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Islam: A Scientific View of God's Message to Humanity
By Hassan Ali El-Najjar
Table of Contents
I. Introduction:
Basic Information
1.
Islam: A Brief Introduction
2.
Three
Levels of Faith: Islam, Iman, and Ihsan
3.
The
Scientific Evidence That God Exists and the Holy Qur'an Is His Message to
Humanity
4.
Creation and Evolution in the Holy Qur'an
5.
Humans, As God's Caliphs on Earth
6.
Adam's
Contest With the Angels, and Getting Out of Paradise
7.
Worshippers By Choice Or Forced Slaves?
8.
The Relationship Between the Spiritual and the Physical Aspects of Islamic
Teachings
9.
Mind,
Self, Soul, Spirit, and Happiness from an Islamic Perspective
10.
Heart-Mind Relationship in the Holy Qur'an
II. Islam: The
Five Pillars of the Faith Structure
1.
Islamic
Proclamation of Faith
3.
Giving Zakat,
Charity, The Third Islamic Duty
4.
Fasting and Ramadhan,
Great Gifts from Allah to Muslims
5.
Haj, Pilgrimage,
the Fifth Pillar of Islam
III. Iman:
Allah, His Angels, Messengers, Messages, Latter Day, and Qadar
1.
Allah,
As He Described Himself in the Holy Quran
2.
Angels
3.
Noo'h,
Noah, in the Holy Quran
6.
'Eissa, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Quran
8.
Prophet
Muhammed's Night Journey and Ascent to Heavens, Al-Issra Wal Mi'raj
9. .The Last Day: The Hour, Resurrection, Reckoning, and Judgment 10. .God's Precise Measurement and His Just Decree, Al-Qadar Wal Qadha
IV. I'hsan:
Watching Allah in What We Say and What We Do
2. The La (No) Commands 3. The Imperative Commands *** Articles with Islamic
Perspective:
Health Care Crisis
in the US: An Islamic Perspective
"Terrorism" & "Islamo-Fascism"
Propaganda Campaigns:
An Interactive
Lecture
Six Questions About
Islam, Muslims and Jews
Are Muslim women
second-class citizens
The French Ban on
Islamic Headscarf, an Interview with
Links to Islamic Topics 2007-2010
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Islam: A Scientific View of God's Message to Humanity 5
Humans, As God's Caliphs on Earth
By Hassan Ali El-Najjar
4 Jumada Al-Thaniya, 1431, May 18, 2010
أعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
I seek refuge with God from the stoned Shaytan (Satan)
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Introduction
A necessary background for this Chapter can be found in Chapter 4, "Creation
and Evolution in the Holy Quran,"
which tells the Quran story
of how Allah (God), praise to Him, created life on Earth, let it evolve, and intervened to
improve His creation. Thus, this Chapter is a continuation of the topic of creation and evolution but with focus on human beings, as they represent the climax of the stages of creation, fashioning in the right proportions, walking upright on two, imaging them in the best of images, and blowing of God’s Spirit in them. When Allah, praise to Him, felt that He taught humans enough, He decided to make them His deputies on Earth. When the angels expressed their unpleasant surprise, Allah brought chose Adam to represent humanity in a contest with them, to show them that human beings are worth of His decision of trusting them to rule the Earth. That story is the subject of the next Chapter 6, "Adam's Contest with the Angels, and Getting Out of Paradise."
The verses related to the topics of Chapters 1, 2, and 3, like the
rest of the verses of the Holy Quran, are very concise and each
word contained in them has a specific meaning within a certain context but it may have
other meanings in other contexts. That is why the translation from
Arabic is not enough. It has to be explained further with facts from the
sciences, particularly from Anthropology and Biology in this case,
as well as with interpretations of the early prominent Islamic scholars, such
as Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi,
and Ibn Katheer.
Meaning of Human Caliphate on Earth The starting point in this Chapter is the word “khalifa” (خَلِيفَةً۬ۖ), or caliph, which is mentioned in Verse 30 of Surat Al-Baqara (Chapter 2) of the Holy Quran. The root of the word is the Arabic verb “khalafa,” which means ”came after or succeeded.” وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ خَلِيفَةً۬ۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَتَجۡعَلُ فِيہَا مَن يُفۡسِدُ فِيہَا وَيَسۡفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحۡنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعۡلَمُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ (البَقَرَة ، 2: 30). And when your Lord said to the angels: I am making a caliph on the Earth. They said: Are You making therein one who corrupts it and sheds blood, while we hymn Your praise and sanctify You? He said: Surely I know that which you do not know (Al-Baqara, 2: 30).
The caliph (Al-Khalifa) is the ruler who comes after, or succeeds
another ruler. The main meaning is that Allah, praise to Him, has chosen
humans to be His successors, or caliphs, on Earth, ruling it
according to His Law (Shari’a), and on His behalf.
Muslims used the word to describe the second head of the Islamic
State, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, referring
to him as the Caliph of the Prophet, or his successor, as the
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the first head
of the Islamic State. Then, Muslims continued describing their
rulers as such until the end of World War I, at the beginning of the
twentieth century, when the Ottoman Caliphate was defeated by
Western empires and was replaced by the Turkish and Arab secular states. Another related meaning to the word “Khalifa” or “caliph” is that Allah, praise to Him, has willed that humans shall succeed each other in ruling the Earth, century after century, until He inherits this planet and all that is on it
In
explaining the meaning of this verse, Al-Siyouti mentioned that
Allah decided to make Adam as His caliph, successor, on Earth, to
succeed Him in implementing His rules.
Al-Tabari used the same explanation, mentioning a narration by the
Companions Ibn Mass’aud and Ibn Abbas. However, he added, as Ibn
Katheer did, saying that the meaning of caliphate is the succession
of a century of people by another.
Al-Qurtubi was clear in that the caliphate, or succession, is that
of Adam succeeding God, praise to Him, on Earth. He cited Ibn
Mass’aud and Ibn Abbas in saying that Adam, peace be to him, was God’s
Caliph in implementing His rules and commands, because he was a
Messenger of God, as the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon
him, told the Companion Abi Dher, may Allah be pleased with him.
Honor, But Responsibility God’s decision, or mandate, to make humans His successors (caliphs) on Earth, is a great honor to them. This honor was mentioned in several verses of the Holy Quran, such as in 2:30 (above) , 17: 70, and 17: 62. وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا (الإسراء ، 17: 70). And We have certainly honored the children of Adam, carried them on the land and sea, provided for them of the good things, and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference (Al-Issra, 17: 70). قَالَ أَرَءَيۡتَكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى ڪَرَّمۡتَ عَلَىَّ لَٮِٕنۡ أَخَّرۡتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ لَأَحۡتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬ (الإسرَاء ، 17: 62). He said: Do You see this whom You have honored above me, if You reprieve me until the Day of Rising (Resurrection), I will seize his offspring, except a few (Al-'Issra, 17: 62).
Despite that the mandate has
been a great honor to humans, it
has been associated with a grave responsibility
at the same time. It is true that they lived up to God’s
expectations in many centuries and stages of their history. However,
they failed in many other occasions and times. They did injustice to
themselves and to the planet they have been entrusted to rule over
and care about.
The very characteristics of success that humans possess could be
used in bad ways, as a result of following Satan and his wicked
ways, which took humans away from the right path of God.
Verse 72 of Surat Al-A'hzab (Chapter 33) of the Holy Quran tells us
that the Heavens, the Earth, and the Mountains (as solid and strong
as they are) could not carry God’s mandate and the responsibility
associated with it. However, humans were happy to carry it, or
accept it, out of ignorance about the burdens of the responsibility
associated with God’s mandate for them to become His successors on
Earth.
Thus,
God’s trust in his human creation to be His caliphs on Earth
was based on His knowledge of them as capable of receiving His
mandate of ruling Earth, and living up to the responsibilities
associated with that mandate. In particular, Allah, praise to Him,
tells about some of the characteristics that made humans trustworthy of
His
mandate. These are represented by their
ability
to learn, to build, and to choose.
Human Ability to Learn
Allah, praise to Him, made humans His caliphs on Earth, after they
proved to Him their ability to learn, to accumulate knowledge, to
process that knowledge, to make rules and laws on the basis of their
knowledge, and to make use of what they have learned.
Allah, praise to Him, facilitated for humans to learn by making
Earth abundant in food and resources and protected it from harmful
cosmic effects. He surrounded it with several layers of atmospheres
as protection and made its distance from the Sun ideal for life to
flourish and progress. Thus, humans have enjoyed
peaceful and comfortable conditions in most regions of Earth,
which freed them to learn.
Allah, the Compassionate, praise to Him, never left His creation
completely alone or lonely to
despair. He would intervene to improve His creation with fashioning
in the right proportions and best imaging. He also instructed them
to learn, use their knowledge for their benefit, and guided them to
how they can achieve that.
God’s first word and command to humans, delivered through the
Senior Angel, Jibril (Gabriel), peace be to him, to the Messenger of
Allah, Muhammed, peace and blessings be upon him (pbbuh) was "Read"
(اقْرَأْ). He actually
repeated it three times to confirm its importance to humanity, as
stated in the first five verses of Surat Al-‘Alaq (Chapter 96) of
the Holy Quran. اقْرَأْ
بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
﴿٢﴾ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ
﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿٥﴾
(العلق
، 96: 1-5).
Read! In the name of your Lord, Who created, (1) Created the human (being), out of an 'alaqa (leech-like embryo), (2) Read! And your Lord is the Most Bountiful, (3) He Who taught with the pen, (4) (He) taught the human (being) that which he did not know (Al-‘Alaq, 96: 1-5).
There are many verses in the Holy Quran, which deal with learning, knowledge, and
science.
[2]
When we
look at some of them, we
find that Allah, praise to Him, states that He and His senior angel, Jibril, peace to him, are involved in teaching humans,
as mentioned in verses 55: 1-5, 2: 239, and 53: 45. The teaching
happens directly, as in the case of Jibril teaching the Messengers of
Allah, and indirectly by facilitating learning to the average person,
as in the case of the scribe mentioned in Verse 2: 282.
الرَّحْمَـٰنُ ﴿١﴾ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ ﴿٢﴾ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ ﴿٣﴾
عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ ﴿٤﴾
(الرَّحْمَـٰن
، 55: 1-4).
فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّـهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ (البقرة ، 2: 239).
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ ﴿٥﴾
(النج
وَلَا يَأْبَ كَاتِبٌ أَن يَكْتُبَ كَمَا عَلَّمَهُ اللَّـهُ
(البقرة
، 2: 282).
Remember Allah, as He has taught you that which you did
not know (Al-Baqara, 2: 239).
It is an inspiration sent down (to him),(4) taught by
one mighty in power (Jibril)
(Al-Najm, 53: 4-5). A scribe should not refuse to write as Allah has taught him (Al-Baqara, 2: 282).
Human Tendency to Construct God’s trust in His creation of human beings to be His caliphs on Earth was further based on His knowledge of them as being capable of building, or construction. He expected humans to be creative, in continuously improving their conditions on Earth, reaching the stage of civilization, as Ibn Khaldoun described it, using the Quran term of ‘Amarah, which means construction or civilization. [3]
Verse 30: 9 is an invitation for humans to excavate the previous
civilizations, to learn lessons from them. While this is a command
for humans to study historical and pre-historical sites to learn
about previous human civilizations, it's also a direct reference to the
human tendency of construction.
أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ
الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً
وَأَثَارُوا الْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا
(الروم
، 30: 9). Have they not travelled on the land to see what was the sequel of those who were before them? They were much stronger than them, and they dug the earth and built upon it more than these have built (Al-Room, 30: 9).
There is no doubt that construction benefited from the other two
human characteristics of learning and choice. The three qualities
interacted with each other producing this wonderful human
phenomenon, which has pleased God, Who did bet on to do so, and to
be thus, in front of His angels. Verses 11: 61 and 9: 18 include references to the human construction, as follows:
وَإِلَىٰ
ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا ۚ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّـهَ مَا
لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ
وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا
(هود
، 11: 61).
إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّـهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ
وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ
يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّـهَ
(التوبة
، 9: 18). And to the Thamud People (We sent) their brother Salih. He said: O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other god but Him. He produced you from the Earth and (enabled) you to construct therein (Hood, 11: 61). The mosques of Allah are constructed, visited, and maintained by whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, and by whoever observes the prayer and pays zakat (the poor-due) and fears none except Allah (Al-Tawba, 9: 18 ).
Human
Freedom of Choice God’s trust in His human creation to be His caliphs on Earth was also based on His knowledge of them as being capable to choose, unlike angels who are obedient to their Creator by creation and design, as we learn from Verse 66: 6.
(The angels) do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and do what they are commanded (Al-Tahreem, 66: 6). Humans have been created to be capable to choose between right and wrong as well as obedience and disobedience to their Creator, as we learn from Verses 76: 3, 89: 8-10, and 91: 7-10.
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
(الإنسان
، 76: 3).
أَلَمْ
نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَيْنَيْنِ ﴿٨﴾ وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ﴿٩﴾
وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ ﴿١٠﴾
(البلد
وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا ﴿٧﴾ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا
﴿٨﴾ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا ﴿٩﴾ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا
(الشمس
، 91: 7-10). We guided him (the human being) to the path (of choice, to see if he chooses to be) grateful or disbelieving (Al-Insan, 76: 3).
Have We not made for him two eyes? (8) And a tongue, and
two lips? (9) And guided him to the two paths (to choose
from)? (Al-Balad, 89: 8-10). By the (human) self, and how He fashioned it, (7) by inspiring it to (to know the paths of) disobedience and piety. (8) Truly, whoever keeps it pure will succeed, (9) And whoever corrupts it will fail (10) (Al-Shams, 91: 7-10). [4] Allah, praise to Him, wanted to enjoy seeing his human creation obey Him and observe His commands by choice. Thus, when He told His angels that He would make humans His caliphs on Earth, they were surprised because of their knowledge of human corruption and violence (blood-shedding). But Allah, praise to Him, answered them saying that He knew what they did not know, as stated in 2:30, mentioned above. He knew that as some humans may choose to corrupt and shed blood, others will choose to obey His commands and do good deeds to themselves, to others, and to their Planet.. As the above verses tell us that humans are born with the ability to identify what’s right and what’s wrong as well as the ability to choose which of the two paths they are going to follow, a well-known 'Hadith by Prophet Muhammed, pbbuh, also mentions that an angel blows part of God's spirit into the fetus in its mother's womb. This means that the human freedom of choice is not learned. Rather, it's a gift from the Creator, praise to Him. [5]
Meanings of Caliphate, and duties of God’s caliphs on Earth
The following fourteen verses of the Holy Quran associate the human caliphate
of God on Earth with heavy responsibilities.
Allah, praise to Him, mentions in the Holy Quran that the caliphate
or succession of humans on Earth is a test for them, as He wants to
see how they behave with the blessings He bestowed on them, as in
Verses 6: 165 and 10: 14.
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ الْأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ
فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ
رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(الأنعام
، 6: 165). And it is He Who has made you successors (caliphs) of the Earth and raised some of you above others in ranks, so that He tests you of what He has given you; surely your Lord is quick in punishment, and surely He is Forgiving, (and) Merciful (Al-Ana'am, 6: 165).
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ خَلَائِفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ لِنَنظُرَ
كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ
(يونس ، 10: 14).
Then We made you successors (caliphs) on the Earth,
after them, to see how you would act
(Younus, 10: 14). Allah, praise to Him, also mentions that oppressors and those who rule with injustice, away from God’s commands will be replaced by others, who are better than them, as we read in Verses 6: 133 and 11: 57.
وَرَبُّكَ الْغَنِيُّ ذُو الرَّحْمَةِ ۚ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ
وَيَسْتَخْلِفْ مِن بَعْدِكُم مَّا يَشَاءُ كَمَا أَنشَأَكُم مِّن
ذُرِّيَّةِ قَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ
(الأنعام
، 6: 133).
Your Lord is Self-Sufficient,
(the Lord) of Mercy. If He will, He can remove you and
make successors (caliphs) after you whom He wills, as He
made you from offspring of other people (Al-Ana’am, 6:
13).
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُم مَّا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ
إِلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَيَسْتَخْلِفُ رَبِّي قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا
تَضُرُّونَهُ شَيْئًا
(هود
، 11: 57).
(Prophet
Hood said): If they turn away (from what you told them, tell them) I
have conveyed the Message with which I was sent to you, and my Lord
will make another people to succeed you, and you will not harm Him
anything (Hood, 11: 57).
The following verses of the Holy Quran associate the human caliphate
of God on Earth with believing in Allah
وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ مِن بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ
وَزَادَكُمْ فِي الْخَلْقِ بَسْطَةً ۖ فَاذْكُرُوا آلَاءَ اللَّـهِ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
(الأعراف
، 7: 69). And reflect (think about) that He made you successors (caliphs) after the people of Noah, and made you exceeding them in stature. Then, remember the favors of Allah, so that you may prosper (Al-‘Araf, 7: 96).
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُ فِي الْفُلْكِ
وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ خَلَائِفَ وَأَغْرَقْنَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا
بِآيَاتِنَا
(يونس
، 10: 73).
They rejected him, so We
saved him and those with him in the ship, and made them
successors (caliphs), and We drowned those who rejected
Our revelations (Younus,
10: 73).
.
وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ مِن بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ
فِي الْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ
الْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا ۖ فَاذْكُرُوا آلَاءَ اللَّـهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا
فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ
(الأعراف
، 7: 74). Reflect (think about) that He made you successors (caliphs) after (the people of) 'Ad, and settled you on the Earth so that you could construct on its plains palaces, and carve dwellings out of mountains. So remember the favors of Allah, and do not act on the Earth as corruptors (Al-'Araf, 7:47).
يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُم
بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن
سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ
(ص
، 38: 26).
O Dawood (David)! We have made you as a successor on
earth, so judge among people rightly, and do not follow
desire, (which may) misguide away from the path of Allah (Saad, 38: 26).
هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ فَمَن كَفَرَ
فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُ ۖ (فاطر
، 35: 39).
He is Who has made you successors (caliphs) on the
Earth. So he who disbelieves, his disbelief will be on
him (He will bear the consequences)
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ
وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّـهِ ۚ
قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
(النمل
، 27: 62). Or, Who listens to the distressed when he calls on Him, and Who relieves the suffering, and makes you successors (caliphs) on the Earth? (Are you still taking) another god with Allah? It is little that you reflect on (Al-Naml, 27: 62).
آمِنُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَأَنفِقُوا مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم
مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ
(الحديد
، 57: 7). Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend of that which He has made you (His) successors (caliphs) on (Al-Hadeed, 57: 7).
وَعَدَ اللَّـهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ
لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن
قَبْلِهِمْ
(النور
، 24: 55).
Allah has promised those who believe among you to make
them successors on Earth, as He made successors of those
before them
(Al-Noor, 24: 55).
قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ اسْتَعِينُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَاصْبِرُوا ۖ إِنَّ
الْأَرْضَ لِلَّـهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۖ
وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
(الأعراف
، 7: 128).
Moussa (Moses) said to his
people: Seek help from Allah and endure. The Earth is
Allah's. He gives it as inheritance to whom He
wills of his worshippers, and the sequel is for the
pious (Al-‘Araf, 7: 128).
قَالُوا أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِن بَعْدِ مَا
جِئْتَنَا ۚ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ
وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ
(الأعراف
، 7: 129). ============================================================================================================= Notes [1] This author consulted with several translations of the Holy Quran verses, particularly those of Saheeh International and Yusuf Ali, published at www.tanzil.net. However, the translation of meaning of verses in this Chapter, as well as in the book as a whole, is his sole responsibility.
The complete works of these three great Islamic scholars, who interpreted the Holy Quran in different centuries are published on paper, as well as online, such as on the official website of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, at: http://quran.al-islam.com/. Their major works are referenced in the first Foot Note of Chapter 3.
[2]
The Holy Quran Index in Arabic by Muhammed Fuad
Abdul Baqi. Cairo: Dar Al-Fikr. 1406 (1986). The Arabic
Title of the index is: “Al-Mu’ajam Al-Mufahras Li Alfadh
Al-Quran Al-Kareem,” Pages 469-480. In particular, there are about 26
verses, on pages 474-475, which are directly related to
human learning and God’s influence in that process.
The Holy Quran search, at www.tanzil.net, yields 49 pages of verses including the Arabic root verb "to know" (عَلِمَ) and its derivatives.
[3]
Abdul Rahman Bin Khaldoun was an Arab sociologist who lived
in Andalusia, North Africa, and Egypt. He was born in Tunis,
in 732 H (1332 AD) and died in Cairo in 808 H (1406 AD). He
wrote his famous “Introduction to Sociology,” about five
centuries before Auguste Compte started modern sociology in
France. in the 19th century.
Ibn Khaldoun was not alone in equating construction with civilization. Modern anthropologists have also acknowledged that fact, associating human civilization with intensive agriculture, which was also associated with construction of temples, palaces, theaters, dams, canals, roads, and huge monuments and statues. This construction was not possible without writing languages and developing various sciences, hence civilization.
[4] For a discussion about the human self, see Chapter I.9, "Mind, Self, Soul, Spirit, and Happiness from an Islamic Perspective."
[5] This 'Hadith is agreed upon by various Sunna books and numbered 396 in Riyadh Al-Sali'heen by Imam , as follows:
عن ابن مسعود ، رضي الله عنه ، قال: حدثنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وهو الصادق المصدوق:
"إن أحدكم يجمع خلقه في بطن أمه أربعين يوما نطفة ، ثم يكون علقة مثل ذلك ، ثم يكون مضغة مثل ذلك ، ثم يرسل الملك ، فينفخ فيه الروح ، ويؤمر بأربع كلمات:
بكتب رزقة ، وأجله ، وعمله ، وشقي أو سعيد.
فو الذي لا إله غيره إن أحدكم ليعمل عمل أهل الجنة حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها إلا ذراع ، فيسبق عليه الكتاب ، فيعمل بعمل أهل النار، فيدخلها ، وإن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل
أهل النار حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها إلا ذراع ، فيسبق عليه الكتاب فيعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيدخلها." (متفق عليه ، رقم 396 في رياض الصالحين). http://www.hadithportal.com/index.php
==================================== =====================================================================================About the Author and the Book: * The author
of this book has a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Master’s degree
in Cultural Anthropology. He was born in Gaza, Palestine, in
1369 Hijriya (1950), but he has been living in the United
States since 1986.
The works
of the three renowned Islamic scholars Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi,
and Ibn Katheer, have been used throughout the chapters of
this book, as these are the most credited interpretations of
the Holy Quran, for their use of 'Hadith, companions'
interpretations, and their thorough knowledge of the Arabic
language.
يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّـهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ
وَاللَّـهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ
(الصف ، 61: 8).
They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it (Al-Saff, 61: 8).
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