(The following is another chapter of the book. It is in the format
of questions asked by Dr. Wilson H. Guertin, from the University of Florida,
answered by the late Sheikh Mohammad Jawad Chirri, the Director of the Islamic
Center of Detroit, from 1949 until he died less than 10 yrs. ago. The first
printing of the book was in 1965).
Wilson: Some religions discourage the questioning attitude in regard to the
soundness of their teachings. They advise their followers to follow their
instructions without examination. They demand faith and prohibit acquaintance
with any other faith because it may lead to doubt. What is the attitude of Islam
towards questioning its teaching and comparing its principles with those of
other faiths?
Chirri: Islam is very liberal in this matter. It may demand from a person to
believe in certain principles but, at the same time, it advises him to try to
base his belief on evidence. It sets him free to raise any question and does not
condemn him when he doubts, if his doubt is followed by an intensive effort to
find the truth. If any other religion advises him to avoid discussing principles
other than its own and makes him fear provoking the anger of God by doing so,
Islam makes one feel secure from God's anger if he pursues his search for the
truth.
As a matter of fact, Islam never advises one to avoid discussion that may lead
to a new knowledge and a new discovery of a truth. Be not afraid, Islam advises,
to discuss any religious principle, whether it is Islamic or non-Islamic. Never
worry or fear God's anger because He is the God of truth, He never condemns a
person for seeking truth. On the contrary, the more one seeks the truth and
conducts intensive research, the more he deserves the Divine reward from the
Islamic point of view.
The most rewarding and meritorious attitude, in the eyes of Islam, is to
approach religious issues with the spirit of a scientist who welcomes any
evidence that may prove or disprove his theory (or a theory to which he may
subscribe).
Wilson: Does Islam have any specific rule or advice concerning religious
research?
Chirri: There are certain rules contained in the Holy Qur'an to be followed in
religious research for the safety of any conclusion that may be reached.
1. Never embrace a doctrine when evidence stands against it, nor should one
follow a principle without evidence. If God wants a person to believe in a
principle, He should make it clear and evident. He is the Most Fair and Just.
He knows that belief is not a voluntary thing; that is, it is not up to the
individual. A person is not able to believe or disbelieve anything he chooses.
The human body is at one's command but not the mind. I can obey a command that
tells me to move my hand up or down, to walk or sit, even if such a command does
not seem to be wise. But I am not able to obey a command, for example, that
tells me to believe that two and two are five, or that three are one, or that
fire is cold, or that snow is hot.
Our human knowledge comes from direct or indirect evidence, and it does not
follow our own whim and will. An acceptable religious belief must be based on
knowledge. When God wants me to know something, He should make such a knowledge
possible by making its evidence available. Should He demand from me to believe
something while evidence is standing against it, He would be asking me to do the
impossible. This contradicts His justice.
Islam never condemns an individual when he does not believe in a principle
because of lack of evidence; on the contrary, Islam blames a person when he
follows a principle while groping in the dark without illuminating evidence, or
when such a principle is not in accordance with the truth.
Following a principle against evidence, or with lack of evidence, is like a
judgement of a court against a defendant without any evidence. Such an attitude
is not to be praised. From the Holy Qur'an: "And follow not that of which thou
hast no knowledge. Surely the hearing and sight and the heart, all of these will
be asked about it." - Holy Qur'an (17:36)
2. Never accept popularity at face value. A religious researcher should not take
the popularity of a religious doctrine in this society as an evidence of its
truth. Many popular ideas have been proved wrong. At one time, it was believed
that the earth is flat and that the sun revolves around the earth. People
believed this for thousands of years, but now we know that neither of these
ideas is true.
Furthermore, what is popular in one society may be unpopular in another. The
opposite is also true. If popularity is a sign of soundness, all those popular
ideas which contradict each other would be true, but truth never contradicts
itself. When the first prophet came to proclaim the concept of one God, his
message was not popular in any society because the people of the world were
either pagans or non-believers. The unpopularity of such a Divine message did
not prevent that message from being true. As a matter of fact, all the prophets
came to their societies with unpopular messages. Their aim was to correct the
popular wrong and replace it with the unpopular truth.
From the Qur'an:
"And if thou obey most of the inhabitants of the earth, they will mislead thee
far from the way of God: They follow naught but an opinion, and they do but
guess." - Holy Qur'an (6:116)
3. Inherited religious principles should be examined. Islam advises every adult
to examine the religion which he inherited. Inherited religion, like any other
religion, is subject to proof. One may rely on the judgement of his parents as
long as he is a child and not capable of making his own decisions. When he
becomes an adult, his religion becomes his own responsibility. Respect and honor
towards parents is one of the Islamic commandments, but that does not mean
accepting their opinions in important matters such as religion when their
opinion is wrong.
As a matter of fact, when parents adhere to a wrong religious principle and
demand from their children to follow them, they should not be obeyed because
such action would be contrary to the will of God; that is, if a person obeys his
parents when they are wrong, he disobeys God. From the Holy Qur'an: "And we have
enjoined on man concerning parents.... saying: 'Give thanks to Me and to thy
parents. To Me is the eventual coming. And if they strive with thee to make thee
associate with Me that of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not, and keep
kindly company with them in this world." - Holy Qur'an (31:14-15)
Islam commands the individual to examine its own teaching as well as any other
teaching. By doing so, one may be able to value Islam more than ever before.
4. Doubters are not excused. When a person is not committed to any religion and
doubts the whole religious concept, he should not be satisfied with his doubt.
It is his duty to protect himself and his vital interests in this world from any
harm and damage. Similarly, he has the same responsibility and duty in
protecting his spiritual interest from being damaged.
His serious inquiry about what may have a bearing on his spiritual life is as
important as his inquiry about what may have a bearing on his physical life. In
order for a person to carry out his responsibility and to fulfil his obligation,
it is necessary for him to inquire, and inquire seriously, about his religious
doubts. There may be many accessible facts in the doubted area; therefore, he
has to try to find them. When he conducts his research and exhausts all his
means and fails to find the truth, he would be excused in the eyes of God. God
asks the individual only to do what is possible for him to do.
From the Qur'an:
"God does not impose on a soul a duty but to the extent of its ability." - Holy
Qur'an (2:286)
5. When you conduct a religious research, let no one make decisions for you. Do
not rely on the judgement of any other person, even if he is sincere and highly
intellectual. There are sincere and intellectual teachers in every faith. If a
person allows them to make religious decisions for him, he will be lost because
these teachers will undoubtedly contradict each other. If he relies on the
judgement of teachers of only one faith, disregarding the teachers of other
faiths, he will be biased.
A sincere and highly intellectual teacher can be wrong, and one is not excused
if he follows the judgement of this teacher. One's religion is his
responsibility and after he makes his extensive inquiry, he is the sole judge to
reach conclusions and form opinions.
From the Qur'an:
"And no bearer will bear other's burden .... " - - Holy Qur'an (35:18), Holy
Qur'an (53:38)
Thus, we can see from these five Qur'anic verses that Islam is not afraid of
being questioned or analyzed. Only those who fear failure forbid free discussion
of their religious principles and avoid examination by researchers.
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