by Irshad Hussain

(reproduced, with his kind permission, from his blog; www.islamfrominside.com )

Man and Ecology: An Islamic Perspective

Added October 20, 2004

Environmental Crisis

“When the earth is shaken with a (violent) shaking,
And the earth reveals what burdens her,
And man says: What has befallen her?
On that day she shall tell her story….” (Qur’an 99:1-4)
In light of today’s environmental crises, many secular and religious  scholars have begun to look into underlying philosophical causes for man’s rapacious attitude towards his environment. Part of this search involves a look at root philosophies affecting the human outlook and interaction with the world and the responsibility religion shares in creating the attitudes and philosophies that have led to the desecration of nature that has occurred in the past few centuries and which seems to be accelerating in our times. As Ziauddin Sardar writes;

“The roots of our ecological crises are axiomatic: they lie in our belief and value structures which shape our relationship with nature, with each other and the lifestyles we lead.” (Sardar, Ziauddin. Islamic Futures. New York; Mensell Publishing Limited. 1985. pg.218)
For this reason traditional religions like Christianity, Judaism and Islam are held accountable as they supposedly espouse an anthropocentric (human-centered) reality. Writers like Lynn White Jr. see this as being the root cause for the ecological/environmental problems of today. He decries not only the dualistic nature of man’s relationship with nature but also the idea “that it is God’s will that man exploit nature for his proper end…” as “Man shares, in great measure, God’s transcendence over nature.” (White, Lynn. The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crises. Science, 155. 1967)

Note: Lynn White refers specifically to the problem inherent in the Christian tradition, but in a general sense extends it to all the monotheistic religions, as opposed to the pantheistic ones. About blaming Christianity, Parvez Manzoor, in The Touch Of Midas, writes: “…Christianity does not bear the blame for our environmental problems. It is the divorce of Christian ethics from the pursuit of knowledge, in fact what is known to be the age of ‘rationalism’ that ushered us into the era of environmental degradation.”

This short essay is a sincere effort to investigate the validity of White’s view that the disrespect for nature is inherent in the very nature of these religions. Dealing only with the Islamic tradition, it will take into consideration the nature of man, his place in relation to God, his rights and responsibilities before God, and his relationship to the rest of the world with regard to his rights over it. In other words the world-view of Islam is to be the starting point for the examination of man’s relation to the world of external nature.

“All religions, customs, schools of thought, and social philosophies rest on a world view. A school’s aims, methods, musts and must nots all result necessarily from its world view… A world view can become the basis of an ideology when it has attained the firmness and breadth of philosophical thought as well as the…sanctity of religious principles.” (Mutahhari, M. Fundamentals of Islamic Thought. Berkeley; Mizan Press. 1985)

The primary basis of an Islamic world view is the idea of Tauhid, or the oneness of God. A world view based on tauhid  sees this universe as originating from God, returning to Him, and centered around Him. It is a world created and sustained by God with a purpose, and a design. As this entire universe is a product of His divine wish, it is a universe unfolding with a divine purpose. The reference point, the center of all things is God.
“…Tauhid  is the matrix for human thought and action, it is all pervasive and penetrates every aspect of our endeavour.” (Sardar, Ziauddin. Islamic Futures. New York; Mensell Publishing Limited. 1985. pg.225)

The essential prerequisite, in Islam, is the belief in this absolute oneness and unity of God.

“God the Ultimate reality is One, and everything other than God comes from God and is related to Him. No true understanding of anything is possible unless  the object in view is defined in relationship to the divine. All things are centered on God.” (Chittick, William. Article, ‘The Concept of Human Perfection.’ from, The World & I. New York; News World Communications. Feb. 1991. pg. 500)

Tauhid  is the point of origin of a theological doctrine of ecology. All things seen or unseen are God’s signs (ayat) and act as witnesses to His existence. All things in the universe are manifestations of Him, all are from Him.

Human nature is the other key facet of the world-view of Islam. Man fulfills a very important role in this cosmos. Although all things are made by God and identified with God in as much as their being created by Him, man enjoys a role as God’s vicegerent (his representative) having a freedom and far-reaching power latent within him. In the Qur’an God says He has breathed His spirit into man.

“When thy Lord said unto the angels: lo! I am about to create a mortal out of mire, And when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, then fall down before him prostrate.” (Qur’an. Ch 38- vrs 72, 73)

This verse provides essential insights into man’s position and nature in this universe. Although he is a creation of God he is superior to the rest of God’s creation as he has within him the Spirit of God. In this way he is unique among the creations of God. It is only man to whom the angels  are commanded to prostrate themselves.
Another aspect that separates him from the rest of creation is his acceptance of the trust offered by God. This trust was offered to all of creation and man was the only one who accepted it.

“We did indeed offer the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof. But man undertook it (the trust);…” (  Qur’an. Ch.33 vr.72)

In a matter of trust and trusteeship, the giver of the trust is giving a responsibility to the trustee. In other words the guardian of the trust has a high degree of freedom and accompanying responsibility in the use (or misuse) of the given trust.

The trustee is expected to fulfill the trust in the manner that the giver of the trust would expect of him.  If man did not have the power to either use or misuse this trust given to him by God, then the whole idea of offering the trust, in the first place, would be futile. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, a commentator of the Qur’an says of this verse;

“There is no trust if the trustee has no power, and the trust implies that the giver of the trust believes and expects that the trustee would use it according to the wish of the creator of the trust, and not otherwise.” (Ali, A.Y. The Holy Qur’an; Text, Translation and Commentary. Maryland; Amana Corporation. 1989. pg. 1080)

Note: This is not an attitude that is unique to Islam as can be seen in the following quote from the Bible “When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.” (Luke: 12:48). It is, however, an attitude that is all pervasive in the Islamic world-view.

Thus man has the freedom to do what he wills with the power invested in him through these two means. One is his closeness to God in spirit and second is his acceptance of the trust. Man’s superiority, control and power over nature and the rest of creation was thus a part of this trust. After having taken the responsibility man had to show that he was indeed worthy of keeping it. If he forgets about the responsibility of the trust and instead takes full and destructive advantage of the power conferred upon him, the other side of his  superiority takes over. Because he has the spirit of God within him, he now deems to set himself up in rivalry to God. He wishes to take control of the destiny of the world not as a trustee but as a demi god.

“…He was indeed unjust and foolish. “ (Qur’an. Ch.33 vr.75 & 76)
When the power of his relationship to God is applied without the temperance of the responsibility of the trust, man misuses and abuses the abilities, potentials, and rights given to him by God. Nature has been given to man as a trust and nothing more. His right of domination over it (is) only by virtue of his theomorphic make up, not as a rebel against nature.’ (Nasr. S.H. The Encounter of Man and Nature. London; George Allen and Unwin Ltd. 1968. pg.96) God has given revelation, and the law (shariah) derived from the revelation to assist and guide man in fulfilling this trust. Ziauddin Sardar writes:

“The ultimate consequence of man’s acceptance of  trusteeship is the arbitration of his conduct by divine  judgment. To be a Muslim is to accept and practice the  injunctions of the Shariah. Thus the Shariah is both a consequence of one’s acceptance of Tauhid and it is a path.”(Sardar, Ziauddin. Islamic Futures. New York; Mensell Publishing Limited. 1985. pg.228)

The Shariah gives practical shape to the ethical norms in Islam. No moral or ethical issue is only an abstract idea in Islam. They are codified in the Shariah to be preached, practiced and incorporated into the laws of the land. The Shariah seeks to provide a framework, an environment within which men as individuals and as a society can fulfill the role of trustee. This Shariah sets the limits and parameters and the practical guidelines for giving shape to an ethical principle and when ignored causes the kind of disruption in human life, which can now be seen in the form of severe ecological crises. This is because that part of the Shariah pertaining to nature has been completely ignored. Instead of working in subservience to God as his vicegerent, man has developed an axiology that invites him to dominate nature rather than act as a protector over this aspect of God’s trust. Rather than fulfill a trust, man elevates himself to the status of dominator – deciding the fate of nature without reference to revelation. He has set himself on par with God and about this type of an action the Qur’an says:

“Indeed you have put forth a thing most monstrous! As if the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin.” (Qur’an. Ch.19. vr.88-89. This verse actually deals with the attribution of Jesus, son of Mary, to be the son of God. In this context it is being used to demonstrate the abhorrence of any equal being set up with God.)

In the Islamic world-view the relationship of man with nature should be like that of a just ruler with his subjects. Although the ruler has power over his subjects, his subjects are a trust over which he stands guards. He is expected to act in a responsible way (as defined by the revelation) toward them. Misuse and abuse of his power would shift him from being a leader to being a tyrant. The end result of tyranny is nothing but a revolt against the tyrant. This is precisely what is happening between man the tyrant and nature the tyrannized. Tyranny is effective only in the short term.

Among the works of Zain-al-Abideen (the fourth Imam of the Shi’ites), is his “Treatise on Rights”. Among the many  types of rights described he puts forward the rights of the subjects over their ruler. In this context they can be extended to form a value system for the formation of an ethic toward the environment or any other aspect of the world over which man has power or dominion.

All acts towards the ruled should be imbued with mercy and justice; the ruler’s disposition should be like a father toward his child.

“The right of your subjects through authority is that you should know that they have been made subjects through their weakness and your strength. Hence it is incumbent on you to act with justice toward them and to be like a compassionate father toward them….” (Zain al Abideen.  The Psalms of Islam. London; Mohammadi Trust. 1988. pg.286.)

Man, being above material nature due to his theomorphic make-up and the burden of the trust, must deal in a similar way with the environment. The “Treatise on Rights” also describes the rights a subject enjoys over his ruler through the aspect of the ruler’s knowledge. Taking knowledge to be synonymous with intelligence, man is endowed with a higher intelligence than the rest of creation. Because of this he must assume a role of guardianship over the rest of creation and interact with nature in a way that is worthy of this intelligence. If man does what is befitting of his high station, then God will increase His bounties toward man. If he does not, then whatever he was blessed with is withheld or taken back. Imam Zain-al-Abideen states it as follows:

“The right of your subjects through knowledge is that you should know that God has made you a caretaker over them only through the knowledge He has given you and His storehouses which He has opened up to you. If you do well…, not treating them roughly or annoying them, then God will increase His bounty toward you. But if you … treat them roughly…, then it will be God’s right to deprive you of knowledge and its splendor and make you fall from your place…” (Zain al Abideen. The Psalms of Islam. London; Mohammadi Trust. 1988. pg.286.)

Zain-al-Abideen then goes on to talk of the rights of those over whom you are in a position of mastership, such as a servant.

“…you should know that he is the creature of your Lord….You did not create any of his limbs, nor do you provide him with his sustenance; on the contrary, God gave you the sufficiency for that…and deposited him with you so that you may be safeguarded by the good you give to him. So act well toward him, just as God has acted well toward you.” (Zain al Abideen. The Psalms of Islam. London; Mohammadi Trust. 1988. pg.286.)

Nature has been made subservient to man, but it is as much a creature of God as man is. Neither has man created nature nor is he in any way able to sustain it. It is only because God has given him the sufficiency and capacity can he in any way do so. If he is able to plant a tree and administer its growth or manipulate its genetic characteristics, it is only because of the intelligence placed within him by God. Just as God has been good to man so also man must act with the same beneficence toward nature so that he may safeguard  himself when facing God.

Another key aspect of the Islamic world view is its immense stress on eschatology. Belief in a day of judgment is essential to the faith of an adherent. It creates an action guide arising from an awareness that actions have consequences far beyond their immediately apparent effects. Since man will be called to account for how he looked after the trust bestowed upon him, he is forced to not only consider present gains but to plan for the future in order to fulfill the responsibility with which he has been invested. His acts have repurcussions that ripple out horizontally from himself affecting what surrounds him in this world as well as vertically since his substance has a presence in the higher worlds. So the consequences of his actions accumulate within his substance and after his death he faces the reality of what he has done and what he has become.

“Then on that Day, Not a soul will be wronged in the least, And ye shall but be repaid the meeds of your past deeds” (Qur’an. Ch.36 vr.54)

Eschatology is the policing force within Islam which guides the believer to fulfill the trust that he had taken on. The thought of an impending judgment stops him from taking actions according to his own whims and fancies. It puts a brake on self-centered aspirations.

Man’s role of vicegerency, his mantle of superiority and his responsibility of trust are laid bare before him in the Qur’an, it is then his decision to choose which path to take. On the one hand he has before him all the treasures of nature to use and exploit as he wishes through the fulcrum of his knowledge. On the other hand is the temperance of the responsibility which coexists with the trust and intelligence given to him by God. The world-view of man and the conceptual foundations which underlie that world-view decide which course man will take.

“Can we…check this threat to our planet simply by introducing stricter legislation against pollution, industrial waste and nuclear spill? Can we reverse the degradation of our environment by adopting conservationist policies on both national and international levels? Or could it be that the whole ecological imbalance betokens the spiritual and teleological crisis of modern civilization itself? Does it require fundamental revision of our own way of life, our cherished goals, indeed our very conception of ourselves and the world?” (Parvez Manzoor, Touch of Midas)

It has been the contention of this brief essay that the roots of the man made environmental crises, and therefore their resolution, lie in man’s conception of his role in the overall scheme of creation. The crises that are being faced today are approaching a point of critical mass such that man is forced to confront certain basic questions about his relationship to the environment. These are not questions of technology, but questions about the fundamental nature of man, the nature of the universe he exists in, and of the ultimate nature of Reality.

- Atiya and Irshaad Hussain (1991)

Added February 17, 2008
“And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days (periods/phases) – and His dominion/throne (extends) on the water – that He might manifest to you, which of you is best in action….” (Qur’an 11:7)
Six periods of creation
Time has a mysterious existence, a nature that is, as yet, unfathomable to us. It does not have any immediately evident, firmly graspable reality such as that found in material objects (and even our understanding of matter succumbs to mystery as we peer deeper into its innermost structures).
Time has variously been regarded as “a dimension in which events occur in sequence” or else as a “mental measuring system” rather than a dimension or an objective thing having its own independent reality. It has sometimes been viewed as a way consciousness has of measuring motion or change (with the (Qur’anic) proviso that everything in existence has some degree of consciousness (some way of interfacing with and perceiving or detecting it’s surroundings), however infinitesimally minute). Our consciousness of time exists primarily as a retention in memory and an anticipation of the future since the immediate “now” (the present moment) is of ungraspable granularity. It slips away even as we experience it. No matter how finely we slice our measurement of time (into nano or pico seconds), there is never an instant we can claim as now since each moment is endlessly sliding away leaving only an imprint in our memory and an anticipation of the moment still to come. We only see what has slipped past and wait for what we project into the future, but can never grasp the present moment although we may have an illusion of doing so because of the retention of a succession of moments in our memory like the persistence of vision. And it is the constant slipping, the endless change from moment to moment in external and internal worlds that makes possible our perception of time – the awareness of the difference between one instant and another.
Our perception of time’s attributes and characteristics can vary, depending on the motion of things and their relationship and interaction with one another (time exhibits a quality of relativity). Our own circumstances, the region of space we inhabit, the motion inherent in the system we inhabit and interact with, and the link between our individual consciousness and the larger societal consciousness that surrounds and impacts us – all of these have a bearing on time and our subjective perception of it.
According to Mulla Sadra “…time is not an independent realm for things and phenomena, so that is has a separate existence and temporal things are contained in it. Rather, like the volume of a body, it (time) is an essential and internal characteristic of body, and naturally, every phenomena, will possess a specific time for itself which is considered to be an aspect of its existence.” (Amuzish Falsafah) So each object is wrapped in its own cloak of time and space and if our perception of time was sufficiently keen we would be individually aware that we each possess our own specific experience of time. Nevertheless, humans on earth share a sufficiently close proximity and similarity such that we experience a common way of measuring time – we share a more or less common idea of what constitutes a day based on characteristics of our local environment (e.g., the period of rotation of the earth). However, there are strange pointers in the Qur’an, that appeal to us to transcendthe common view of what constitutes time. These indicate that time and it’s perception varies greatly not just within the material universe but across levels and gradations of reality. It is possible for humans, whose being is capable of spanning different realms, to experience these different gradations (such as the experience of the Prophet during his mir’aj – his ascension).
While some of the Qur’an’s verses emphasize our shared sense of time and the orderliness visible in the universe, other verses hint at the limits of our understanding and point to borders beyond which a transformation of the order and patterns that we take for granted occurs. Certain verses provide oblique metaphysical glimpses of this shift in time and its perception. For example, the Qur’an speaks of “aday whose measure is a thousand years of what you count.” (Qur’an 22:47) and of “a day whose measure is fifty thousand years.” (Qur’an 70:4) It also speaks of a day so short as to be immeasurable – this isyawm al-sha’n, the day of the task - “And in every day(moment/instant) He exercises universal power” (Qur’an 55:29).

Note 1: In a hadith, the Prophet says that in the time of al-Dajjal (an anti-christ like figure) there will be a day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week, and the rest of his days are like your days.” So in our own world, time or its perception or the interpretation of time and our perception of time during the period of the dajjal’s manifestation may seem to transform and change. Or, an alternate interpretation may be that the appearance of the Dajjal in this world occurs gradually, like a slow but accelerating descent away from the divine. As the metaphysical underpinnings of religion weaken and humankind’s connection with the divine fades into the realm of myth and skepticism, a Dajjal-like system begins to manifest and its elements strengthen and solidfy over time until eventually it establishes and manifests powerfully in this world (“the rest of his days are like your days” ) establishing its dominance and the apparent overthrow of all genuine religious systems.

Note 2: As well, the Prophet (s.a.) and Imams (a.s.) speak of other realms (levels of reality) in which time and being have an altered aspect and in which they exhibit metamorphosed qualities. So there is a higher archetypal world exhibiting a flow of time, “…dimensions, and extent other than that of the material sensible world. Infinite are its marvels, countless its cities, each with a thousand gates. They are peopled by countless (intelligent) creatures who are not even aware that God has created terrestial Adam and his posterity….” In these cities “seven million languages are spoken, each different from the other….seventy thousand communities dwell in the city called Jabalqa. Not one among them but symbolizes with (and indicates the existence of) some community in this lower universe….” (Hadith from Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (a.s.))

So each level of existence, each realm, has it’s own “day”. Which day the days of creation correspond to we do not know, which is why many translators render it as six periods of creation, in which each period is an unknown length of time during which an emergent process engendered, sustained, and suffused with God’s creative command is at work. Time flows at a different rate, with an altered quality, within each realm. Each realm has not only its own quantitative time but also differs in the essential quality and priority of what exists within it (see sidebar text).

The other question that arises is why it refers to six periods. Why six? No really definitive answer can be given to this beyond a reference to other verses which mention the days of creation. However,  symbolic congruences with the six days have been suggested by some commentators. One such congruence (suggested by Ibn Arabi’s writings) is that human beings journey through six realms, six levels of existence. Their creation, life, death, and afterlife offers the possibility of travel through six matrices involving different manifestations of human life  across different levels of reality. Within these there are many sub realms, but in general, there are six dominions, six demarcated levels and intervals in which human existence can manifest in some manner and in which different intensities of the experience of reality occurs, and in which time manifests in varying ways.

1st interval
The first is the pre-existence in which every configuration of the human soul destined to be born in this universe was drawn out from Adam and brought before God Who asked them, “Am I not your Lord?”

“And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam…all their descendants, and made them bear witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! we bear witness. Lest you should say on the day of resurrection: Surely we had no inner knowledge of this.” (Qur’an 7:172)
This indicates a pre-existence at some level for every human being who has ever been born or ever will be born. The recognition of God’s Lordship lies in the original human nature (the fitra) since God took this shahada (testimony) affirming His Lordship from all human beings before they entered into existence on the earth. They are asked, “Am I not your Lord?” and they affirm God’s Lordship. So this recognition and affirmation is woven into a human being’s very substance. The implication is that everyone who is born into this world has agreed in substance (in the essence of their soul) to this covenant, and that although we may have no conscious knowledge or memory of this pact, its reality is woven into our very nature. This world is a place of distraction and forgetfullness but at our core lies the metaphysical truth of this covenant and one of the purposes of religion is to awaken to consciousness an awareness of this bond between God and man as well as all the concealed potentials that flow from this bond.

At that time our existence was of a different nature, dwelling in a different reality – our conception and birth (the beginning of our physical existence) took us out from that realm and injected us into the world of matter.

2nd interval
The second world is the universe in which we now live. This is the world where we write the book of our individual lives. Death will lift us out from this world.
3rd interval

The Third is the world of the barzakh, also known as the world of the lesser resurrection or the world of the grave – it is one in which the human soul tastes its own nature and inner reality.
4th interval

The fourth world is the world of the greater resurrection – when we awaken on an earth that has been remade, spread out, and extended to accommodate every creature that ever existed and to usher in the judgement. It is a world illuminated by the light of clear and deep perception so that every soul perceives in a penetrating manner its own reality and the realities underlying its every action.
5th interval

The fifth world is the world of paradise and ghenna, the world in which actions and natures and their consequences return to their owners and only God’s mercy provides relief.

6th interval

The sixth world is the heights/the raised places (upon the dunes) a place elevated above paradise  - “…and on the most elevated places there shall be men who know all by their marks….” (Qur’an 7:46-48) – this is a place of intimate proximity to God and for those granted special insight.

In each of these worlds there are lesser realms, and realms within realms but in general there are six broad categories and levels.

Each one has its own unique days, its own unique measure of time. So this is one possible indication of some congruence with the six days of creation – human existence in its totality maps onto the various levels of reality through which the human essence can journey.

But this present world in which we are now living was created as the place of trial, testing, and responsibility – so it is (as Ibn Arabi indicates) with our conduct here that we have to concern ourselves. The many levels of existence are all part of the totality of human existence – but, as the verse says, the crux of it is within this realm of testing, that He might “…determine which of you has the most beautiful conduct (actions).” (Qur’an 11:7)

Note: In some verses the Qur’an enumerates the breakdown of the six days (a total of four for the creation of the “earth” and what is in it, and two for the “heavens” and what is in them (Qur’an 41:9-12). The two periods for the heavens would then perhaps encompass the heaven of the covenant, and the seven heavens of the gardens of paradise. The four periods for the earth would perhaps encompass this material universe (including our earth), the earth of the barzakh, the earth of the resurrection (of judgement day), and the earth of the dunes (the elevated heights). However, all interpretation is at best nothing more than speculation and possibility and most commentators refrain from any absolute mapping out of the six days of creation.

Note: Another (esoteric) interpretation of the six days of creation includes a seventh day in which the purpose of creation is revealed and fulfilled – the seventh day is said to be alluded to in the ascension to the throne which follows the process of creation. “Lo! Your Lord is God Who created the heavens and the earth in six days. Then He ascended the Throne…” (Qur’an 7:54) This interpretation is detailed by Shafique Virani in his paper “The Days of Creation in the thought of Nasir Khusraw”. He writes that according to Khusraw… “This account of the genesis of the cosmos, shared by the Abrahamic faiths, does not concern the creation of the physical universe. Rather, the tradition refers to the genesis of a spiritual cosmos governed by God’s emissaries. This creation commenced with Adam, who represented the first day…and continued with Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus….The cycles of creation were brought to their completion by Muhammad….Yet to come was the last and final day (the sign of which is the advent of the Mehdi), which would consummate the entire spiritual creation. This was the…cycle of the Lord of the Resurrection or Qa’im-i qiyamat. It is through the Lord of the Resurrection that the divine unity and grandeur of God would be revealed and the purpose of creation fulfilled.”

The Throne on the water

“…and His dominion/throne (extends) on the water….”

Water here perhaps refers to the primordial substance from which all things emerge – the liquidity suggests that it is full of potential but not yet manifested into specific creations. It is the perennial, foundational substance out of which the physical universe is created. It is described as water – fluid, liquid, able to be poured into any form, as yet formless, but able to flow into any form. The life giving properties of the water of this lower universe is a symbol of this primordial water.

The “water” over which the throne extends perhaps represents “undifferentiated reality” – ‘every potential is within it but as yet it has not given birth to any specific forms.’ As a “liquid” it is unified, one substance, and not yet articulated into separate creations. But it contains the ability to give birth to myriad creations.

God’s Arsh, His throne – that is to say the realm from which His commands issue forth, is above the water. In other words it is a realm that has dominion and control over this water. A throne is a symbolic place from which a King’s commands issue forth to the kingdom over which he rules. The commands, the Divine Will issues forth from the throne and the potential that is in the water begins to be realized. Creation in all its forms manifests itself – the perennial foundational substance articulates into infinite varieties of creations.

Elsewhere the Qur’an refers to the emergence of all life from water. This can perhaps also be tied to this primordial substance whose water is like a fountain of life issuing forth form after form, creations of every variety emerging into existence. The Qur’an is not concerned with detailing the mechanism by which this happens – it is not a science book. It is concerned with telling us the higher reality behind the creation that we witness. Our science will explain a portion of the process – that portion that is visible to us in this material world. The Qur’an is concerned with making us aware of the deeper, concealed realities that underlie the mechanisms we witness at work in this world. Science can show us a limited “how” as it is restricted to the observable methods and mechanisms of this universe and it can show us how to put this knowledge to instrumental use – it illuminates, at its own level, the subtle mechanisms of this world. The Qur’an points out to us the invisible realities which are the intelligence and the underlying substrata that drive the mechanisms of this world.

The water, is perhaps then the ground of all being, all existence. Mulla Sadra speaks similarily of a “sort of invisible background that we do not ordinarily see because it is everywhere – because we see with it – and ultimately because we are it….” (pg 63, Wisdom of the Throne) because we are articulated forms arising within it.

According to the traditional scholars, human existence is unique in that it has a presence that extends beyond this world – because the nature with which humans are created reaches from this earth to the Throne. The innermost heart or reality of man is connected to the Throne of God. Those few human beings who have perfected their nature, who have purified their nafs – their hearts are consciously awake to this reality and God bestows ability upon them through this conduit. He bestows upon them a presence and a power and issues through them His commands – they can (to the extent allowed) shape, influence, and direct the mechanisms of this lower world whose substrata is the water upon which the Throne rests – they have a seemingly miraculous influence in this world.

That water, that deep and subtle substance from which we are created is within us even now and it is amenable to being shaped by God’s command. It is a deep well which we can draw upon to give life, vitality, correct form, and real presence to our inner configuration and to the actions which arise from this configuration. It is as if God has allowed us a hand in our own creation, in our shaping our own selves – He has (through our turning to Him) given a portion of the command to us. So no human is closed to transformation, to reaching elevated stages except through their own turning away and petrifying their own inner substance and nature. The human journey through the various realms of existence will display for us our inner configuration and our actions and the nature of the Divine realities within which we journey “…that He might manifest…which of you is best in action (conduct).” (Qur’an 11:7)

-Irshaad Hussain

People encompass multiple existences, multiple levels of dealing and interacting with the world. The foremost level is an individual level – the level of a single person or single self (nafs) and the moral and ethical life and behavior of that person within the milieu of small scale interactions. This is the level at which most people relate to religion and ethical life – they see religion as an individual spiritual quest, morals and ethics as an individual’s responsibility, religious life as an individual struggle within their own nafs (soul) and characterized by their own behavior. And Islam greatly emphasizes this individual role through verses that indicate that“neither your creation nor your rising is anything but as a single soul.” (Qur’an 31:28) So the individual has a real, substantiative existence, a profound link to deeper realities, and therefore has a real and substantial responsibility as well.

But at the same time Islam claims a societal role for humans, and not simply a peripheral role but one in which society is viewed holistically, as greater than the sum of its parts – almost as a complex organism in its own right. And this role of society as a dynamic complex system intersects and overlaps with the role of the individual. So the Qur’an speaks of “ummatin” (the larger community) as having a collective fate, a collective life, a collective responsibility that interacts in a dynamic manner with each individual that is part of the society. And it doesn’t speak of the life of a community in an entirely allegorical or philosophical way but rather as having its own reality and therefore a responsibility and a destiny. “Every society will be called to its book.” (Qur’an 45:28) Just as individuals have a book that is a record of the reality of what they are and which is used to judge them and determine their fate, so too does every society have a book and a judgment awaiting them.

The Qur’an also implies a collective mode of thinking for each society -“We have adorned for each society their acts.” (Qur’an 6:108) So identification with a group and an admiration of the acts of that group is an instinct built into human beings. Every group has a particular taste, a particular aesthetic and a way of looking at things that makes their own achievements seem more pleasing than those of other groups. We value what we are familiar and comfortable with and we value that which originates from our own society (we have a group identity, a national identity that interacts and intersects with our individual identity) and we often devalue or deem as irrelevant or as something to be subsumed, that which is outside of our own societies.

So built into human nature are two modes of thinking that co-exist and overlap one another – individual thinking, and a complex, evolving, shifting ecosystem of group-thinking. This instinct to be part of a group is extremely powerful, whether the group is a nation, a culture, a sub-culture, a group of philosophers one identifies with, a political grouping, liberal, conservative, progressive, socialist, neo-con, political hawks, groups united on specific prejudices, groupings based on arts, music, business, corporations, commercial brands, technology, military forces, anarchists, internet discussion groups, groups of like-minded bloggers, groups that adhere single-mindedly to past traditions…groups that overturn tradition…and so on….

The impulse and need to form and participate in groups is a pattern built into the nature of humans, and while on one level our thinking is individual, on another it is, almost subconsciously, collective. Our individual consciousness evolves in the milieu of a complex, interconnected mental ecosystem where group ethics and a collective spirit and intention in action arises. Collective modes of thought emerge due to shared opinion, ideological direction, and will. So a society or group can take on the characteristics of a single complex individual and be viewed in that manner. And just as there is a limited lifespan for individuals there is also a term, a limit, a timeframe governed by a variety of conditions for the survival of any given mental ecosystem. When the life and vitality in the ideas around which a society or group congregates fades, weakens, or degenerates, that society, that manifestation of ideology and social structure reaches the end of its term, the end of its functional societal lifespan.

“And for every society there is a term, so when (the conditions of) their term is fulfilled they shall not remain behind, nor shall they go before.” (Qur’an 7:34)

So there arises a responsibility laid out not only by the Prophet but by revelation (the Qur’an) and by the reality and nature of societies and the laws which govern them. They have a life and death and an existence for a given span and will be called to an accounting (to their book). And so the Qur’an calls for people who will “rise up for Allah’s sake in twos and singly” (Qur’an 34:46) as the conscience of a society, as those who impart life to societies which blindly lay the foundations of their own demise and the conditions of their own degeneration. These will not approve group-think when it merits disapproval, nor allow a societal nafs-amarra to overrun their individual nafs-lawwama, but will act instead on carefully considered knowledge and inner conscience. Approval and disapproval takes on a metaphysical quality as the individual binds or distances himself from the reality which a society or group generates for themselves – and so we each are called upon to write our part, to manifest our corrective role in society’s unfolding “book”.

“Truly what unites the people and imparts to them a common shared (negative or positive) destiny consists in individual approval and disapproval.” (Imam Ali – Nahjul Balagha)

- Irshaad Hussain

Related articles:

History and Perception
Prisoners of thought
Paradox for a modern age

(First published on Irshad Hussain’s blog, www.islamfrominside.com, on December 29, 2008) Article republished on khutbahbank by kind permission of Irshad Hussain

“Then when they came in to Yusuf, he took his parents to lodge with him and said: Enter safe into Egypt, if Allah please.” (Qur’an 12:99)

“And he raised his parents upon the throne and they (the brothers) fell down in prostration before him, and he said: O my father! (yaa abati) this is the significance (tawil) of my vision of old; my Lord has indeed made it to be true; and He was indeed kind to me when He brought me forth from the prison and brought you from the desert after the Shaitan (Satan) had sown dissensions between me and my brothers, surely my Lord is benignant to whom He pleases; surely He is the Knowing, the Wise.” (Qur’an 12:100)

“My Lord! Thou hast given me of the kingdom and taught me of the interpretation of sayings: Originator/Splitter of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my guardian in this world and the hereafter; make me die (ta-waffa) a Muslim and join me with the good.” (Qur’an 12:101)

Although in a narrative sense the sura of Joseph (Yusuf) is one of the most accessible and straightforward chapters of the Qur’an, describing in chronological order the story of Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers, his rise to prominence in Egypt, and his reunion with his family, it is simultaneously a narrative whose surface conceals immense depths of meaning. The apparent meaning is a veil over multiple layers of hidden significance. This is indicated by the verses themselves as they connote a deep level of purport in the narrative:

“Certainly in Yusuf and his brothers there are deep signs for the inquirers.” (Qur’an 12:7)

And the repeated references in the sura to the science of tawil is a pointer to the fact that what occurs in this sura requires a multi-layered interpretation for its significance to be understood.

In verse 100 (as well as in verses 4 and 5 of the sura), Yusuf addresses his father as “yaa abati” which is a personal form of address, whereas the brothers address their father using a more formal means of address. This is an indicator of the special spiritual bond between Jacob and Joseph. A bond that remains intact even through their years of separation – a symbol of this bond is Joesph’s cloak or shirt. Joseph’s cloak (or his shirt) was given to Joseph by Jacob as a gift. According to the story in Genesis, the giving of this cloak marked the beginning of the envy felt by Joseph’s brothers. The passing of a cloak in Islam (especially in Sufism or Shi’ite Islam) indicates a transfer of spiritual authority from one person to another or connotes an acknowledgement of a person’s spiritual stature. Joseph receives the cloak and this is symbolic of the connection between the heart of Jacob and that of Joseph and it is also an indicator of Joseph’s connection to the Divine. Joseph’s spiritual stature grows and increases over time, and the cloak/shirt later becomes a means of healing to his aged father (restoring the vision he lost through weeping over his separation from Joseph). This is symbolic of the great increase in Joseph’s own spiritual authority and ability as well as the deep mystical bond between him and his father.

So Joseph’s cloak/shirt is a symbol of the bond of deep love and shared spiritual knowledge between Joseph and Jacob. This is a bond that passes through higher worlds even as it connects two hearts. From Joseph’s heart, to God, to Jacob’s heart – a spiritual connection between two people passes through God. When traditional love, that is normal earthly love, witnesses such a deep, powerful bond of knowledge and spiritual attraction it may cause the arising of jealousy within earthly hearts. It is similar to the jealousy Rumi’s adherents felt when Rumi was in the company of Shams-al-din with whom he had an intensely close spiritual linkage. Or like the jealousy that some people in the Prophet’s time felt when they witnessed the bond between the Prophet and Ali or between the Prophet and some of his dearest companions. For those who have a ritualistic or predominantly exoteric connection to their religion but without the dominance of spirit within themselves – seeing such a powerful attraction and extreme intensity of spirit can, perhaps, lead to a spiritual jealousy and envy – it can bring out negative qualities of the nafs. In Yusuf’s brothers this manifests in their lowering Yusuf into a pit – which itself is symbolic of their desire to lower him in status. They “agreed that they should lower him down into the bottom of the pit….” (Qur’an 12:15)

Note: The lowering into the well is countered by an actual raising of spiritual status. In the darkness of the well Joseph is illuminated by  the light of inspiration: “….We revealed to him: You will most certainly inform them of this their affair while they do not perceive.” (Qur’an 12:15). God illuminates his soul with knowledge of what is to come and so bestows calm upon him in a desperate situation. When the outcome is determined, all anxiety disappears – the only unknown is how the conclusion will be arrived at, not the ending itself.

When Yusuf is lowered into the well, for Jacob also it is a lowering of status as his spirit has a connection with Joseph – his continued attachment and weeping over Joseph irks the brothers causing a continual annoyance and disrespect to flow from them – and the father lives in state of loss. So in verse 99 and 100 Joseph restores Jacob to his proper spiritual hierarchy by raising him to the throne – a sign of the restoration of his status after so long a period of time: “….he took his parents to lodge with him and said: Enter safely into Egypt….And he raised his parents upon the throne….” (Qur’an 12:100)

Also in verse 12:100 we arrive at the fulfillment of Joseph’s dream which is initially described in 12:4. After he has the dream, we are told that a part of Joseph’s prohethood is the ability to reveal the tawil (the hidden interpretation) of dreams and of events. And Joseph demonstrates this ability by interpreting the dreams/visions of the prisoners (when he is in jail) and of the king (when he is released). He does this by showing what events the dreams signify. In other words he maps the dreams onto real events in the world. But his own dream remains unexplained till verse 100. And at that point we learn that while interpretation of the dreams of others demonstrates his mastery of tawil, Joseph’s dream encompasses a sort of double tawil.

Joseph dreams (in verse 4) that he saw the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars prostrating to him. “When Yusuf said to his father: O my father! surely I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon – I saw them making obeisance to me.” (Qur’an 12:4) The meaning of this is that he will come to a position of authority and will be reunited with his family who will recognize his authority. The further meaning of this is that he will become the spiritual centre of the constellation of his family and they will orbit around him and be guided (suggested by their prostration) through his spiritual authority. A further aspect is that the dream displays the eventual elevated spiritual position of all his family since they are all symbolized by heavenly lights or heavenly bodies.

If we reverse the chronology of these events (the dream and the final reunion with his family) then we see that the dream (from Qur’an 12:4) was displaying the true spiritual reality underlying all the events in this world leading up to Joseph’s reunion with his family and their prostration before him. So Joseph’s family prostrating before him indicates that his spiritual stature was such that he became the central gravitational fulcrum about which their souls orbited – he becomes the means by which his brothers are uplifted from their errors so that they become lights in their own right under the pull and influence and guidance of Joseph. Joseph becomes the guide who, though his identity is not known to the brothers, corrects the faults in their souls.

Joseph’s dream of the sun, moon, and stars is more indicative of reality and the true state of affairs than the material reality around him. The dream is a revelatory witnessing of spiritual realities. The actual events in this world are a shadow of this reality. So Joseph witnesses the true inner reality of events in his dream. Eventually that inner reality unfolds in the form of actual events in this world and Joseph says, “This is the interpretation of my dream.” (Qur’an 12:100)

But the dream was the truer reality as it was not simply a dream that maps onto this world but a witnessing of the spiritual bedrock underlying events – it was revelation. The dream is an explanation of the true meaning of the actual events that transpire later in time. The dream provides a deep explanation of the events even as the events show the true prophetic nature of the dream. It is a paradoxical double tawil that rises above the other dream interpretations made by Joseph. The meaning of the events preceded the events. So when spiritual realities are perceived in Joseph’s revelatory dream, that dream is more real than the events it foreshadows in the sense that it gives a truer picture of the nature underlying the events in this world.

His dream is when he is truly awake because he is witnessing higher spiritual realities in it, realities that are concealed in this waking world. And the Qur’an says that when we awake after death in a higher spiritual reality, our sight (our understanding) will be piercing, awake. Joseph is already truly awake in that higher reality through his dream. He is armed with that experience when he acts in this world. Everything he does arises from a continuous process of tawil. His dreams apprise him of the spiritual reality underlying events in this world. And so Joseph, armed with the gift of tawil, acts with perfect balance and equanimity, guiding individuals (his family) and entire societies (Egypt) to that which is most felicitous.

As well, the dream of Joseph is an indication of the divine lights illuminating Joseph’s soul. When such lights open within an individual this is a sign that events of this world will be in submission to higher decrees. Joseph glimpses the divine decree in his dream. When Joseph is placed in a pit and later in prison, this is only a path to the fulfillment displayed in the dream. Joseph will be elevated. Those who wish him harm will be subdued by him – and through their submission to the nobility of Joseph (and thus to God), they find their salvation and they find mercy. The outcome of Joseph’s road was guided by Allah as stated in Qur’an 12:21: “And Allah was pre-dominant in his career, but most of mankind know not. (Qur’an 12:21)

When verse 100 speaks of Joseph’s family prostrating before him it uses a term that occurs in several places in the Qur’an to describe the action and inner state of someone who witnessed a manifestation of God and fell down prostrate in reaction to this divine theophany (as when Moses’ swooned when experiencing the Divine presence) or in reaction to  experiencing the true power of the Qur’an’s verses. For example Qur’an  19:58 says, “….When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited to them they fell down prostrating, adoring, weeping.” (Qur’an 19:58) Joseph’s brothers experienced an inner transformation brought about by Joseph’s guidance, so their prostration also encompassed an inner recognition of Joseph’s spiritual authority and their newly awakened spirits prostrated out of gratitude and realization.

In Qur’an 12:88 the brothers asked Joseph for charity, for sadaqa. They used a verbal form of the root s-d-q. They used it in its ordinary meaning of being charitable. They were unaware of the immense extent of Joseph’s charity towards them – he gives them not simply material charity but also a spiritual charity which is to be their salvation. He gives to them exactly what they ask for but in a manner far more deep and profound than they could have imagined. He gives them the gift of their own souls set right, of inner truthfulness (sidq). Their request is worth reiterating so we can become aware, in hindsight, of its double meaning. They ask: “O Mighty one, we and our family have been beset by hardship, and we have brought unworthy goods! So fill up the measure for us, and be charitable with us: surely God rewards those who are charitable!” (Qur’an 12:88) They asked for material goods, and received both material and spiritual goods. The hardship is the hardship of the fractures within their own souls caused by their placing Joseph into the well. The unworthy goods they brought were their own selves. They wish Joseph to fill up their measure and the measure he fills up is to raise their souls/selves to the proper measure – to place in their souls what was lacking. They wish Joseph to be charitable and he bestows upon them the ultimate charity by guiding them to a state of spiritual restoration and by bestowing upon them forgiveness and mercy.

“He (Joseph) said: (There shall be) no reproof against you this day; Allah will forgive you, and He is the most Merciful of the merciful.” (Qur’an 12:92)

In Qur’an 12:91 the brothers say: “By Allah! Allah has certainly chosen you over us, and we were certainly sinners.” (Qur’an 12:91) Joseph has, through careful and studied guidance brought them to a realization about their own selves. They experience a recognition of their former corrupted inner state and the corrections Joseph has brought about within them. This is a sign that Joseph has worked within his brothers an alchemical change that transforms them from a fallen state to a state of spiritual restoration. He lifts them out of the blind alley of the nafs al-amarra (the soul that commands to evil) to the state of nafs al-lawamma (the blaming soul – the active conscience) and activates within them the workings of spirit. The activity of this process is evident when they are told in verse 87, “….despair not of the spirit of Allah….” (Qur’an 12:87)

Joseph and his father had to reverse within the brothers the effects of their past wrongdoing and their past recalcitrance towards correction – to reverse the process by which they came under the influence of evil, of Shaitan (Satan). As Jacob mentions concerning the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers (early in the sura), “Lo, Shaitan (Satan) is for man an open foe.” (Qur’an 12:5) The brothers undergo a fall, akin to the fall of Adam, in that they are tempted and they succumb and act against Joseph. Joseph’s task is to lead them back from this fall, to liberate them from the grip of Shaitan, and restore their own souls to them. They have to be lifted out of the spiritual darkness into which they cast themselves by their actions against Joseph and returned to light. The inevitability of a successful conclusion is prefigured in Joseph’s dream in which his brother’s appear as heavenly lights. But for them to reach a stage of spiritual restoration it is not sufficient for Joseph simply to speak to them or lecture them. They have to learn through lived experience and they have to be guided through the appropriate experiences – Joseph acts as their guide – a spiritual guide of whom they are completely unaware. He shapes the difficulties and hardships they must go through, he maneuvers the twists and turns and stratagems that eventually bring them to a position of reunion, recognition, repentance, and salvation. The apparent plot convolutions in the sura can initially appear to be a tangle of different threads, but these resolve eventually into a concentrated spiritual tapestry. The threads of Joseph’s brothers are those of souls being purified of sins and faults. The thread of Joseph is a binding thread that connects all the disparate portions of the tapestry into a unified whole. Joseph’s position is one of deep spiritual authority.

In one sense , Joseph’s position of authority and power, and the actions he takes to correct and straighten the crooked souls of his brothers, and the gracious mercy he shows to all those who wronged him can also be seen as an earthly example and symbol of a higher guidance and judgement. God’s intention is not simply to discharge His wrath and vengeance upon humans, nor to doom them for slips of the soul, but rather the Prophets and revelation and the endless signs that are manifest out in the world and within our own selves are all a form of guidance and correction to steer us to felicity. The aim is to guide us, sometimes with rewards and sometimes with a stick, just as Joseph armed with knowledge that his brothers’ lacked, forced them into situations which were uncomfortable and trying for them but which ultimately had the aim of straightening the crookedness in their souls. And when the brothers were helpless in front of Joseph and subject to his command – he showed them only mercy. Just as Joseph had a hidden knowledge of his brothers’ situation and guided them to a spiritual realization which would allow them to turn in a new direction, so God has hidden knowledge of all our situations.

Verse 101 (“My Lord! Thou hast given me of the kingdom and taught me of the interpretation of sayings….”) uses similar wording to verse 6, except now Joseph recognizes through personal experience and knowledge the promise that was made in verse 6. And this expands further, if any such expansion was possible, Joseph’s profound gratefulness to God for the protecting bond that has guided him and his family to felicity and union through mysterious and astounding routes. It is here that we realize that Joseph’s position is a truly elevated one as he has a position of proximity to Allah denoted by the term wali. “Thou art my wali (proximate loving guardian) in this world and the hereafter….” (Qur’an 12:101) God is his wali in the two domains of this world and the hereafter, the material universe and the spiritual worlds.

This verse also uses the term Fatir, translated as Creator or Originator but which literally means “splitter” and possibly also referring to fitra (the primordial nature with which things are created). In this case it likely refers to the dual nature of creation which consists of both matter and spirit, form and substance, earth and heaven. “Creator/Splitter of the heavens and earth” says the verse. And God’s guidance of Joseph unites both these dimensions as Joseph’s every action in this world is one that originates in and descends from a higher realm and takes root in this world. While the two worlds, dunya (this world) and akhira (the hereafter), are in one sense separate it is also the case that the higher worlds encompass and envelop the lower ones. So when a command issues from the higher worlds, it operates irresistibly in the lower world, the world of the dunya – “He regulates the affair from the heaven to the earth….” (Qur’an 32:5) In sura Yusuf, verse 6 says: “…thy Lord will prefer thee and will teach thee the interpretation of events, and will perfect His grace upon the family of Jacob….” (Qur’an 12:6) This is like a command which issues from heaven and then, from that point on, invisibly but irresistibly regulates all matters concerning Joseph and Jacob and their family until they are brought to a state of felicity in verse 100. Everything that happens in between in this sura is guided by the promise of verse 6. And the patience of Jacob and Joseph is a sign of their proximity and surrender to God and His infallible promise. The word ta-waffa (also used in verse 101) refers to the moment of death when each soul is received by the angel or by God, and Joseph, recognizing in full the intense transcendence of the station he has reached in verse 100, asks God to preserve this elevated state of awareness and surrender within him, till he arrives at the moment of his death: “….make me die (ta-waffa) a Muslim and join me with the good.” (Qur’an 12:101)

-Irshaad Hussain

Added January 10, 2009

“And whoever turns himself away from the remembrance (dhikr) of al-Rahman (The Compassionate), We appoint for him a shaitan (a satan), so he becomes his close companion (and associate). And most surely they (the satan’s) turn them away from the path, though they (the people) persistently imagine that they are rightly guided….” (Qur’an 43:36-37)

This verse, highlights a repeatedly arising theme in the Qur’an – the importance of dhikr (remembrance of God) – but highlights it in a unique and powerfully crucial manner. It links the turning away from a steady and steadfast contemplation and remembrance of God in the aspect of His Mercy and compassion with the entry of Shaitan (Satan) into one’s affairs. And as verse 43:37 indicates, this entry is an invisible, unperceived arrival so that the person remains unaware that he has been turned and deflected away from a felicitous path but instead imagines that he “is rightly guided”. This theme of people turning away from God’s name of Mercy (al-Rahman) and compassion recurs in several places in the Qur’an and is perhaps due to these people desiring a special recognition or concession for their group, their viewpoint, their tribe, or their social and poitical status. “No remembrance comes to them from the All-Merciful newly arrived but they turn away from it.” (Qur’an 26:5) Instead they are faced with a general beneficence that does away with special pleading and levels all hierarchies except that of consciousness and awareness of God and beauty of conduct.

Rahman and Rahim are two denotations of mercy used throughout the Qur’an. The Rahman is generally considered to be an all-embracing universal mercy and compassion (linked to God’s Majesty) which pervades existence and from which everything in existence derives benefit, while Rahim is sometimes defined as a more specialized and focused mercy.

Here (in verse 43:36) we are invoking, through dhikr of the name al-Rahman, the entry into our hearts of that generalized mercy through which all creation obtains benefit – a benefit which is not restricted only to particular groups, and which is not withheld from anything or any creature in existence. And the invocation is an invitation for that mercy to enter and settle into our hearts.

Note: If there is an impediment to this process – to engaging in a remembrance with the heart – if we find it difficult to open this door it is, perhaps, because we ourselves are the door – and if the door is locked, it is locked through our forgetfulness, negligence, and through the careless habits acquired over a lifetime which hinder a true inward consciousness and awareness from arising within us. When we are in this state, then the dhikr is first a recognition of the door, then an approach to the door, then a knocking on the door, and finally an opening of the door of our heart.

When remembrance (dhikr) of Allah is connected with the aspect of His mercy and compassion, that quality of mercy begins to manifest within one’s own character – it gains a real, living presence and the heart expands with it’s growth. One’s thinking, words, actions, and all one’s relationships within families, communities, and in the wider world begins to display this mercy. This dhikr then becomes a shield against the countless invisible ways in which Shaitan injects himself into people’s lives, even into their religious lives so that, as the verse indicates,“…they (the people) persistently (and mistakenly) imagine that they are rightly guided….” (Qur’an 43:37) though they are deflected from correct guidance.

This is why we find Imam Ali (a.s.) provided a guideline for determining the character of a people. He said:

“Be not mislead by their prayers and fasting…rather, try them when it comes to telling the truth and fulfilling trusts.” (Nahjul Balagha)

When weighing a person’s trustworthiness and their religious ethos, the Imam said not to look at their prayer, fasting, and hajj but to look into their character and how this character displays itself in the workings of life. Then we can see where their attachments lie, what their desires lead to, and what principles manifest in their behavior and aspect.

This is because the prayer, fasting, etc. are a means. Although initially they may be an end in themselves, they are an extraordinary means of remembrance through worship (and they always remain a necessary obligation since they never cease to be an ever expanding means). Remembrance is a means of awakening a slumbering consciousness, which is in turn a means of transformation, and this transformation leads to inner upliftment, and this upliftment makes it possible to draw near to the one to Whom we pray. Prayer is the means and each prayer is an opportunity to advance in this process. So the question becomes: what has our prayer made of us?

The Prophet said that

“whoever has no worldly life has no religious life”.

By this he did not mean that we should plunge ourselves into worldly pursuits but that the one who separates his inner religious self from his life within the trials and distractions of the world has not grasped the full purport and meaning of religion. If we pray and fast, attend the masjid, perform the rituals and consider this the entirety of religious life we are, in a sense, secularizing our religion. Our inner religious self has never had its mettle tested in the world if it remains safely and comfortably within these confines. When it is tested, will the world get the better of us, or will our faith (our iman) guide and direct the quality of our behavior in the world?

We are to take the elevated character, the manners, the freedom from lower attachments that sincere adherence to the pillars of the religion can unfold within us, out into the world. We are to apply this in our day to day affairs – both the easy and the difficult. Truthfulness, patience, fulfillment of trusts, good speech and manners, generosity, kindness, humility, charity, mercy, guarding the weak, involving ourselves in the best affairs of society, in the guardianship of rights – and we are to do this in an ihsan (beautiful) manner – without crudeness, without being rough in action or speech. Like Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) who, in a foreign country, living among a foreign people with a foreign religion, rose to the highest prominence through his reliance on God’s mercy and acted with the patience, truthfulness, and beauty of character which emerged from this unwavering reliance. As Sura Yusuf says:

“…most surely (man’s) self (nafs) is wont to command (him to do) evil, except those who (are connected with) their Lord’s mercy….We reach with Our mercy whom We please, and We do not waste the reward of those who do good (who act in the most beautiful manner).” (Qur’an 12:53,56)

That society in which Yusuf rose to prominence did not look at his prayer and ritual practices (after all, these would have been foreign rituals to them) but they looked at his character, his truthfulness, his patience, his elevated knowledge, his sincerity, his fulfillment of trusts. Without these, which are among the fruits of efficacious prayer and fasting, can it be said that we have truly prayed and fasted. The people of Egypt reacted to how Yusuf comported himself within that society. He did not seek to blend in, that was not his goal – but he became known through the excellence of his conduct. “For the righteous are only known by that which God causes to pass concerning them on the tongues of His servants. So let the dearest of your treasuries be the treasury of righteous action….Infuse your heart with mercy, love and kindness….” (Imam Ali’s letter to Malik al-Ashtar)

Unfurling this level of awareness and comportment within ourselves is a difficult matter. For, as the Qur’an states, humans have a tendency to be forgetful and heedless when they interact in the world. In our thoughts it is easy to imagine ourselves behaving magnanimously and with dignity when faced with difficulty and hardship, when heavy pressures and dangers alight upon us. But when the reality surrounds us, our minds desperately seek escape or seek to strike out against the perceived causes of our difficulty and our hearts twist and turn confused and without direction. In such situations we may grasp, in our distress, at any direction that provides a path of action.

When our hearts are perturbed and made uneasy by events, the best direction to turn is towards the remembrance of God, for

“…surely by Allah’s remembrance are the hearts set at rest.” (Qur’an 13:28)

And the dhikr, the remembrance, that encompasses God’s aspect of Mercy through His name Al-Rahman, will stand as a protecting guard over error, arrogance, and an invisible, and deceptive enemy. Otherwise“…whoever turns himself away from the remembrance (dhikr) of al-Rahman, We appoint for him a Shaitan (a Satan)….” (Qur’an 43:36) This safeguarding dhikr begins on the tongue, enters the mind with concentrated consciousness, settles into a heart softened and cleansed through remembrance of Al-Rahman, and manifests in the myriad small actions a person engages in each day. It becomes a shield and a truly beautiful means of drawing near to the mercy of the Most-Merciful (al-Rahman) who has promised to be the companion of the one who engages in His dhikr.

“I am the close companion of the one who remembers Me.” (hadith Qudsi)

And for a people, a community, who live in a state of sincere remembrance, all things become possible.

- Irshaad Hussain-

This article was published with kind permission from Irshaad Hussain, whose website is at http://islamfrominside.com/

Related articles:

The fulfillment of Yusuf’s dream
The hermeneutics of takfir