The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Vol. 4, No. 2, 1987 Guiding Light Selections from the Holy Qur'an Comments by Dr. Abdulgamid A . Abi;lSulaymi?n Translation In the name of Allah, the most Benevolent, ever Merciful. 102. 0 ye who believe! Fear God as He should be. . . . sumh 3 208. 0 ye who believe! Enter into Peace [Islam] Whole-heartedly; . . . sumh 2 135. 0 ye who believe! Stand out firmly For justice, as witnesses To God, even as against Yourselves, or your parents, Or your kin, . . . sumh 4 267. 0 ye who believe! Give of the good things Which ye have (honourably) earned, And of the fruits of the earth Which We have produced. . . . S u d 2 vii ... V l l l The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 29. 0 ye who believe! Eat not up your property Among yourselves in vanities; . . . Surah 3 200. 0 ye who believe! Persevere in patience And constancy; vie in such perseverance; Strengthen each other; And fear God; That ye may prosper. Surd 2 Vol. 4, No. 2, 1987 In the above verses, as well as many more related in the Holy Qur’an, we note that in teaching values, principles and goals, the Qur’an addresses Al-Mu’minzm (The Believers). This shows that the Islamic base for directing, re-educating and influenc- ing man, his behavior and his course of action in life is h l n (Belief). It makes h i i n a central issue for study and research by Muslim social scientists. They must find the Islamic meaning of &zijn, how it differs from other beliefs, and how it affects man and the Muslim psychology. They must discover how to enforce this lmiin and how Aq?& in its original sense, is a basic source for teaching courage, strength and progress. They should also determine the factors minimizing the effect of this -miin and diverting its uses and effects for different or negative purposes. This task, Although, very important and serious, is not difficult, nor mysterious. The Islamic imiin is simple, clear, and very comprehensible. The essential concepts of the Islamic imiin are belief in Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute and the Creator of the Universe and believing in the accountability of man in the Hereafter about his deeds in this life. The Qur’an says: 1. Say: He is God, The One and Only; 2. God, the Eternal, Absolute; 3. He begetteth not, Nor is He begotten; 4. And there is none Like unto Him. sumh u2 AbdulHamid 'A. 'AbuSulaymm 11. . . . there is nothing Whatever like unto Him, And He is the One That hears and sees (all things). Sumh 42 24. He is God, the Creator, The Evolver, The Bestower of Forms (Or €olours). To Him belong The Most Beautiful Name: Whatever is in The heavens and on earth, Doth declare His Praises and Glory: And He is the Exalted In Might, the Wise. Sumh 59 35. Were they created of nothing, Or were they themselves The creators? 36. Or did they create The heavens and the earth? Nay, they have No firm belief. Surah 52 164. Behold! In the creation Of the heavens and the earth; In the alternation Of the Night and the Day; In the sailing of the ships Through the Ocean For the profit of mankind; In the rain which God Sends down from the skies, And the life which He gives the To an earth that is dead; In the beasts of all kinds That He scatters Through the earth; In the change of the winds, And the clouds which they Trail like their slaves Between the sky and the earth; (Here) indeed are Signs For a people that are wise. sumh 2 :rewith Guiding Light ix X The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Vol. 4, No. 2, 1987 185. Every soul shall have A taste of death; And only on the Day Of judgment shall you Be paid your full recompenses. Only he who is saved Far from the Fire And admitted to the Garden Will have attained The object (of Life); For the life of this world . . . Sumh 3 87. And the Day that the Trumpet Will be sounded-then will be Smitten with terror those Who are in the heavens, And those who are on earth, Except such as God will please (To exempt): and all shall come To His (Presence) as beings Conscious of their lowliness. Sumh 27 47. We shall set up scales Of justice for the day Of judgment, so that Not a soul will be dealt with Unjustly in the least. And if there be (No more than) the weight Of a mustard seed, We will bring it (To account). Sumh 21 17. That Day will every soul Be requited for what It earned; no injustice Will there be that Day, For God is Swift In taking account. Sumh 40 35. The Day when Man Shall remember (all) That he strove for. . . 36. And Hell Fire shall be Placed in full view For (all) to see, . . . 37. Then, for such as had Transgressed all bounds, . . . A V :Ji" ip AbdulHamid 'A. AbuSulayma Guiding Light xi 38. 39. 40. 41, And had preferred The life of this world. The Abode will be Hell, Fire; And for such as had Entertained the fear Of standing before Their Lord's (tribunal) And had restrained (Their) soul from lower desires, Their Abode will be The Garden. Sumh 79 The Islamic imzin while answering a basic question about the origin of man and his destiny, is also providing the reason for man's existence in this life. Allah in the Qur'an says: 2. 115. 85. 2% 16. He Who created Death And Life, that He May try which of you Is best in deed: And He is the Exalted In Might, Oft-Forgiving; Sumh 67 "Did ye then think That We had created you In jest, and that ye Would not be brought back To Us (for account) Surah 23 We created not in the heavens, The earth, and all between them, But for just ends. And the Hour is surely Coming (when this will be manifest). So overlook (any human faults) With gracious forgiveness. Sumh 15 Not without purpose did We Create heaven and earth And all between! That Were the thought of Unbelievers! But woe to the Unbelievers Because of the Fire (of Hell)! Not for (idle) sport did We Create the heavens and the earth And all that is between! Surah 21 xii The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Vol. 4, No. 2, 1987 The Qur’an points out that good deeds in this life are associated with i m n which represents the meaning and the substances of man’s deeds and actions in this life. It makes man, his life and deeds, a part of Allah’s total design of the universe. It makes him desire to seek the fulfilment of his needs in this life while seeking to work for the higher right and just causes as a Guardian and Trustee (Khalifah) in this world. The nature of man and of Islamic i m n makes it very important and desirable for the Muslim social scientist to study and research the nature of the Islamic i m n , its meaning and function to human life and behavior. Without this i m n , it is not possible for a Muslim social scientist to understand the Muslim’s behavior or be able to in- fluence and reform it. It would appear unlikely that the Muslim population of the world (Ummah) could have continued to exist in the face of the tremendous challenges it faced in the late centuries and the contemporary world. Yet it was this i m n that maintained the Ummah and whatever good qualities it preserved until1 today. This makes the embrace of this iman imperative so that reforms and changes towards better existence of the Ummah are made possible. It should be clear to the Muslim social scientists that the Islamic i m n is not like other illogical, incomprehensible dogmas and religious beliefs which have very little to do with social life and behavior. Allah asks “Were they created of nothing or were they themselves the creators. . .Or did they create the heavens and the earth?. . .” (52:35-36) And “Did ye then think that we had created you in jest and ye would not be brought back to us (for account?)” (23:lB). We hope that the scientific research by Muslim social scientists in this field will open new avenues towards understanding Muslim psychology and behavior and its interactions with the Muslim life in the contemporary world towards a better and more effective Muslim role in the face of the dangers facing humanity, albeit caused by faults and shortcomings of the dominant Western civilization of this age.