, when they encounter a more authentic hadith that contradicts their reasoning, they cannot understand the nature of its apparent contradiction. They do not understand the method of evaluating such a hadith—or even the correct method and rules for understanding the hadith under discussion.

The book was written for scholars and researchers engaged in studying the Sunnah. They are advised to give some attention to a sound method for understanding the Sunnah. For there is no hadith without sound understanding, and there can be no fiqh, Islamic civilization, or genuine knowledge without the Sunnah.

Aware of the confusion surrounding Shaykh al-Ghazali’s book, the Institute asked Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi to write two detailed books. One concerns the method of understanding the Sunnah, and the other concerns the Sunnah as a source of knowledge. The first was published by the Institute under the title Kayfa Nata‘amal ma‘a al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (The Method of Understanding the Sunnah), and the second will be published in due course, God willing.

To restore the Sunnah’s positive and active role in reconstructing contemporary Islamic life, what is most needed—not further discussion of matters that have already been conclusively addressed—is the inclusion of a systematic perspective on the Sunnah in the hadith curriculum of higher Islamic education.

It is hoped that Muslims will show increasing interest in understanding the Sunnah. They must learn and disseminate the rules and conditions of such understanding, and develop a deep interest in discovering the causes of misunderstanding concerning the Sunnah. They must understand why overlapping issues in this field have created a crisis and how, as a result of this crisis, philosophical reasoning began to be applied in debates concerning the authority of the Sunnah. Establishing a comprehensive methodological perspective for understanding the Sunnah requires profound research into three questions.

(a) Conditions of understanding

If the question of proper understanding becomes a problem in the case of the Sunnah, what are the causes of disagreement and confusion at various points in history? What qualities and qualifications are needed for sound study and understanding? What are the prerequisites for understanding the denial of Islam? How can deficiencies in anyone’s overall insight be remedied? How can we conduct a conclusive discussion of this crisis? How can we resolve the questions surrounding partially concealed problems that have caused confusion and, according to many researchers, created controversy—if not regarding the Sunnah as a whole, then at least regarding its authority in part? This controversy has created an opportunity for arguers and arrogant people to make excuses. Yet this matter never created a problem among the Muslims of the early period of Islamic history.

(b) Differences of Opinion and Division

Why and for what reason did the Ummah become divided into various sects and paths? How did different sects arise around the interpretation, understanding, and propagation of the Sunnah and its authority? How was the Sunnah used as a weapon by various sects and paths? Why did questions arise concerning fabricated hadiths, incomplete understanding of hadith, and the derivation of law from the Sunnah? What effect did these events have on the development of different groups, and what particular questions did they raise in the study of hadith and in the mutual analysis of the accounts of the narrators (transmitters of hadith)? How did these matters become involved in the study of the Sunnah as discussed by earlier scholars of usul and by scholastic theologians regarding fine details? These matters include the authority of the Sunnah, its status in relation to the Qur’an, the abrogation of certain verses, its explanation and the indication of its limits in Qur’anic discourse, the ijtihad of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the hadith narrated in this connection (Spoken Sunnah), and the evaluation of various Qur’anic verses concerning these matters, among other things.

What impact have these matters had on the Muslim mind from an intellectual and educational perspective? In what historical context did these problems arise? What is their intellectual significance, and what effects have they produced to date? What is the best way to undertake modern studies of the Sunnah and to develop a curriculum for such studies? How can we learn from these matters and adopt the best approach to uniting Muslims and inspiring the Ummah to rebuild civilization?

((c) The Importance of Place and Time in Understanding the Sunnah

Like the Muslims of the first generation, the scholars of usul recognized the specific historical and geographical context of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) activities, statements, and experiences from the human perspective. They therefore established certain rules for considering these matters. Can specialists formulate certain guidelines when studying different types of hadith? What method should be followed in this regard, and what role does modern hadith study play in explaining these outlines?

Understanding and applying the Sunnah requires diverse approaches and methods in order to distinguish between, on the one hand, the minor issues discussed by jurists and the intellectual issues discussed by thinkers, philosophers, and theologians, and, on the other hand, the social activities discussed by social scientists. A hadith concerning a minor issue within the jurists’ sphere is different from a hadith concerning a general social matter. In interpreting such a hadith, all the social aspects related to the event must be taken into consideration, and the social scientist will also consider this in analysis. How can we free ourselves from the Ummah’s long-standing discord? As a result of this division, the same hadith is misapplied in support of opposing ideas. How can each group escape blind allegiance to its own beliefs? How can we reestablish the foundation of the sacred perspective of Islamic thought and escape the vicious cycle? Now that collecting the Sunnah (hadith), conducting scholarly research and debates, and establishing joint institutions for this purpose have become easier, how should this be done?

The Role of the Sunnah in Solving the Problems of the Ummah

The Islamic world in general, and the Arab world in particular, are suffering from numerous crises, as a result of which Islamic thought is passing through a turning point. This turning point has manifested itself in many ways. The most important of these are:

a. The absence of solidarity among the Ummah’s various schools of law; conflicting attitudes on intellectual, social, sectarian, and political issues; and the revival of ideologies that create division within the Ummah, or the invention of ideologies that did not previously exist.

b. The lack of other social, regional, and stabilizing factors; concern about the future arising from selfish, one-sided, and sectarian perspectives; pessimism about the present; a lack of initiative regarding existing positive work; and the predominance of reactive attitudes toward various events. As a result, the spirit of initiative declines and there is a tendency to generate debate in support of conflict.

c. A lack of awareness of the true nature of the Ummah’s social problems and their relationship with history; the predominance of superficial, narrow, and emotional opinions over comprehensive and analytical perspectives; and the tendency of the Muslim mind at this time to accept anything without verification or due to error. There are also other negative phenomena, so numerous that it is difficult to list them in detail. Therefore, how can we apply the Sunnah to attain the sound outlook and clarity of vision needed to provide a genuine response to the Ummah’s problems and help resolve them? How can it be used to enable Muslims to work and organize themselves toward Islamic objectives and to inspire social consciousness? As a result, vitality and vigor will return to the Ummah. Moreover, it will inspire the Ummah to seek cultural alternatives and practical social and intellectual programs. This will reestablish its identity and strengthen its awareness of belonging to a deeply rooted and great civilization and history.

The Danger of an Overly Literal Interpretation of the Sunnah

During the time of the Prophet, ordinary people implemented the Sunnah in all areas of their daily lives, and through it they fully understood the Holy Qur’an. The impact of this Qur’anic miracle was visibly manifested in the formation of an ummatan wasatan (a middlemost nation)—a witness and guide for others, possessing an abundance of goodness and capable of facing any challenge. Over time, people’s ability to understand the Sunnah declined.

On the other hand, a dictionary-based culture gained precedence over other interpretations and commentaries and became the sole medium. This produced a literalist outlook that relied heavily on dictionary-based interpretation. The matter increased to such an extent that this dictionary-based tendency failed to consider the question of place and time. As a result, it strengthened the tendency to obstruct the Ummah’s renaissance by creating confusion, sophistry, and conflict. It effectively led people to regard Islam as a collection of old images; they made many decisions on inappropriate foundations and assumed that a hadith composed in a particular real situation could be repeatedly reconstructed, which is in fact impossible in real life. How, then, will modern specialists in the Sunnah handle this matter and protect the Muslim mind from its dangers? How can the Muslim mind be protected from the reaction of those who had nearly succeeded in stripping the message of Islam of its substance and avoiding its most important cultural and civilizational role? The truth is that these people have confined Islam to personal and behavioral matters, restricted its outlook within trivial and linguistic concepts, and turned it into a religion of mere custom. Such an outlook is not conducive to establishing a genuine Islamic society, uniting the people, or building civilization.

The Role of the Sunnah in the Revival of the Ummah

Undoubtedly, our Ummah is in great need of a comprehensive plan for its renaissance that will restore it to the position of a middlemost nation as the leading group of humanity. This cannot be achieved without the Muslim society fulfilling the necessary prerequisites. Its first task is to formulate an intellectual and cultural framework for the Islamic renaissance.

Today the Ummah is established upon two cultural streams: an inherited culture—shaped by the characteristics and environment of a historical era—and an imported foreign culture. The Muslim mind is indifferent toward these two cultures, content merely to use their products and incapable of making any original contribution of its own.

Linking the objectives and methods of social change with the Ummah’s Islamic way of life will greatly assist the organization of efforts in the Muslim world. Ultimately, it will make it possible to bring about the necessary cultural and intellectual changes and will help the Ummah bear this grave responsibility.

To overcome the present crisis in Islamic thought, acquire the awareness and strength needed to confront contemporary challenges, and restore the cultural and intellectual position of the Ummah’s golden age, we must return to the inexhaustible sources of Islam, the Qur’an, and the Sunnah, and study them again thoroughly, carefully, and from a contemporary Islamic perspective. Such a perspective requires foresight, influential means, and the breadth to take different aspects into consideration. Its objectives must be explained, its fundamental principles defined, and methods devised to meet urgent needs and reconstruct the elements that constitute the foundations of the Ummah.

The Holy Qur’an gave our ancestors a remarkable intellectual framework. As a result, they were able to understand and explain the laws governing the rise of different peoples and the rise and fall of civilizations. They were thereby able to examine information objectively and deeply. It was a rational perspective that discussed reality, not imagination, in an integrated and reasoned manner. This perspective, keeping the dynamics of history before it, explained the internal tensions of society; when and how they occur; how events can be explained; how lessons can be learned from them; how they can provide guidance for the future; and how they can enable appropriate measures to be taken before probable events occur.

Conclusion

The Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the way of life of him and his Companions, represents the concrete embodiment of that intended intellectual framework. The resolution of the great intellectual crisis will come within our reach only by studying the Qur’an with a sound, rational mind through a comprehensive method capable of organizing and guiding human life in harmony with the rest of creation and contemporary Islamic thought.

Likewise, a correct study of the Sunnah and of the purpose of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) expression of the Holy Qur’an’s message and its exact embodiment in human life will bring an end to the ignorance, hatred, conflict, and waste of strength within our Ummah. In this way, contemporary Muslims will be able to overcome our self-imposed incapacity in the face of modern humanity’s intellectual and cultural complexities and offer humanity true guidance and welfare through an understanding of the correct and final Islamic teachings. Such understanding will help distinguish immutable principles from adaptable regulations and indicate the objectives and means.

The Qur’an and Modern Science: Observations on Scientific Methodology

Dr. Imad al-Din Khalil

A careful study of the Holy Qur’an and an effort to understand its view of science reveal numerous verses that discuss science comprehensively. They fall into four categories corresponding to four fields of science. The first category discusses the nature, scope, and objectives of science, which are known as the philosophy of science. The second concerns the methodology of discovering scientific facts. The third concerns laws applicable to various fields of science, particularly the natural sciences. The fourth concerns principles discovered through experimentation that human beings, as Allah’s caliphs on earth, will use to improve life. This field is known as applied science.

There is no doubt that a close relationship exists among these categories. The philosophy of science analyzes the purpose of science, while scientific methodology establishes procedures for discovering truth, such as the sunan, or the nature and laws of the universe—those that govern the world, the cosmos, and life and regulate their movement in due course. Ultimately, these laws and methods provide formulas that enable it to investigate the diversity of creation. Thus they become instruments for humanity’s progress and welfare; a means of freeing people from the daily monotony of earthly existence and enabling them to fulfill, to a greater degree, their spiritual needs, which distinguish them from other creatures. In this way, as Allah’s caliph and as an agent of civilization and welfare in the world, the human being becomes more capable of fulfilling his role.

It is true that the Holy Qur’an was not revealed as a book of science or as any other textbook. It is likewise true that certain modern thinkers insist that some verses have scientific meanings and interpretations that were not intended by their Author (Allah). In response, some thinkers have gone to the other extreme and claimed that the Qur’an has no connection with scientific facts.

It is self-evident that Qur’anic and scientific data are compatible and of the same kind (in the general sense, beyond relative and changing reality), and it is clear that there is no disagreement or contradiction between them. Above all, they come from the same source, Allah. Allah is the Originator of this universe and its cosmic laws and methods, the Revealer of the Qur’an, and the Creator of human beings. Moreover, human beings are a party to the processes of establishing laws and revealing the Qur’an. They are Allah’s caliphs on earth, striving to build civilization for Allah. The Qur’an emphasizes the essential nature of the relationship between its message and the cosmic laws. Until human beings understand this universe and strive to discover its laws and methods, they cannot fulfill their role on earth within the framework of the Qur’anic teachings.

It should be noted here that, in contrast to the past several centuries, modern science does not doubt or reject religious laws. Science acknowledges that reality may be broader than its conception and that it has no opportunity to make a final pronouncement on the matter.

Having acknowledged this, science states more confidently within its limited scope that human life is meaningless if it is deprived of a greater dimension extending beyond matter and motion. Science has now reached a point at which it operates in harmony with religion.

Recent discoveries, particularly in the natural and atomic sciences, along with human understanding of how the brain functions, have brought about this great revolution in the philosophy of science. In this connection, research undertaken to discover the core of the atom showed that the material barrier had been broken, and consequently found harmony behind the structure and composition of the natural world. [26] Thus, if we briefly consider the relationship between the four fields of science and the data set forth in the Qur’an, what do we find? [29]

((1) The Philosophy of Science, Its Objectives and the Fundamental Principles of Islam:

The philosophy of science is concerned with what science seeks to achieve, first with its relationship to the human effort to build civilization and, second, with reviewing and analyzing the human outlook toward this universe—the world in which people live. Scientific research and the experimental method are necessary elements of the Islamic way of life, not a luxury or a structural matter. This is because they are closely connected with the Ummah’s activities, the nature of its role on earth, and its comprehensive beliefs concerning the universe, life, the world, and humanity.

Here it is perhaps necessary to mention certain fundamental principles concerning the Islamic way of life and the worldview. The scientific method, with the help of established scientific facts, guides the use of these principles concerning undiscovered laws and methods and the ways in which they are implemented. In strengthening these principles, declaring the fundamental elements of the Islamic worldview, connecting them with the world, and making them suitable for an active contribution to civilization, such a perspective plays an important role. In our view, scientific activity is associated with four fundamental principles:

((a) Istikhlaf (Caliphate)

The divine trust entrusted to human beings is the caliphate: that is, human beings are Allah’s caliphs or representatives on earth. The principle of caliphate mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and hadith is one of the principles that science upholds as a reality.

As Allah’s representatives, human beings can develop the earth, create civilization, confront its challenges, and create an environment for a secure life free from deprivation—one that can facilitate drawing closer to the Creator through still higher achievements, and so forth.

Until human beings use scientific research methods to discover the previously mentioned cosmic or divine sunnan, they cannot obtain sufficient assurance and assistance to fulfill their responsibilities as khalifahs or to achieve continued progress. Only then can they plug into the reserves of energy and achieve greater harmony between themselves and their environment. Without this, the principle of the khalifah will remain mere empty theorizing.

((b) Tawazun (Balance)

One of the fundamental principles of Islamic life and thought is to establish tawazun, or balance, between human beings’ spiritual and worldly needs. This is deeply rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and we find it discussed in various forms and styles. For a long time, we have overlooked an obvious fact in this regard: Allah has subjected the earth to human beings in accordance with their responsibilities. Allah created human beings with a particular nature and made the earth subservient to them to fulfill their needs, whereas other divine religions have drawn a line of distinction between spiritual and worldly needs—Islam has completely rejected this view. In doing so, they have inclined toward spirituality. Consequently, barriers have been placed between the needs of the human temperament and the blessings and opportunities of the earth made subservient to them.

The truth is that Islamic life cannot continue without proper balance between these two types of human needs. Islam’s objective, however, is to live within reality and to develop a balanced human life—active, changing, and dynamic—free from tension, deviation, and oppression. Nevertheless, this balanced outlook, which no other doctrine or religion in the world has adopted with the same universality and commitment, cannot be implemented without scientific method, science, data, and application.

((c) Taskhir (Subservience)

This is another fundamental characteristic of the Islamic outlook on the universe and life. In this regard, science is undoubtedly necessary before this outlook can be implemented and its great latent forces understood. According to the Islamic outlook, nature and the universe have been made subservient to human beings. Allah has ordained laws, methods, and capacities suited to humanity’s fundamental duties as representatives on earth and to its ability to interact with nature in a practical and effective manner.

Regarding this interaction, Islam favors proposing a middle way. It seeks to teach humanity that nature is devoted to serving human needs. At the same time, through establishing values, principles, and conventions, it has set a parameter for the interaction between the two sides of human needs. Its objective is to introduce the highest possible level of innovation and the qualities of civilization in harmony with human aspirations, principles, and position in the universe.

If the latent power of science—that is, scientific methodology, scientific data, and their application—is not properly utilized even in this matter, no Islamic society will be able to implement the principle of taskhir and transform it into a historical reality.

((d) The Necessary Relationship between Creation and the Creator

Science must be used to implement one of the most important principles of the Islamic worldly outlook in particular and of religion in general. It establishes the necessary relationship between the astonishing process of creation and the existence of the Creator. Science serves as a tool for expressing and explaining this relationship. Many have written about the miracle of creation. Numerous scientists and scholars have spent their lives uncovering an incontrovertible truth of science: creation has a Creator. This matter has been conclusively resolved, and no question has been left regarding it.

Since the universe is governed by organized processes, precise and harmonious motion, and constructive interrelationships, and since everything is resolved through careful mathematical calculation and scientific formulas, countless proofs and innumerable scientific experiments have demonstrated that it originated from the will of a supernatural, all-powerful, and great Director. [28]

As long as scientific research remains engaged in the complex activity of investigating the hidden mysteries of the universe, the earth, and life, it will remain indispensable to Islamic life. Moreover, in an extremely convincing manner, it leads one to the Creator of the universe, and when it turns toward the Creator, it becomes an act of worship.

((2) Scientific Methodology

In this context, the Holy Qur’an explains a scientific methodology for discovering the laws governing the universe. It is a flexible, definitive methodology that never becomes obsolete in the context of time and place, because it is fundamentally a method or tool for research and investigation. Thus, it remains above relative change and intact in every age and environment. The Holy Qur’an calls upon human beings to reflect insightfully on their existence and their place in the universe. For this reason, they are called upon to use their consciousness while standing upon the earth, observing from their surroundings the mind and the horizons of the universe, and contemplating humanity’s remarkable attitude within the higher sphere of faith. Moreover, the Holy Qur’an assigns consciousness a fundamental responsibility concerning the steps Muslims take in research, meditation, knowledge, and experience.

The Holy Qur’an goes a step further by calling upon human beings to use all their senses to receive boundless data, so that their perceptive faculties may classify, select, accept, or reject it in order to reach the ultimate truth. According to the law of ultimate truth, there is harmony among the laws of the universe.

Intellect and the senses work jointly in investigation, experimentation, inductive reasoning, and decision-making. Human beings will be tested on the basis of their responsibility for this functioning, since they are essentially distinct from other living creatures. The Holy Qur’an contains many verses repeatedly stating that hearing, sight, and the feeling of the heart (al-fu’ad) jointly give human life its value and uniqueness. If human beings activate these faculties and make full use of them, they will reach the summit of scientific and religious excellence. As a result, they will become masters of the universe and strengthen their position as Allah’s representatives on earth. Conversely, if they do not use these faculties, their status will be the lowest of the low; when Allah sent them to earth endowed with hearing, sight, and feeling of the heart, He did not decree such a condition for them.

There are also nearly fifty verses calling upon human beings to sharpen their intellect. This intellect is a gift from Allah, through which faith in Him may be increased. Furthermore, these verses invite people to understand deeply the events around them and to think about them responsibly.

What has been said about deep reflection also applies to the acquisition of knowledge, because it is an intellectual step beyond deep reflection and its result. Through acquiring knowledge, human beings gain broad awareness of the conditions around them and deep understanding of the scope of their own being and their relationship with the universe. As a result, their capacity for understanding remains permanently open, and a way is ensured for them to address responsibly every problem, event, or issue placed before them.

The Holy Qur’an emphasizes methods such as experimentation, reasoning and proof, and intellectual debate so that human beings may achieve sound results through induction, comparison, balance, and testing, supported by agreed external data and strengthened by the intellectual and logical abilities of more qualified persons.

A significant point is that the Holy Qur’an uses the word ‘ilm (knowledge and science) in several senses: (a) din [30] (the religious way of life)—which Allah ordained for His prophets and messengers—and the ultimate truths set forth in these verses. ‘Ilm also appears as a sign of the revealed religious values.

Thus, in the language of the Qur’an, ‘ilm and din convey meanings of the same kind. Allah’s verses have taught this and enabled us to understand a broadly interconnected consciousness; He wishes the meaning of ‘ilm and din to be propagated instead of the uninformed and malicious meanings produced by the positivists. More than seven hundred and fifty verses contain various forms and derivatives of the word ‘ilm.

The Holy Qur’an stresses adopting a wholly scientific outlook in studying natural and supernatural phenomena, and unequivocally rejects every approach that produces negative effects, such as malicious, uninformed opinions, magic, and superstition. All such unscientific methods deviate from the true path to which din calls people—the Sirat al-Mustaqim—so that they may reach their desired goal. We all know that the straight path is the shortest distance between two points. Therefore, any deviation from it increases distance and hardship and may confuse travelers so thoroughly that they may never reach their destination. The Holy Qur’an repeatedly emphasizes a clear and unambiguous fact: malice produces meaninglessness and foolishness, and the only alternative to truth is error.

3. Phenomena

The third dimension presented by the Holy Qur’an comprises phenomena and an amalgamation of various scientific disciplines: astronomy, geography, biology, zoology, human anatomy, and so on. In this regard, many modern thinkers adopt one of two conflicting positions. In the first, they rely entirely on the use of modern scientific data in interpreting Qur’anic verses, resulting in methodological errors. Conversely, partial data are used for a general ruling, changing data are used to issue a permanent ruling, and relative data are used to issue an absolute ruling. The weakness of this outlook is that if such partial and relative scientific data change—and scientists themselves acknowledge that change is their natural characteristic—the proponents of this theory will suffer such mental anguish.

In an effort to avoid such a situation, the second position falls into the trap of erroneous thinking by completely rejecting scientific data.

The approach closest to sound scientific methodology is the middle way, which the Qur’an teaches us to follow at every stage of life. It never commits itself entirely to science together with variable data, nor does it completely reject science’s role in interpretation. The contemporary competent thinker of the Holy Qur’an should be able to use his intellect and experience in his own specialized field to understand the nature of the equation between Qur’anic verses and scientific treatises. Moreover, he must be familiar with certain modern trends in recently published Qur’anic exegesis. These trends use Qur’anic terminology and imagery to understand the meaning and content of the Qur’an, a method known as al-Tafsir al-Bayani li al-Qur’an. This method offers practical certainty that protects the exegete from exaggeration or error in seeking the intended meaning of sentences and expressions. This balance between scientific specialization and al-Tafsir al-Bayan enables the modern thinker to seek the intended meaning of the Qur’an’s scientific verses. There are certain scientific phenomena that have ultimately become established as incontrovertible, self-evident facts. Examples include the role of wind in bringing rain, the role of gravity in the orbit of the solar system, the various stages in the formation of the embryo, and changes in ratios resulting from increases or decreases in the distance of gaseous substances from the earth’s surface. Besides these, there are many other facts whose scientific nature was unknown to the Arabs at the time the Qur’an was revealed. In interpreting the Qur’anic verses concerning these facts, it was necessary to rely, up to the last few centuries, on self-evident scientific phenomena, and this revealed one of the Qur’an’s many miraculous aspects.

There are many scientific facts that reveal multiple aspects of reality. Yet these aspects exist within a single, flexible framework. At times, this may be indicated in connection with other Qur’anic verses in order to understand their significance in relation to those verses. As a result, the wondrous structure of the universe remains integrated and is protected from fragmentation by means of a single methodology. However, theories beyond established laws and self-evident truths that remain under discussion and evaluation and have not been established must be considered with great caution, and modern thinkers should not offer any interpretation concerning the verses under discussion.

One must proceed toward a solution concerning scientific data and avoid the possible errors of (a) full commitment to scientific interpretation and (b) total rejection. Complete commitment to scientific interpretation will hinder sound understanding, awareness, and further investigation at every level. Conversely, total rejection will diminish the capacity for understanding and erect a wall of obstruction between modern people and one aspect of the Qur’anic information. Scientific data developed as evidence for attaining faith in Allah are found extensively throughout the Holy Qur’an. It is noteworthy that this does not mean that every scientific subject mentioned in the Qur’an will be a miracle for future generations, nor does it mean that the subject was unknown at the time of revelation. There are two kinds of verses: one kind provides information and draws attention to the excellence of Allah’s creation of space, the universe, and life. Such verses point to scientific facts, methods, and sunnan that were unknown at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation, as they were in every age, and which science later disclosed. This characteristic is called the Qur’an’s scientific miracle and wondrous nature.

It must be remembered that, since the Qur’an is not a scientific textbook, it does not contain every kind of scientific information. However, it discloses certain facts and gives indications concerning other matters. It creates an intellectual environment suitable for researchers, thereby giving people the freedom to discover more extensive information. According to the Qur’an, people can make these discoveries through religious faith and commitment.

4. Application

When the fourth aspect of the relationship between the Qur’an and science is considered, it becomes clear that the Qur’an has urged, day and night, the use of scientific information and discoveries to improve the standard of living and advance human civilization at every level. This is a broad, flexible, and ongoing approach that calls upon people to benefit from scientific data regardless of time and place and to apply it in contemporary civilization. If this occurs and familiar scientific phenomena and some form of civilizational development emerge, the Qur’an will effectively call upon every generation to make changes in light of new phenomena and new circumstances. The fourth dimension of the relationship between the Qur’an and science shows that the Qur’an continually and unconditionally calls upon believers to make the fullest use of scientific information, discoveries, and formulas. To protect their property and uphold their role on earth, the Qur’an calls upon them to prepare to confront their enemies and strike them forcefully. Does this not reflect a broad, flexible outlook through which immediacy can be combined with universality, and permanence with transience, so that it can be applied in every time and place?

And prepare against them whatever strength you can and steeds kept ready, so that you may thereby frighten the enemies of Allah and your enemies (8:60).

Absolute power and weapons of war have also been mentioned as the finest tools of the age. In the Holy Qur’an’s chapter al-Hadid (Iron), this mineral is regarded as an important resource in times of peace and war. Its use and processing are specified as follows:

We sent Our messengers with clear proofs and guidance, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance so that people might uphold justice and fairness. And We sent down iron, in which there is great strength for war and great benefits for people. This is so that Allah may make known who supports Him and His messengers without seeing Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful, Almighty (57:25).

What greater proof could there be of the Muslims’ relationship with the earth than the naming of an entire surah after an important mineral? Islam has regarded as an essential element the conduct and principles arising from the faith that a scientist ought to hold in his heart; and what clearer authorization could there be in the above verse for applying science and technology and developing creative, educated, and refined taste? Moreover, this verse mentions iron as a great gift from Allah to His servants. At the same time, it speaks of two possible uses of iron: as a terrible instrument of war, when it is used to make weapons and for military preparedness, and as benefits—those advantages that people obtain from this mineral through constructive activities in times of peace. What more needs to be said about the increasing importance of iron over the ages in times of peace and war? In the present age, it has become one of the most important resources for the welfare of humanity or for destructive activities. Any modern country rich in iron can strike deep inside enemy territory, because iron possesses enormous potential power in weapons manufacture. Moreover, as a driving force of industry and wealth, that country can simultaneously rise to the level of the major industrialized nations.

In discussing iron, we see that a surah has been named after it. The verses of Surah Saba should also be remembered. In this surah, Allah mentions His mercy in connection with teaching David (peace be upon him) to make iron pliable. This example is presented in the context of teaching humanity advanced techniques. The example of Dhul-Qarnayn is also presented in this regard. Addressing the oppressed people and seeking the ability to protect them from the impending attack, he said:

What my Lord has given me is abundant. So help me only through your labor. I shall build a barrier between you and them. Bring me pieces of iron. Then, when he had filled the space between the two mountains completely, he said to the people, “Now heat the lumps of fire.” When it had become completely red like fire, he said, “Bring it to me; I shall pour molten copper over it.” Thus they were unable either to scale it or to bore through it (18:95–97).

The Holy Qur’an has drawn a unique picture of harmony among humanity, nature, and the supernatural. It establishes a balance between the submission and transformation of worldly forces in the service of humanity and the worship of Allah. It presents a broad contrast between aesthetics and the practical aspects of nature. On the one hand, it shows human strength and practical potential; on the other, humanity’s position in relation to the animal kingdom, its weakness, and its enduring dependence on Allah. The Qur’an has always emphasized the need for proper vigilance against the tendency to deviate from morality in meeting human material and natural needs.

We bestowed Our grace upon David, commanding: “O mountains, glorify Me with David, and you too, O birds.” We softened iron for him and said, “Make coats of armor with broad links, join the links properly, and do righteous deeds. Surely We see all that you do.” We subjected the wind to Solomon: it traveled the distance of a month’s journey in the morning and a month’s journey in the evening. We caused a spring of molten copper to flow for him. Some jinn worked before him by the command of his Lord. Whoever among them disobeyed Our command, We would make him taste the punishment of the blazing Fire. They made for Solomon whatever he wished—fortresses, sculptures, houses, beautifully fashioned large vessels, and huge cauldrons fixed on their supports. “O family of David, work gratefully.” Yet few of My servants are grateful. When We decreed Solomon’s death, nothing informed the jinn of his death except a creature of the earth that gnawed away his staff. When Solomon fell to the ground, the jinn realized that had they known the unseen, they would not have remained in humiliating punishment (34:10–14).

It is stated in another surah:

Solomon said, “My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as no one after me will possess. Surely You are the Most Generous.” So We subjected the wind to him; it flowed freely at his command wherever he wished to reach. And We subjected all the devils to him—those who built and those who dived—and many others bound in chains. “This is Our gift; so give or withhold without having to account for it” (38:35–39).

The Qur’an also states:

Then We gave Solomon understanding of the judgment. We granted both of them wisdom and knowledge. We subjected the mountains and the birds to David; they glorified Our holiness. It was We who did all this. We taught him how to make coats of armor for you, to protect you in battle. Will you, then, be grateful? And We subjected the powerful wind to Solomon; it flowed at his command toward the land in which We had bestowed blessings. We have full knowledge of everything. And We subjected some of the devils to him, who dived for him and performed other tasks besides. We were their guardians (21:79–82).

These verses are examples that express the highest harmony between an active response to Allah’s will, the Unseen, the power of God, nature, and the process of social development among human beings. Here, unseen forces work in an orderly coordination for the service of humanity, while humanity responds to these generous gifts with worship, praise, and gratitude toward Allah, so that it may attain the status for which it was created on earth.

I have not created jinn and humankind for any purpose other than that they worship Me. I do not seek provision from them, nor do I want them to feed Me (51:56–57).

Here we find the testimony of two of Allah’s prophets, David and Solomon (peace be upon them). The inexhaustible forces of nature were subjected to humanity. The same applies to the power of God, before which there are no time limits or place barriers, and before which science is ultimately helpless. Iron, wind, molten copper, and the jinn—these forces were subjected so that they could be directed at the command of responsible, God-fearing people, enabling them to fulfill the aim of social development by building industries and works of craftsmanship. The Holy Qur’an narrates these accounts with explicit reference to iron and copper; they are clearly applicable to us today in the twentieth century and are important for modern civilization, or any civilization, interested in construction, industrialization, and excellence in every field. We also see that Allah did not give iron to David (peace be upon him) without purpose; He taught him how to make it useful. Moreover, we must not overlook the matter of wind. Geographical research has shown that air is an extremely important factor in the growth and development of life on earth.

Like many other verses, these verses provide a decisive answer to those who claim that the sole function of revealed religion is to lead its followers toward isolation and inactivity, and to persuade them that this world is merely a passage for somehow passing time rather than a place to build. To such people, religion is opposed to civilization, and faith is an obstacle to creativity, discovery, and new life. They further say that the relationship between human beings and their Creator produces inactivity. They claim that only the positivist school has a dynamic role in the development and advancement of life. This notion is entirely unacceptable.

This study has presented many examples proving that the Qur’an completely rejects a defeated attitude and inactivity, because they create an environment in which religion and progress become enemies. In reality, being God-fearing does not mean withdrawing from the ordinary way of life, nor does it require undertaking work devoid of any competitive value. From the Islamic perspective, true religion means improving the quality of life. In this respect, Islam is deeply connected with the processes of life and history.

Notes:

1. Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala: May Allah be glorified and His sovereignty remain inviolate. This expression is used in reference to Allah.

2. Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: May Allah’s peace and mercy be upon the Noble Prophet. This salutation is recited when the name of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is mentioned.

3. ‘Alayhis salam: May Allah’s mercy be upon him. This supplication is recited for the other prophets.

4. Ayah: A verse of the Qur’an. It is also used to mean a manifestation of God’s power.

5. Faqih (plural: fuqaha): A scholar of fiqh. ‘Alim (plural: ‘ulama) likewise means a scholar.

6. Al-nasikh (abrogating): A Qur’anic verse whose subject matter has been abrogated by another verse; for this reason, such verses are called mansukh.

7. Ibn Ashur: Shaykh Muhammad al-Tahir; Tafsir al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir, Al-Dar al-Tunisiyyah, Tunis, 1984, pp. 28–29.

8. Fiqh: Islamic knowledge through legal principles; knowledge of Islamic law; usul al-fiqh; the science of Islamic jurisprudence, that is, the method of deriving laws from the sources of Islamic law and determining the scope or limits of those laws.

9. Hadith (plural: ahadith): The term hadith denotes the collection of sayings and deeds transmitted from the blessed mouth and actions of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him). The capital letter H in English denotes the collection of hadiths of the Messenger. Scholars of hadith are called muhaddithin.

10. Ibn Ashur; cited above, p. 12.

11. Usuliyyun: Often disparagingly rendered as fundamentalists and mistakenly interpreted as purists. Its true meaning is “the pure,” and this designation is applied to those who are devoted to the traditional interpretation of the Qur’an and Sunnah and are not devoted to ijtihad (see note 16).

12. Ibn Ashur, cited above, p. 44.

13. Tawhid: The oneness of God; belief that Allah is One, Sovereign, the Creator of the universe, and the Owner of all creation. Tawhid is the essence of Islam.

14. Sunnah: The totality of the sayings, actions, approvals, and disapprovals attributed to the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him).

15. Methods of Understanding the Quran, IIIT, Virginia, 1991, Herndon.

16. Ijtihad: The sources of Islamic judgment, unchanging for all times and places. The systematic intellectual effort to apply these sources to the changing circumstances of Muslim society may be called ijtihad.

17. Imam (plural: a’immah): A community leader in religious and worldly matters committed to Islamic knowledge; an interpreter of Islamic law is also called an imam.

18. Isnād (plural: asānīd): The chain of narrators of a specific hadith. Al-Musnad: Any compilation of hadiths arranged according to their chains of narrators, such as Musnad Abu Dawud.

19. Muhaddithin: See note 9.

20. Mujtahidun: See note 16.

21. Ahad: Hadiths transmitted through the chain of only one narrator.

22. Fatwa: A legal ruling issued by a scholar, mufti, or mujtahid concerning Islamic law.

23. Published by Dar al-Shuruq of Cairo and Beirut.

24. Sirah: A biographical work on the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him).

25. To reach sound conclusions, the Institute organized an international seminar, in accordance with the principles of conducting research on the Sunnah, in cooperation with the Amman-based Royal Society for the Study of Islamic Civilization. Held in November 1989 during the Society’s seventh general conference, the seminar concerned the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet and his method of building civilization. It was attended by 126 scholars, professors, and researchers. Among the most important subjects discussed were the two previously published books on the Sunnah by Shaykh al-Ghazali and Dr. al-Qaradawi (mentioned earlier), as well as other articles.

26. These matters are discussed in my book ‘Alam fi Mu‘ajahat al-Maddiyyah (Science Confronting Materialism), Mu’assasat al-Risalah, Beirut, 1986.

27. For further details, see the author’s book Madkhal ila Mawqif al-Qur’an al-Karim min al-‘Ilm (An Introduction to the Qur’an’s View of Science), Mu’assasat al-Risalah, Beirut, 1983. There the reader will find comprehensive, subject-based references to the Qur’an.

28. Khilafah: Humanity’s representation of Allah; the institution of government succeeding the worldly government of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him). Khalifah (plural: khulafa): A representative of Allah.

29. Iman: Belief that Allah alone is God and that the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His final prophet.

30. Din: Allah’s natural or true religion instituted for humanity, encompassing faith, morality, law, worship, regulations, and judgment.

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