By BABAR R. CHAUDHRY
Founder ‘Arrahman-Arraheem.com'
To understand this we must first realize that whenever new words or concepts are introduced and discussed, they always evoke two reactions; one positive and the other negative. Those who want to criticize look at the negative aspects while those who see the benefits support it. The important thing to remember in such situations is; what is the intention?
If we want to understand the meaning of “Enlightened Moderation” from the perspective of Islam and Pakistan, then we have to understand the true meaning and the spirit behind these two words. The literal meaning of ‘ enlightened' is what we call in Urdu ‘ Roshan Khayali' (or positive thinking ) and ‘ moderation ' means balance.
Enlightenment
Therefore, the first question we must ask is “What is Enlightenment”. In Islam, this is not a new concept or theory . 1400 years ago, before the advent of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), people experienced extremely repulsive and abhorrent traditions and lifestyles; women were traded like livestock and had no rights, new born girls were buried alive and slavery was commonly practiced. People who supported and carried out these actions considered themselves as doing the correct thing and on the right path. Unfortunately, they were misguided and had no one to show them the right path. They were living their lives in darkness, totally devoid of enlightenment!
In this darkness came enlightenment from Islam through the revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which started with the words ‘ Iqra' in Surah Al'Alaq (96) which says, ‘Proclaim! (or Read!) In the name of thy Lord”. This means that enlightenment comes from reading or knowledge and which in turn removes the darkness prevailing in the minds and the hearts of all mankind.
Allah (SWT) revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which became a source of knowledge and enlightenment for the people of those times and brought them out from extremism, making them moderate. Moderation brought equality, human rights, forgiveness, love and harmony for all of mankind.
As I have mentioned repeatedly that Allah is “ Huda-lil-Aalameen ” – guidance for all times; and the Holy Quran is “ Huda-li-Naas ”- guidance for mankind and our Deen-e-Islam (Religion of Islam) will remain until Qayamah (the Day of Judgment). So if we keep taking guidance from the Quran and Hadith, and relate the Ayaat of Allah (SWT) in our lives, it will always keep us updated with modern times and tell us exactly what to do next. Remember, Allah's Laws never change; it is only the depth of the Quran which keeps increasing. As the human mind develops and progress take place, we can understand and relate the message of Allah (SWT) more clearly. The concept of Ijma and Fiqah , where people sit together to find solutions to problems that arise as a result of new developments, therefore helps to make effective decisions in this changing world.
Enlightenment also means eradication of superstition and inculcation of positive thinking. History witnessed that all the Prophets (AS) including Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and others enlightened the people of their times through the message of Allah, because Allah (SWT) possesses the attribute of Al-Noor . This is narrated beautifully in a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that says: “Be conscious of the sight of a Momin (Practical Believer), as he sees through the Noor of Allah.” And what is this “light”, through which a Momin sees things? It is the Light of the Quran, (the Noor) given to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that ‘enlightens' the minds and thoughts. So the concept of ‘Enlightenment' is not something new in Islam.
Enlightened Thoughts
When we talk about enlightened thoughts, there are two possible sources by which this can be achieved. First, through worldly knowledge and the second comes from Deen (Religious Knowledge) . Worldly knowledge has its limits, which a person seeking knowledge comes to realize very soon. For example, if you are an engineer or a doctor and doing research, you reach a stage where you realize the limit of this worldly knowledge and cannot know more beyond a certain point. At this stage even the most renowned scientist is compelled to say ‘I don't know how all this is happening, some supreme being is doing all this. Some supreme power is handling every thing!' This is the point beyond which the knowledge of the Creator – Allah, begins and the door opens towards infinite learning.
Enlightened Moderation
Deen , on the other hand gives us ‘enlightenment' in the sense that it saves us from taking wrong decisions, following decadent traditions, thinking negatively, falling prey to our weaknesses and desires. We all suffer from these human failings that get ingrained in our personality as we grow up in different circumstances and experiences going through life. While acquiring worldly knowledge is indeed a desirable thing, the key to success in life lies in adding Deen (Religion) to our base of worldly knowledge and to take Deen-e-Islam along in our worldly matters .
Moderation and Extremism
This combination of both ‘Deen' and ‘Worldly knowledge' equals to ‘Moderation'. As Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah 2 Ayat 143: “Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced…. .”
These days all over the world , Islam and Muslims are being associated with ‘Extremism'. I feel that this linking of extremism with Islam is a misconception primarily due to the lack of knowledge . I will explain how Islam and Extremism do not go together. The root word of ‘Islam' comes from the Arabic word ‘Salama' , which means ‘Peace'. If you look up the meaning of ‘Peace' in the dictionary, it says; freedom from disturbance; being in the state of mental calmness, freedom from war and violence . As can be seen, the meaning of the word ‘Peace' itself describes so many things all of which contradict the notion of Extremism. So how can anyone talk about Islam and at the same time associate it with Extremism!
In short, Islam neither propagates nor promotes Extremism. To achieve Islam (peace) we have to submit ourselves totally to the Will of Allah (SWT). And if we do this and follow His teachings we can never offend anyone and hence never be associated with Extremism.
Extremism and its Causes
Extremism has many facets but most commonly, it is linked with terrorism or violence. I shall illustrate this point through an example. If a person becomes angry over a petty matter he is moving towards extremism and is no longer moderate. Similarly, a greedy and jealous person is also at an extreme. To be at the extreme of anything makes one “An Extremist”. You can make a person an extremist within minutes - just say something that annoys him or something that is not according to his liking and he becomes angry and reacts at an extreme. Conversely, Quran teaches the traits of Sabar (determination, patience and perseverance), Qanaat (to be happy and content with whatever one has), Darguzar and Ehsaan (to forgive and to forget).
By adopting these traits in his character, a person gradually becomes balanced and moderate and avoids becoming an extremist. These traits are extremely essential attributes to possess in these modern and frantic times.
Here I would also like to point out the causes of Extremism. I want to highlight an important issue, especially for the people of North America and Europe who must know why this is happening. Extremism occurs within people when their psyche is unbalanced; when there is no one to guide them; when they lose control over their emotions, intelligence and weaknesses. Whatever they think, they consider it to be right without any proof or confirmation; and they do not follow any commandments of Allah in their lives.
Another reason for Extremism is ‘lack of knowledge' . To explain this further I will give you my example. When I used to live in the United States and people asked me about the Quran and what Allah says in it, I could not answer their questions because I had no knowledge. I had no references to quote from the Quran and Ahadith, yet I used to think that I am right and others are wrong. When people asked me , ‘Do you believe in the Bible?' My reply was an emphatic ‘No!'. The next question then used to be ‘Have you ever read the Bible?' My answer again was ‘No'. Then I was asked ‘Have you ever read the Geeta?' Again, my reply was in the negative. I was finally asked, ‘You have not read the Bible nor the Geeta nor the Quran with understanding, then how come you are so sure that you are right and others are wrong?' This was the million-dollar question, which always stumped me , as I never had its answer.
So , I was one of those people who used to think that I was right without having any knowledge or references of the Quran and Ahadith! To me this is one type of extremism, where one thinks he or she is right and the others are wrong without any proof or evidence! Without making any comparison or having an intellectual discussion! Without knowing that what my Deen–e-Islam offers to the world is better than what others have! I considered myself as a most educated and intellectual person but I had no idea on how to market my Deen !
Enlightened Moderation
There is no doubt that the Quran is the Book of Allah and that our Deen-e-Islam is complete and that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has left for us a Uswa-e-Hassana (a beautiful pattern of conduct). However, there is major weakness on our part, which is lack of knowledge and our inability to answer even the most basic and logical questions about our Deen with reference from the Quran and Ahadith .
Another cause for extremism is injustice . This happens when people feel threatened; they lose their property, their family and loved ones, their lives, their land etc. These situations act as a catalyst and the person feels justified to react in an extremist way and take revenge and behave in whatever manner he likes, which in turn earns him the label of extremist. So here we are talking about one of the biggest issues in the world which need to be addressed and brought to justice in order to eliminate extremism. ‘
Use of Force in Deen-e-Islam
Another visible symptom of people suffering from extremism is that they force their concepts and beliefs on others because they consider themselves to be right and others wrong. This is another kind of extremism because there is no concept of force in Islam. Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) preached and practiced the Quran and the commandments of Allah. He inspired people through his character and lead by example. He never forced anyone, even when people threw stones at him, put obstacles in his path and used bad words for him. Despite all this, he never gave up his mission. Instead, he displayed forgiveness, care, and love and shared the peace , which he got through the revelations. This eradicated extremism prevailing at that time and people began to listen and follow him.
We must understand that Islam is the religion of the Creator, who is all-powerful and can do anything Himself or can force others to do what He likes. Yet He chooses not to use force but wants submission voluntarily after analysis and reason. Islam therefore never talks about using force. Allah says in Surah Al-Baqara, Ayat 256: “ La Iqrah fid-Deen ” meaning that there is no compulsion in Deen-e-Islam. Allah has given us a choice and He has commanded us not to force on anyone to make him follow Islam.
Another manifestation of Extremism is when one acquires only religious knowledge and ignores worldly education. This unfortunately makes such people view and understand things in only a certain way and they remain out of touch with the rest of the people living in the world.
On the other side there are those people who possess only worldly knowledge and may be successful professionals such as doctors, engineers or businessmen. They have no knowledge or interest about Deen . Their practice of Deen is restricted to Friday prayers and fasting in Ramadan. As soon as the fast and prayers are over their religion is over. These people have no concept or essence of their Deen . This is another extreme!
As much as there is a need for religious people to acquire worldly knowledge to become moderate, there is also the need of the hour that educated people acquire religious knowledge so that they too become moderate.
What needs to be done...
So the question now is what should be done and how can we improve the situation? Living today in the 21 st century I strongly feel that the need of the hour is for the educated masses to acquire the basic knowledge of the Quran and Ahadith so that they are equipped to answers questions about the basic teachings of Islam and are able to convey the true message and essence of Islam to the non-Muslims. In this way they can help in eradicating the misconceptions about Islam and dispel the notion that Muslims are extremists.
I do not know much about politics but I know that the Quran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) have always taught moderation. The Quran gives us lessons of Sabar, Qanaat, Darguzar, Ehsaan . However, when it comes to safeguarding the sovereignty of one's country and its defense against aggression, the Quran talks about sacrifice.
Enlightenment in the Quran is for all times. We keep on learning more from the Quran and are enlightened as time passes. The Quran urges us to use our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to research and analyze. By following its teachings, it continuously moves us forward towards progress. Allah keeps giving us greater enlightenment through the knowledge of the Quran, which we should accumulate and apply in our lives until our last breath. Only in this way can we remain balanced and moderate individuals.
