The Sunday Mail
Umari Stambuli
Holy Qur’aan Speaks
BELIEF in the existence of The Almighty is something instinctive to human beings. It is part of our innate natures. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’aan, “So set your purpose towards religion in the pure state – the natural way from Allah Almighty, upon which He has created humanity. There is no altering Allah’s creation. That is the right religion, but most people know not,” (Chapter 30 : Verse 30).
The Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) once explained that Allah Almighty has said: “Indeed, I have created my servants, all of them, on the natural faith.”
This effectively means that belief in The Almighty is embedded in every person’s essential makeup.
Hence, when we believe in The Almighty, we are responding to our nature, and because it is meant to be in harmony with our nature, the existence or absence of faith must have a marked effect on a person’s life.
Even someone left without any external influences upon his or her faith, will come to a recognition of The Almighty’s existence at some point or another. Admittedly, that person’s belief will not be complete with details about The Almighty’s nature and attributes, or with any knowledge of the Law – since those are matters known only through revelation – but the awareness and recognition of a Higher Being will surely be there.
Some people try to explain away the instinctive nature of faith by saying it is nothing more than a symptom of human bewilderment at the world. This view is held especially by those who are opposed to religious belief. They argue that when early people saw lightning, heard thunder, and witnessed floods, volcanic eruptions, tempests, and other powerful natural phenomena, they felt in awe and ignorance of these things. According to critics of religion, it was merely the weakness and ignorance of early people that caused them to have a belief in a Higher Being.
This understanding of faith is lacking in many ways. Faith is part of human experience, even for the most educated and sophisticated of people, a sense of faith is present in their lives.
In the Holy Qur’aan, we read: “They should be true in faith to Allah Almighty, and never assign partners to Him: if anyone assigns partners to Him, it is as if he had fallen from the skies to be snatched up by birds, or as if the wind had swooped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a far-distant place.” (Chapter 22 : verse 31)
We see how this verse describes the sense of loss and lack of self-definition that afflicts the person in the absence of faith. The human being who lacks faith resembles a heavenly object that has strayed and fallen from its orbit. It is quick to burn up. It is lost and wasted, not knowing where it is headed. Such a person is overpowered by perplexing questions that make his or her mind as if it were about to explode. This person remains in emotional turmoil. The person’s heart, likewise, does not come to any sound conclusion, and it takes that person’s life right down to misery and eventual doom.
It is part of our nature to seek out that which is to be venerated, that which is holy and supreme. This is why a person who does not acknowledge The Almighty as The One to be worshipped will find something else to worship.
All people, children and adults – and no matter how healthy, prosperous, or successful they might be – need a few moments away from other people, to communicate with their Lord, to feel that The Almighty sees them, hears them, and will answer them. This is true at times of hardship and times of ease – not only when faced with failure, but even when enjoying the greatest success.
It is a grave error to assume that faith is tied in with fear of the unknown, as critics of religion claim. Rather, faith is tied in with a deep love in the heart, which in its outpouring naturally seeks that which is holy and sublime.
In the absence of a willingness to recognise The Almighty, people might even worship idols, objects, natural phenomena, and so forth, like the pagans used to do before the advent of Divine revelation. Yet Allah Almighty questions in the Holy Qur’aan: “Did I not enjoin on you – O children of Adam (humankind) – that you worship not the devil – Lo! he is your open foe! … but that you worship Me (alone)? This is the right path.” (Chapter 36 : v 60-61)
There is one final important meaning that we should draw from the fact that faith is a natural dispensation of the humanity, motivated through love and a sense of reverence in the heart for The Almighty’s glorification – that is, in return for giving this devotion sincerely to The Almighty, the promise for us is the Eternal Paradise, containing what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has ever imagined or anticipated.
For further information on Islam or a free copy of the Holy Qur’aan, please contact:
Majlisul Ulama Zimbabwe, Council of Islamic Scholars
Publications Department
P.O. Box W93, Waterfalls, Harare
Tel: 04-614078 / 614004, Fax : 04-614003
e-mail: [email protected].
