Notes on Islam Part 1

Notes on Islam.

by Ahmed Hussain.

FOREWORD

The following Notes were enclosed by the author in his weekly letters to his brother and sons who were students in the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh and Birmingham. I persuaded him to allow me to have them printed, as I thought they were suggestive and useful. He has however desired me to say that they should not be regarded as anything but concise memoranda jotted down (at short intervals between the busy hours of his official life) as general answers to questions put to him. They contain some pa.s.sages which are too concise or abstract, if not vague or enigmatic. But, the author says, he left them designedly so in order to induce his readers to try to understand them or at least to seek explanation and ill.u.s.tration. Numerous foot-notes have been added for the same purpose.

He frankly admits that his view of Islam is neither quite orthodox nor quite heterodox but something midway between the two. It was put forward in order to make his boys think for themselves and argue with him. The first three Notes may be 'skipped' at the first reading.

Sincere acknowledgments are due to Nawab Imad-ul-Mulk Bahadur Bilgrami, C.S.I., Mr. J.C. Molony, I.C.S., Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahim, B.A., B.L., Mr. Syed Ross Masood, M.A., and others who very kindly read the proofs and favoured the author with valuable suggestions.

Banganapalle, } _11th August 1922_. } K.M.H.

THE MUSLIM PRAYER.

_Surai Fatiha_

Praise be to Thee my G.o.d, Lord of the Worlds!

O Merciful, Compa.s.sionate art Thou!

The King of all on Day of Reckoning, Thee only do we wors.h.i.+p and adore, To Thee, most merciful, we cry for help; O guide us ever more on the straight path, The path of those to whom Thou gracious art On whom Thine anger falls not then nor now, The path of them that from Thee go not stray.

Amen.

Grant that the knowledge I get may be the knowledge worth having.--_Thomas a Kempis._

NOTES ON ISLAM

+Note 1.+

_Introduction._

Two of you--Lateef and Altaf--will recollect that more than a year ago you wrote to me saying that you were puzzled by certain questions which a Missionary had put to you. I remember that Amjud or Mahmood even went so far as to ask what was the good of Islam, when countries and people professing that faith had weak governments and were crumbling to pieces under the influence of Christian Powers.[2] I answered your queries only in a general way as your University education had not then advanced far enough. But I think the time has now come when I should try to explain to you what I conceive to be the true spirit of the religion of our fore-fathers.

I firmly believe that Islam is the best[3] religion in the world--I mean, Islam rightly understood and interpreted and _not_ the Muhammadanism[4] of some of our formularist Maulavies,[5] who say that a man goes to h.e.l.l or Heaven according as he wears his trousers lower or higher than his ankles! They have degraded our religion by paying undue attention to formulas and forms to the exclusion and neglect of its living spirit and reality[6]. The poet Hafiz rightly stigmatised their vain controversies when he said that [Persian: Chon nadiden haghighat afsaneh zadend] "since they did not see the fact, they ran after fiction."

I am more than ever convinced of two characteristics of Islam:--

_1st._--It is not inconsistent with _true_ Christianity, or with any other _true_ religion[7] of which the fundamental principle is [Arabic: Tawhid] One G.o.d [Arabic: wa?dahu la arika lahu] "the Peerless One."[8]

_2nd._--It conforms to modern scientific ideas better than any other religion.

I have already explained, in some of my letters[9] to you, why I believe that Islam is but a continuation and consummation of Christianity as taught by Jesus himself in _his own speeches_ which are reported in the Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament. We have nothing to do with the interpretation of his words by his Apostles and others after them. If we take the plain words and the plain meaning of those words reported to have proceeded from his own blessed mouth,[10] we clearly see that they teach the same sublime truths as our Prophet himself inculcated. Jesus did not live long to complete his mission, Muhammad completed it. Both were G.o.d's holy messengers [Arabic: Rusul-u-llah]. Says the Qur'an: "This day I have completed your religion for you." [Arabic: l-yawma ?akmaltu lak.u.m dinak.u.m]

I need not now go into details, or refer to other religions, to shew that the spirit of Islam is not inconsistent with their true spirit, if rightly conceived and interpreted in the light of modern science. I hope I shall be able some day to write down the result of my own thought and investigation in the matter. I content myself at present with drawing your attention to the first characteristic of Islam, and I propose to write a few Notes to draw your special attention to its second characteristic which is the more remarkable--the characteristic that it is quite consistent with modern ideas of science.

No scientific idea influenced the thought of the last century more profoundly than the idea of progress or development embodied in what is called the Law of Evolution. It is now widely accepted. You will be surprised to know that many an Islamic tenet is entirely in accord with it. Indeed Maulana Rumi outlined it poetically in his famous _Masnavi_ in the thirteenth century, in the same manner as Lord Tennyson did in his _Princess_ in the nineteenth. I desire that you should try to understand it in its modern form. I strongly recommend that you should read an admirable book by Edward Clodd called _The Story of Creation_[11]. When I first read it, some years ago, I felt it was as pleasant and interesting as a novel. Its introduction and Part II are quite easy to read. They will give you a very good idea of the great revolution which Darwin and Wallace, Huxley and Spencer have wrought in the thought of our own times.

+Note 2.+

_The First Chapter of the Qur'an._

The following is a translation of the "Opening Chapter" of our Holy Qur'an. I have a.n.a.lysed it by placing Roman and Arabic numerals, the first indicating verses [Arabic: ayyat] and the second indicating sub-divisions of verses.

_Opening Chapter._ +[Arabic: Sura al-fati?a]+

In the Name of G.o.d the [Arabic: bi-smi llahi r-ra?mani r-ra?im]

Compa.s.sionate, the Merciful.

I. Praise be to G.o.d, [Arabic: al-?amdu li-llahi] .I

(1) Lord (Nourisher) [Arabic: rabbi l-?alamin (1)]

of the Worlds,

(2) the Compa.s.sionate, [Arabic: ar-ra?mani r-ra?im (2)]

the Merciful

(3) King of the Day [Arabic: maliki yawmi d-din (3)]

of Reckoning (= day of judgment.)

II. .II

(1) Thee only do we [Arabic: ?iyyaka na?budu (1)]

wors.h.i.+p,

(2) and Thee only do [Arabic: wa-?iyyaka nasta?in (2)]

we ask for aid.

(3) Guide us in the [Arabic: ihdina ?-?ira?a l-mustaqim (3)]

right Path (that is)

III. the Path of those [Arabic: ?ira?a lla?ina] .III