THE QUR’ANIC THEOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY AND SPIRITUALITY Dr. Abdul Hafeez Fâzli All rights reserved in favour of the author. Title: The Qur’anic Theology, Philosophy and Spirituality Author and Publisher: Fâzli, Abdul Hafeez ([email protected]) Title designed by Mr. Siraj Ul Hassan First Published in On Demand Print Format on CreateSpace in January 2016 Second Edition on CreateSpace May 2017 CreateSpace-Assigned Title ID: 5973139 and ISBN 13: 978-1523213146 BISAC: Religion / Islam / Theology Edition 2017 Available in Digital Format on Kindle ASIN: B0195A65R2 Available at: CreateSpace, Charleston SC Amazon.com, CreateSpace.com, and other retail outlets, Kindle and other online stores ISBN: 978-969-7649-00-6 ISBN SECOND Edition: ……………………… Contents 3 CONTENTS 1. PREFACE 7 2. INTRODUCTION 9 3. FOREWORD 25 THE QUR’AN STUDIES ___________________________________ 27 4. IS ‘AL-ḤAQQ’ ONE OF AL-ASMÂ’ AL-ḤUSNÂ! 29 al-ḥaqq occurring in Simple Form for Word of the Lord (i.e., for what Allah has narrated, revealed or promised.) 32 Al-ḥaqq contained in Phrases 33 al-ḥaqq (truth or reality) as opposite to al-bâṭil (falsehood); 35 al-ḥaqq as opposite to aḍ-ḍalâl (error) 36 al-ḥaqq as opposite to ẓann (false suspicion, conjecture) 36 bil-ḥaqq: accuracy, balance, purpose, truth etc. 36 ḥaqq: True, most certainly true; purpose, claim, interest; the truth, due share, the right; 38 bi ghayr l ḥaqq / ghayr l ḥaqq: 38 Verses misinterpreted to signify ‘al-ḥaqq’ as one of al-Asmâ’ al- Ḥusnâ 39 Conclusion ___________________________________ 46 5. THE QUR’ANIC ONTOLOGY AND STATUS OF AL-ḤAQQ 49 Thesis presented in writer’s article: 50 Objections and Comments 53 Qur’anic Ontology vs un-Qur’anic Ontology 57 Consensus Is No Argument 58 Interpretation of Verse No. 24:26 of Surah An-Nûr 59 6. THE QUR’AN: CREATION OR COMMAND! 61 Islam vs Disbelif as Dîn 61 Createdness vs Uncreatedness of the Qur’an 62 Mu‘tazilites vs Ash‘arites 62 Distnction between Un-articulated Speech and Articulated Speech 63 Critical Examination 66 The Qur’anic Principle for the Interpretation of the Mutashabihât (Allegorical Verses) 67 Preserved Tablet 68 Conclusion ___________________________________ 69 7. NUMBER OF VERSES OF THE QUR’AN (INDEX AND ARGUMENT)73 4 The Qur’anic Theology, Philosophy and Spirituality Index of Surahs and Verses 73 Total Verses of the Qurân= 6238 75 SPIRITUALITY __________________________________________ 79 8. THE WAY OF SHAHIDĪN: THE CONSTRUCTION OF A QUR’ANIC THEOLOGY OF SUFISM IN TAFSEER-E-FÂZLI 81 The Way of Shahidîn 83 Taṣawaf as ‘Kashf’-o-Shahood (Unveiling and Direct Witnessing) 86 Shri’ah, Ṭariqah, Ḥaqiqah and Ma‘rifah 86 Seyyed Hossein Nasr 87 Bifurcation of the Personality of Shâhid into various Facets 93 Dr. Israr Ahmed 93 Tradition Concerning Date Palms 94 Sufism as Iḥsân-i-Islâm 96 Wahdat al-Wujûd 100 OMNISCIENCE AND HUMAN FREEDOM ____________________ 103 9. THE QUR’ANIC VIEW OF OMNISCIENCE AND HUMAN FREEDOM* 105 The Antinomy of Free Will and Allah’s Foreknowledge 118 Conclusion 119 Predestinarian Verses in the Qur’an and their bearing on the problem under discussion 122 10. CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIANS AND PHILOSOPHERS’ VIEW OF OMNISCIENCE AND HUMAN FREEDOM 131 The first version runs as follows: 132 Aquinas states the Second Version of this problem in his Summa Theologiae, in the following words: 133 Solutions to the First Version 133 Solutions to the Second Version 137 Doctrine of Omniscience and its Formulations: 138 Traditional Formulation: 138 Richard Swinburn’s Criticism of the Traditional Doctrine of Omniscience: 145 Pike’s Analysis 152 Conclusion: _________________________________ 159 11. IQBAL’S VIEW OF OMNISCIENCE AND HUMAN FREEDOM 161 Criticism of Basic Propositions of Iqbal’s Thesis 165 Criticism of M. S. Raschid’s Views 173 Contents 5 M. M. Sharif’s Comments 177 Conclusion 177 FREEWILL AND PREDESTINATION _________________________ 181 12. ALLAH’S OMNIPOTENCE AND FREEDOM OF WILL FOR MAN 183 1. View of the Most of the M‘utazilites 184 2. Theories of Acquisition: 184 Ḍirâr and Najjâr’s View 184 3. Use of the Term ‘Creation’ for ‘Acquisition’ in M‘utazilite’s and Use of the Term ‘Power’ for ‘Acquisition’ in Ash‘arites. 185 Analysis ____________________________________ 189 1. The Derivatives of the root KÂF SĪN BA 189 2. Derivatives of the root ‘KHA LÂM QÂF’ 190 3. ‘Amal and Khalq 190 4. ‘Amal and Other Synonymous Words 191 5. Examination of the Mu‘tazilite Theories of Acquisition and Creation 191 6. Examination of Ash‘arite Theories of Acquisition and Creation 192 Raḍa and Mashiyat (Divine Pleasure and Divine Will) 192 Critical examination of Al-Ash‘ari’s interpretation of Verse 37:96 193 Conclusion __________________________________ 194 13. FREE WILL AND PREDESTINARIAN VERSES IN THE QUR’AN 199 Conclusion: _________________________________ 203 14. FREE WILL AND THE APPOINTED TERM (AJL-E MUSSAMMA) 211 Conclusion __________________________________ 215 15. KNOWLEDGE OF ALLAH’S PLEASURE (RAḌA) AND KNOWLEDGE OF ALLAH’S WILL (MASHIYAT) 219 16. ANTINOMY OF FREE WILL AND PRE-ORDAINED SUSTENANCE 225 COMPARATIVE STUDIES ________________________________ 229 17. H. A. WOLFSON AND A. H. KAMALI ON THE ORIGIN OF THE PROBLEM OF DIVINE ATTRIBUTES IN MUSLIM KALAM 231 18. STATE AND STATECRAFT: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISLAMIC AND WESTERN PARADIGMS 243 MUSLIM PHILOSOPHY __________________________________ 249 6 The Qur’anic Theology, Philosophy and Spirituality 19. IBN SINA, AL-GAZALI AND IBN TAYMIYYAH ON THE ORIGINATION OF THE WORLD 251 THE QUR’AN, SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY __________________ 273 20. EVOLVING A QUR’ANIC PARADIGM OF SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY: IBN SINA, SIR SEYYED AHMED KHAN, DR. MUHAMMAD IQBAL, AND SOME CONTEMPORARY SCHOLARS 275 Geocentric universe of Aristotle and Ptolemy 278 Newtonian cosmology and naturalism 278 Basic principle of Sir Seyyed’s theology of modernity 279 Einstein’s cosmology and naturalism 281 Basic principle of Iqbal’s theology of modernity–––Construction of a scientific form of religious knowledge 281 What a Qur’anicaly informed scientific study of nature could genuinely mean!––– An instance from Al-Ghazali 285 Iqbal’s conception of time and its identification with God 291 Some Contemporary Scholars 295 Blending “Creation” and “Evolution” together––––Dr. Israr Ahmed 295 Basic supposition of Dr. Israr Ahmed’s thesis 297 Dr. Israr Ahmed, Dr. Zafar Ishaq Ansari (1932 – 2016) and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (b. 1925) 301 Scientific Interpretation of the Qur’an 301 Maurice Bucaille (1920-98) 301 Seyyed Hossein Nasr (b. 1933) 302 Ijmali School of thought ----- Ziauddin Sardar (b. 1951) 304 The Position of IIIT [International Institute of Islamic Thought] 305 Analysis and Examination 306 Conclusion 308 21. SUMMARY OF MAIN ISSUES 317 PART–––––1 QUR’ANIC STUDY 317 PART–––––2 SPIRITUALITY 318 PART–––––3 OMNISCIENCE AND HUMAN FREEDOM 318 PART–––––4 FREE WILL AND PREDESTINATION 321 PART–––––5 COMPARATIVE STUDIES 323 PART–––––6 MUSLIM PHILOSOPHY 324 PART–––––7 THE QUR’AN, SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY 325 22. INDEX OF NAMES AND TERMS 327 NOTES AND REFERENCES 333 Preface 7 PREFACE Allah’s Word is al-Ḥaqq. (Q, 6:73, 2:42 etc.) Al-Ḥaqq means ‘the standard of truth’. Whenever Allah reveals al-Ḥaqq, it comes to humankind as the certain truth. (ibid, 32:2-3; 34:6 etc.) And al-bâṭil (falsehood, untruth), aḍ-ḍalâl (error) or ẓann (conjecture or opinion) have no reality of their own. Al-bâṭil is but the attempted rejection of al-Ḥaqq. To say anything in violation to al-Ḥaqq is without justification and wrongful (bi ghayr ’l ḥaqq). (ibid,02:61; 03:21 etc.) To prefer suspicions, conjectures or opinions in the face of al-Ḥaqq is to follow ẓann. Whatever the Qur’an upholds is truth (ḥaqq), whatever it disapproves is untruth (bâṭil). To express views without reference to it is to express opinion or conjecture and ‘Assuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of truth.’(ibid,10:36) Aḍ-ḍalâl (error) is nothing except deviation from truth. (ibid,10:32) It results in the generation of erroneous ideas, and ideological systems. It is the outcome of giving equal importance as al-Ḥaqq to manmade ideas and ideologies, human experiments, opinions, suggestions, insights, imaginations, visions (ro’yâ), unveiling (kashf), direct witnessing (shahûd) and heresy and confounding them to al-Ḥaqq (the Word of Allah). But it is the Way of Allah that “He wipes out the falsehood and establishes the truth with His Words.”(08:7-8) Allah commands the believers “not to utter aught concerning Allah save the truth” (4:171). For saying anything about Allah, not supported by the Qur’an, is iftirâ (concoction). (3:94) To mould truth according to one’s desires is fisq (transgression) and it is the fasiqoon to whom Allah misleads. Al-Ḥaqq is the epithet used for Allah’s Word revealed to His messengers (peace be upon them). Allah is the Descender of al-Ḥaqq. (cf. ibid., 5:83, 84; 11:120 etc.) Qur’an verifies that the People of the Book have tampered al-Ḥaqq revealed in the past (cf. ibid., 4:46; 5:13,41etc.) and that Allah has taken on Him to protect the Qur’an against any such attempt, (cf. ibid.,15:9) so virtually epithet al-Ḥaqq (the truth) rightfully applies to the Qur’an alone and the status of authority lies with it only. Articles in this book present a humble attempt on the part of the author to examine certain terms, ideas, problems, presuppositions, opinions, suggestions, insights, imaginations, visions, unveiling and religious experience (ro’yâ and kashf o shuhood) and traditions relating Muslim theology, philosophy and spirituality on the authority of the 8 The Qur’anic Theology, Philosophy and Spirituality Qurân and their reconstruction in accordance with Qur’anic teachings. It is true that anyone’s understanding or interpretation of the Qurân is not binding for others yet this is the only way with minimum scope for disagreement.