MUSLIM'S PERSPECTIVE OF FAITH (IIMAN)

For us Muslims, Islam teaches us to have “ii-man” (Faith) only through confirmation with knowledge. And the use of reason has been made as one of the important bases for belief. In the Islamic belief system, the “means of obtaining knowledge for the creatures are three:[1]

[a] the five senses [2],

[b] reason [3],

[c] reliance upon true report [4] (universally conveyed reports from reliable sources, and from intuition of the elect e.g. Prophets)”;

and it (i.e. Faith) cannot be attained through blind acceptance. In one important verse in the Qur’an, Allah s.w.t. [5] states:

وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡبَصَرَ وَٱلۡفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔولاً۬

“Do not follow (or pursue) anything in which you have no knowledge: verily, thy hearing and sight and heart (Fu’ad) - all of them - will be called to account for it (in the Hereafter).”

(Qur’an: al-Isra’: 17: 36)

Thus it is that it came as a surprise to many unfamiliar with Islam, to be told that Muslims have to rely on reason as one of the bases for arriving at faith. They may even argue, “that in matters of religion, since it deals with God and the infinite ‘mystery’, the human mind (which is finite) would be unable to comprehend these matters, and therefore is irrelevant.” This is refuted by the counter argument “yet we who have been bestowed with that mind (reason) can still verify truth within its finite capability and not totally discard its use!”

It is not about “comprehending” in the sense of enveloping all, but it must mean “comprehension” in the sense of sensibility; of awareness, and of recognizing or verifying truth from falsehood concerning God. Surely God who wishes to guide man must have prepared man to be capable of understanding and discerning the message when He communicates it to man regarding Himself, albeit within the finite capacity in man. In facing the question of infinite reality, it is not a license for totally discarding the use of his reason; (by their relegating it under the guise of “mystery” in religion to justify their non-application of reason). It is unfortunate that some people hold this view, which has thus even led them towards acceptance of irrational doctrinal concepts and other absurdities – thus they invite upon themselves attacks and accusations of religion being antithetical to science and reasoning; mere myths and superstitions, etc. We Muslims take strong exception to this.

Parable: buying a calculator

In one interfaith discussion on theology, to refute the stand ‘that in matters of religion and belief, using reason is irrelevant’, I have used the analogy of purchasing an electronic calculator. We all know that any such calculator has a limited number of digits, yet we know numbers can be infinite. If we intend to test whether the calculator is defective or otherwise, we can do a simple arithmetical calculation within its capacity, and not demand that the calculator computes infinite numbers as the test. Thus for example, if using the addition mode we enter one plus one plus one on the calculator and it gives us a total of one, we know for a certainty that it is faulty.

In life, we are to be open to any thesis, as long as it is in the realm of possibility [6] i.e. we are neither to accept a thesis as already true, nor to categorically reject it as false, unless we have a clear basis. Our own doubt which is actually based on our ignorance, perhaps because contemporary scientific knowledge is unable yet to fully explain a thesis, is not a basis for its rejection. It only justifies our non-committal stance towards accepting. This is not the same as rejection or refutation. We are to withhold judgement until such time as the evidence compels us to either become convinced of its truth or reject it because of its proven falsity. For in Islam, rejection too requires proof. As for something which can be proven to be absurd (antithetical) or rationally impossible [7], then this is accepted grounds for its rejection.

In Islamic theology, we differentiate between “rational impossibility” and what is regarded as “common impossibility [8].” Those matters which are described as “common impossibility” are those occurrences which defy the normal knowledge or natural laws known to man, but that still fall under possibilities which are not necessarily opposed to the mind. This would include something extra-ordinary so that even though we may be unable to explain the ‘how’ of its occurrence, nevertheless it is not grounds to deny the possibility for it to have happened. For example at one time we may consider as impossibility the claim that one can instantaneously communicate with someone else who is in another part of the world. Yet with modern technology, this is no longer regarded as impossibility. But on the other hand were someone to claim that there exists “a square which is at the same time also a circle”; or “a part of something is also equal to its whole; etc.” these are rational impossibilities which are to be rejected as absurdities (i.e. which our minds recognize self-evidently to be impossible) and therefore untrue.

Admittedly, in enjoining the use of our faculty of reason, Islam knows the limitations of using reason by man, and we are to acknowledge the supremacy of revelation over our reasoning and our finite knowledge. Yet revelation must represent truth and though it may seem extra-ordinary, it will never contain absurdities - antithetical to reason. And for Muslims, when presented with the clear revelation from God, even though there may still be gaps in our total understanding, this will not be used to oppose the revelation - long as it is in the realm of possibility. Just like the angels, when presented with such knowledge, we too are to humbly acknowledge God’s Wisdom over our limitations with this glorification:

سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ لَا عِلۡمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمۡتَنَآ‌ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ

“Limitless art Thou in Thy glory (O Lord)! No knowledge have we save that which Thou hast imparted unto us. Verily, Thou alone art all-knowing, truly wise.”

(Qur’an: al-Baqarah: 2: 32)

----------------------------------------------------

Footnotes:

[1] “As-baa-bu- al-‘ilmi lil-kholqi- thalaa-thah…” refer: “A 16th Century Malay Translation of the Aqa’id an-Nasafi” as translated and commented on by Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas (University of Malaya publication)

[2] “ al-hawas al- khamsu”

[3] “al-‘aqlu”

[4] “al-khabar al- sodiq”.(Added explanation within brackets is mine)

[5] s.w.t. (abbreviation from the Arabic “sub-Hanaa-huwa-ta’ala”) which means “Glorified is He in His transcendence.”

[6] The term used in Malay is “harus bagi akal”

[7] The term used in Malay is “mustahil bagi akal”

[8] The term used in Malay is “mustahil bagi adat”

----------------------------------------------------------