RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES

7/31/2019 RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES

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Prof.Ahmad Rafique Akhtar

(Prof.Ahmad Rafique Akhtar's Official Webs

www.alamaat.com

Script: Shabbir Ahmad Ch.

RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS

THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES


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RECONSTRCTIONOFRELEGIOUSTHOUGHTINMODERNTIMES

(Prof.Ahmad Rafique Akhtar's Official Website) www.alamaat.com

RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMESProf. Ahmad Rafique Akhtar

I have deliberately chosen this subject for todays discourse. About half a

century back, a great tinker Iqbal in his seven lectures gave a new philosophic outlook by creating a logical and philosophical defense for revelation and mystic

experience. But this aim is not valid in modern times. During the last half a

century the nature of challenges has changed. The new challenges are not

philosophic, they are not scholastic. The achievements of sciences are miraculous.

Intellectual supremacy is no more important. Pragmatic approach, Practical

attitude and power orientation given new prejudices, new likes and dislikes.

Western thought is more and more data oriented. Distress, anxiety, neurosis,

psychosis and innumerable psychic and Para psychic syndromes have reduced

mans life to a non spiritual entity.We are facing the blatant aggression of scientific thought discovery and

inventions accompanied by the paraphernalias of five stars hotels, luxuries

pools, boutiques, supersonic jets, atoms, neurons and antimatter. A normal mind

is stunned by the onslaught of modern sophistry. This flux of progressive

materialism is not allowing us to stay, deliberate or meditate. We dont have time

even to read Iqbals lectures on reconstruction.

Lets have a look at the response to these challenges; Islam over all is a

sharply divided in to secular and scholastic approaches. Mediocrity has resulted

into two major faults:1 Intellectual inferiority in Islamic thought and Muslim mind.2 Absolute confusion of priorities in religion.The reason is obvious; over this period there has been no teacher mystic in

Islamic world.

The secular Muslim is dazzled by the fabulous western progress. His curiosity and

research has thoroughly convinced him that for modern times Islam is decadent,

obsolete and a spent force. He is convinced of power based argument which only

lies in western, social and political setup. He venomously hates the tasteless and

scholastic religious organizations. He does not find any wit, decency andconvincing argumentation in prevailing religious atmosphere. Where ever he finds

a religious movement he finds it averse to progress and akin to prejudice,

bigottery and even stupidity.


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He thinks religious revival is all destroying and is a mad dream. Western

thoughts offer him a secularist, permissive and adjustable philosophy, with

humor, courtesy, ease and sophistry. It offers him taste and culture and above all

enough room to breath with modern ideas. He is shy of himself and shy of Islam.

Those who cannot revolt are cowards and every day they keep on building newargument to justify corruption and to justify their religion.

Scholastic religionist is the other part of Islamic world. For centuries he has

been following a religion with blind faith. He does not believe in choices and

questions. He is semi literal, semi cultured and least progressive. He has inbuilt

taboos in him competitive argumentation. Scholastic side is horribly short of age,

technique and curiosity; they create an image of boredom and, stubbornness.

Religion is suffering from sects, creeds, caste and there is chronic mix up of

priorities.

If religion be a pyramid there is nobody on the top who knows. Feels andloves God. Anybody who joins or accepts Islam for a vision of God ends up within

fallacious hypocritical and absurd mystic conceptions. I dont deny the existence

of a few ecstatic individuals who have lost their balance in their struggle and a

very few more have been able to achieve personal victories but they are unable to

manage eloquence to explain the concepts of God. In their nave explanation of

religious, reality and experience they further confuse the ultimate existence.

God is himself the subject of modern curiosity. Generally religion is

acceptable in modern society as a personal interest, a lesser obsession and an age

old set of rituals. Denial without research is the common attitude. Mostly thedefense is based on Islam as the solution of problems, not as only way to God.

Islam has become an independent institution which has God as a nominal

head. It is not being projected as the means of achievement the priority of

intellectual curiosity.

Challenges of the modern times are exactly aimed at God himself, the

response to the challenges is finding out an argument about Islam. The response

insist on claiming Islam as the only complete order of God but fails to provide

main with an insight of God.

This crisis is not new but whereas in the past we have always been able toproduce a Junaid, Abdul Qadir or Ali Bin Usman. We are still looking forward for

somebody who should touch the top of pyramid, who should be able to provide

an argument.

Intellectual curiosity is reduced to explain methodology but the moment it

touches the chapter of God it fails. The reason is obvious.


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There are three statements which lead us to the knowledge of God, they all

mean the same. Unluckily these statements have nothing to do with practical

aspect of religion.

When asked, Christ said Know they self and you shall know God then the

famous saying came. That is:When God wants to award someone with His knowledge He opens his

eyes on his own self, The Prophet said (Peace be upon Him).

There is no doubt about the fact that Gods knowledge is through the

knowledge of self.

This is the job of a sophisticated intellect which outgrows instinctive

imbalances at the first stage and goes on further analysis to create a balance of

heart, mind and feeling and in this very balance, lies the touch of Allah. When

understood analyzed and balanced out grown human instincts leave ground for

Godly quality.Whereas generally human beings count only three steps of achievement by

human mind namely, intelligence, intellect and intuition. The mystic moves on to

the ultimate refinement of fourth category i.e. Ilham.

The first three are commonly shared by all human beings but fourth one is

only available to a believer and a Muslim. A mystic carries the past stays in the

present and points out the future. Its only a mystic who establishes the priority

and endeavor to achieve the closeness by normal attitude.

God created man and blessed him with the specialty of thinking. He

provided the protocol to the important guest of the Lord in the grave. The onlypriority allotted to human intellect is God himself. Religion from Adam to

Muhammad has been varying in the nature of shariat and practical laws in

different the only priority of human mind i.e. God. Religion void of search for God

is reduced to set rituals. Islam is a way to God but unluckily we have made it our

destination.

In the past time many decades Muslims have been trying to create religion

as a God. Many formats of religion have been introduces to create an Islamic

revolution without a true feeling for God and with out making an effort to

understand the self and ultimately to understanding God.


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Psychology applied to others is a science but if applied to ones own self is

mysticism. Whereas the West is more objective and scientific they have shown no

feeling for the ultimate reality, even their metaphysics is aimlessly pursuing

abstract values.

On the contrary Muslims have the sentiment for reality but they are notobjective and scientific in approach.

Let me simplify the whole subject .Allah is an immediate experience

whenever He is approached sincerity of intention and proper priority.

According to Allah Himself His remembrance is the only way to convince

Him that man has given Him his proper place in heart.

But for the understanding of self one has to be normal for without

normalcy a divine experience is always questionable.

Once the priority is established and balances maintained, main

responsibility being over, a musliman marches from inner conquests to externalvictories, ilham, intuition or intellect achievements become the products of faith.

A new commitment and a formidable character is built at personal and national

levels. Sciences or arts act subservient to a consummate mind, who is in touch

with the market. Inventor and creator, personal and national inferiority leaves

room of objective understanding and coherent interpretation. False superiority

dies and genuine decision and appreciation, hopes and probabilities for the

present and future are born.

Out of a chaotic inconsistency, a uniform centricity is created which after a

small period of trails and tribulations leads to the Quranic decision.And slacken not, nor grieve and you will be victorious if you have faith. (3:139)

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RECONSTRCTION OF RELEGIOUS THOUGHT IN MODERN TIMES