The South Asian Journal of Religion and Philosophy
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SAJRP Vol. 1 No. 2 (July/August 2020) THE SOUTH ASIAN JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY Patron-in-Chief: Dr. Hussain Mohi-Ud-Din Qadri Deputy Chairman, Board of Governors Minhaj University Lahore Patron: Dr. Sajid Mahmood Shahzad Vice-Chancellor Minhaj University Lahore Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Herman Roborgh Head, School of Religion & Philosophy Minhaj University Lahore Co-Editor: Dr. Shanthikumar Hettiarachchi Professor, School of Religion & Philosophy Minhaj University Lahore Book Review Editor Dr. Kristin Beise Kiblinger Winthrop University South Carolina, USA National Editorial Board: Dr. Alqama Khwaja Minhaj University Lahore Dr. Nabila Ishaq, Shari’ah College, Lahore Dr. Hafiz Abdul Ghani, Foreman Christian College University, Lahore Dr. Akram Rana, Shari’ah College, Lahore Dr. Farzand Masih, Foreman Christian College University, Lahore Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Azmi, Minhaj University Lahore Fr. Carlos Juan, Loyola Research Centre, Lahore Manager: Dr. Khurram Shahzad SAJRP Vol. 1 No. 2 (July/August 2020) International Editorial Board: Dr. Ismail Albayrak, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia Dr. Paul Hedges, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Dr. Victor Edwin, Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi, India Dr. Alan Race, Chair and Editor in Chief of Interreligious Insight, United Kingdom Dr. John Dupuche, University of Divinity, Melbourne, Australia Dr. Miroljub Jevtic, Centre for the Study of Religion and Religious Tolerance, Belgrade, Serbia Dr. Peter Riddell, School of Asian Studies, University of London, United Kingdom Dr. Abdullah Saeed, University of Melbourne, Australia Dr. Charles M. Ramsey, Baylor University, United States of America Text Designing & Arqam Bilal Formatting: Cover Design: Tahir Mehmood Production: Minhaj ul Quran Publications Copyright © School of Religion and Philosophy & Centre for Research and Development (CRD) all rights reserved. The Material printed in this Journal may not be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the (CRD). SAJRP Vol. 1 No. 2 (July/August 2020) Editorial We are delighted to present to you a belated volume of South Asian Journal of Religion and Philosophy (SAJRP) as we wished to honor those who have contributed to this second volume of the journal without further ado. No human community has been spared contact with the Covid-19 virus. The world community continues to traverse through this catastrophic health crisis affecting all strata of society. There is a pressing need to reflect seriously on this event and on the human response from the people of regions and countries as it has been unprecedented in recent history. Firstly, we have lost a generation of men and women who could have lived a few more years and enjoyed a longer span of life. Their anguish will continue to haunt us with the suspicion that we could have done better with all our so- called scientific progress and technological development. Secondly, during this crisis many nations were agitated, pointing their finger at one another and even threatening sanctions amidst a growing trade war between the US and China which began before Covid-19. Thirdly, there is the serious issue about the complacency and unpreparedness of some nations to respond to the early signs of the virus. Consequently, nations quite irresponsibly began blaming one another for the development of the epidemic into a pandemic while everyone forgot that, de facto it was ‘a new corona virus’, which was given the name Covid-19 (Corona Virus Disease, which erupted in 2019). Such a blame game resulted in diplomatic and political distancing while physical distancing (social distancing is a flawed media creation) was being recommended as a mechanism to avert contact with the virus. The nations that suffered so much need not have been bereft of advice during this health crisis because such is usually and readily available for other matters of internal affairs and governance. Even though the security and safety of citizens are fundamentally national concerns, the nations could have shared intelligence and strategic advice by maintaining their mutual agreements and diplomatic relations. When the SAJRP Vol. 1 No. 2 (July/August 2020) virus was growing into a pandemic in one part of the globe in November and December 2019, adept use of technology and media information about the disease could have reached other countries before it was too late. Political will, creative leadership and national discipline could have come to the aid of a very complex situation. Eventually, countries that opted to follow the hard road have managed well but those which were complacent and without a clear focus have suffered high fatality rates. Moreover, the most vociferous and frontline nations who usually come forward to defend human rights at the United Nations were also those where human rights violations were committed during the height of the crisis, according to reports. The elderly and other vulnerable groups in certain countries seemed less cared for or felt abandoned by the system they labored to build during their active days of work. Consequently, those who have been the champions of human rights since World War II were now compelled to redefine its parameters. The need has arisen to reassess what human rights really mean for all nations. Ironically, some of these stronger nations are currently being called ‘failed states’ by their own citizens because they institutionally failed to respond swiftly to the health crisis. The international system according to which stronger nations dictate the terms to smaller or weaker nations could be reversed. Covid-19 has posed new questions to East and West, rich and poor, powerful and powerless, men and women, relationships and health care, prevention and cure, scientific experiments and medicines, consumption and food security. The ‘genocidal effect of Covid-19’ will remain an issue, which we can neither identify nor fight directly until we find an effective vaccine. The virus travelled like a wave from its center in Wuhan. After affecting its immediate neighbors (Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong but bypassing Vietnam), it moved quickly into Iran and Italy. The South Asian region felt the brunt of the virus after Western Europe was infected and suffered a high rate of fatality every day for an extended period. Each country in South Asia had its own control strategy and method of treatment, process of quarantine and lockdown. It would be interesting to undertake a socio-cultural study to determine the reactions and the degree of proactivity of each nation. There is a saying that the true SAJRP Vol. 1 No. 2 (July/August 2020) character of a nation and its people is manifested at its best in times of calamity rather than during times of prosperity and progress. On a more personal note, this time of lockdown has given each of us an invitation to take stock of the way we live our lives. No longer able to rush here and there, we have a chance to pause and notice, to reflect and to gain new insights. Compelled to remain indoors, we have the opportunity to turn our attention to new ways of thinking and acting. In this context of change and adjustment, our first article by Kenneth Avery describes the profound change made by Abū Yazīd al-Basṭāmī, who lived during the 9th century C.E. The story of his long struggle to convert to Islam was not caused by his doubts about the laws and doctrines of Islam. The struggle was with his own self (nafs). Al-Basṭāmī considered himself unworthy of being called a Muslim because he ‘was unsure of his standing before God.’ Even though his contemporaries recognized his saintliness, al-Basṭāmī was aware of his own doubt and shortcoming. This article challenges readers to examine the depth and sincerity of their own commitment to whatever religion they currently embrace. True religion demands more than the profession of doctrines and the observance of regulations. The religions of South Asia have often considered one another as inadequate paths to salvation while each has understood itself to be the only true path. In an article that will be continued in a subsequent issue of SAJRP, Muhammad Suheyl Umar presents an alternative approach. Focusing on Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, he presents several convincing arguments for mutual acceptance and respect among these religions and encourages readers to recognize the unique quality and truth of each religious tradition. This article is a welcome contribution to a fresh interpretation of the Scriptures of all these religions and could lay the foundation for peace in the region. Alan Race’s article, with its intriguing title, ‘Two Truths and One Mystery’ is a discussion of the inter-relationship between science, reason and religion. He brings into this discussion Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner (1979), Mohammed Abdus Salam (1926-1996), SAJRP Vol. 1 No. 2 (July/August 2020) who convincingly asserted that “there is only one universal science, its problems and modalities are international and there is no such thing as Islamic science just as there is no Hindu science, nor Jewish science, nor Confucian science, nor Christian Science.” However, Race is convinced that there is a ‘sense of mystery’ within and beyond science and that there may even be inklings of this mystery in the scientific endeavor itself. Shuaibu Umar Gokaru engages in an historical study of modernist and reformist thinking of the late 19th century by focusing on the contribution of Sayyid Ahmad Khan and Muhammad ‘Abduh, who impacted the celebrated Islamic schools of Aligarh (India) and Al-Azhar (Egypt). Since they found no basic conflict between reason, science and religion, both of these scholars promoted the implementation of ijtihad (independent reasoning) and totally rejected the practice of taqlid (blind and unquestioned acceptance of one school of thought). However, they had different perspectives on the relationship between reason and religion. In case of a conflict between reason and Islam, Ahmad Khan would allow reason to prevail whereas ‘Abduh would allow the Qur’an to prevail.