The Ultimate Alternative

U MUHAMMAD IQBAL makes a brief study of different alternatives and writes in a scholarly manner how Islam provides the ultimate alternative in the various aspects of life.

Written by

U MUHAMMAD IQBAL

Published on

August 16, 2022

U MUHAMMAD IQBAL makes a brief study of different alternatives and writes in a scholarly manner how Islam provides the ultimate alternative in the various aspects of life.

There are many religions which may be looked upon as alternatives. Islam is one such alternative. Lateral thinking gives importance to maintaining a bank of alternatives for every situation.

Prophet Abraham (unto him be peace) offers a comprehensive definition of Rabbul aalameen which encompasses the vital roles that God plays in every individual’s life. “The Lord of the universe (is the one) Who created me and Who guides me; Who gives me food and drink, and who when I am ill, heals me; Who will cause me to die and then will again restore me to life; Who I hope, will forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgment.” (The Qur’ān 26:77-82)

The point to note in this extract is that the concept of the Lord of the universe is a macro concept but the details given have a micro dimension. The Lord of the Universe is portrayed as the Lord of Prophet Abraham, and indirectly as the Lord of every human being. The human perception of God is awakened and it leads to a dazzling comprehension of the cosmic role and status of God.

Another point of greater significance is the sequence of the first three functions. In the extract, creation precedes guidance which is natural but guidance precedes nourishment which does not appear to be the natural sequence. The natural sequence involves creation first and then nourishment. The Qur’ān acknowledges this sequence. “It is Allah who created you, then bestowed upon you your sustenance.”(30:40) Prophet Abraham gives precedence to guidance over and above sustenance and nourishment as Prophet Moses (unto both be peace) does in this verse. “Our Lord is He who gave everything its form and then guided it.” (20:50)

By keeping guidance in between creation and nourishment, Prophet Abraham draws our attention to the central role of God’s guidance in human existence. We are brought into existence to worship and serve God, and we are fed, nourished and made to grow from one stage to another to worship and serve God. It is God’s guidance which tells us how to worship and serve God alone and to make our lives meaningful, purposeful and highly rewarding.

 

ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE

Allah has chosen the Muslim community for His task and His advice is “keep to the faith of your father Abraham.” (22:78) Islam is but a regeneration of Prophet Abraham’s faith in its pristine purity through the efforts of Prophet Muhammad (unto him be peace and Allah’s blessings) under divine orders and guidance.

Allah takes upon Himself the duty of guiding mankind through Prophets selected by Him and when necessary by sending Books to them to be communicated to their respective communities. He does not assume a human form to discharge this duty. Without Allah’s initiative in this matter of guidance, man will be at sea. Champion says, “There are numerous sources of knowledge: tradition, observation, imagination, mathematical and logical deduction… but none of these provides anything like a certain base or criterion of truth.” The criterion of truth is the only reliable alternative to the sources of knowledge mentioned.

Isn’t it significant that another name for the Qur’ān – the latest and the most authentic sources of God’s guidance – is Al-Furqan which means the criterion of truth? This name does not point to a mere claim; the scripture is true to its name. It provides a comprehensive illustration of what God wants us to believe and to do and what He does not approve of. It is the privilege of God to determine the criterion of Truth for us because He is the Truth (huwal Haq) (22:6,62) and He is our Creator and knows us through and through (67:14) and He is compassionate towards mankind. (2:143)

Ibrahim A. Raga explains why God should be our Guide and He alone should spell out the criterion of truth. “Humanity’s relationship with its Creator… is the most important influence on a person’s life. How can social scientists ever achieve any insights into the ‘unseen’ make-up and into the dynamics of interactions among those ‘unseen’ components except through divine revelation?”

The divine revelation tells us who our God is and what our relationship to Him is. It is not proper to let our imagination conjure up a concept of God. The Qur’ān decries such a tendency. “Yet some persons dispute regarding Allah without having any knowledge or guidance or any illuminating Book.” (31:20) The Qur’ānic Verses 22:3 and 22:8 may also be referred to!

It is God who has to tell us about Himself. The Bhagavad Gita says, “As you have declared Yourself to be, so it is, O Lord Supreme”. (11:3) In Abu Dawood, we have  a statement, “Anta Kamaa athnaita ‘ala nafsik.” (You are just as you have extolled yourself.)(Al-Hizbul Azam, p.17)

 

ALTERNATIVE CONCEPT OF MONOTHEISM

The most distinguishing feature of Islam is its concept of monotheism. It rejects the theory of many gods. “Had there been any gods in the heavens and the earth apart from Allah, the order of both the heavens and the earth would have gone to ruins.”(21:22) “Say, (O Muhammad): “Had there been other gods with Him, as they claim, they would surely have attempted to find a way to the Lord of the Throne”. (17:42) The truth of this statement is beautifully illustrated in the Roman mythology. Jupiter was the chief god and he had three sons- Jove, Neptune, and Pluto. The three sons staged a coup, dethroned and imprisoned the father, and divided the universe among themselves. The earth and the sky went to Jove, the water bodies were taken over by Neptune and the underworld fell to the lot of Pluto. Before any sibling rivalry could tear the sons apart, a new religion swept them away and restored them to their real position as mythological figures.

There are varieties of monotheism and Islam presents itself as an alternative variety worthy of consideration. Some monotheists accommodate other identities fully or partially within the one identity of God and are not aware that it injures the concept of genuine monotheism. The Qur’ān complains, “Yet they have made some of His servants a part of Him, indeed man is most evidently thankless.”(43:15) For example, Jesus Christ is a complete man and a complete God within the concept of the Trinity. Islam gives an alternative interpretation of their concept. God the Father alone is God Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days. Jesus Christ is an exalted servant and apostle of God, and the last of the illustrious Jewish Prophets. The Holy Spirit is an archangel. Muslims believe in God, believe in Jesus, and believe in the Holy Spirit. They do not equate them and they keep a protocol distinction between them. Prophets and angels worship God, and God does not worship prophets and angels. St. Peter says, “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His servant Jesus.”(Acts, 3:13)

By equating God and a prophet and an angel one makes a category mistake. According to Ann Weick, “A ‘category error’ or a ‘category mistake’ occurs when very different categories of phenomena are treated alike.”

In Hinduism, one of the beautiful names of God is ‘Srinivasa’. The name means The Home of Mercy. N.S. Ramanuja Tatacharya says in his review of ‘Dayaa Satakam’, “(Sri Vedanta) Desika describes Dayaa as having two aspects. One is the inability to bear the sight of the sufferings of others. And the other is the compulsion to rush to the rescue of those who suffer. Dayaa Satakam is a composition praising the Dayaa of Srinivasa personifying His mercy as His consort”. (The Hindu, December 18, 2007, p.15)

As an alternative to this, Islam says that the most prominent attribute of Allah is mercy or dayaa. “He has bound Himself to the exercise of Mercy (and thus does not instantly chastise you for your disobedience and excesses)”. (6:12) There are two names for the two aspects of Dayaa – Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem. This kalyanagunam of God is not personified into a goddess consort because it is imperative to preserve the oneness of God in letter and spirit. This noble trait of God is extolled in Islam as a trait only and there is no effort to personify it or any other trait of God’s.

Uttamur Sri Rajagopalachariar says, “While the Lord is keen on impartial distribution of the fruits of every individual’s karma, the Divine Mother forgives, corrects Her children and leads them into the right path. In this manner, She becomes the goal and the means to liberation as far as Jivatmas are concerned.” (The Hindu, June 28, 2007, p.18)

As an alternative to this, one can read this in the Qur’ān, “The angels that bear the Throne and those that are around to extol your Lord’s glory with His praise, they believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for the believers, saying: Our Lord! You encompass everything with Your mercy and knowledge. So forgive those that repent and follow your path.” (40:7)

In Islam, God is truly one, or rather one-off in the sense that William Safire uses the phrase. According to him, the phrase means, “the only item of its kind, unique, unlikely to recur, without a precedent, impossible to perfectly reproduce.” The Qur’ānic statements point to this meaning. “Allah has commanded: Do not take two Gods for He is but One God”. (16:51) “Do not say: Allah is Trinity.” (4:171) “It does not befit Allah to take for Himself a son. Glory be to Him!”. (19:35)  “How can He have a son when He has had no mate?” (6:101) Prophet Muhammad (unto him be peace and Allah’s blessings) was criticised in these words by his denigrators. “Has he made the gods one single God?” (38:5)

Any compromise on the oneness of God is ruled out in Islam. “Truly it is only associating others with Allah in His divinity that Allah does not forgive, and forgives anything besides that to whomsoever He wills.” (4: 116)

 

ALTERNATIVE SCRIPTURE

The Arabic Qur’ān is a unique scripture. Its textual purity is beyond question and guaranteed by God (15:9). It has only one version that all sects among Muslims accept as genuine. It claims that it has come down from the Lord of the Universe and for this descent a night of immense value was chosen. (32:2, 56:80, 69:43) It also claims that there will be no other scripture after it. (77:50) “Who, after Allah, can direct him (who takes his desire as his god) to the Right Way?” (45:23) It claims that it has preserved the teachings of the preceding scriptures. Therefore it is the alternative to them all and there will be no alternative to the Qur’ān, it being the last scripture.

Islam as a religion is unacceptable to the religious Jews and orthodox Christians. This is what the Qur’ān says about the Jews who were guided by the Jewish Prophets and about the Christians in general. “We knowingly exalted them (i.e. the children of Israel) above other peoples of the world.”(44:32) “We sent a succession of Our Messengers and raised Jesus son of Mary, after all of them, and bestowed upon him the Evangel, and We set tenderness and mercy in the hearts of those that followed him.”(57:27)

Jose Saramago (Nobel Laureate) of Portugal says, “The Bible is a manual of bad morals (which) has a powerful influence on our culture. Without the Bible, we would be different and probably better people.” (Quoted in The Times of India, Times Global, October 22, 2009, p.10)

As an alternative to this, the Qur’ān testifies that the Prophet (peace and Allah’s blessings be with him) through whom the divine message is conveyed embodies edifying morals and that he is an inspiring model to be emulated. “And you are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence.” (68:4) “You are certainly on the Straight way.”(22:67) “Surely there was a good example for you in the Messenger of Allah.”(33:21) In fact, Prophets are portrayed as models to be followed. “You have a good example in Abraham and his companions.” (60:4) “Virgin Mary is informed that she would bear a most pure boy.”(19:19) The Qur’ān does not portray prophets as persons guilty of sexual crimes like incest and of religious practices not approved by God. To protect the moral health of the society, the Qur’ān has promulgated its penal laws.

When Jesus was addressing a gathering, a woman was swayed by the power of his lofty precepts and she complimented him in these words, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”(St. Luke, 11:37) To this, Jesus replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” The operative words in the reply are ‘hear’ and ‘obey’. That is to say that those who listen respectfully to the word of God or God’s revelation and obey it sincerely are fortunate and blessed in this world and in the next for ever. The operative words recur in the Qur’ān in a beautiful context. Prophet Muhammad (unto him be peace and Allah’s blessings) and his followers are introduced as people who believe in the word of God (the Qur’ān), in Allah, in His angels, Books and Prophets and as people who pray in this way, “We make no distinction between any of His Messengers. We hear and we obey. Our Lord, grant us Your forgiveness; to You we are destined to return.” (2:285) From Jesus’ point of view, doesn’t this prayer of Prophet Muhammad (unto him be peace and Allah’s blessings) and his followers qualify them to be described as blessed? If it does, then Islam is the ultimate alternative.