GHAZALI SAYS REASON NOT SUFFICIENT TO
EXPLORE THE UNVEILED REALITY—UNLESS MYSTICALLY RATIONALIZED.
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INTRODUCTION
Inclination of the soul is always
towards its Real Self and there is always inner yearning to experience the
Supreme Being or the Supreme Soul. Such a longing either in manifest form or in
dormancy consummates most of us because we are indoctrinated in various
religious profiles by parental upbringing and societal influence, since birth
without our knowledge and consent. The
soul as such has no religion, but the mind and body gets anointed with some
faith, belief and reasoning. Humans thus forget their flawless and immaculate
state of being, which gets suppressed by programmed family values that guide
their psyche.
A child born through Hindu
parentage is prone to abide by Hindu scriptures, worship in temples and
rituals; a Christian will follow Biblical testaments and Church; a Muslim will
live by five pillars of Islam, Quran and praying in Mosque and so on. A Sikh
will pay bow before Guru Granth Sahib and worship in a Gurdwara.
Religious labelling gets stamped in
our thinking and behaviour. Likes and dislikes of individuals have bearing on
how their minds have been tutored historic event of the past and their
artificially imbibed belief systems. Many a time nationalism is sermonised and
defined by the line of thought described by the past incarnations of
gods-goddesses or mystic masters in various holy books. Individualistic
veneration is more for the sanctity of the books or idols and for fulfilment of
our wishes of material or mental comforts than for any perceptive inner
experience of the unveiled Reality. We
see the relationships and the world with coloured prism of distorted
transparency. Priestly class and clergies provide self-styled interpretation of
their convenience for extending the borders of each religion. Ancient history
testifies that religious imperialism has been carried out by the successors of
past mystic masters in defiance to the essence of their teachings.
It is also true that mystic masters
of current time and space (call them Gurus, Sufis, Saints etc.) invoke religious
teachings of old scriptures and provide a very introspective implications based
upon their inner revelations to the seekers who are keen for experiencing
Divinity within human body.
At the same time, the world has
always been full of philosophers, thinkers, theologians, scientists who
revealed their wisdom by applying logic to understand cosmological metaphysics
of God, world/creation and man—--which is usually described as ONTOLOGY. Even
though ontological experience is of elevated state of mind which can be
testified by rational reasons of known parameters –it “may” not be
deemed compatible by mystic masters who are or were blessed with inner working
of metaphysical mysteries. Since the domain of unknown at human level is
incomprehensible than what is known, Imam Al-Ghazali, an Islamic mystic of 11th
century differed with many Greek, Christian and Islamic theologians that reason
cannot be the determining factor for explaining origin of God and working of
His creation. His views were-- Unless reason is consistent with inner
revelation, it cannot testify the litmus test of the Truth. Some of his books –“The Revival of
Religious Sciences and “Incoherence of Philosophers” have challenged
the supremacy of narrative of ancient logicians.
WHO WAS GHAZALI?
The present paper deals with the views of Imam Al-Ghazali
known for his Qur’anic jurisprudence, mysticism and also for his reformist work
in Muslim ideology and with some referenceto the ideas of Indian mystics of 16th
Century. Ghazali was a sceptic and critique of the wisdom of Greek and
Christian philosophers. Islamic tradition considers Imam Al-Ghazali
(1058-1111 AD) to be a Mujadid a re-newer of the faith-- who according to the
prophetic Hadith
(saying of the Prophet Mohammad--PBUH), appears once every century to restore the faith of the Ummah ("the Islamic
Community"). His works were so highly acclaimed by his contemporaries
that Al-Ghazali was awarded the honorific title "Proof of Islam" (Hujjat
al-Islam). His exposition is considered key to understanding of the
“Unveiled Reality” with reference to his faith in Quran.
CREATOR, CREATION AND MAN
Since time immemorial, men have
speculated about the Creator, the Creation, Nature and the very complexity of
existence of human beings and other creatures. At human level this riddle
remains unresolved but the mystics from time to time have revealed certain
truths which are either incomprehensible to mind or remain a perpetual
puzzle. At the same time, many philosophers,
theologians and scientist have attempted to decipher reasons and co-relate
millions of ambiguities of relationship of the Creator and His Creation for the
benefit of human mind. Yet there are still countless unknowns to what is deemed
known.
Mystics say that discovery of inner
dimension through self-abnegation and self-annihilation in the human laboratory
is essential for the experiencing Divine cosmological mysteries and what lies
beyond. Others thinkers of mind region believe that reason and logic which can
be proved on the anvil of perceptible reality should be the criteria to
determine the existence of God and His manifestations.
GHAZALI’S VIEW
Ghazali’s treatise “Tahafut al-Falasifa” (Incoherence of the
Philosophers ) had the aim of showing that “reason” is not self-sufficient in
the field of Metaphysics and is unable out of itself to produce a complete
world-view. Neither God is limited by the principle of cause and effect and nor
something is required for next condition to be fulfilled—e.g food is needed to
satisfy hunger or water is needed to quench thirst. God is eternal and self-sustained.
The existence, de-existence and re-existence of the World is willed by Him. Nor
the world is pre-eternal.
Nevertheless the “governing law of the world is cause and effect”
and has dependency of other condition while such conditions are governed by the
will of the Lord. Miracles are programmed into God's
plan for His creation, so to speak, from the very beginning and do not
represent a direct intervention or a suspension of God's lawful actions. Belief
in Miracles is thus human ignorance of the working of the Creator and the
creation.
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No.
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Greek/Christian philosophers’
ideas
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Ghazali’s view— basis Quranic
decrees
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1
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God’s existence is subject to
cause and effect
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For God--- connection between a
cause and its effect is not necessary.
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2
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Existence of God requires another source of
energy.
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God is eternal and self-sustained. Effect can
exist without any particular cause.
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3
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World/creation is subject to cause
and effect.
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World/Creation is subject to cause
and effect; but by will of God, even effect in the world can be without a
cause.
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4
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World/creation is working on the basis of
rational and logical reasoning.
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God’s creation follows prior decision or taqdir
or Hukam or pre-destiny. Unless reasoning is compliant with revealed
transcendental reality, logic will not suffice.
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5
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Events occur in the creation as
natural reaction to action.
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God creates two events (multiple
events) concomitant, side by side that may not be rationally understood.
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6
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God ceases to exist upon dissolution and
dissipation of creation.
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Dissolution of creation is at the will of
God. Divinity is eternal and so is God.
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7.
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If creation is imperfect then God
is also imperfect.
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Perfection or imperfection can be
reasoned out by the One who has attained perfection.
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8
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Fire will burn cotton to black because that
is the function of fire.
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Fire will burn the cotton if so willed by
God.
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9
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Morality and ethics are essential
for human beings.
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Only those moral and ethics which
are supportive of salvation—which is the prime purpose of human life—are
essential for human beings.
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10
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There is a difference between action-inaction
and Divine will.
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There is NO difference between
action-inaction and Divine will.
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11.
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Miracles are direct intervention
of God in the working of the creation.
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Miracles are programmed into God's
plan for His creation, from the very beginning and do not represent a direct
intervention or a suspension of God's lawful actions.
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Al-Ghazali lays out four major
conditions that (1) the connection between a cause and its effect is not
necessary, which is applicable to God. (2) the effect can come to exist without
this particular cause (“they are not incapable of separation”)—implies the
world or God’s Creation, (3) God creates two events (multiple events)
concomitant, side by side, and (4) God's creation follows a prior decision (taqdîr)—also called
Hukam in eastern metaphysics.
Regarding two or more events being
created concomitant {as per (3)} implies that with seed, the production of fruit
is also conceived or a human being journey in life as child, young-man,
student, adult, father/mother and son/daughter etc. start taking place
simultaneously which are predestined as per (taqdir) or the Divine will.
The mystic aspect of Ghazali was supportive of
experience of the Unveiled Reality in the transcendental state of love with the
Divine than what is felt in the limitations of human mind by theologians of
that time. Revealed understanding (or naql) is blessed by the
Reality while intellectual interpolation ( or aql) is an exercise
of higher mind.
WHAT
IS MEANT BY REVELATIONS, REASONING AND FAITH ( WITH SELECT EXTRACTS FROM
WIKIPEDIA AND QUORA)
REVELATION
–In religion and theology, revelation is the
revealing or disclosing of some form
of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or
other supernatural phenomenon. Muslims believe that every prophet received
revelation in their lives, as each prophet was sent by God to guide mankind. All mystics confirm inner revelation blessed to them
directly or intermediation of their Masters/Murshids in transcendental state. Islamic
theology states that God (Allah) revealed his final message to
all of existence through Muhammad via the angel Gabriel. The Qur'an
is word by word and letter by letter is the revelation of the Haq (unveiled
Truth). There is mention of Holy Spirit dawning on Jesus for the grace of the
Truth. Likewise Shamz Tabriz, Rumi, Moinuddin Chishti, Kabir Sahib, Guru Nanak
Dev Ji and other Sufis like Hazrat Sultan Bahu, Baba Bulle Shah and their
successors were blessed by experience of inner unveiled Reality by Kun, Word or
Shabad by the “Word made flesh” or the True Gurus of their times –also called
as Satgurus or Pir-o-Murshid.
REASON— Reason is the
capacity of consciously making sense of things by human beings,
establishing and verifying facts, applying logic and is sometimes
referred to as rationality. A distinction
is often drawn between “logical reasoning” (reason proper), and “intuitive-reasoning”, which, even
if valid could be personal and subjectively opaque.
A cloud can be configured in any
shape by reasoning of mental imagination. Reason
is often said to be "self-correcting" when new sources of
knowledge, science and logic are discovered. A Reason can thus be unreasoned,
re-reasoned and even explored de-novo. From theological perspective, Reason is
thus a “veiled reality” of mind region that has not been verified by “Unveiled
Reality”.
FAITH – Faith
begins where logic or reasoning ends. Faith considers something to be
real--or true--or will be real or true in the future--without any evidence or
reason--and often in the presence of confirmed contradictory information. Faith
that God exists includes firm expectation that your God exists. But the faith
that trusts Ram as God and Allah another distinct reality is deceptive because
faith of God cannot be compressed in a labelled narration. Nevertheless 99% of
our life is determined by faith even if that faith is factual or
counterfactual. We survive on the faith for our existence of present and
future. Absence of faith can be very depressing in performance of daily chores.
Faith is very rewarding when rightly affirmed but highly counterproductive if
applied blindly.
For example--If someone tells a congregation that tomorrow there
will be rain, and an individual buys an umbrella in anticipation-- is an act of
faith. In case there is no rain, then the act of purchase of umbrella is naivety
resulting into loss of faith in the person who predicted rainfall. Faith is not knowledge—but could be a
pathway to knowledge when post- faith evidence is ascertained.
Faith, trust, belief, reasoning are generally
understood as same or different as per the evolution of individual’s
consciousness or intuition.
Can there be precise unadulterated experience of
“reasoning” and firm “faith” that can bless “revelation” of the truth? Not
likely-- except if He so wills with Graciousness. Such an immaculate string of
reasoning, faith and revelation is gifted on the rarest of rare.
PERPLEXING PUZZLES --
Who created God? Is God
eternal? Whether world is pre-eternal or
originated in time by act of God? Is God a Soul? Are there an infinite number
of souls? Why God is considered eternal and self-sustained, while the rest of
the creation is subject to manifestation and dissolution? Does God disappear
when the creation dissipates? If God is perfect, then why imperfection persists
in the world?
ISLAMIC FAITH--
1.
CREATOR- Islamic faith is of eternity, self-sustenance and Omni-presence of
God represented in the Kalma—“La Illah illilah”—as revealed to the Prophet
(PBUH) is of Unveiled Reality. The Kalma is the genesis of One Reality in which
the so called non-reality also exists.
It may also be true that God has assigned duties to numerous regents or
ministers as per His decree or will for functioning of the creation. All such
deities, regents, gods, goddesses are empowered by Him as per His will. A person or a mystic having experienced the
working of these regents may argue or claim for superior understanding –but
that is characteristic of veiled or semi-veiled reality.
Allah or
Haqq (the truth) is the sole power that needs to be acknowledged, accepted and
adored. Any imagination to the contrary or refutation of totality of One Unity
is all “ghair allah” (गैर अल्लाह)— or Nafi (denial of all that is not God) but is also a
projected by the mind—created by God.
2.
CREATION- God and His Creation are always unified, though to the human mind,
which is injected with virus of ego-self or Hoame, there is a perception of
differentia that multiplies different forms, time and space (Guru Nanak Sahib
says—आपीन्ये आप साज्यो आपीन्ये रचिओ नाओ// दुई कुदरत साजीयो कर आसन
डिठओ चायो // He himself created His own self and the He also produced
the power of Nam, with which He fashioned the Nature and with great pleasure He
is relishing His own play.) That the picture is in the mind of the painter,
before it is painted on the canvas-- is an apt metaphor of the Divine and the
world—in which the painted canvas or the world has a limited time span and have
no relationship with painter’s life and understanding. Likewise some mystics
have given the paradigm of Dancer and the Dance being in unified format—wherein
even when the dance ends, Dancer survives. This understanding can come by
direct mystical experience alone.
3. THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE
is to attain salvation of the soul from the cycle of 84 –or the cosmic
creation also called annihilation of self or Mukti or liberation from the
compulsion of re-incarnation in different life forms -- also called
Fnnah-Fi-Allah.
WHAT GREEK AND CHRISTIANS THINKERS REASONED
The contrary contemporary ideas prevalent at the time
of Ghazali were primarily influenced by Greeks logicians ( who believed in that
finality of senses and intellect of
human mind) like Plato, Aristotle and
Christian academicians Augustine and Aquinas. One of such reasoned belief was
that of “ex-nihilo” “–nothing can come out of nothing”. Thus there must be a
creator or producer of God. Who was the creator of God that needs to be
discovered? If the creator of God is unknown, then exactitude of origin of
creation cannot be traced. Were there multiple Gods which existed in tandem?
Such a thought process is bordering irrelevancy any way, though such
speculative ideas do exist in the limitations of mind.
According to Guru Nanak Sahib too, “तिथ वार न जोगी जाने रुत माह न कोई // जा
करता सिरठी को साजे आपे जाने सोई” (Even the evolved souls cannot fathom the
timing of the creation—only the Lord knows, who created this creation.) The second contra-idea
endorsed by others religious philosophies were that if this creation is
temporal therefore God cannot be eternal. Third assumption was that if this
creation is imperfect then the creator cannot be perfect. Fourth there is no
proof of reincarnation and that the life has no connectivity with the past.
LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN MIND
Human
beings are accustomed to mind’ s game of cause and effect while they remain
under amnesia that daily affairs of life cannot be reasoned out rationally or
logically. Many a time reason is an evolution from feelings and beliefs rather
than facts and findings. At elevated states of human mind, the perception
varies widely. We may not be aware of the reason of specific durations of day
and night; or cyclic interchange of seasons – but deeper knowledge reveals that
rotational cycle of earth vs sun and other planets are the causative factors.
But why earth is simultaneously moving around its axis or circling the sun in
24 hrs is hard to decipher. Answer to the question why grass is green may be
due to presence of chemical called “Chlorophyll”, but why there is “Chlorophyll” can have no logical
response.
1.
MYSTERY
OF KARMA
For
example our efforts do not yield “desired” results; why? We cannot precisely
define the rationale for that mystery of “unknown results” though that is justified
by Karmic concept of eastern mystics. For mankind, “As shall you sow, so shall
you reap” has to be understood in terms of unlimited span of time and space;
and also not in the definitive terms as anticipated by the doer. In the context
of human beings a good karma may not fructify in a manner desired or done by
the entity but could shape another destiny. Natural disasters like earthquake
and floods may be good or bad depending upon the class of beneficiaries and
losers.
The soul
is eternal, but it enters the bodies to live and quit and then to re-enter.
This process is called reincarnation. If
there is reincarnation of soul in different bodies, how that is decided? If
Karma is defined as the reason for reincarnation—then who is responsible for
regulation of manner of reincarnations in different species?
2.
OTHER
UNKNOWNS
Our
dreams cannot be reasoned out; reasons of falling in love cannot defined; what
is the basis or reason of birth of beings by the mingling of two drops of
seminal fluid or by any other contrived method; why a seed contains a tree,
fruit and a seed for which soil and essential environments are mandated? There
can be countless analogies of similar nature. Mystically seed, trunk of tree,
branches, leaves, fruit and then seed are all wrapped and unified; but are
exposed differently in domain of time, space and egotism as they seem to exist
physically, grow and perish. Rational belief of any thinker will defy this
understanding that nothing exists except Him.
3.
FEELINGS
AND THOUGHTS CAN BE MISLEADING
Human feelings
can also be sometimes non-conceptualized thoughts of misconceived conclusions.
Some of the analogies are—moisture of air on our skin is not felt. Thus the
presumption that air is dry is misleading. Understanding of hot and cold objects
depends on our body temperature, unless verified through some instrumentation. A
straight line or a long straight road is actually a curve on the circular
curvature of earth. Heavenly bodies of stars, galaxies and planets in the sky
are not random formations, but are objects that are harmonising gravitational
forces and keeping the cosmos in balance. We cannot feel or hear many audio
frequencies and nor can we experience a large part of visual spectrum. We
forget that we are perpetually revolving—sitting, sleeping, walking—due to
rotational nature of the earth. We do not feel that earth’s gravity is the
causative factor of our walking, running etc. Had our feelings or thoughts been
perfect, life would have been free from problems.
4.
IMPONDERABLES GALORE
In 21st century scientist
have practically scanned many aspects of life and nature and are of the view
that they can only “measure” the effect in Nature; the “cause” of the effect or
the reason thereof cannot known or manipulated. Neither the effect can be
altered by human intervention. For illustrative purpose here are-- three
scientific phenomenon—that the speed of light is 300 million metre/sec; that
gravity is proportional to the mass of the object; matter and energy remain
intertwined. Neither the reason for such a pre-determined speed of light can be
inferred nor this speed can be modified, nor can the basis of energy in that
light be altered. Why law of gravity
operates in that manner cannot be questioned? Nor do we know why energy and
matter are in constant state of flux. Then there is quantum physics that matter
and energy can be present simultaneously at more than one place because of
nature of sub-atomic particles. There are many
other imponderables – Why earth, moon, sun and stars are spherical? Why
distance between sun and earth is approx. 150 million km? Why earth rotates at
23 degree to its axis? Can man alter such fundamental facts?
One of
the most famous quotes of Planck, who discovered the energy in Photon or light particle
says--“Science ( read reason and logic) cannot solve
the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we
ourselves are part of the mystery that we are trying to solve. An experiment is
a question which science poses to Nature, and a measurement is the recording of
Nature’s answer. We have no right to
assume that any physical laws exist, or if they have existed up until now, that
they will continue to exist in a similar manner in future”.
For example --The
natural law is that seed will yield seed after the process of formation of
plant, leaves and fruit. Since last thirty years or so, there has been
technological innovation and revolution of production of Genetically Modified
(GM) crops, where in seeds are produced in factories for cropping corn,
soybean, brinjal (eggplants) etc which have identical edible characteristics
but are seedless. New seeds have to be
sourced from the companies who “manufacture” in them in a factory. The physical
law is prone to mutation with time and that too is willed by God. Similarly
medical science and intervention procedures have discovered new remedies for
the diseases which were earlier said to be incurable.
Man is subject to change from day to
day and from age to age. Hence his consciousness is ever in flux. Says Mystic
Mirdad “And hence his word, which is his consciousness expressed, is never
clear and definite of meaning. And hence his understanding is in fog and hence
his life is out of balance. It is confusion thrice confounded”.
Man consists of
three entities—soul, mind and body. At soul’s level, man is boundless,
infinite, eternal, the Truth; at mental level man’s judgement is relative to
time and space and at physical level it is totally bound by the limitations of
temporal body. Pulled by the forces of three dimensions, man is a confused
being in world’s wilderness. He is therefore incapable of express himself with
absolute certainty.
GHAZALI’S VIEWS ON REASON
Had reason or logic or human intelligence be
sufficient to know the Reality, then none of the logicians or scientists would
have encountered any painful circumstances in daily life or none of their
decisions would have gone wrong. It is not that mystics have or had no issues
in their lives spans but the difference being that mystics have never claimed
to state things that are verifiable with instruments of outer dimension. They
speak of inner experience by exploring within the human body and advise others
for similar awareness.
Al-Ghazali argued that “reason” cannot be
premise for questioning the existence of
God as eternal, self-sustained or Omni present because the contrarian view of
God having another source of origin, or His dependency on other socket of
energy are also not demonstrable by reason or logic. According to mystical
experience of inner reality, food is not required to satiate hunger and nor
water is the needed for quenching the thirst. In astral and causal planes the
physicality of matter disappears. Since God is not physical astral and causal,
the conditions of dependency lose their logic and relevance.
Since understanding of mind is not absolute and
varies with time and space and at various levels of consciousness. Human
comprehension of life in 21st century is much different from what
500 years back because of demographic mutations and technological
interventions. It is inconceivable to apply the same diagnostic and medicinal
remedies in current times than what was done even a century ago. Reason is therefore
a hostage of time and space and has a finite applicability. That is what justifies Ghazali’s “rejection
of reason alone” for defining eternity of God.
IS DOMAIN OF REASON TOTALLY VOID IN GHAZALI’S
UNDERSTANDING? No. He stressed that unless reason satisfies
the revealed or blessed truth of inner dimension, logic cannot be the sole
yardstick of conclusive evidence. The revelation should be of the individual who
have been blessed with experience of process of liberation of the soul himself
and carries the Divine mandate for guiding others for salvation. If any reasoned experimentation or
explanation defies what is experienced mystically, then blame rests with the
reason. This also implies that basis of faith should be inner realization of
the highest order and not that of memorization and interpretations of
scriptures or holy books. Scriptures relate to inner experience of the mystics
that defies comprehension by senses and the realm of mental capabilities of an
ordinary individual. Scriptures also teach how life is to be lived for attaining
that supreme awareness. But neither the experience nor the awareness of the
readers can capture that introspective phenomenon of the mystic, at the level
of mind and senses.
In a popular sense, Vedanta means the end of the
Vedas or the end of “vidya” (knowledge) –“anta” means the end. Therefore,
Vedanta literally means the end of knowledge or knowing. What is the end of
knowledge? This is the end of scriptural knowledge and the beginning of transcendental
knowledge, which is beyond the mind and the senses. It is the knowledge of the
Self or Brahman or both, which leads to liberation. In Hinduism, liberation is
the highest goal of human life. The Vedas facilitate it by providing the right
knowledge and methods to achieve it.
In Vedic times, students
used to spend about 25 or more years to study the scriptures and memorize all
the knowledge of the Samhitas, Brahmans and related subjects, which would
prepare them for the life of householders. However, what they learned was lower
knowledge (avidya), which would help them achieve name and fame, but not
liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. For that, having mastered all
the ritual knowledge, they had to go back to study again from a spiritual
master, in a forest or a secluded place, and learn from him the utmost secrets
of the Vedas, whereby their knowing would come to its logical and spiritual
end. Most people did it in the later age, during Vanaprastha, as forest
dwellers, after retiring from the active duties of a householder.
Ghazali also wrote that the purpose of getting
knowledge of the world was to learn and imbibe moral values for the purpose of
salvation or realization of Oneness with Divinity. Should education defile
moral values or induce habits that are impediments on the path of morality, it
is of little use in experiencing Salvation.
WHAT ARE
MORAL VALUES AND SALVATION—
Moral values in mystic terms imply that a balanced life is
lived, with preference for higher realization of the creation and the Creator.
Man should neither neglect his basic worldly obligations nor be a totally
recluse. Should morality be dedicated for material acquisitions alone or
morality moulds mind towards infatuation of physicality, flesh and phenomenal
temporal life-- which are inconsistent with the primary objective of human life
of attaining elevated level of consciousness-- then the course correction to
the ethical matrix has to be applied.
Salvation or Mukti
or liberation from the cycle of 84 is the
highest state of consciousness for attaining Oneness with the Divine by
elimination of duality and negation of ego. So long man remains in karmic
domain of good and bad karmas or three Gunas (Sato, Rajo, Tamo) the cycle of 84
continues. Man must seek “freedom from action” rather than be an aspirant of
“freedom of action”. That is feasible if mind attains an experience that
its existence must cease willingly and merges with the Universal mind—thereby
releasing the soul to ascend to its true abode.
Now puzzling questions can be somewhat answered—
Ø WHO CREATED GOD? IS GOD ETERNAL? –God is self-created and
self-sustained, eternal without the concept of time and space. This is an inner
revelation of the mystics while philosophers and scientist have either
expressed diverse opinions on the subject or are till exploring the subject and
nor they have proved contrary to the transcendental understanding of the
mystics. God is not subject of cause and effect because of its inherent
eternity.
Ø WHAT IS SOUL? God is a “Universal soul” that can
“fractionalise into infinite soul” for projection of the creation without
undergoing any intrinsic change. A part of the infinite is infinite. Says
Gurbani-आतम में राम राम में आतम चीनस गुर बिचारा // Again
this is blessed understanding of inner dimension and cannot be verified at
human level. Soul in its purest form is also not subject of cause and effect because of its inherent eternity
Ø WHETHER WORLD IS ETERNAL OR
ORIGINATED IN TIME BY ACT OF GOD? The world is not pre-eternal but originated in time as temporal
creation as the will of the God. Guru Nanak called that will Hukam,
Christ called as “Thy will be done”. Islam call that “God –willing or “Insha
Allah”. The temporal creation may cease to exist when “He so wills”. Had this world been eternal, it would have
never come to dissolution. Scientifically the creation is conversion or
condensation of God’s energy into matter, where in matter can dissipate itself
and convert itself back to energy. That is why there is constant change going
on physical and meta-physical planes.
Ø THE CREATION IS SUBJECT TO THE LAWS
OF CAUSE AND EFFECT WITH ABSOLUTE PRECISION. Human beings are unaware and oblivious of it. The basis of cause
and effect by God is “The Will of the Lord”—also called Hukam. (For
example-- even a stone when pushed will roll —according to His will. A piece of cloth when lighted will catch fire
because of His will. Both in the case of stone and cloth (the reaction of
rolling or burning)—though logically justified but are sub-servient to Divine
will.) This means that in exceptional circumstances, neither the stone might
not move nor cloth may burn. Similarly the condition of specific or mutual
dependency that is necessitated in this material creation is also subject to the
unlimited will of the Lord. The Lord may waive such a condition if He deems fit
and none can question Him for this exemption.
Ø “Divine Will” vs “Action-Inaction”
Ø
At human
level there could be a simple question--Should Hukam or Raza or Bhana or the
“Divine Will” be considered as the operating principle of life, then what is
the role of action? Then human inaction could be the way out. God will act of
His own Will.
Ø
No!!
says Al-Ghazali. He explains as below--
Ø
For
example when we lift the glass of water to drink, then the causative factor is
the “thirst” that too is created by the will of the Lord. Action of lifting
glass of water is not in non-conformity or non-compliance with Divine will. The
One—Lord-- Who has initiated sensation of thirst has also produced water as a
means of quenching that thirst. Thus there is no divergence in the Will the
Lord and Divine Grace—that enables action. The notion of devotion is that man
is an instrument of compliance with the requirements of the soul as ordained by
the Lord.
Ø
There is
no concept or idea of inaction in understanding the working of Divine will. The
Hukam OR WILL is -- man must act according to best of his physical and mental
capabilities (Vivek) and accept the outcome with gratitude, whether it is
consistent or inconsistent with his wishes or desires. The rational perspective
is that what appears to happen physically and mentally is a veil of His will.
Ø HAD GOD BEEN SUBJECT TO CAUSE AND
EFFECT, then with dissipation or
dissolution of creation, God should also cease to exist. And another God would
have been required which is inconsistent with Kalma. Mystics speak about the
revealed understanding rather than logic of the mind that is grossly limited
and fickle.
Ø PERFECTION AND
IMPERFECTION OF CREATION-- Ghazali
sometimes raised questions and answered them himself. One of the issues that he
raised was whether God is perfect or not. He said that if God was perfect then
this creation should have been perfect. Since this creation is imperfect, God
would be imperfect. Then he questioned his own perfection and imperfection—as
to how can he judge God’s status—when he knew nothing of his own self. Guru Nanak Sahib says—एवड ऊचा होवे
सोये तिस उचे कोई जाने सोये//
To buttress above narration, quotes of other
mystics can be given. Kabir/ Guru Nanak Sahib and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) state the
following of such revelations about God.
Ø
कह कबीर हम धुर के भेदी हुकम हजूरी लाये—कबीर
Ø
जैसे में आवे खसम की बानी तेस्ड़ा करूँ ज्ञान वे लालो—गुरु नानक
Guru Nanak Sahib in Jap Ji declares
सोचे सोच न होवई जे सोची लाख वार –by thinking , he
cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands
times. That is why Baba Bulle Shah says— इल्मों बस करीयोंओ यार इको अल्फ तेरे दरकार//
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE “WILL OF THE LORD” OR “HUKAM”?
In Arabic “Hukam” or “Will
of the Lord means--- the power to govern
to rule, control, dominate; command, decide, judge, pass sentence, rule
arbitrarily etc.). In mystic understanding
words like Haq
(हक)-the Truth , Haqeeqat (हकीकत) Hakeeki (हकीकी), Hu
(हू) Hukam-Nama
(हुकम नामा) , are allegorical or,
derivatives or inter-related to Hukam.
Hukam
(Divine Will) is one of the more common names for the Kun or Word or Nam or
Shabad (एको नाम हुकम है नानक सतगुरु दिया भुजाये जिओ page
72 //)of the Lord’s Creative
power or Command or Law of the Power that be. It has willed the creation and is
the unspoken unwritten resonating Word, which cannot be contained in any
language and cannot be construed within the parameters of any religion or
philosophy.
Mystically, “Kun” also refers to the “Word” of Bible which also
cannot be written in any alphabets. Kun is identical in meaning with
Kalam-e-Allah (Speech of God)--(Voice of God), or “al-Ism al-Azam” (the
Greatest Name). Holy Quran says “When He decrees a matter, He says to it
(Kun Fa-yakunu) ---“Be– And it is”-- The
term appears as part of 117th verse of the 2nd Quranic chapter, Surah Baqara** (Holy Quran 2:117).
“Word”
of Bible, is akin to Kun or Hukam is also represented as light (
नूर ऐ खुदा ). And God said, “Let there be light and there
was light”. Genesis 1:3. The
array of words has little meaning except that they all allude to concept of
Monotheism which is the cause of “many and multiplicity” (माया)
reflected in the Creation.
**Al-Baqarah (Arabic) "The
Heifer" or "The Cow") is the second and longest chapter sūrah of the Quran
It consists of 286 verses (āyāt)
In Guru Nanak’s
“Jap” first and second verse—the following two lines may be understood with
deepest introspection and not merely for superficial interpretation—“हुकम रजाई चलने नानक
लिख्या नाल” and “हुकमी होवन आकार हुक्म न कह्य
जाई”. The primary commandment is to live by the
will of Lord willingly and that all that is manifested is through Hukam or
Divine Ordinance cannot be described in words.
The meta-physical
idea of Hukam or Kun is pointer to the power responsible for the origin,
sustenance and destruction of this creation. Both theological thoughts (Islam
and Gurmat) endorse that the Will or Hukam of the Creator is fundamental
foundation of the creation.
Adi Granth is replete with verses
that state-- Hukam cannot be said or explained; Hukam is
universal for all; Hukam is all pervasive, all powerful, fearless and without
any rivals and therefore without any enemies or foes; Hukam is eternal and the
only Truth; through Hukam all stages and states of creations and their beings
are governed; through Hukam Karmic principle and law of salvation are applied;
blind are those who lack awareness of Hukam and therefore suffer consequences
depending upon their ignorance; Hukam is the only instrument of elimination of
ego; the pinnacle of mystic love, devotion, knowledge and understanding can be
gained by abiding with Hukam. This centrality of Hukam is used as a fundamental
pledge of abiding allegiance to the One Lord for the realization of the Truth.
CONCLUSION—
GHAZALI apportions supremacy to the highest mystical experience, but
attempts to harmonize it with reason of the day and age, which is variable.
Even if scientifically a rationalization is found at a particular point of time
by intelligentsia (aql) but if that may be inconsistent with the (naql)
or realization of inner unveiled reality, then such a rationalization will
still be found wanting in the realm of the Truth. The purpose of human life and
its pursuit should be of attainment of high moral values that assist the soul
for experience of salvation and liberates it from the cycle of 84.
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