وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا (٩١: ٧-١٠)

And the soul bears witness and the perfection given to it. Then [God] inspired it with its evil and its good that he succeeded who purified it and he failed who corrupted it. (91:7-10)

What is the means through which a person can know what good and evil is? This is the most fundamental question of moral philosophy. In the above quoted verses, the Quran has made it clear that just as the Almighty has blessed a person with eyes to see and ears to hear, similarly, he has blessed him with a faculty which distinguishes good and evil for him. A person is not mere body and intellect. He is also a moral being. This means that the ability to distinguish good from evil and the appreciation that good is good and evil is evil are innately ordained in him. In some other verses of the Quran, this aspect is referred to by the words: إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ (٧٦: ٣) (We inspired in him the way of good and evil, (76:3)) and(90: 10) وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ (Have We not shown him both paths? (90:10)). This appreciation of good from evil is a universal reality. Thus when the most evil of persons does something wrong, he tries to hide it in the first phase. When Adam’s son, Cain, tried to hide the body of his brother, Abel, after killing him, it was because he knew that he had committed a sin. Same is the case with good. A person loves what is good and respects and reveres it. When he establishes a society, he always sets up a system of justice in it. This is ample testimony of his innate ability to distinguish between good and evil. No doubt, at times, a person may justify a sin he commits, however, at the very time he invents excuses for this justification, he very well knows that he is inventing these excuses against his nature. The reason for this is that if someone else commits the same sin against him, he regards it to be an evil without any hesitation, and vehemently protests against that person. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: “Virtue is professing high morals and sin is that which pricks your heart and you would not like others to come to know of it.”6 It is this part of a person that the Qur’an has termed as nafs-i lawwamah (the reproaching soul)[7] and has unequivocally stated:

بَلْ الْإِنسَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ (٧٥: ١٤-١٥)

In fact, man himself is a witness upon his own self however much he may put up excuses. (75:14-15)

However, in the interpretation of this innate ability to distinguish between good and evil, there could have been differences because of different circumstances and periods of time and because of a variation in perception between people themselves. It is a great blessing of the Almighty that He has not even left any possibility for such differences and wherever there could have been a likelihood of any major difference, He delineated good and evil through His messengers. The guidance provided by these messengers is now eternally enshrined in the Quran. This guidance testifies to whatever a person finds within himself. Furthermore, man’s intuitive knowledge, in fact even his empirical knowledge, knowledge derived from natural and physical laws as well knowledge derived from intellect all bear witness to it. Consequently, good and bad morals, as a result of this, can be fully ascertained.

In some narratives this aspect has been explained through a parable: A straight path leads to the destination a person wants to reach. At both its sides are high walls. Both have doors in them on which curtains are hung. At the end of the path, there is a caller calling out to enter and to walk straight. In spite of this if a person wants to lift the curtains of the doors in the right and left walls, a caller from the top says: “Beware! Do not lift the curtains. If you lift them you will go inside.” It was explained: This path is Islam, the walls are the limits prescribed by God, and doors are His prohibitions. The caller from the top is the counselor of God which is found in the heart of every human being, and the caller at the end of the path is the Qur’an:[8]

إِنَّ هَـذَا الْقُرْآنَ يِهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا (٩:١٧)

Indeed this Qur’an gives guidance to the path which is the most upright and gives glad tidings of a great reward to those among its believers who do good deeds. (17:9)

The second question is: What is the real motive which impels a person to purify his morals? The answer which the Qur’an has given to this question in the verses (91:7-10) quoted earlier is that this motive is a person’s perception which, on the basis of this very innate cognizance of good and evil, says that the results of good and evil cannot be the same. He feels that the very existence of the perception of good being good and evil being evil entails that the result of good should be good and that of evil should be evil. It becomes evident from this that a person will not be left unaccountable for his deeds; he will definitely be rewarded or punished as a result of his deeds. The Qur’an has referred to this fate as success and failure respectively. As a result of this the feelings of fear and hope arise in a person and become a source and motivation for him to cleanse his morals even though his natural instincts oppose this. Then when a person professes faith, this feeling relates to the Almighty. It is now that the Qur’an requires of him that the real motive of adhering to good morals and refraining from evil morals should only be the love of God, His pleasure and the fear of His displeasure – the God who knows the unseen, Who knows the secrets and is fully aware of every movement that goes on in this world as well as the slightest of change that takes place in the minds and hearts. The Qur’an has stated this aspect at many places. At one instance after emphasizing the fulfillment of obligations, it says:

فَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ (٣٨:٣٠)

So give their due to the next of kin, to the destitute, and to the traveler. That is best for those who want to please God; and it is these who shall surely prosper. (30:38)

The best examples of these morals are the prophets of God. About the Prophet Muhammad (sws), the Qur’an says:

الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَى(٩٢: ١٨ -٢٠)

Who spends his wealth to purify his soul, and does not confer favours on anyone for recompense but only to seek the countenance of his Lord, Most High. (92:18-20)

It is generally accepted that the foundation of good deeds is good intention. The Prophet (sws) has also referred to this fact in these subtle words: إنَّما الأَعْمَال باالنِّياَت (The deeds of a person are based on his intentions)[9]. This motive cleanses a person’s intentions completely. Thus none of his deeds after this is for show and pretence, and if it is then he soon or late tries to cleanse it of such filth.

The most effective explanation of this directive of the Qur’an is reported by Abu Hurayrah. He narrates from the Prophet (sws) that on the Day of Reckoning the foremost among people whose fate shall be decided would be scholars of the Qur’an or those who had been killed in jihad or those who have been blessed with wealth by the Almighty. They shall be brought over and the Almighty will remind them of His favours. They will acknowledge these favours. The Almighty will then inquire from them: “What did you do in benefiting from them?” The scholar will reply: “I was educated and then I educated others and recited the Qur’an before other people to call them towards You.” The soldier will say: “I fought in Your way and was killed.” The rich person will say: “I spent on every occasion on which you are pleased on spending.” The Almighty will say: “All of this was done by you so that people should call you a scholar, a brave person and a generous person [respectively]; so you have been called so in the world.” It shall thus be ordered and they shall be dragged facewards into Hell.[10]

The third question which relates to moral philosophy is: What is the objective of this effort? People have given different answers to this question. One group of people thinks that it is happiness. Another group is of the opinion that it is perfection. A third regards it to be an obligation for the sake of it. The above quoted verses (91:7-10) clearly say that this objective is purification as a result of which man shall be bestowed with God’s eternal kingdom. A little deliberation shows that this answer of the Qur’an automatically encompasses all the viewpoints of moral scholars just referred to. This is because it is through purification of faith and deeds that a person achieves perfection; true happiness is also achieved through this and if ever an obligation is discharged without any greed, then it is through this. It is this state of the soul which the Qur’an calls the “satisfied soul” and gives it glad tidings of being the recipient of the pleasure of God and vice versa:

يَاأَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي وادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي(٨٩ :٢٧-٣٠)

O you whose heart remained content [with his Lord in times of comfort and distress] return unto your Lord, such that He is pleased with you and you are pleased with Him. [Return] and enter among My servants and enter My Paradise. (89:27-30)

Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

These words are a tribute from God. It shall be addressed to people who shall be congratulated for achieving great success in the sphere they had been tested by their Lord. They should return to their Lord with the achievement that they have proven in good and bad circumstances that they were content with the will of their Lord and at the same time they have been granted the coveted status of being the favoured ones of the Lord. Just as they have never complained to Him at any stage, in the same manner their Lord has not found them below His standards at any stage. They are pleased with Him and He is pleased with them.[11]

(Excerpt from Ghamidi’s Mizan)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)

___________________________

7. 75:2.

8. Tirmadhi, No: 2859; Ahmad, No: 17671.

9. Bukhari, No: 1; Muslim, No: 1907.

10. Muslim, No: 1905.

11. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, 3rd ed., vol. 9 (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1985), 362.

Response to 23 Questions – Part 14 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi

Fitrah Episode 2

https://youtu.be/7iBlqTcMTcE

Q. Is the “fitrah” just the name of an ability which considers truth and falsehood and moral and immoral as different opportunities/possibilities or does this “fitrah” also help humans to choose the right one among these? From 0:12 to 6:20

Q. A problem may arise when the internal disposition of a person says contrary to what the people believe through their observation and inductive reasoning. What source of knowledge then will be decisive in determining which one is based on “fitrah”? From 6:20 to 9:52

Q. If a subject/science is constantly evolving and changes are taking place in it every day, then how can it become a point of reference for different people? From 9:53 to 13:46

Q. There have been many nations and civilizations in the past who considered obscenity, nudity and homosexuality as their natural inclinations. If someone goes back into that time and applies the method of induction to such a nation, then wouldn’t it seem that all these things are ingrained in human nature? How is knowledge produced and how can deviations be challenged? From 13:46 to 21:05

Q. As a result of all the advancement of knowledge throughout history, what has been determined as “fitrah”? From 21:05 to 24:05

Q. What is intuitive knowledge (iztarari ilm) which is ingrained in humans? From 24:05 to 26:13

Q. Ghamidi sahab says that the guidance of “fitrah” has been ordained in humans since their creation but we know that Allah Almighty directly talked and gave guidance to the first human, Adam sws. It seems then that the fundamentals of knowledge and religious guidance did not arise from “fitrah”, they were given through God’s direct revelation and scriptures. If “fitrah” was already there, as Ghamidi sahab claims, then what was the need of prophethood? From 26:14 to 38:38

Q. It can be argued that the consciousness of God in Adam did not arise from “fitrah”, it rose from direct contact with God i.e., it wasn’t his inference; rather it was a practical experience. What is Ghamidi sahab’s response to this? From 38:39 to 39:52

Q. When Allah Almighty sent Adam and Eve to live in a garden, they committed a mistake despite the fact that there was no external influence or knowledge. At that instance, Allah Almighty didn’t say that you violated your “fitrah”, instead, He says that I had forbidden you from doing that. So, isn’t it the word of Almighty which became a ruling for Adam and Eve instead of some guidance in “fitrah”? From 39:52 to 47:20

Response to 23 Questions – Part 15 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi

Fitrah Episode 3

https://youtu.be/4uyUW6UERLs

Q. Why was there a need to send revelation and prophets if guidance was already ingrained in “fitrah”? Why can’t we argue that the consciousness of “fitrah” is just an ability to understand two categories differently instead of a criterion for guidance? Case Study of Adam sws From 0:12 to 12:51

Q. Are there any clear statements in the Quran which tell us that guidance is ingrained within “fitrah”? Analysis of Surah Ar-Rum, Verse 30 From 12:52 to 24:59

Q. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah writes that people being born with “fitrah” doesn’t mean that man is actually born on the creed of Islam because the Quran also says that Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mother while you knew nothing. What does he mean? How can we reconcile between the two verses wherein Allah, on the one hand, says that you knew nothing when you were born while, on the other hand, He says that I created you with “fitrah” which you must follow because it is the correct religion? From 25:00 to 35:15

Q. Is it really no difference between “Salaf” and Ghamidi sahab on the issue of “fitrah”? From 35:15 to 37:05

Q. Where does the Quran elaborate the details and principles of the guidance placed in “fitrah”? How does this answer to the question that on what basis God will judge those people who lived in places where the message of Prophets couldn’t reach? Analysis of Surah Al-Araaf, Verses 172-174 From 37:05 to 58:55

Response to 23 Questions – Part 16 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi

Fitrah Episode 4

https://youtu.be/wL20Q6nVxFA

Q. Are there any other places in the Quran, besides the two mentioned in the previous episode, where the topic of “fitrah” has been discussed? Is “fitrah” just an ability or is it the whole religion? What is the relation between “fitrah” and divine revelation? From 0:12 to 18:28

Q. Is there any Hadith in which the Prophet (pbuh) describes “fitrah” in the same way? Musnad Ahmad, Number 17634 From 18:29 to 24:36

Q. Summary of Ghamidi sahab’s point of view regarding “fitrah” From 24:36 to 28:03

Q. Is there any criticism on Ghamidi sahab’s understanding of the Quranic verses regarding “fitrah”? From 28:04 to 33:22

Q. The first objection raised on Ghamidi sahab’s opinion is that the Quran does not declare accountability on the basis of “fitrah” alone. Instead, at many places, it clearly states that people will be held accountable on the basis of their response to the message of Prophets. Has Ghamidi sahab ignored those verses from the Quran? From 33:23 to 49:02

(Part-5)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OMoSE-Xef4&t=2708s

(Part-6)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXw7CyGJ6go

(Part-7)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ptzQCXCaI0