AL TAWHiD: • Its Implications for Thought and Life Isma'il Raji al Faruqi International Institute of Islamic Thought Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A. In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Universe, and Peace and Prayers be upon His Final Prophet and Messenger. ¢i~~~ir::~-o~~;,4~;:~1J, ~i~¢fa\~tSJ1¢;r5'11 ~~;t;i ¢FJ~ Read in the name of your Sustainer, Who has· Created man out of a germ cell. Read-for your Sustainer is the Most bountiful One. Who has taught (inan) the use of the pen. 'Taught Man ~hat he did qot know. · ' (Qur'an 96:1-5) And Allah has brought you forth from your mother's womb know ing nothing-but He has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and minds, so that you might have cause to be grateful. (Qur'an 16:78) - AL TAWifID: Its Implications for Thought and Life First Edition (1402/1982) Second Edition (1412/1992) ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author acknowledges with deep gratitude the assistance and en couragement extended to him by the International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations, and the tireless effort of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) toward production of this book. Equally, the author acknowledges his enormous debt to Br. Wa'il Shawkat al Khayri for his constant prodding to think through the rele vant issues and for his inspiring criticism of the ideas here presented. The author's obligation to his wife, Dr. Lois Lamya', his niece Maysam Jawad, and his daughter Tayma' in the preparation of the manuscript can hardly be expressed in words. May Allah (SWT) reward them all. iv ;u._,;..,. J_,.J-1 ~ © ,/>L. 'ii ;:_.u J.WI -¼---..lJ - ' - 9-;//':}\ ,..l,,,.:;).\ ..:..,1.,' i _,)I - 1.,.:,,,-} - 0..w .J" © 1412/1992 by The International Institute of Islamic Thought 555 Grove Street Herndon, Virginia 22070-4705 U.S.A. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Al Fariiqi, lsrna'il R., (1339-1406 AH/1921-1986 AC) Al Taw!Jid: its implications for thought and life/lsma'il Raji al Fariiqi. p. cm. - (Issues in Islamic Thought: 4) Originally published in 1982. ISBN 0-912463-79-1 (HC). - ISBN 0-912463-80-5 (PB) 1. Islam. I. Interntional Institute of Islamic Thought. II. Title. III. Series. BPl61.2.A477 1992 2Cfl' 211-dc20 91-47175 CIP Printed in the United States of America by International Graphics 4411 41st Street Brentwood, Maryland 20722 U.S.A. Tel. (301) 779-7774 Fax (301) 779-0570 vi CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT ........................................ iv INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION .................. xi PREFACE .............................. .-................... xiii CHAPTER I THE ESSENCE OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE .................. 1 I. AL TAWf[]D AS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE ............... , . 1 II. AL TAWf[]D AS WORLDVIEW ....... , ................... 9 CHAPTER II THE QUINTESSENCE OF ISLAM ........................... .. 17 I. THE IMPORTANCE OF AL TAWf[]D ............ '- ........ 17 II. DIVINE TRANSCENDENCE IN JUDAISM AND . CHRISTIANITY ....................................... 20 III. DIVINE TRANSCENDENCE IN ISLAM ................... 23 IV. ISLAM'S SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION 10 WORLD CULTURE .................................... 29 CHAPTER III THE PRINCIPLE OF IDSTORY ........... , ................... 33 THE. PRINCIPLE OF.KNOWLEDGE ......................... . 39 I. NEITHER SKEPTICISM NOR THE "FAITH" OF CHRISTIANS ...................................... 39 II. lMAN:. A GNOSEOLOGICAL CATEGORY ......... : ..... .42 III. UNITY OF GOD AND UNITY OF TRUTH ............... 43 IV. IDLERANCE .......................... , ........ : .... .46 CHAPfERV THE PRINCIPLE OF METAPHYSICS ........................ . 49 I. THE ORDERLY UNIVERSE ............................ 50 II. THE TELEOLOGICAL UNIVERSE ...................... 55 CHAPfER VI THE PRINCIPLE OF ETHICS ................................ 61 I. THE HUMANISM OF ISLAM .......................... 62 II. PURPOSE OF MAN'S CREATION ....................... 65 III. MAN'S INNOCENCE .................................. 67 IV. IMAGO DEi .......................................... 70 V. ACTIONALISM ....................................... 74 VI. UMMATISM .......................................... 76 VII. UNIVERSALISM ...................................... 78 VIII. LIFE AND WORLD-AFFIRMATION ..................... 82 CHAPTER VII THE PRINCIPLE OF SOCIAL ORDER ........................ 85 I. UNIQUENESS OF ISLAM .............................. 85 II. AL TAWf[ID AND SOCIETISM .......................... 91 III. THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS ........................ 93 IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS ........................... 95 CHAPfER VIII THE PRINCIPLE OF THE UMMAH ......................... . 103 I. TERMINOLOGY ..................................... 103 II. NATURE OF THE UMMAH ........................... 105 III. THE UMMAH'S INTERNAL DYNAMICS ................ 112 CHAPfER IX THE PRINCIPLE OF THE FAMILY .......................... 129 I. DECLINE OF THE FAMILY INSTITUTION IN THE WORLD ..................................... 129 viii II. THE FAMILY AS CONSTITUTIVE UNIT OF SOCIETY ........................................ 130 III. CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS ........................ 133 CHAPTERX THE PRINCIPLE OF POLITICAL ORDER ................... . 141 I. AL "E4Wf[lD AND AL KHIIAFAH ....................... 142 II. AL "E4Wf{[D AND POLITICAL POWER .................. 153 CHAPTER XI THE PRINCIPLE OF THE ECONOMIC ORDER ............... 157 I. JOINT ESSENTIAL PRIORITY OF THE MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL .......................... 158 II. UNIVERSALISM OF THE ISLAMIC ECONOMIC ORDER ............................................. 170 III. ETHICS OF PRODUCTION ............................ 173 IV. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF PRODUCTION .............. 176 V. ETHICS OF CONSUMPTION .......................... 180 CHAPTERXIl THE PRINCIPLE OF WORLD ORDER ...................... . 185 I. THE UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD .................... 185 CHAPTER XIlI THE PRINCIPLE OF FSTHETICS ........................... . 195 I. MUSLIM AITTISTIC UNITY AND ITS CHALLENGERS ..................................... 195 II. TRANSCENDENCE IN ESTHETICS .................... 199 REFERENCES .............................................. 217 INDEX .................................................... 223 GLOSSARY OF TERMS OF FOREIGN ORIGIN .............. . 231