Why Religion?

Why Religion?

Man is furnished with the worshiping tendency by nature. It is inherent in the nature of man to bow his head before someone as a mark of respect, in fear or wonder, in gratitude, in love or in prayer. In every age and every clime, he has been found lying in prostration, performing religious customs, and making circumambulations round his presumed deity or deities.

 

In ancient societies, man worshipped the stone, the tree, the river, the fire, the sun, the stars, the cloud, the thunderbolt. Among animals he worshipped the snake, the ram, the bull, the cow, and even man (husband), the woman, the tribal chief, the ancestors and the king. In short worship is found firmly placed in the nature of man from the very inception of his life, though occasionally we see that this instinct had erroneously driven into the wrong channel.

 

This self-willed approach of man to spiritual satisfaction was contrary to the wishes and command of the Creator. He repeatedly warned mankind not to worship any temporary and short-lived object as their deity. He said:

“Surely I –only I –am Allah; there is no god save Me, so worship Me and keep up the prayers for My remembrance”.

(Chapter 20, verse 14)

And He further said:

“….So if guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor become miserable”. (Chapter 20, verse 123)

Very soon man did become aware of his fault of worshipping others than Allah. He began to follow guidance (Apostles and Scriptures) sent by Allah and enjoyed real spiritual satisfaction of life. But those who did not follow the guidance went astray and invented new theories about the creation of the universe and mankind, defying the entity of Almighty Allah altogether.

 

These unsatisfied, astrayed of Allah, offered the theory of historical and logical disputed materialism declaring that this world, was not created by any Being. It came into being by itself. Man appeared on earth by chance or accident. He is the product of the blind forces of Nature. Nobody planned his birth or death and the world is subject to automatic forces of nature. It will automatically meet its end just as it sprang up into existence without the aid of any creator.

 

In the light of this theory the universe is just a side by side collection of jumbled objects. It is purposeless: It has no relation between them or orderly arrangement in it. Things are lying scattered disarranged all around. There is chaos instead of an ordered whole every where. No body planned its birth and end and man was the product of Nature. Only chance made them all.

 

This theory, of chance or accident, has long been discarded by man. It has lost its force after examining it critically. It cannot answer such questions so who created Nature and who brings about accidents to happen. Further if we place the English alphabets before a child to play with, will he be able to produce by chance a Shakespearian Drama out of those alphabets? Certainly not.

 

How then such a beautiful universe and the laws operating therein could come into existence by chance? How such heavenly bodies, like the sun, the moon, the stars, and the phenomena of the rising sun and its setting, the day, the night, the different variety of flowers, towering trees and grassy plains on earth et cetera, appear in regular order? How is it that the planets revolving in the sky do not collide with each other in confusion, if there is no planned relationship prevailing in between them?

 

This concept recalls to our memory an incident occurred in the Court of Abbasid Caliph, Haroon Rashid at Baghdad in the 8th of the Christian Era.

 

An atheist (that is, a materialist) appeared before the Caliph and threw a challenge if any of the Muslim philoso-phers could disprove his contention that there was no Creator or Maker of the Universe.

Imam Abu Haneefah, (رحمۃ اللہ علیہ) a Muslim Scholar, was contemporary of Haroon Rashid. The Imam was requested to come to the Court and meet the atheist. He accepted the challenge and sent words to the Caliph that he (the Imam) would appear after the Zohr (shortly after mid-day) prayers. But the Imam did not turn up at the appointed time. The atheist as well as the Caliph and his courtiers had become impatient. After the lapse of considerable time, however, the Imam did appear. He apologized first for his late coming and stated that the circumstances which happened him to come on time were beyond his control. He then began to explain reasons for the delay.

 

The Imam said that he lived at the other side of the River Dajlah (Tigris). When he came to the bank of the river to cross it, he found that there was no boat available.  The construction of the boat, such as the planks, the beams, the oars, the mast, the canvas, the nails etcetera, however, was lying scattered there. He was surprised to see that all of a sudden the material began to move. It began to assemble and fix at appropriate places without the aid of any carpenter or maker. And it turned into a boat, ready for use. It came near him (the Imam). He boarded it and crossed the river without the help of any boatman either. Hence the delay.

The atheist laughed at the absurd story narrated by Imam Abu Haneefah, (رحمۃ اللہ علیہ)  and urged earnestly how could a boat has been constructed without the agency of a builder and that he (the atheist) doubted the sound mindedness of the Muslim Philosopher. The Imam repulsed his remarks and said that if a small boat could not be made without a maker how this expansive and splendid universe and the laws prevailing therein could come into formation without Maker or the Creator. Hearing that the atheist was stunned and he ran away. Qur’an Majeed says:

 

“Allah has created the heavens and the earth with the Truth. Surely, there is a sign in this for the believers”. (Chapter 29, verse 44)

 

Moreover, there is a definite purpose in view of Allah, the Creator of the Universe, by creating it. Holy Qur’an informed:

 

“Did you then think that We had created you in vain, and that you would not be returned to Us?

  (Chapter 23, Verse 115)

 

No more mystery covers around the creation. It was created by the One Who is its Creator. The purpose, why did He create the world including Man, has also come to light – that Man should follow His guidance or else he would be answerable. Thus man will have to account for his actions which ran counter to His guidance.

History of Religions bear testimony that ever since the Fall of Man on earth Almighty Allah has been sending His guidance through His chosen Apostles (علیہم السلام)  and Holy Scriptures. He sent Hazrat Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ismail, Ishaaq, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Jesus (علیہم السلام) and others. Last of all He sent the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)۔

Thus there is a natural instinct in mankind for religion in spite of man’s short-lived defying outbursts against it. Such deviating somersaults like theories of materialism etcetera cannot in any way hinder the natural flow of his religious instinct.

In short religion is a way of life. It gives consciousness and purpose to man’s existence. It is an expression of gratitude to his Creator in recognition of life, consciousness and noble faculties given to him, thereby placing him above all His creatures. Man cannot do away with it.

Religion has raised man from object, herbivores and cave-dwelling primitive life to ultra-modern existence of the present age. Mankind has passed through different stages of civilization. Every time human civilization was pushed ahead under the revealed guidance of the Prophets (علیہم السلام) and Holy Scriptures.

This heavenly guidance virtually gave humanity the support to walk in its infancy and wings to fly on its maturity. Its adolescent character required correspondingly a perfect code of life which came, at last, in the form of Islam.

Holy Qur’an enlightens:-

 

“... Today I have perfected your religion for you; completed My favours upon you and chosen Al-Islam as a religion for you...” (Chapter 5, Verse 3)

 

“And whoever desires a way of life other than Islam, (should know) that it shall never be accepted from him, and he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter”. (Chapter 3, Verse 85)

 

It should also be borne in mind that Islam is the Last Religion on earth and Hazrat Muhammad (ﷺ) is the Last of the Prophets. There will neither be any religion nor any other Prophet till Doomsday. Holy Qur’an mentions:

“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men. But he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of (the finality of the line of) the Prophets. And Allah knows all things very well”. (Chapter 33, Verse 40)

 

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) says:

“I am the last of the Prophets; there is no prophet after me”. (Tirmizi and Abu Daud)

 

Therefore, it is indeed a blessing to be within the fold of Islam.