Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

212 Pages·2005·0.37 MB·English

" YOU HAVE NOT TRULY BELIEVED,
UNTIL HAVING QUESTIONED ! "
Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED
WHY
REFLECTIONS ON ASPECTS OF FAITH
COMPILED & EDITED BY
Mawlana FEIZEL CHOTHIA
AC K N O WLE D G E M E N TS
' Whoesoever is not grateful to people is not grateful to Allah. '
I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude in appreciation of the enthusiasm, sincerity
and dedication to Islamic re-awakening of the Young Muslim Woman's Forum
without who's support this treatise could not have been accomplished. Special thanks
to its co-ordinator, Sister Razina Laher, as well as to my students Sisters Fatima
Laher, Fatima Mayet and Faaiza Bhamjee. Their love of Faith is most heartening and
inspirational indeed. May Allah, the Exalted, grant them all the best of this world and
the hereafter.
I would be failing in my duty if I did not display my gratitude to my mentors,
Mawlana Hasan Docrat and Mawlana Ebrahim Kadwa, two truly outstanding and
erudite scholars of Islam, who very kindly proof-read the work.
I owe a special debt of gratitude to my wife, Mu'allimah Naeema Chothia, without
whose support, encouragement and patience this work would not have been Possible.
Finally, let me add that if this work stimulates a more assertive and active interest in
Islamic faith and doctrine amongst young Muslims, I will consider the effort to have
been amply rewarded.
Mawlana Feizel Chothia
Mawlana Feizel Chothia has devoted his life to the cause of Islam. Born in
Johannesburg, South Africa in 1970 he was educated at the Madrasah Arabiyah
Islamiyah (Dar Al-Ulum Azaadville) institute of traditional Islamic sciences, one of
the most well known institutions of Islamic learning in South Africa. He studied
under the guidance of the eminent Islamic scholar and Shaykh ul-Hadith (Specialist
in Prophetic Tradition), Mawlana Fazlur Rahman Azmi and has also acquired a post
graduate degree in Islamic Studies under the guidance of the distinguished academ-
ic, Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi.
He has specialist training in Islamic jurisprudence, primarily the Hanafi School of
Law, and his approach is rooted in a traditional, normative stance. He is also affiliat-
ed to the Jamiat ul-UIama' - S.A. (Council of Muslim Theologians - South Africa),
and has worked for their subsidiary branch - Radio Islam as a presenter and host of
Islamic programs.
Mawlana Feizel has traveled widely in the cause of Islam, visiting South East Asia
and Turkey as well as spending a number of years in Australia where he served as
Imam in numerous Mosques and was actively engaged in Islamic propagation, teach-
ing and administration, and developing curricula and materials for Islamic elemen-
tary and afternoon schools (ie. Madaris - primary and secondary Islamic seminaries)
Apart from his formal training and experience, his development as an Islamic schol-
ar within the Western milieu and his intimacy with Western culture and its institu-
tions has served him well in assessing and positively engaging the challenges it poses
to Muslims and the Islamic Faith.
His works on Islam include: ‘The Authenticity and Authority of the Hadith and
Sunnah’and ‘Saudi Arabia and Wahhabism - The Greatest Western Conspiracy’.
He currently lives in Johannesburg where he is associated with a number of innova-
tive projects in the field of Islamic education and literature.
PR E F AC E
All praise is due to Almighty Allah. We praise him and seek his help
and forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from shaytan, the
Accursed, and from the evil of our own selves and wicked deeds.
Whosoever has been guided by Allah, there is none to misguide him.
And whosoever has been misguided by Allah, none can guide him. I
bear witness that there is no god except Allah, alone, without partner
or associate.
And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.
[S]
May Allah, the Exalted, bestow His peace and blessings on Prophet
Muhammad , upon his good and pure family, as well as upon all
[S]
the noble Companions y and upon those who follow them in right-
eousness until the Day of Reckoning.
Verily, the most truthful speech is the Book of Allah, and the best
guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ; while the worst affairs
[S]
are heretical novelties, for every novelty is a blameworthy innova-
tion. Every innovation (in matters of religion) is misguidance and
every misguidance is in the Fire.
The purpose of compiling this book was to present to the English
speaking public an instructive insight into some of the very basic doc-
trines and principles of Islamic belief in such a manner as may be
helpful in removing the doubts and misgivings raised in the sphere of
religious belief in these modern, materialistic times in general, and
against Islam in particular.
The work of Dr. Mustafa Mahmud has been referred to in no small
measure, the contribution of the compiler being negligible indeed. It
is hoped that in its new guise it will continue to be of benefit to all.
C O N TE N TS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PREFACE
SECTION 1 DID ALLAH CREATE ME ?
...IF SO, WHO CREATED ALLAH ?
The Origins of the Universe 2
Who Created the Creator? 3
Consequent Attributes 4
The Mind Comprehends only Particulars 4
Science a Limited Worldview 5
Could Allah not be 'Two'? 6
Nature Declares Allah's Oneness 9
SECTION 2 WHY HAVE I BEEN CREATED ?
'Everything besides Allah is False!' 12
Man's Ignorance Disqualifies him 13
Creation is a Spectacular Expression 13
The Creation of Man 15
Manifestation of Specific Attributes 16
Divine Love 18
Importance of Divine Names & Attributes 18
Man is a Mixture of Opposites 19
Love and Affection 20
Surrender and Submission 20
The Bond between Allah and Man 21
Freedom and Love 22
Worship 23
Love and the Crime of Shirk 27
Why does Allah afflict the Righteous? 29
Adam [A] and Divine Love 31
Conclusion 33
SECTION 3 DID ALLAH PRE-ORDAIN MY DEEDS ?
…IF SO, WHY SHOULD HE JUDGE ME ?
The Meaning of 'Taqdir ' 37
Allah's Foreknowledge of Events 39
Are Choices Truly Open before Me? 40
Relative Freedom is Real 41
Does Human Choice Transcend Divine Will? 42
Is Taqdir a Compelling of Man 43
Does Allah Guide or Misguide? 46
Man is to Intend, while Allah is to Enable 48
Is Human Freedom a Fixed Sum? 51
Is Man a Product of his Environment? 52
Is Allah's Knowledge an Interference? 54
Freedom is Love 55
The Pragmatism of Taqdir 56
Has Allah created people for Hell? 58
Can Allah Take Away our Freedom? 60
If Allah Knows, Why the Test? 61
A Final Word 62
SECTION 4 WHY DID ALLAH CREATE EVIL ?
Allah wants us to be Free 64
Benevolence is the Rule 65
By Evil we Discover Good 66
Absurdity of the Sceptic 67
Good comes from Allah, Evil from Ourselves 67
Calamity and Spiritual Elevation 68
SECTION 5 WHAT ABOUT THOSE
UNREACHED BY THE QUR'AN ?
Every Nation has been sent a Prophet 71
Allah Deprives None of Guidance 72
The Fearful Glance 72
Common Belief, Common Origin 73
Belief and Disbelief 74
Why Does Allah's Mercy Vary? 75
"Nor do We Punish…" 77
Belief in a Supreme God 77
True Religion & Politheism 78
True Religion is Essentially One 80
Tolerance of Other Faiths 81
SECTION 6 COULD MUHAMMAD BE
[S]
THE AUTHOR OF THE QUR'AN ?
Authorship of the Qur'an 84
The Challenge 84
The Possibilities 85
Jewish and Christian Sources 91
Orientalist Claims about Authorship 98
Claims that the Prophet was a Poet 99
[S]
Claims that it resulted from his Imagination 100
Claims that he was an Epileptic 100
The Literary Miracle 102
The Scientific Miracle 117
The Earth 118
The Nature of Matter 121
Mountains 122
Seas and Rivers 123
Deep Seas and Internal Waves 124
Clouds 125
The Nature of the Atmosphere 128
Origin of the Universe 129
The Embryo 130
The Cerebrum 132
The Spiders Web 133
Contradictions and Inconsistencies 134
Freedom or Compulsion ? 135
Questioning or No-Questioning 136
Who Binds Who ? 137
Knowledge of Future Events 138
Talking Ants ? 139
Allah Correcting Himself ? 139
Four More Examples of Baseless Objections 140
Another Alleged Contradiction 143
One More 144
Conclusion 144
SECTION 7 WHY DOES THE DISBELIEVER
GO TO HELL FOREVER?
Man is Profound 147
Finite Sin, Infinite Torment? 148
The Blazing Soul 150
The Nature of Paradise and Hell 150
Punishment is Mercy 152
Conclusion 153
SECTION 8 DO WE REALLY HAVE A SOUL ?
Man has a Dual Nature 155
Which of the Two Natures Constitute Man 157