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The Meaning of Worldview



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µWorldview¶ is an English translation of theGerman term ³Weltanschauung´.

It is rendered in Arabic as



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Worldview Defined:

A set of attitudes on a wide range of fundamental matters.

A comprehensive set of propositions aboutvarious aspects of the world.

A unified and comprehensive view of theworld around us and man¶s place within it.



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Basic assumptions and images that provide amore or less coherent, though not necessarilyaccurate, way of thinking about the world.

A worldview is a profile of the way the peoplewithin a specified culture live, act, think, workand relate. It is a ³map´ or culture¶s social,religious, economic and political views and

relationships



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Worldview Structures &Development

Abstractthought

Culture: religion, language,

environment, etc.

Technology, Psychology,

experience, etc.

World-Structure

Life-Structure

Knowledge-Structure

Man-Structure

Value-StructureMorality

Legal Dealings

Conception

of society

PoliticalDealings

TechnologyScientificconceptualscheme

Science

Revelation



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IMPACT OF WORLDVIEWS

1. Helps to know peoples and cultures

comprehensively

2. Helps us to interact with nature,

individuals, peoples, nations, culturesand civilizations



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3. Helps us to correct our own values,perspectives, attitudes and behaviours

4. Helps us to formulate theories of politics,sociology, culture, etc.



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A worldview encapsulates answersregarding broad questions of "lifeunderstanding." These questions arelifetime concerns and sources of anxiety. They involve fundamentalmatters, expressed in the form of queries.

Here are some examples of ongoinghuman concerns:



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Fundamental Questions addressed

by worldview How far out does the universe go? Did it have abeginning and will it have an end?

How was it that we humans came about here on earth? Does life have a purpose? If it does, what can give

meaning to my life? Does my daily conduct matter in the long run? What happens to me at my death? What is good and what is bad? How can I know the

good and the bad?

How should I be treating others? How can I know?



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Worldview as Basic/Abstract

Worldview formulated byprophets (revelation),great philosophers andscientists

Worldview interpreted andapplied by intellectuals,scholars, scientists,physicians, etc.

Worldview receivedapplied by ordinarypeople

Philosophy of IIUM

Interpreted andapplied by lecturers& staffs

Learned andapplied by students

Simile



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Worldview influences all aspects of life

Some worldviews such as Islam cover allaspects of life including the personal, social,economic, political, cultural, civilization besidesdealing with spiritual, moral, and Aqidah issues.

But there are other worldviews which focus onlyon spiritual, material, social, or economicaspects of human life.

Any worldview should be able to answer the

ultimate questions not necessary correctanswers but at least consistent



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The Definition of Islamic worldview

³ a metaphysical survey of the visibleas well as the invisible worlds

including the perspective of life as awhole´. Al-Attas in ³Islam and theChallenge of Modernity, p. 27.

Islamic worldview encompasses theissues of universe, creator, prophethood,society, man, and hereafter.



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It is not a worldview that is formed merelyby amalgamation or historical concoctionof various cultural values. Rather, it is awell established framework derived fromthe revelation and interpreted by Muslimscholars throughout Islamic history



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This frame of reference provides us withcorrect and consistent answers to the

ultimate questions pertinent to the issuesof God, unseen, man, universe, and life. Italso guides man as a vicegerent of Allahto the correct belief system, shariµah, andethical values.



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The worldview of Islam encompasses bothal-dunia ( ) and al-akhirah ( ) inwhich the dunia aspect must beinextricably linked to the akhirah aspect,and in which the akhirah aspect hasultimate and final significance.



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The Main Elements of Islamic

worldview The Conception:

of God;

of Revelation (i.e. the Qur¶an); of God¶s Creation;

of man and the psychology of human soul;

of knowledge; of religion



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of freedom;

of values and virtues;

And of happiness. Al-Attas, . Ibid, 29



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The Objectives of Islamic

worldview

To provide the Muslims with the true

knowledge and explanation about theworld seen and unseen as they areexplained in the Qura'n.



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To teach people the way and method how

to achieve the main values of Islam inhuman life.

To establish the fundamental ethicalprecepts, such as justice, freedom, trust,and dignity of human life and existence.



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Western Perception of Worldview

Most of the western perceptions of worldviewrely more on our existing reality, experience andlife. They don¶t give much consideration to theissues related to the unseen world and hereafter.

Most of the western perceptions of worldviewconsider it as assumption, but this is not truefrom an Islamic perspective because in Islam,

we consider it as a system and truth derivedfrom revelation.



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Most of the western perceptions of worldviewconsider it as a product of culture and

experience. According to them, religion itself isproduced by people and culture.

In the Muslim perspective, Islam or Islamic

worldview is not a cultural product of Arab,Indian, or Malay. It is rather derived from therevealed word of God without corruption andchange. This revelation is then understood byMuslims through their different cultural

backgrounds and experiences.



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worldview of Islam comprises both al-

dunya and al-Akhirah aspects, in whichthe dunya-aspect must be relatedprofoundly to the Akhirah-aspect, and in

which the Akhirah-aspect has ultimate andfinal significance.

On the basis of this epistemological andanthological premise, Al-Attas defines theIslamic worldview as follows:



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worldview is: the vision of reality and truth

that appears before our mind¶s eyerevealing what existence is all about; for itis the world of existence in its totality thatIslam is projecting«The Islamic view of

reality and truth, which is a: metaphysicalsurvey of the visible and invisible worldsincluding the perspective of life as a whole,is not a worldview that is formed merely by

the gathering together of various culturalobjects, values and phenomena intoartificial coherence



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Nor is it one that is formed gradually through a

historical process of philosophical speculationand scientific discovery, which must of necessitybe left vague and open-ended for future changeand alteration in line with paradigms that change

in correspondence with changing circumstances.

It is not a worldview that undergoes a dialecticalprocess of transformation repeated through theages, from thesis to anti-thesis then synthesis



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Classification of Worldview

Revealed andpreserved

Revealed butInterpolated

Not revealed butBased ob human

wisdom

Worldview

Religious Non-religious

Atheism Materialism Positivism Rationalism scientism



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Another classification

Worldview

Philosophicalworldview

Religiousworldview

Scientificworldview



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Religious worldview

There is a universal spirit, god, deity or divineentity

This divinity has established an eternal moral

order that, in part at least, can be known tohuman beings

People have the duty to follow eternal moraldictates

This human conduct has long-term (beyondindividual death) significance.



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Characteristics of ReligiousWorldview

The Religious worldview considers boththe world of seen and unseen. It iscomprehensive in its perception of the

world. It does not undermine anydimension of reality and existence

Its basis is on the scripture or µsacred

¶ ,revealed or non-revealed text.



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It is more stable than the scientific andphilosophical worldview, in terms of having

certain and unchangeable principles of belief system and ethical system.

The Religious worldview in general imparts to

our life the sense of responsibility, meaning, andpurpose. This means that life and the existencehas a meaning and a purpose. Therefore, itmakes our life as a responsibility towards God,

and towards other people.



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Philosophical worldview

It derives from philosophy and it means to dealwith fundamental questions of life.

It uses logical reasoning, deduction, induction ,

mathematic and speculation. The Philosophical worldview is more wider in its

scope than the scientific worldview. It deals withissues of philosophical and metaphysical world.



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It attempts to give a meaning to creation and life.It does not have the exactness of sciences but itinstills in ourselves a sense and meaning.

Its results and findings are not precise andmeasurable like scientific worldview¶ s but theyopen new ways for human beings to thinkbeyond their physical world.



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Main Characteristic

It is more comprehensive than thescientific worldview, because it deals withphysical and metaphysical realties.

If scientific worldview deals only withcertain part of the universe, thePhilosophical worldview deals with theentire existence and the universe.



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Materialism

Materialism is a theory that physical matter is theonly or fundamental reality and that all beingsand processes and phenomena can beexplained as manifestations or results of matter.

Materialism excludes the existence of entitiesthat are radically different from or superior to thematter of our ordinary experience.

In materialistic worldview, only matter matters.Everything that is not physical and material isnot accepted.



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It rejects, therefore, the existence of Godor gods on whom the universe would

depend for its existence or mode of operation; it denies the existence of angelsor spirit; it questions the notion of a soul, if taken to be immaterial entity separable, in

principle, from the human body.



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Its two main targets are therefore theismand dualistic views of human nature.

It negates the existence of all that doesn¶ tfall within the framework of change andtransformation and is not perceivable bysense organs



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All knowledge of the world and of society

must be based on sense experience andultimately on science.

Like positivism, materialism lays stress onscience as the only legitimate source of knowledge about the causalities of theworld



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Postmodernism

Belief that individuals are merelyconstructs of social forces, that there is notranscendent truth that can be known; arejection of any one worldview or explanation of reality as well as a rejectionof the reality of objective truth.



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A view which, for example, stresses thepriority of the social to the individual; whichrejects the universalizing tendencies of philosophy; which prizes irony over knowledge; and which gives the irrationalequal footing with the rational in our

decision procedures all fall under thepostmodern umbrella.



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A cultural and intellectual trend of thetwentieth and twenty-first centuriescharacterized by emphasis on the ideas of the decenteredness of meaning, the valueand autonomy of the local and theparticular, the infinite possibilities of the

human existence, and the coexistence.



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Postmodernism claims to address thesense of despair and fragmentation of modernism through its efforts atreconfiguring the broken pieces of themodern world into a multiplicity of newsocial, political, and cultural arrangements



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Seven principles andcharacteristics of postmodernism

1. No absolute truth, truth is relative, contingencyis everything. T he ONLY ABSOLU TE TR U TH is that there are NO ABSOLU TE TR U TH S ( Feyerabend )

2. No reality: there is no ultimate reality behindthings: we see largely what want to see, whatour position in time and place allows us tosee«

3. Only Simulacrum: Imagination and speculation4. Meaningless and valueless.



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5. Total Doubt

6. Multiplicities of truth, ethnicities, cultures

«7. Equal representation for class gender sexual orientation



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Secularism

The English word secular derives from the Latinword saeculum, meaning ³this present age´,³this world´ of change as opposed to the eternal

³religious world´.

It is defined as ³the liberation of man fromreligious and metaphysical tutelage, the turningof his attention away from other worlds andtowards this one.´



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Components of secularization

Disenchantment of nature ± freeing of nature from its religious overtones. Nature

is not a divine entity.

± This provides an absolute condition for thedevelopment of natural science. However highlydeveloped a culture¶s powers of observation, however refined its equipment for measuring, no real scientificbreakthrough is possible until man can face the

natural world unafraid.



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Desacralization of politics

± No one rules by divine right. ± Significant political and social change isalmost impossible in societies in which theruling regime is directly legitimated by

religious symbols.



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Deconsecration (relativization) of values

± The disappearance of securely groundedvalues

± There are no longer the direct expression of the divine will.

± They have ceased to be values and havebecome valuations



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Scientific worldview

It is based on the premises and findings of science,

Science is the source of all explanations

pertaining to the issues of creation, life,men, and other issues

Based on 4 important foundations:

± Materialism, logical positivism, empiricism,skepticism



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The main steps of scientificmethod

Identify the problem or question throughobservation

Propose hypotheses and assumptions that

should explain the problem posed Collect data and information

Test the hypotheses. If any of hypotheses are

wrong

reject it, or modify it, or replace it untilyou get the correct one.



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If your hypotheses are correct. You accept and providea full explanation of the problem. Repeat the test in

similar situations and if the result is the same, then youmay proceed to construct a scientific theory. The latter provides a consistent and rational explanation of thephenomenon or the problem. If this scientific theorystands and resists many tests, then it becomes

scientific law.

The fact usually remains intact for long period of timebut they can be questioned with development of human understanding and the new data and tool of

research. And once a fact is questioned the process of research takes the same course as mentioned above.



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Positive and Negative Aspects of Scientific Method

Because it is based on experiment and empiricalresearch, its findings are more exact andauthentic and they can be verified through usingstatistic, mathematics, and measurement.

However, these exact results only apply to acertain part of our existence, the physical world.The scientific worldview cannot give us exact

and authentic knowledge or interpretation of themetaphysical world.



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Therefore, the scientific worldview is notcapable of providing comprehensive andconsistent explanation of the entire world.

The Scientific worldview is very important,because it allows human reason to

exercise its ability and to produceknowledge in many fields.



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The Scientific worldview also allows man todiscover many laws and pattern of God in the

universe.

However, the scientific worldview passes its

limitation when it gives human senses andreason a role beyond their capacities. Inscientific worldview, Aql and senses become theonly source of knowledge that can be accepted;

any other source including revelation cannot beaccepted.



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Scientific worldview allowed the humanmind to produce industries, sciences andtechnologies. It opened many ways for human mind to exploit nature and discover its laws.



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However, the scientific worldview failed toprotect man and nature from destruction. One of the main reasons of this attitude of scientificworldview is because it undermines the moral,ethical, and religious factors.

According to the scientific worldview, the only

sources of knowledge are reason, experiment,nature, senses, and human experience. It doesnot consider revealed knowledge as a source of knowledge that can provide guidance to peopleand answer their questions. In this sense, the

scientific worldview was unable to discover thesense and role of morality in human life.



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The place of man in the mechanistic-materialistic view isclearly portrayed by Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) in the1903:

The philosophy of nature is one thing, the philosophy of value is quite another«.Undoubtedly we are part of nature, which has produced our desires, our hopes andfears, in accordance with laws which the physicist isbeginning to discover. In this sense we are part of nature, we are subordinated to nature, the outcome of natural laws, and their victims in the long run« But in thephilosophy of values the situation is reversed« We areourselves the ultimate and irrefutable arbiters of valuesand in the world of value Nature is only a part«In this

realm we are the kings, and we debase our kingship if we bow down to Nature. It is for us to determine thegood life, not for nature ± not even for Nature personifiedas God.



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Therefore, the scientific worldview failed togive meaning to life and existence. It onlygives power of controlling nature, but it

lacks the sense of meaning to our life.Therefore, the scientific worldview shouldadopt new approaches which involvevalues, moralities, and ethics in the

process of scientific research.



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Islam: Salm or Silm, from which Islam derives its root,means submission, surrender, safety/protection andpeace.

As a religion, Islam stands for ³complete submission andobedience to Allah´. It is the religion of Allah (S.W.T)which is revealed to mankind.

It was so named by God. (Qur ¶

an, :3 )

Yet islam as a total submission has been the name of religions brought by early God¶ s messengers.

General Overview of Islam andIts main Characteristics



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Four Meanings of I slam

There are four basic meanings for the word islam (assubmission ), moving from the broadest to thenarrowest:

1. The submission of the whole of creation to its Creator (3:83;

2. The submission of human beings to the guidance of God as revealed through the prophets (3:85;

3. The submission of human beings to the guidance of God as revealed through the prophet Muhammad (5:3;

4. The submission of the followers of Prophet Muhammadto God¶s practical instructions.

Only the third of these can properly be translated asIslam with an uppercase I slam



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Islam also means µpeace¶ and this signifies that one can achieve realpeace of body and of mind only through submission and obedienceto Allah. Such life of obedience brings in peace of the heart andestablished real peace in the society at large.

Every Muslim has to utter this word at least 5 times a day at the endof each of the five daily prayers.

Always every Muslim salutes one another with: al-Salamu µalaykum,meaning µpeace be unto you.

Not only in this world would the Muslim exchange this salutation butalso in the hereafter ³and µPeace¶ will be their greeting therein´(Qur¶an, 10:10).

Allah (swt) calls into the abode of Peace (Qur¶an, 10:25).



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Paradise is nothing but the abode of peace³They shall not hear therein vain or sinful

discourses. Only the saying: µPeace, Peace´(Qur¶an, 56:25-26).

Muslims are enjoined to enter into peace

wholeheartedly (Qur¶an, 2:208).

In fact, the enjoinment of peace is not just within

the Muslims but extended to non-Muslimcommunities (Qur¶an, 8:61)



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: al-Iman

Iman is the state of security and safety that a personenjoys when he is attached to his creator

T echnically : Iman is the belief in the main articles of the Islamic faith:

± Believe in God and his attributes and names ± Believe in angels ± Believe in books ± Believe in prophethood ± Believe in hereafter

± Believe in predestination



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al-Ihsan

Everything we do should be put in Ihsan form,that is, in beautiful manner.

In Had'ith : ( ) ³Ihsan means to worship Allah as if you see Him,or if you don¶ t see Him, He is seeing you´ .

It also means: to do, or worship Allah in themanner He likes.

To fear Allah and be certain that He is present,

and watching every deed, and everything onedoes.



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Ihsan in the Qur ¶anic context\ ³

³ (32:6-7).

± In this verse, if God does what is beautiful through creating andmaking everything, including men, beautiful, then man has theobligation to do what is beautiful particularly in his relation with

Allah and with other creature.

Ihsan is everything in our life and in fact, when we

become Muhsinin, we become protectorate servants of Allah (S.W.T). ³ ³ (16:128).

In this verse, Allah promises support to those whobeautify their deeds.

(2:195).This verse, Ihsan is related to Allah, to what we do in all our life.



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³ ³ (29:69).

± In this verse, Allah makes Ihsan as a condition for providing guidance to us and showing us the rightpath, the right way and correct deed which willmake us successful in Dunia ( ) and Akhirah( ).

³ (4:125).

± In this verse, Ihsan is linked with the perfect and

correct religion the most perfect person in thereligion is the one who is Muhsin, meaning he doesthings in very beautiful manner.



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Hadith Jibril on Islam, Iman and Ihsan

On the authority of Omar, who said : One day while we weresitting with the messenger of Allah there appeared before usa man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whosehair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were tobe seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked upand sat down by the prophet. Resting his knees against his

and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said:"OMuhammed, tell me about Islam".

The messenger of Allah said: "Islam is to testify that there is nogod but Allah and Muhammed is the messenger of Allah, to

perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadhan,and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able todo so.³



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He said:"You have spoken rightly", and we were amazedat him asking him and saying that he had spoken rightly.

He said: "Then tell me about iman.

He said:"It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books,His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe indivine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof.³

He said:"You have spoken rightly". He said: " Then tellme about ihsan.³

He said: "It is to worship Allah as though you are seeingHim, and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you".

H id "Th t ll b t th H "



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He said: "Then tell me about the Hour". He said: "The one questioned about it knows no better

than the questioner.³

He said: "Then tell me about its signs.³ He said: "That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress

and that you will see the barefooted, naked, destituteherdsman competing in constructing lofty buildings.³

Then he took himself off and I stayed for a time. Then hesaid: "O Omar, do you know who the questioner was?" Isaid: "Allah and His messenger know best". He said: "He

was Jibril (Gabriel), who came to you to teach you your religion.´ (Muslim)



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Taqwa ) (

Taqwa is perhaps the most important single termin the Qur¶an.

³And make provision for yourself; the best

provision is taqwa". (Quran, 2:197). Taqwa is one of the many words in Islamic

vocabularies whose exact equivalent cannot befound in English. It has been translated as "fear

of Allah", "piety", "righteousness", "dutifulness"and "God-wariness",



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The word taqwa is derived from the Arabic root(waqa), whose verb signifies ³to guard or protectagainst something.

T aqwa has the sense of protecting oneself frommoral peril, preserving one's virtue, and

guarding oneself against the harmful or evilconsequences of one¶s conduct (and thus thedispleasure of the Almighty).

T

aqwa is thus a kind of awareness or consciousness by means of which one protectsoneself from sliding into evil.



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the Qur'an teaches that both the sinful tendencyand taqwa are inspired into the soul of man by

Allah. This is not to say that Allah inspires us tobe sinful.

One who has taqwa has wariness

of associating others with Allah, wariness of sinand evil, and even wariness of that which isdubious.

We learn from the Qur'an that the outwardobservance of ritual is not sufficient for taqwa.



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Taqwa thus seems to have practicalsocial and political implications. It is not a meditativestate which isolates one from the world, but a provision

for finding one's way through the world, which in itssocial and political dimensions requires justice andfairness.

Indeed, the historian, Marshall Hodgson. attributes thesuccess of early Islamic civilization not to favorable

economic conditions or military power. but to the T aqwaof the Muslims

The command issued to the believers "I ttaquallah", is acommand to be vigilant over oneself with awareness of the presence of Allah, a religious form of the admonition"Watch Yourself" directed to one whose misbehavior isimminent.



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Main Characteristics of Islam

Divine nature of Islam

Comprehensiveness

Universality

Moderation/Balance



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Divine nature of Islam

Its origin is from God

It is based on the concept of the unity of God

It was so named by God

It calls people to the unity of lordship ( ) ,unity of worship ( ) , and unity of namesand attributes ( ).



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Comprehensiveness

It covers all aspects of life

It deals with spiritual and material aspects,dunia ( )and akhirah ( ), seen andunseen, social, economic, political, andcultural, aspects of human life



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Islam contains many legislations withregard to personal and social lives as wellas national and international aspects of human life. It covers µIbadah, transaction,relation between man and man, between

man and God, between man and theuniverse

Comprehensiveness in belief system, µibadah system, and moral code.



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Hereafter

Vicegerency

(History/

Culture/

Civilization)

Truth

Prophet Hood

Man

Life

Universe

God

Existence

of Seen & Unseen

Worlds



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Universality

Islam is not meant only for a particular group of people or a particular period of time, but it isaddressed to all mankind, regardless of their social strata, races, colors, languages, cultures,and civilizations.

There is a unity of religion within a diversity of cultures and ways of implementing the teachingof Islam.

Giving things their due measures



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Giving things their due measures

in: Human nature

Human needs

Belief system

Ritual



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Islam is a religion that gives to each aspect of human life its due without any imbalance or

exaggeration. The material, social, spiritual,cultural, and intellectual aspects of human lifeare treated in a balance manner.

Islam never asks people to focus only on thespiritual dimension or on the material dimensionof their life. But it puts each dimension in its rightplace and legislates the necessary instruction tofulfill and meet the need of that particular dimension of human life.



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But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowedon thee, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget thyportion in this world: but do thou good, as Allah hasbeen good to thee, and seek not (occasions for)mischief in the land: for Allah loves not those who do

mischief."



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Michael Hart in The 100, A Ranking of the MostInfluential Persons In History' New York, 1978

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world¶smost influential persons may surprise some readers andmay be questioned by others, but he was the only manin history who was supremely successful on both the

secular and religious level. ...It is probable that therelative influence of Muhammad on Islam has beenlarger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ andSt. Paul on Christianity. ...It is this unparalleledcombination of secular and religious influence which Ifeel entitles Muhammad to be considered the mostinfluential single figure in human history



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The Concept of Tawhid ( )

Literally T awhid means "unification"(making something one) or "assertingoneness³. It comes from the Arabic verb

(wahhada) which itself means to unite,unify or consolidate. However, when theterm T awhid is used in reference to Allah itmeans the realizing and maintaining of

Allah's unity in all of man's actions whichdirectly or indirectly relate to Him.



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It is the belief that Allah is One, withoutpartner in His dominion and His actions(R ububiyyah), One without similitude in

His essence and attributes ( Asmaa waSifaat ), and One without rival in His divinityand in worship (Uluhiyyah/' E badah).

Unity of Lordship



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U nity of Lordship This category is based on the fundamental concept that

Allah alone caused all things to exist when there wasnothing; He sustains and maintains creation without anyneed from it or for it; and He is the sole Lord of theuniverse and its inhabitants.

It is the belief that there is only One God, who is thecreator of everything in the heaven and on the earth.

The belief that this creator is the sustainer ( ),manager of the affairs of the whole universe. He is theonly One who gives life and takes it away. He is All-

knowing. He is merciful and does what He wishes,because He is the creator of everything. Everyone isdependent on Him whether in heaven or earth.



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³Allah created all things and He Is the agenton which all things depend."

al-Zumar 39:62

³

³And Allaah created you all and whatever you do´

al-Saffat 37:96

³ þ þ



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U nity of worship

It is the belief in the unity of Allah's worship. He is theone, who deserves to be worshipped. He is the one whosets the way how we worship Him and we should followHis instruction and Shari µah as He ordered and

instructed us to do.

All forms of worship must be directed only to Allahbecause He alone deserves worship, and it is He alonewho can grant benefit to man as a result of His worship.

Furthermore, there is no need for any form of intercessor or intermediary between man and God.

All h h i d th i t f di ti hi t



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Allah emphasized the importance of directing worship toHim alone by pointing out that this was the main purposeof man's creation and the essence of the messagebrought by all the prophets. Allah says:

I created the jinn and humankind only that theymight worship Me (al-Dhariyiat 51:56)

"Verily, We have sent to every nation a messenger (saying),'Worship Allah and avoid false gods'.³

'Do not worship besides Allah that which can not help or harmyou." al-Anbiya¶, 21:66



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U nity of Names and Attributes

It is the belief that God has attributes and names. Andone should worship Him and do supplication to Himusing His names and attributes. No one has the right totell us about His names, and attributes except Hismessengers who came to teach people the names and

attributes through using the revelation which God sentto them.

We cannot imagine a God and give Him names andattributes such as the way of Arab before Islam made

idols and gave them names and attributes and worshipthem. This is not correct because only Allah can tell usabout this names and attribute.



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Allah must be referred to according to how Hedescribed Himself or how His Prophets havedescribed Him.

þ

³There is nothing like Him and He ishearer and seer of all. ³ (42:11)



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Every Muslim should believe in the unity of Lordship, worship, and names andattributes. And if one denies one of them

or all, he is considered as unbeliever ( ).

Shirk



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Shirk T he study of T awheed cannot be considered complete

without a careful analysis of its opposite, Shirk.

Shirk literally means partnership, sharing or associating,but Islamically it refers to the act of assigning partners to

Allaah in whatever form it may take.

Some modern Muslim scholars interpret the concept of shirk to include all forms (kinds) of worshipping otherswith God, such as worshipping the material aspect of lifeand fearing people more than God and associating

themselves in any act of Satan (Shaitan ).

E er sort of orship of him prestige position



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Every sort of worship of whim, prestige, position,money, or personality is shirk.

Because the sin of Shirk denies the very purposeof man's creation, it is to God the gravest of sins;the unforgivable sin.

"Surely Allah will not forgive the association of partners (Shirk) with Him, but He forgives (sins)less than that of whomever He wishes.³

al-Nisa¶, 4:48

Because the sin of Shirk denies the verypurpose of man's creation, it is to God thegravest of sins; the unforgivable sin



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Shirk in Rububiyyah

This category of Shirk refers to either the belief that others share Allah's Lordship over creationas His equal or near equal, or to the belief thatthere exists no Lord over creation at all.

Most religious systems fall into the first aspect of Shirk in R uboobeeyah while it is thephilosophers who tend to fill the second aspect.



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A) Shirk by Association

Beliefs which fall under this sub-category areones in which a main God or Supreme Being

over creation is recognized, however Hisdominion is shared by other lesser gods, spirits,mortals, heavenly bodies or earthly objects.Such belief systems are commonly referred to

by theologians and philosophers as polytheistic(having more than one God).



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B) Shirk by Negation

This sub-category represents the various philosophiesand ideologies which deny the existence of God either explicitly or implicitly. That is, in some cases God's non-

existence is stated (Atheism), while in other cases Hisexistence is claimed, but the way in which He isconceived actually denies His existence (Pantheism).



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Shirk in al-µIbadah

In this category of Shirk , acts of worshipare directed to other than God and thereward for worship is sought from the

creation instead of the Creator.

As in the case of the previous categories,Shirk in al-µ I badah has two main aspects:



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Al-Shirk al-Akbar (Major Shirk):

This form of Shirk occurs when any act of worship isdirected to other than Allah. It represents the mostobvious form of idolatry which the prophets werespecifically sent by Allah to call the masses of mankindaway from. This concept is supported by Allah's

statement in the Qur'an:"Surely we have sent to every nation a messenger saying, worship Allaah and avoid Taghut (falsegods)"83

T aghut actually means anything which is worshipped

along with Allah or instead of Allah. For example, love isa form of worship which, in its perfection, should only bedirected to Allah. In Islam, the love of God is expressedby total obedience to Him



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Al-Shirk al-Asghar( Minor Shirk):

The Prophet said: " T he thing I fear for you themost is ash-Shirk al-Asghar (minor shirk)." T hecompanions asked " Oh! messenger of Allah,what is minor Shirk?" H e replied " Al-Riya¶(showing off), for verily Allah will say on the Day of R esurrection when people are receiving their rewards, 'Go to those for whom you were

showing off in the material world and see if youcan find any reward from them.

Shirk in al-Asma wa-al-Sifat



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Shirk in al Asma wa al Sifat

Shirk in this category includes both the commonpagan practice of giving Allah the attributes of His creation as well as the act of giving createdbeings Allah's names and attributes

It takes many forms. The most important are: To deny any names or attributes of God, or to

give to God other names and attributes, whichare not authorized by Shari¶ ah.



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When you make similarity between names andattributes of God and those of His creatures,

then you are committing an act of Shirk,because there is no similarity between thecreator and what he created.

when you describe God and attribute to Himsome human qualities like eating, drinking,marriage, having kids, being jealous of other,being injustice, this is considered another form

of Shirk.



A Kafir is a person who having thus received



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A K afir is a person who, having thus receivedGod¶ s benevolence, shows no sign of gratitudein his conduct, or even acts rebelliously againsthis Benefactor. He covers the truth of Islam anddoesn¶ t submit to the will of Allah.

He is the person who knows that Allah is the

creator, but he denies the unity of worship of Allah ( ).

He is the person who acknowledges that God is

the creator, but he rejects to worship Allah andto follow his Shari µah

Th C f S t ll h



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The Concept of Sunnatullah

Sunnah here means ³pathway´; it also stands for consistency and order. So Sunnatullah means³God¶s customary way of acting´

)77( (This was Our) way with the messengers We sent beforeyou: you will find no change in Our ways.

)62( (Such was) the practice (approved) of Allah among those

who lived aforetime: no change wilt thou find in thepractice (approved) of Allah.



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The Qurànic concept of ³Sunnatullahémanates from the same source on whichsystem of the universe is constructed, i.e.

Divine justice. According to the Quràn,the entire universe was created inextremely balanced system and just order.



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Sunnatullah in this sense, means the absolute andeternal rule that God has prescribed for Himself to dealwith His creatures. Through this concept, the Qur`andraws human attention that God inevitably acts in thecreated world in certain ways which are recognizable byclose observation in the natural phenomena as well as inhistorical events. The Qur`an declares; ³T hat is law of God (Sunnatullah), which has taken courseaforetime, you will not find any change for the law of God . Therefore, Sunnatullah prescribes kind of universal and unchangeable rules that govern theuniverse and human history as well.



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This character of Sunnatullah establishestwo main methodological factors, withregard to the Islamic theory of knowledge:

First; physical world is fact; therefore, manshould acquire knowledge throughobservational and empirical methods.



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Second; human history is governed bysystematic patterns and rules recognizableto the human intellect, thus, a sustainable

civilization can be established only withconsideration of these patterns, which canbe discovered upon critical examination of

disintegrated civilizations and knowledgeof reasons that were behind their rise andfall.



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However, Sunnatullah does not describedetails of natural laws, such as law whichprescribes certain medicine to certain

disease, because all that can bediscovered by human intellect. Instead, itprovides principles of science, based on a

holistic vision of the world.

Ki d f S t ll h



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Kinds of Sunnatullah

Sunnatullah is categorized based on twomain domains: nature ( f q ) andhuman ( Anfus ).



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1. Sunnatullah in the natural phenomena,which is termed by the Qur`an as ³ Ayatul

Aafaq´, is also known as Sunan

K awniyyah (universal laws), because itincludes the most general laws thatgovern the cosmic order, such as

creation of everything in pairs (Zawjiyyah)and creation of everything in precisemeasures.



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2. The second type, with consideration to

its subject matter, is Sunnatullah inhuman domain which is introduced bythe Qur`an as ³ Ayatul Anfus , meansGod¶s signs within human self.

This type can be understood in twointegrative senses: Sunnah that governs

human behavior at individual level, andthat which governs human society.



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Standards of this classification, initially,provide relevant ground to hold that,universality of Divine custom does not

necessarily means unity of the order ineither domain, i.e. human and non-human.



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In other words, characteristics of patternsthat govern human history and civilizationare not necessarily similar to laws which

rule the natural phenomena. Morality,which characterized by free choice andresponsibility, is obviously the relevant

criteria for this division.

Characteristics of Sunnatullah



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Characteristics of Sunnatullah

1. Generality

2. Permanence

3. Predictability

4. Exactness

5. Diversity



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] :43[

But no change wilt thou find in Allah's way (of dealing): no turning off wilt thou find in Allah'sway (of dealing).

Manifestations of Sunnatullah in Nature



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God created nature and then assigned toeach heavens its duty and command:

Manifestations of Sunnatullah in Nature

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