The Village Preacher

thus the term dhawq24. Dhawq illustrates the quenching of
one’s thirst with the remembrance of God the Almighty.

The closeness and remembrance of God allows the Ṣūfīs
to receive spiritual knowledge from Him. The Ṣūfīs engage in
constant divine services, and this spiritual knowledge is
revealed in the form of inspiration:

If anything is disclosed to anybody by Ilham [sic.] or
inspiration from unknown source, he is termed Sufi [sic.]
or an ascetic with knowledge of God by the help of
correct means. Owing to constant engagement in divine
service, spiritual knowledge is disclosed in the soul by
way of Ilham [sic.] or inspiration or Kashf.25

The spiritual knowledge according to al-Ghazā lī descends upon
the people whose soul is purified. As al-Ghazā lī writes, physical
cleanliness is necessary to perform the daily physical worship;
hence, the heart must also be clean to receive the divine

24 Watt, trans., Deliverance From Error, 18. Dhawq literally means tasting. In
Al-Qushayri’s Epistle of Ṣūfīsm (p. 95), he translated dhawq as tasting and
ṣūfīs use the term in describing the fruits of God’s manifestation, the result
of God self-unveiling and God’s unexpected visitation, which they
experienced. He gave the simile of a drunken man, when he has become
permanent is his drinking he becomes sober. This state of sobriety
illustrates that the man has become permanent in his search for God that
the mundane concerns become trivial.

25 Fazlul Karim, Iḥya’, 28. Ilhām is the knowledge thrown into the soul of
Prophets and religious personalities in disclosing the truth.
165

knowledge.26 Al-Ghazā lī further writes that this type of
knowledge (Ilhām) is revealed to Prophets and other religious
personalities.27 This reflects that these personalities are aware
of the reality of the world and have purified the heart,
preparing it to receive Divine Light from God.

If the stories of the Prophets were observed, one would
notice that they were much aware of the temporal condition of
this life and realized fully the depth and weight of the meaning
of God as The Sustainer of the worlds. It is in the realm of the
Prophets’ certitude that there exists another world, which is
everlasting, waiting for true believers, hence the need for them
as appointed servants of God to spread the good news and
remind others of the warnings. The Almighty revealed to the
Prophets that the people needed to perform good deeds to
sustain goodness in this world and for felicity in the hereafter.
Allāh mentions in the Qur’ān, in Sūrah al-Nisā’:

َ‫َو َم ْن أَ ْح َسن ِدينا ِهم َّم ْن أَ ْسلَ َم َو ْج َهه لله َوه َو م ْح ِس ٌن واتَّبَ َع ِملَّةَ ِإ ْب َرا ِهي َم َح ِنيفا َواتَّ َخذ‬
‫ّل هلا إِ ْب َرا ِهي َم َخ ِليلا ۝‬

“Who can be better in religion than one who submits his
whole self to God, does good, and follows the way of
Abraham the true in Faith?...” (Q. 4:125).28

26 Watt, trans., Deliverance from Error, 20.
27 Ibid., 20.
28 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Alī, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān.

166

Being an obedient servant means to uphold the code of ethics
revealed by God in regulating his behaviour on this worldly
plane. The Qur’ān and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be
upon him) are the foremost guidance for men’s behaviour. It
has influenced and shaped many scholars.

3. ETHICS: TOWARDS ATTAINING WELL BEING IN THE
HEREAFTER

Al-Ghazāli’̄ s involvement in the way of the Ṣūfīs opened his eyes
to the realities of the Hereafter. Muḥammad Abul Quasem
states that al-Ghazālī ’s awareness about life after death caused
him to prepare for the Day of Judgement. On top of that, al-
Ghazālī was concerned about his contemporary fellows and all
Muslims in general. He wanted to share this awareness, which
has been revealed in the Qur’ān through the Prophet (peace be
upon him). He realized that when one behaved according to the
rules prescribed in the Qur’ān and the virtues practiced by the
Prophet (peace be upon him), the soul would be saved from the
torment of Hellfire:

“His thorough study of the works of eminent Ṣūfīs
produced in his mind an extreme fear of punishment in
the Hereafter, which led him to a life of solitude fully
occupied with religious and mystical practices. Thus, on
the practical side his problem during the mystical period
was to prepare himself to escape from the punishment
in hell and to achieve happiness in paradise, or more

167

accurately, to avoid abandonment by God and to gain
nearness (qurb) to Him. On the intellectual side his
problem was to convey his thoughts and experiences to
others, so that they too might reach the same goal.”29

God Almighty revealed about the Hereafter, the blessings of
Paradise and the torment of Hellfire in the Qur’ān. Allāh says in
Sūrah al-Wāqi‘ah:

‫َوال َّسا ِبقو َن ال َّسابِقو َن ۝ أ ْو َلئِ َك ا ْلم َق َّربو َن ۝ فِي َجنَّا ِت النَّ ِعي ِم ۝‬
“And those Foremost (in Faith) will be Foremost (in the
Hereafter). These will be those Nearest to God. In Garden of
Bliss” (Q. 56:10-12).30

‫َوأَ ْص َحاب ال ِهش َما ِل َما أَ ْص َحاب ال ِهش َما ِل ۝ فِي َسموم َو َح ِميم ۝ َو ِظ هل ِهمن يَ ْحموم‬
‫۝‬

“The Companions of the Left Hand, - what will be the
Companions of the Left hand? (They will be) in the midst of
a fierce Blast of Fire and in Boiling Water. And in the
shades of Black smoke” (Q. 56:41-43).31

Also in Sūrah al-Qāri‘ah, Allāh says:

‫فَأَ َّما َمن ثَقلَ ْت َم َوا ِزينه ۝ َفه َو ِفي ِعي َشة َّرا ِضيَة ۝ َوأَ َّما َم ْن َخفَّ ْت َم َوا ِزينه ۝‬
‫َفأ ُّمه َها ِو َيةٌ ۝‬

29 Muḥammad Abul Quasem, Ethics of Al-Ghazali: A Composite Ethics of Islam
(NewYork: Caravan Books, 1978), 22, (emphasis mine).

30 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Alī, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān, 1195.
31 Ibid., 1199.

168

“Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found)
heavy, will be in a Life of good pleasure and satisfaction.
But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light, -
Will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit” (Q. 101:6-9).32

In his writings, not only does al-Ghazālī emphasize life
after death, but he also stresses that life in this world is very
important. The way one behaves determines his final
destination. Al-Ghazā li’̄ s aim is for the well-being of the soul in
the Hereafter. The Ṣūfī path taught him of the temporal life on
earth, and how it should be used to serve the purpose of living
a good life in the world to come. Muḥammad Abul Quasem says
in his book; The Ethics of al-Ghazālī’s code of ethics pivots on
the above concern.33 Al-Ghazālī calls his ethics the Science of
the Path of the Hereafter34, and he believes ethics is a study of
certain religious beliefs and of rightness and wrongness of
action for the purpose of practice and not for the sake of mere
knowledge.35

32 Ibid., 1458. The Qur’ān goes on explaining about the bottomless Pit, which
is the fiercely blazing fire.

33 M. Abul Quasem, Ethics of Al-Ghazali…, 22.
34 Ibid., 22. He also calls it the path trodden by the Prophets and Righteous
ancestors (al-Salaf al-ÎÉliÍ).
35 Ibid. The study of action includes the study of actions directed towards

God, of actions directed towards one’s fellow man in the family and in
society, of purification of the soul from vices and of its beautification with
virtues.

169

Al-Ghazālī distinguishes ethics from politics and claims
that the latter has nothing relevant with the well-being of the
soul in the Hereafter. He argues that though sharī‘ah law
enforcement capacitates the ruling authority to regulate moral
behaviour of men, encourages the propagation of good
religious morality, and produces an environment conducive for
Muslims to live in, it is the responsibility of man himself to
behave well and be accountable for his deeds in the Hereafter.
In Sūrah al-Zalzalah, Allāh says:

‫َي ْو َمئِذ يَ ْصدر النَّاس أَ ْشتَاتا ِلهي َر ْوا أَ ْع َما َله ْم ۝ َف َمن َي ْع َم ْل ِمثْ َقا َل ذَ َّرة َخ ْيرا يَ َره‬
‫۝ َو َمن يَ ْع َم ْل ِمثْقَا َل ذَ َّرة َشرا يَ َره ۝‬

“On that Day will men proceed in groups sorted out, to be
shown the Deeds that they (had done). Then shall anyone
who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And anyone
who has done as atom’s weight of evil, shall see it” (Q.
99:6-8).36

The main purpose of ethics according to al-Ghazā lī is to
influence daily conduct and behaviour.37 The study of his ethics
is practical. The strategy of emphasizing the consequence to the
soul awakens one’s consciousness to aim for a better life in the
Hereafter. However, how does one evaluate the value of one’s
moral act?

36 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Alī, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān, 1452.
37 M. Abul Quasem, Ethics of al-Ghazali…, 24.

170

Here, al-Ghazālī brings in reason, revelation and mystical
intuition into his ethics. He relates ethics to the religious
science, which was revealed to the Prophets and that to the
rational sciences, which are learnt by reason (e.g.
mathematics), experimentation (e.g. medicine) and hearing
(e.g. language)38 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

Al-Ghazālī explains that the religious science and the
rational science complement each other. A code of ethics exists
in both the sciences and he insists that both the sciences are
important for the soul. As mentioned earlier, divine knowledge
descends upon the purified soul. Muḥammad Abul Quasem says
at this stage, one is enabled to perceive the Truth without any
reliance upon an authority:

...for at this stage there develops in the soul a power by
which it ‘sees’ truth... The mystics sometimes knows
directly about the rightness or wrongness of individual
actions, sometimes about a class of actions, and
sometimes about some individual moral rule by which
actions can be judged.39

38 Ibid., 26
39 Ibid., 28.

171

Religious Sciences
Received from Prophets
Sciences of the Roots

Qur’ān Sunnah Traditions of Consensus of
Companions Islamic Scholars

By comprehension of their meaning through reason
(The function of reason is to understand the meaning)

Science of the Branches

Jurisprudence Science that deals with wellbeing in the
Hereafter

Science of Good and Evil
Character Traits

Ethics Described as Religious
Science through Reason

Fig. 1 Adapted from Muḥammad Abul Quasem (1978), Ethics of al-
Ghazālī: A Composite Ethics of Islam.

172

Rational Sciences

Worldly Sciences Other Worldly Sciences

Mathematics, Medicine, Dealing with good and
Astronomy evil character traits and
the conducts proceeding
from them, and with the
knowledge of God, His
attributes

Ethics described as rational
science through reason

Fig. 2 Adapted from Muḥammad Abul Quasem (1978), Ethics of al-
Ghazali: A Composite Ethics of Islam.

Upon reaching this stage, one is able to judge the value of
an action. In Sūrah al-Kahf, Allāh tells the story of Khidr (peace
be upon him) and Prophet Mūsā (peace be upon him).40
Towards the end of the knowledge quest between both of them,
Khidr (peace be upon him) revealed to Prophet Mūsā (peace be

40 Q. 18: 66 - 82.

173

upon him) things he could not comprehend as divinely
revealed knowledge.

Both revelation and mystical intuition are guided and
only cast upon the soul as a gift from God the Almighty. One
who has this ability will be able to evaluate the worth of a
moral value. Hence, al-Ghazālī brings in rationality and
spirituality in judging the moral aspect of an act.

4. SOUL: TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE BEST OF
CREATIONS

Al-Ghazālī deals on the subject of soul comprehensively41,42 in
his third quarter of Iḥyā’. He starts this quarter with a
deliberation on the soul. He opens the book on the soul stating
that it is by means of the soul that man is the best of creations,
as only through the soul does man acquire knowledge of God
and His Attributes. He says that the root of the knowledge of
God is the knowledge of the soul.43 Without the knowledge of
his self, it is not possible for man to know his Creator.44 Man is

41 Fazlul Karim, Iḥyā’ (third quarter), 3.
42 Al-Ghazālī introduces the four terms that are usually associated with the

soul, i.e: qalb, nafs, rūÍ and ‘aql. Apart from that, he elaborates on the four
natures of men and about the obstacles that act upon the soul. He also
writes about divine knowledge that descends upon the soul of the
enlightened and the evils that prevent spiritual enlightening.
43 Fazlul Karim, Iḥyā’ (third quarter), 3.
44 Ibid.

174

created and his natural disposition (fiṭrah) is to be a
worshipper of his Creator, Allāh, God the Most High. Allāh says
in the Qur’ān:

‫فَأَ ِق ْم َو ْج َه َك ِلل ِدهي ِن َحنِيفا ِف ْط َرةَ ّل َّلاِ الَّ ِتي َف َط َر النَّا َس َعلَ ْي َها َلا تَ ْب ِدي َل ِل َخ ْل ِق ّل َّلاِ ذَ ِل َك‬
‫ال ِدهين ا ْل َق ِيهم َو َل ِك َّن أَ ْكثَ َر النَّا ِس َلا يَ ْع َلمو َن ۝‬

“So set thou thy face truly to the Religion being upright,
the nature in which God has made mankind: no change
(there is) in the work (wrought) by God: that is the true
Religion: but most among mankind know not” (Q.
30:30).45

Hamza Yusuf comments about the void that exists in the soul of
men. He said if it is not filled with the worship of God the
Almighty, it will turn to something else to fill the hollow or the
emptiness to replace the remembrance of the Creator.46

Al-Ghazālī points out that the body is a vessel, which
contains the essence of man, the soul. This soul has to be
directed to the worship of God and not to be enslaved by the
material world or anything other than the Creator. The soul is
known by many expressions and one of them is qalb. He
identified the qalb as the material heart, which is the lump of
flesh in the left chest. This material entity, which to al-Ghazā lī
belongs to the realm of the physical sciences and medicine, is

45 A. Yūsuf ‘Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān, 841.
46 Ovidio Salazar, Alchemist of Happiness.

175

not the subject of his concern—rather, and most significantly,
he defines qalb as the immaterial and formless thing associated
with the soul. Al-Ghazā lī identifies the soul as presented in
Table 1.

Table 1 Adapted from Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn.

Qalb 1. Heart: the lump of flesh located in the left breast
Rūḥ 2. Soul: a formless, immaterial thing

Nafs 1. A material thing within the heart, which vibrates the whole body
‘Aql like the current of electricity that is called life.
 it has the power of touch, hearing, sight, smell and the power
of other limbs of the body.

2. An immaterial subtle thing, which is called the soul.
1. Passion or the lower self-consisting of greed, anger and other evil

attributes.
2. The soul

 when the nafs gives entirely to the devil, it is known as nafs
al-ammārah bi al-sū’.

 when the calm nature of nafs is not perfect, it is termed nafs
al-lawwāmah.

 if the nafs is devoid of evil attributes, it becomes nafs al-
muṭma’innah.

1. Intellect with which the true nature of things in the world is
known, and its seat is in the soul.

2. The power to understand the secrets of different learnings

176

He further comments that the soul is capable of grasping
spiritual knowledge and worldly knowledge. The soul, when it
is clear of any worldly attachment draws closer to God. As the
soul reaches close proximity to God, it is immersed in the
thought of God and the self is reminded of the Creator in
everything it sees, as these are signs of the One Who Creates.
The constant remembrance of God relieves it from all the veils
that cover, and according to Abdullahi Hassan Zaroug, it is able
to comprehend things that are beyond the perception of a
normal person. 47

Al-Ghazālī then elaborates on the four natures of man.
1) Beastly nature: anger is an evident sign.
2) Animal nature: sexual passion becomes strong.
3) Devilish nature: deceit, fraud and conspiracy is
paramount.
4) Angelic nature: divine services and worship of God
becomes the focus.48

Al-Ghazāli observes that these natures were ingrained in
man. If he lets one nature overcome the others; for example, if
he focuses on divine services and doing good deeds, the angelic
nature in him will overpower the rest:

45 Abdullahi Hassan Zaroug, “AI-Ghazali's Sufism: A Critical Appraisal,”
Intellectual Discourse, Vol 5, No 2 (1997): 149.
46 Fazlul Karim, Ihya’ (third quarter), 4.
48 Fazlul Karim, (third quarter), 12.

177

The roots of these four natures are in men... If he has got
only the nature of a lower animal, he becomes like a pig
or a dog... If he obeys the dictates of anger, he acquires
heinous conducts such as haughtiness, pride, love of
power, self praise, jokes, contempt for others,
oppression. If he obeys the devil, he acquires evil
conducts such as deceit, deception, treachery, fraud, etc.
When he controls the above evils, he is endowed with
divine qualities such as wisdom, knowledge, certain faith,
knowledge of the nature of all things.49

The soul is like a mirror where good and bad deeds are
reflected.49 Al-Ghazālī states that when God the Almighty wants
good in a soul, he appoints an admonisher for that soul and the
remembrance of God, The Most High, becomes constant in it.
Bad deeds are like smoke that covers the soul in darkness. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) says,

When (a person) commits a sin, a black dot is dotted in his
heart.... if he repeats the evil deeds (sin), then that
covering is increased till his heart is completely covered
with it.50

49 Fazlul Karim, (third quarter), 12.
50 In Tirmidhī, Vol. 5, hadith No. 3334. Taken from: The Noble Qur’ān: English

Translation of the meaning and commentary, translated by Dr. Muhammad
Muhsin and Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, 826.

178

5. PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL: TOWARDS ATTAINING
CLOSENESS TO GOD ALMIGHTY

The Almighty God’s Divine knowledge will only descend on the
soul that has been purified, one that is filled with constant
remembrance of its Creator. On the other hand, a screen will be
cast upon a soul that is pre-occupied with worldly activities.
Neither divine light nor divine knowledge enlightens this soul.
God loves those who yearn and take sincere steps towards His
Path and guides these servants to attain greater nearness to
Him. In al-Ghazālī ’s writing on the soul, he often reminds the
reader that it is important for men to be in constant
remembrance of God through dhikr.51 Al-Ghazā lī also
comments that for the remembrance of God Most High to fill up
the heart or soul of man, one must flush out the sins that have
been occupying the soul. This he illustrates metaphorically as
air that fails to fill a vessel full of water.52 The first step towards
purifying one’s soul is repentance.

Repentance signifies that a man has given up on the sins
that he was committing and intends to turn over a fresh new
leaf in his life. He sincerely yearns to return to the path of God
The Almighty. Al-Ghazā lī writes:

51 Fazlul Karim, IÍya’, (third quarter), 13,14. Dhikr literally translates as
remembrance.
52 Ibid., 10

179

Repentance is the beginning of the life of a person who
intends to walk in the path of religion. It is the root of the
fortune of those who are successful... the key to guidance
to the straight path, the weapon of purification of those
who wish to come close to God and a dear thing of all
Prophets.53

He took to repentance when he realized that love for fame was
growing in him while attached at the Niẓāmiyyah of Baghdad.
He made a decision to leave his life of luxury and chose to walk
in the path that led to God:

Next, I considered the circumstances of my life, and
realized I was caught in a veritable thicket of
attachments. I also considered my activities, of which the
best was my teaching and lecturing, and realized that in
them I was dealing with sciences that were unimportant
and contributed nothing to the attainment of eternal
life.54

In Iḥya’, he writes on the compulsion of repentance. It
reflects upon the individual to stay away from anything that
causes the anger of God The Almighty. So, when one realizes
that he had committed a sin, he takes the next step of asking for
forgiveness from God, and should be determined not to return

53 Ibid., (fourth quarter), 3.
54 Watt, trans., Deliverance From Erro., 18.

180

to the sinful path again. In Sūrah al-Taḥrīm, Allāh teaches the
believers:

‫َيا أَيُّ َها الَّ ِذي َن آ َمنوا توبوا إِلَى ّل َّلاِ تَ ْوبَة نَّصوحا َع َسى َربُّك ْم أَن ي َك ِفه َر َعنك ْم‬
‫َس ِيهئَا ِتك ْم َوي ْد ِخ َلك ْم َجنَّات تَ ْج ِري ِمن تَ ْح ِت َها ا ْْلَ ْن َهار يَ ْو َم َلا ي ْخ ِزي ّل َّلا النَّ ِب َّي َوالَّ ِذي َن‬
‫آ َمنوا َم َعه نوره ْم َي ْس َعى بَ ْي َن أَ ْي ِدي ِه ْم َو ِبأَ ْي َما ِن ِه ْم يَقولو َن َربَّ َنا أَتْ ِم ْم لَنَا نو َرنَا َوا ْغ ِف ْر‬

‫لَنَا ِإنَّ َك َع َلى ك ِهل َش ْيء قَ ِدي ٌر ۝‬
“O ye who believe! Turn to God with sincere repentance; in
the hope that your Lord will remove from you your evil
deeds, and admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers
flow, the Day that God will not permit to be humiliated the
Prophet and those who believe with him. Their Light will
run forward before them and by their right hands, while
they say, “Our Lord! Perfect our Light for us, and grant us
Forgiveness: for Thou hast power over all things” (Q.
66:8).55

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

By Allāh! I seek Allāh’s forgiveness and turn to Him
in repentance for more than seventy times a day. 56

It needs strong determination from an individual to take
up repentance. The choice relies on the individual himself to
make a positive change in his life. Allāh says in Sūrah al-Ṣāffāt:

55 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Alī, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān, Sūrah al-TaÍrīm.
56 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 8, ḥadīth No. 319. Taken from Muhsin Khan, The

Noble Qur’ān: English Translation of the meaning and commentary, 126.
181

‫َوّل َّلا َخلَقَك ْم َو َما تَ ْع َملو َن ۝‬
“While Allāh has created you and what you make!” (Q.
37:96).

So the choice of doing good or bad deeds is in the hands of the
individual. Allāh says in Sūrah al-Ra‘d:

َ‫… ِإ َّن ّل هلاَ لاَ ي َغيِهر َما ِبقَ ْوم َحتَّى ي َغيِهرواْ َما ِبأَ ْنف ِس ِه ْم َوإِذَا أَ َرادَ ّل هلا ِبقَ ْوم سوءا فَلا‬
‫َم َردَّ لَه َو َما َلهم ِهمن دو ِن ِه ِمن َوال ۝‬

“… Verily God will not change the condition of a people
until they change it themselves. But when (once) God
willeth a people’s punishment, there can be no turning it
back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect” (Q.
13:11).57

According to al-Ghazā lī there are four ways to give up on
sins are

1) to remind through verses that illustrates the torments
of Hellfire,

2) to narrate the lives of the Prophets, the saints and pious
men,

3) to relate and remind that the obstacles faced on earth
are caused by sins,

4) to list the crimes and the punishments proscribed in the
Qur’ān.58

57 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Alī, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān, 468.
58 Fazlul Karim, Ihya’, (fourth quarter), 52-58.

182

The above are suggested by al-Ghazā lī to remind the sinners of
the consequence of offences in this world and the Hereafter.
The Qur’ān records at various points (most chapters revealed
in Mecca deals with this issue) about the torment of Hellfire
and the blessings of Paradise. It serves as a reminder to men
about their responsibilities on earth, how to go about in their
conducts with other creations of God, and at the same time
earn the pleasure of Allāh, The Most High, in the world to come.
The stories of the righteous will serve as a reflection: they were
among those who were conscious of the Creator; yet as slaves
of God, they were in a constant act of repentance.

The Qur’ān narrates in abundance the punishments from
God The Almighty executed on earth onto those who persisted
in their wrong. Those who refused to respond to the Prophets,
mocked the Messengers and transgressed against them found a
terrible punishment meted out towards them:

‫َو َكأَيِهن ِهمن َق ْر َية َعتَ ْت َع ْن أَ ْم ِر َر ِبه َها َورس ِل ِه فَ َحا َس ْبنَا َها ِح َسابا َش ِديدا َو َعذَّ ْب َنا َها َعذَابا‬
‫نُّ ْكرا ۝‬

“How many towns that insolently opposed the Command of
their Lord and His Messengers, did We not then call to
account, - to severe account? – And We punished them with
a horrible Punishment (Q. 65:8).59

59 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Alī, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān, Sūrah al- ‘Alāq verse 8
183

In the Qur’ān, Allāh reminds us about the sinners, and in some
verses clearly states the punishment awaiting them. For
instance, Allāh The Most High condemns those who backbite
and slander in Sūrah al-Humazah and mentioned their
punishments in the Hereafter. Also, the punishment for theft
and fornication through the implementation of ḥudūd serves as
severe reminders for Muslims.

Repentance is exhorted because it not only serves as a
realization that one has erred, but more so that it is due to the
individual’s determination to return to the path of God The
Almighty. Al-Ghazā lī writes that God accepts sincere
repentance60 regardless of the severity of the sin. God is The
Most Merciful and He is Ever-Forgiving. It is said that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Allāh loves His servants
more than a mother loves her suckling child. In Iḥyā’, al-Ghazā lī
reports the Prophet (peace be upon him) relating the story of
the joy of a traveller who finds his camel and its provision after
it goes missing when he is asleep. The traveller finds his camel
and the load in the same place he had left it after waking up
from another slumber due to fatique and disappointment. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

60 Fazlul Karim, Iḥyā’, (fourth quarter), 17.
184

God becomes more pleased with the repentance of a
believer than the joy of the traveller.61

The Qur’ān elucidates:

‫فَ َس ِبه ْح بِ َح ْم ِد َربِه َك َوا ْستَ ْغ ِف ْره ِإنَّه َكا َن تَ َّوابا ۝‬
“Celebrate the Praise of thy Lord, and pray for His
Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in forgiveness)” (Q.
110:3).62

The verse above illustrates the Mercy of God the Almighty upon
His servants for those who make sincere repentance and
decides to tread the path of Truth. A servant who repents is the
one who is always grateful and thankful to His Creator.
Muslims have the perfect example in the Prophet (peace be
upon him). He (peace be upon him) always engages in
repentance to God The Almighty though he (peace be upon
him) is perfectly cognizant that he has been forgiven. Even
when asked by his wife, Aisha (Allāh be pleased with her), he
(peace be upon him) replied that more so he (peace be upon
him) had to be thankful to his Creator for His Forgiveness. This
illustrates the unblemished quality of the soul of the Prophet
(peace be upon him) who personified the absolute submission
to his Creator.

61 Ibid., 6.
62 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Alī, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān, Q. Sūrah al-Nasr, verse 3.

185

6. CONCLUSION

Al-Ghazāli’̄ s account of his life story serves as a great example
for all Muslims. He is recognized as a great thinker and scholar
of his own time. However, he came to a realization that he was
not treading the path that led to God Almighty. He was
contemplating on whether to leave the luxurious life he lived or
to remain in the comfort of fame. Finally, as God took away his
ability to speak, his resolve was to leave the life of luxury. He
spent eleven years in solitude and chose to walk, quite literally,
in the path of the Ṣūfīs, to be closer to God The Most High. He
lived a life that enabled him to take off the burden of the
material world, and at the same time, prepared his soul for the
Divine Light. His ethics reflects the experiences he had
throughout his life. His concerns emphasize the well-being of
the soul in the hereafter; hence, he prescribes the taking on of
virtuous acts not only as a moral responsibility between fellow
men, but more so as an account which will be questioned later
by God on the Day of Judgement. He insists that men must fear
God and that their intentions should firstly be to please Him. He
stresses that the knowledge of rightful and wrongful behaviour
should be for an individual to put into practice and not for any
institution to impose as a regiment and forced it upon an
individual. The individual should come to the realization that
God The Almighty will question his code of conduct. Living by it
for the sake of God is thus the fundamental aim of his ethics.

186

Al-Ghazālī highlights the consequences on the soul.
Although the ruling authority may mete out punishment to
reprimand sinners, the consequences in the hereafter are
interminable if the sinner is not remorseful and repent
wholeheartedly. Al-Ghazā lī ’s plan is to incur contrition in the
hearts of the sinner, to repent sincerely and to change his life
from evil to a rightly-guided path. This will encourage the
individual to transmute his negative lifestyle with a positive
one based on the Qur’ān and the teachings of the Prophet
(peace and blessing upon him). Al-Ghazā lī elaborates on the
soul and its nature in his Iḥya’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn. He says that the
soul is like a mirror. If the soul is good, the excellent qualities
will be reflected in the character and vice versa. He goes on
elaborating on the four natures ingrained in men – the beastly,
the devilish, the animal and the angelic. However, it depends on
the individual to exercise and empower which one of the four
natures to stand in charge of his soul. This is where the
knowledge of the rightness and wrongness of conduct and the
consequences of behaviour play an important role. He states
that the key to get to know the Creator is through knowing the
soul. Al-Ghazā lī continues that the soul should be filled with
the thoughts and remembrance and the utmost love and fear of
God The Almighty. The purified soul is constantly in
remembrance of God The Most High. Repentance is the first
step to purifying the soul because it signifies to the individual
that he needs to get back on the right track. He must first

187

realize that he has ventured on the wrong path. In fact, it is a
blessing from God The Almighty that the individual is made
aware of his sins. His next step would be to seek the
forgiveness from God and fix a determination in himself not to
return to his sinful past. It requires great strength to turn over
a new leaf, but God The Almighty promises in the Qur’ān in
Sūrah al-Ra‘d that He will not change the condition of a people
unless they themselves yearn for a change and start to embark
on that journey.

Al-Ghazālī proposes four techniques to encourage one to
take the journey of repentance: (1) to remind the wrongdoers
of the verses that cause fear in their hearts, (2) to narrate the
stories of the Prophets and righteous people and of their trials
and tribulations, (3) to remind of the punishments executed by
God Almighty to the wrongdoers on earth, and (4) to highlight
the punishments prescribed for adultery, slander, backbiting
and others. These suggestions are to jolt the soul to awaken
from slumber and to encourage man to take up good deeds for
his betterment in the world and in the hereafter. Al-Ghazā lī
explains that God The Almighty accepts repentance from all of
His servants as long as each individual is sincere. God is The
Most Merciful, and He gives opportunities for His servants to
repent. Thus, man should use his time wisely and engage in
sincere repentance, constant reflection and remembrance of
God. It purifies one’s soul and guarantees felicity in the

188

Hereafter. Al-Ghazāli’̄ s moral principles simply focus on the fact
that each individual should prepare his soul for the day where
every account is brought forward to the Almighty Reckoner
and judged accordingly.

189

REFERENCES

Al-Ghazālī , Abu Hamid Muhammad. (1951). Deliverance from Error. (W.
Montgomery Watt, trans.). London: George Allen and Unwin.

Abul-Qasim al-Qushayri. (2007). AlQushayri’s Epistle on Ṣūfīsm. (Alexander
D. Knysh, trans.). UK: Garnet Publishing Limited.

Abdullahi Hassan Zaroug. (1997). AI-Ghazali's Sufism: A Critical Appraisal.
Intellectual Discourse, 5, 145-167.

Adil Za’bub, trans. Osman Haji Khalid. (1993). Al-Imam Al-Ghazālī dan
Metodologi Kajiannya . Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Al-Ghazali. Abu Hamid Muhammad. (2000). Ihya’ Ulum-id-Din. (Al-Haj
Maulana Fazlul Karim, trans.). New Delhi: Islamic Book Services.

Al-Ghazā lī , Abu Hamid Muhammad. (1910). The Alchemy of Happiness.
(Claud Field, trans.). London: J.Murray.

Muhammad Abul Quasem. (1978). Ethics of Al-Ghazali: A Composite Ethics
of Islam. NewYork: Caravan Books.

Abu-Sway, Mustafa. (1996). Al-Ghazzaliyy: A Study in Islamic
Epistemology. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Ovidio Salazar. Alchemist of Happiness,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyDOVC4BuIU. Retrieved 29th
May 2012.

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THE ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF SOCIETY AND ITS CAPABILITY
OF FACING CHALLENGES OF GLOBALISATION

Nur Jannah Hassan 1

1 The original paper was submitted for The Qur’ān and Sunnah: Foundations
of Islamic Personality, Society and Culture, dated March 6th 2009. The article
has since been updated (Ed.).

191

1. INTRODUCTION
The Oxford Dictionary defines society as a system of organized
and interdependent communities. Meriam-Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary explains that society is a “community”, “a nation” or
“broad grouping of people having common traditions,
institutions, and collective activities and interests”. Having
lived in North America for more than a decade, I see Western
societies as standing on the premise of secular common
traditions and institutions of thought. Some pockets in the
society may be very religious, but God is left in the churches or
the synagogues, remotely detached from most other aspects of
life. For many, progress is associated with the notion that God
is “done with His task” and “is now retired”, or worst still,
“dead”. For others, God is a sheer product of human thought,
thus religion is just a mere culmination of fabricated rituals.
Sadly, today, and thanks to the forces of globalisation, more and
more societies, including Muslims both in the West and the
East, have been sucked into the whirlpool of the above deistic,
agnostic and atheistic trends.

Society, or in Arabic ummah (pl. umam), as Islam
envisions, is different. Islam permeates every living aspect of a
society, and it transcends the horizontal physical-material
world. The Islamic society is intimately involved in an on-going
‘dialogue’ with The Divine Creator Himself—Allāh Subḥānahu

192

wa Ta‘ālā2—whose ‘Presence’ pervades every level and aspect
of society, irrespective of dimension—physical, affectual,
intellectual, moral, social, spiritual, time and space. The
following verses of the Qur’ān crystallise the characteristics,
which define (a) a society and (b) its building blocks, i.e. the
individuals, in Islam:

‫َو ْلتَكن ِهمنك ْم أ َّمةٌ يَ ْدعو َن ِإلَى ا ْل َخ ْي ِر َويَأْمرو َن بِا ْل َم ْعرو ِف َويَ ْن َه ْو َن َع ِن ا ْلمن َك ِر‬
‫َوأ ْولَـئِ َك هم ا ْلم ْف ِلحو َن ۝‬

“Let there rise out of you a band of people inviting in all
that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what
is wrong. They are the ones to attain felicity” (Q. 3:104).

‫كنت ْم َخ ْي َر أ َّمة أ ْخ ِر َج ْت ِللنَّا ِس تَأْمرو َن بِا ْل َم ْعرو ِف َوتَ ْن َه ْو َن َع ِن ا ْلمن َك ِر َوت ْؤ ِمنو َن‬
… ِ‫ِبال هِل‬

“Ye are the best of peoples, enjoining what is right,
forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allāh [...]” (Q.
3:110).

On the purpose of the creation of man – the very
individuals that make a society – Allāh S.W.T. says in the Qur’ān,

‫َو َما َخ َل ْقت ا ْل ِج َّن َوا ْل ِإن َس ِإ َّلا ِل َي ْعبدو ِن ۝‬
“I have only created jinn and men that they may serve
(worship) Me” (Q. 51:56).

2 Allāh, Glorified and Exalted is He. The Arabic phrase is abbreviated beyond
this point as S.W.T.

193

‫َوإِ ْذ قَا َل َربُّ َك ِل ْل َملاَ ِئ َك ِة إِ ِنهي َجا ِع ٌل فِي اْلَ ْر ِض َخ ِليفَة قَالواْ أَتَ ْجعَل فِي َها َمن ي ْف ِسد‬
‫فِي َها َويَ ْس ِفك ال ِده َماء َو َن ْحن ن َس ِبهح بِ َح ْم ِد َك َونقَ ِدهس َل َك َقا َل إِ ِنهي أَ ْع َلم َما لاَ تَ ْعلَمو َن‬

‫۝‬

“Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a
vicegerent on earth.” They said "Wilt Thou place therein
one who will make mischief therein and shed blood -
whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy
(name)?" He said, "I know what ye know not." (Q. 2:30).

As the existence of man is defined by his submission to the
Divine Plan, likewise is that of society in Islam. It is
ontologically both theocentric3 and theocratic4 – a Tawḥīdic
human collectivity5 whose nature and reason for being pivot
upon ‘ubūdiyyah – subservience towards Allāh The Master and
Creator—guided and governed by His Divine Revelation and
the teachings of the final Prophet, Muḥ ammad ṣalla’Llāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam6.

3 A society that is centred on the awareness of God as The Lord Creator and
Master of the Universe.
4 A society that abides by the sharī‘ah (loosely translated as the Islamic legal,
social, moral and spiritual modality; in short the Divine Way laid down by
Allāh S.W.T. for human beings to follow) in all aspects of its functioning.
5 This definition is based on the vocabulary used by al-Marḥūm Ustādh
Muhammad ‘Uthman El-Muhammady in his lectures.
6 Peace and Blessings of Allāh be upon him, the Arabic phrase abbreviated
beyond this point as ṣ.‘a.w.

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The paper examines the major aspects of a society in
Islām from its basic units, i.e. the individual and the family, its
ability to face challenges of globalisation, and the antithetical
characteristics that have become prevalent in contemporary
Muslim societies.

2. THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY

As stated above, society, as Islam defines it, is transcendent.
Just as the human spirit (rūḥ) transcends the limitation of time
and space, so too does society. This transcendent nature is
inherent in society’s simplest makeup, i.e. the individual and
the family.

2.1 Humankind

Allāh S.W.T. did not create humankind, but to worship Him (Q.
51:56). The origin of humankind is base – from clay (Q. 6:2)
and a sperm drop (Q. 16:4)7 – yet, it was sanctified by The
Creator Himself when He “...breathed unto him of My [Allāh’s]
Spirit...” 8 (Q. 15:29). Thus, befitting human’s lowly physical

7 Allāh S.W.T. fashioned the first human, Ādam ‘alaihi al-salām (abbreviated
as ‘a.s) – onto whom be peace from clay and his decendants from a sperm
drop.
8 Upon the creation of Ādam ‘alaihi al-salām Allāh S.W.T. said to the angels,
“When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My
spirit – wa nafakhtu fī-hi min rrūÍī – fall ye down in obeisance unto him” (Q.
15:29). This brings meaning that every person has inherent in them sanctified
godly potentialities – of having the innate natural disposition of being godly in

195

beginning, the individuals that make up society must abide and
submit in full humility and gratitude to The Creator’s Divine
Decree and strive towards actualising the godly potentials that
have been breathed unto him by God. Some of the
characteristics of the people who submit to The Creator are
those who are “…humble in prayers; avoid vain talk; [are] active
in deeds of charity; abstain from illegal sex; faithfully observe
their trusts and covenants; and who strictly guard their
prayers…” (Q. 23:2-9). These are among those who will
eventually be triumphant, i.e. attain al-falāḥ – the true success,
the ultimate felicity. Al-falāḥ may come in this world, but it is
certain and ever-lasting in the hereafter, as promised by Allāh
S.W.T. in these verses of Sūrah al-Mu’minūn, they will inherit
Paradise and will dwell therein forever (Q. 23:10-11). They are
also those

‫الَّ ِذي َن َي ْذكرو َن ّل هلاَ ِق َياما َوقعودا َو َعلَ َى جنوبِ ِه ْم َويَتَفَ َّكرو َن ِفي َخ ْل ِق ال َّس َما َوا ِت‬
‫َواْلَ ْر ِض َربَّ َنا َما َخ َل ْق َت َهذا َبا ِطلا س ْب َحانَ َك َف ِق َنا َعذَا َب النَّا ِر ۝‬

“…who celebrate the praises of Allāh, standing, sitting,
and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the
(wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With
the thought): "Our Lord! Not for naught hast Thou created
(all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty
of the fire” (Q. 3:191).

their character and demeanor. However, this does not at all mean that the
humankind possesses in them any share of divinity or sacredness. Likewise,
when the word sacrosanct and sanctity are used in the paper.

196

To fulfill the purpose of his creation, humankind, in his
sincere and longing devotion and servitude towards his
Creator, is to strive towards the level of a fully functioning
theomorphic person9, an embodiment of godly makeup – insān
rabbāniyyah, as explained in the following ḥadīth qudsy
narrated by Abū Hurairah r.‘a10 where the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w.) said,

Allāh said, “I will declare war against him who shows
hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most
beloved things with which my slave comes nearer to Me, is
what I have enjoined upon him; and my slave keeps on
coming closer to Me through performing nawāfil (praying
or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love
him – so I become his sense of hearing with which he
hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his
hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks
– and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks my
protection (refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My
refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate
to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I
hate to disappoint him.”11

9 A person with godly qualities, who has exercised himself in holistic self-
discipline and very much on his way towards actualizing most of if not all the
inherent godly potentials placed in him by Allāh S.W.T., with the “breathing
of His Spirit” in-utero. The expression theomorphic in this context does not
at all imply the notion of becoming Divine or like God.
10 Raḍiya Allāh-u ‘anhu – Allāh’s pleasure be unto him.
11 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī Volume 008, Book 076, ḥadīth Number 509.

197

The Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w.) and his Prophetic tradition (al-Sunnah al-
Nabawiyyah) is a ‘living’ model of the perfect insān
rabbāniyyah—the perfect man (al-insān al-kāmil) for all to
emulate in every facet of existence.

َ‫لَقَ ْد َكا َن لَك ْم فِي َرسو ِل ّل َّلاِ أ ْس َوةٌ َح َسنَةٌ ِله َمن َكا َن َي ْرجو ّل َّلاَ َوا ْل َي ْو َم ا ْْل ِخ َر َوذَ َك َر ّل َّلا‬
‫َكثِيرا ۝‬

“We have indeed in the Messenger of Allāh a beautiful
pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allāh
and the Final Day. And who engages much in the praise of
Allāh” (Q. 33: 21).

The Qur’ān declares that the Prophet’s message delivers
humanity “...from the depths of Darkness into Light...” (Q. 65:11)
for he stands “...on an exalted standard of character” (Q. 68:4).

As a servant of Allāh S.W.T., He (God) appoints
humankind as His vicegerent on Earth – “Behold thy Lord said
to the angels, ‘I will Create a vicegerent on Earth (fī al-arḍi
khalīfah)’…” (Q. 2:30) to manage the earth and to safeguard and
preserve in totality its intricate systems and fragile balance,
and in full reverence and submission to Allāh’s Laws. In Qur’ān
6:165, Allāh S.W.T. says of humanity’s task while on earth,

‫َوه َو الَّ ِذي َجعَلَك ْم َخلاَئِ َف اْلَ ْر ِض َو َر َف َع بَ ْع َضك ْم فَ ْو َق بَ ْعض دَ َر َجات ِلهيَ ْبل َوك ْم فِي‬
‫َما آتَاك ْم إِ َّن َربَّ َك َس ِريع ا ْل ِع َقا ِب َو ِإنَّه َل َغفو ٌر َّر ِحي ٌم ۝‬

“It is He Who hath made you (His) agents and inheritors of
the earth, He hath raised you in ranks, some above others,

198

that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you: for thy
Lord is quick in punishment, yet He is indeed Oft–
Forgiving, Most Merciful”.

Allāh S.W.T. in His Mercy does not leave humanity on this
arduous task alone. He is taught all manners of knowing (“…He
taught Ādam the names of all things…” (Q. 2:31)) and is sent
guidance in the forms of Revelations and Messengers.

‫َولَقَ ْد َكتَ ْب َنا ِفي ال َّزبو ِر ِمن َب ْع ِد ال ِذه ْك ِر أَ َّن ا ْْلَ ْر َض َي ِرث َها ِع َبا ِد َي ال َّصا ِلحو َن ۝ إِ َّن‬
‫ِفي َهذَا لَبَ َلاغا ِلهقَ ْوم َعا ِب ِدي َن ۝ َو َما أَ ْر َس ْل َنا َك إِ َّلا َر ْح َمة ِله ْلعَا َل ِمي َن ۝‬

“Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message
(given to Moses), My servants, the righteous, shall inherit
the earth. Verily in this Qur’ān is a Message for people who
(truly) worship Allāh. We sent thee (the prophet) not, but
as a Mercy for all creatures (Q. 21: 105-107).

It is thus incumbent on each person, as the agent and inheritor
of the Earth, to enjoin and propagate good and forbid evil –
ya’murūna bi al-ma‘rūfi wa yanhawna ‘an al-munkar (Q. 3:104)
– according to his capacity and capability, to live the examples
set by the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w.) in spreading mercy for all in the
Universe – raḥmatan lil ‘ālamīn (Q. 21:107).

2.2 How does Humankind Fulfil His Duties as Khalīfah?

Each person fulfils his duties as vicegerent or khalīfah of Allāh
Ta‘āla on Earth by living his life in full submission to his
Creator, in fear of His Wrath and with utmost love striving to

199

acquiesce to his Lord. This submission must be safeguarded
through all his dealings and relationships: ḥabl min Allāh – with
Allāh S.W.T., ḥabl min al-nās – with fellow human beings and his
environments, both biotic and abiotic. In person, his
relationship with The Lord is as described earlier, in perfect
resonance with his fiṭrah or natural disposition, i.e. sinless at
birth and with inherent goodness – spiritually, physically,
affectively and intellectually sound. He has to strive in his
worship (‘ibādah) to realise his potentials and to be as close as
it is possible towards becoming the perfect man (insān kāmil),
the best of the theomorphic man (al-insān rabbāniyyah).

As befits the purpose of his creation and as one of ‘ibād
Al-Raḥmān (the servants of The Most Gracious), worship
entails the prescribed rituals and acts of devotion of a servant
to his Creator. This, however, is not all. As Allāh S.W.T. has
created humankind to worship Him, his entire life is worship if
he leads his life (in all the relationships and dealings therein) in
total submission to his Creator. In this regard, Muhammad
Faz’l-ur-Rahman al-Ansari12 aptly explains that the sharī‘ah
(the prescribed Divine Way) should be internalised with its
spirit, assimilated in every personal, familial, communal and
societal experience.

12 Muhammad Faz’l-ul-Rahman Al-Ansari, The Qur’ānic Foundations and
Structure of Muslim Society (Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Book Trust, vol. I, 2005):
154.

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What man does in his life transcends the boundaries of
time and space. His acts have repercussions – both in the span
of his earthly existence and the eternal life after death.

‫يثَبِهت ّل هلا الَّ ِذي َن آ َمنواْ ِبا ْلقَ ْو ِل الثَّابِ ِت فِي ا ْل َح َيا ِة الدُّ ْنيَا َوفِي اْل ِخ َرةِ َوي ِض ُّل ّل هلا‬
‫ال َّظا ِل ِمي َن َويَ ْف َعل ّل هلا َما َي َشاء ۝‬

“Allāh will establish in strength those who believe with the
Word that stands firm, in this world and in the hereafter;
but Allāh will leave, to astray, those who do wrong. Allāh
doeth what He Willeth” (Q. 14: 27).13

He is accountable in front of his Lord (Q. 1:4-7), and will be
rewarded for his righteous deeds (e.g. Q. 4:124) or chastised
for his injustices towards his fiṭrah or natural disposition (e.g.
Q. 43:76), which results in injustices towards others and
towards God. Thus he is one that embodies taqwā – the one
that is piously ever conscious of Allāh S.W.T14 .

2.3 In The Family Unit

The family unit as Islam sees it is sacrosanct. Just as a person
should strive towards a theomorphic station, the family should
also be theocentric – its transcendent nature. The family is the
nucleus of society, and as such, determines the health of
society. The importance of sound individuals as initiators of

13 See also Q. 14: 24-26.
14 This definition is based on the vocabulary used by al-MarÍūm Ustādh
Muhammad Uthman El-MuÍammady in his lectures.

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family can never be stressed enough. We can reflect on the
Prophetic injunction on choosing the spouse on the basis of
faith over wealth, status and physical beauty. Ideally, the
prospective husband and wife should possess the
characteristics of ‘ibād al-Raḥmān discussed above or at least
strive towards achieving them. Allāh S.W.T. revealed about the
husband and wife:

‫َو ِم ْن آ َياتِ ِه أَ ْن َخ َل َق لَكم ِهم ْن أَنف ِسك ْم أَ ْز َواجا ِلهتَ ْسكنوا إِلَ ْي َها َو َجعَ َل بَ ْي َنكم َّم َودَّة‬
‫َو َر ْح َمة ِإ َّن فِي ذَ ِل َك َْليَات ِلهقَ ْوم َيتَفَ َّكرو َن ۝‬

“And among His signs is this: that He created for you mates
from among yourselves that ye may dwell in tranquillity
with them. And He has put love and mercy between your
hearts: verily in that are signs for those who reflect” (Q.
30:21).

Allāh beautifully describes them by saying,

… ‫… ه َّن ِل َبا ٌس لَّك ْم َوأَنت ْم ِلبَا ٌس لَّه َّن‬
“...they are your garments and ye are their garments...” (Q.
2:187).

We can explain “garments” for each other as mutual protection
against the elements, mutual guard that covers the ‘awrah – the
intimacy and private aspects of marriage, as mutual
adornment, mutual support and mutual comfort15.

15 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Alī, The Meaning of The Holy Qur’ān, 75.
202

The hierarchy in the family as Allāh S.W.T. has ordained is
such that the husband or father is the imām – the head – the
subject of allegiance of the wife and respected by the whole
household. He is responsible for providing for the family, both
in the physical sense, as well as in the non-physical sense –
such as providing leadership that builds a loving family
environment that cares for the physical, emotional, spiritual,
intellectual and social well-beings of its members; nurtures
positive growth; protects against any harm and saves the
family from hellfire. The wife or mother as the central anchor is
the epicentre of love and care for the whole family, and of the
children’s obedience and reverence. Allāh S.W.T. commands in
the Qur’ān,

‫أَيُّ َها النَّاس اتَّقواْ َربَّكم الَّ ِذي َخلَقَكم ِهمن نَّ ْفس َوا ِحدَة َو َخلَ َق ِم ْن َها َز ْو َج َها َوبَ َّث ِم ْنه َما‬
‫ِر َجالا َك ِثيرا َونِ َساء َواتَّقواْ ّل هلاَ الَّ ِذي تَ َساءلو َن ِب ِه َواْلَ ْر َحا َم ِإ َّن ّل هلاَ َكا َن َع َل ْيك ْم َرقِيبا‬

‫۝‬

“O mankind, reverence your Guardian Lord, Who create
you from a single person, created, of like nature his mate,
and from twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and
women – fear Allāh, through Whom ye demand your
mutual (rights), and reverence the wombs (that bore you):
for Allāh ever watches over you” (Q. 4:1).

‘Abdullah Yūsuf ‘Alī’s commentary on “reverence the
wombs (al-arḥām) (that bore you)” in the first verse of Sūrah al-
Nisā’ is very much fitting:

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Among the most wonderful mysteries of our nature is
that of sex. The unregenerate male is apt, in the pride of
his physical strength, to forget the all-important part,
which the female plays in his very existence, and in all the
social relationships that rise in our collective human lives.
The mother that bore us must ever have our reverence.
The wife, through whom we enter parentage, must have
our reverence. Sex, which governs so much our physical
life, and has so much influence on our emotional and
higher nature, deserves – not our fear, or our contempt,
or our amused indulgence, but – our reverence in the
highest sense of the term.16

The wife is responsible in safeguarding the husband’s honour,
assisting him in building a loving environment that nurtures,
manages domestic affairs and in the upbringing of the children.
Of course, any authority is not absolute except that of Allāh’s
first and His Messenger’s second, onto whom all allegiance and
obeisance are ultimate. The transcendent nature of the family is
clear in the following verse:

ٌ‫َيا أَيُّ َها الَّ ِذي َن آ َمنوا قوا أَنف َسك ْم َوأَ ْه ِليك ْم نَارا َوقود َها النَّاس َوا ْل ِح َجا َرة َعلَ ْي َها َم َلائِ َكة‬
‫ِغ َلا ٌظ ِشدَادٌ َلا يَ ْعصو َن ّل َّلاَ َما أَ َم َره ْم َو َي ْفعَلو َن َما ي ْؤ َمرو َن ۝‬

“O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a
fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are
(appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from

16 Yūsuf ‘Alī’, 1992: Commentary 506, p. 183.
204

executing) the Commands they receive from Allāh, but do
(precisely) what they are commanded” (Q. 66: 6).

At the same time, the members of the family are shown the way
to felicity as mentioned in a famous Prophetic tradition that
“Jannah or paradise lies under the mother’s feet”.

The family provides good and pure lineage for the
ummah. It is the sanctuary for wholesome and integrated
developments of the body, intellect, emotion, spirit, moral and
social awareness. This is so that the individuals grow with the
necessary strengths in spiritual foundation, physical fitness and
health, knowledge and skills not only to perform and
contribute in society, but also to lead in whatever capacity each
person is placed since, according to the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w.),

Each one of you is a shepherd. And each one of you will be
asked about your flock. A ruler also is a shepherd and he
will be asked about his flock. And every man is a shepherd
to his family. And a woman is the custodian of her
husband’s house and his children. Thus each one of you is
a shepherd, and each one will be asked about his flock.17

The environment in the family is conducive towards the
fulfilment of the individual’s inherent potentials, the ‘nursery’
for nurturing the theomorphic person – not unlike “...a goodly
tree, whose roots is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the

17 Bukhārī and Muslim, on the Authority of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar.
205

heavens...” (Q. 14:24-26). The hierarchy in the family provides a
training ground for the children in preparation for them for life
in the larger circle of society. The atmosphere of love in the
family is composed of two opposite yet complimentary
makeup: swiftness of discipline and mercy and compassion –
making the family unit a perfect fertile ground that propagates
highly functioning godly personalities.

2.4 The Society

The society is an extension of the family unit where the
individuals, sanctity of spirituality, the dīn (religion), the multi-
faceted intelligence, knowledge, honour and wealth are
safeguarded. How are these achieved? As for the purpose of
creation, so is the purpose of society, i.e., to serve Allāh, Lord of
all creations through human activities as the khalīfah of Allāh
on Earth, guided by the Divine Revelations (Qur’ān) and the
examples set forth by the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w) in his Sunnah. If the
family is the ‘nursery’ for the theomorphic man, the society is
the field:

i. In which these godly personalities carry out their tasks,
through their trades and professions,

ii. In moulding humanity characterised by taqwā, which
permeates every pulse and in turn propels it – much
like an ever present single source of waves at the centre
of a body of water. The periphery of the water will

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reflect the concentric waves back and thus the water is
dynamically and perpetually pulsating – with al-amru bi
al-ma‘rūf wa nahyu ‘an al-munkar.

Such is the Tawḥīdic human collectivity18 that is in
constant commune with Allāh, The Transcendently All-
Magnificent.

‫يَا أَيُّ َها الَّ ِذي َن آ َمنوا إِن تَنصروا ّل َّلاَ يَنص ْرك ْم َويثَ ِبه ْت أَ ْقدَا َمك ْم ۝‬
“O ye who believe! If ye will aid (the cause of) Allāh, He
will aid you, and plant your feet firmly” (Q. 47:7).

‫فَلَ َّما أَ َح َّس ِعي َسى ِم ْنهم ا ْلك ْف َر َقا َل َم ْن أَن َصا ِري ِإ َلى ّل هلاِ قَا َل ا ْل َح َوا ِريُّو َن نَ ْحن‬
‫أَن َصار ّل هلاِ آ َمنَّا ِبال هِلِ َوا ْش َه ْد ِبأَنَّا م ْس ِلمو َن ۝‬

“When Jesus found Unbelief on their part, he said: "Who
will be my helpers to (the work of) Allāh." Said the
disciples: "We are Allāh’s helpers: We believe in Allāh, and
do thou bear witness that we are Muslims” (Q. 3:52).

Just like the pulsating water, cool and calming, yet it is able to
carve hardened rough rocks into smooth stones, thus the
theocentric society functions through wisdom and beauty:

‫ْدع إِ ِلى َسبِي ِل َر ِبه َك ِبا ْل ِح ْك َم ِة َوا ْل َم ْو ِع َظ ِة ا ْل َح َس َن ِة َو َجا ِد ْلهم بِالَّتِي ِه َي أَ ْح َسن ِإ َّن‬
‫َربَّ َك ه َو أَ ْعلَم ِب َمن َض َّل َعن َس ِبي ِل ِه َوه َو أَ ْعلَم ِبا ْلم ْهتَ ِدي َن ۝‬

“Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and
beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are

18 As al-marḥūm Ustādh ‘Uthman described the society.
207

best and most gracious: for thy Lord Knoweth best, who
have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance” (Q.
16:125).

Here we are brought to Iḥsān (after Islām and Īmān),
another characteristic of the Islamic society and the individuals
that make up of it. According to Abū Hurairah (r.‘a), the
Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w.) said,

Iḥ sān is to worship Allāh as if you see Him, and if you do
not achieve this state of devotion, then (take it for granted
that) Allāh sees you.19

A society that functions on iḥsān will not be complacent with
mediocrity but will attempt to excel in the way it functions and
in its endeavours. Iḥsān is the pinnacle characteristic of the
best of people described in the Qur’ān (“khaira ummah” (Q.
3:110) and “ummat wasaṭ” (Q. 2:143)). Its purpose is not to
compete with any other entity, but to please Allāh, the Lord of
the Universe. It will always propel itself forward in this pursuit,
and as the Qur’ān expresses in verse 143 of Sūrah al-Baqarah,
“that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger
a witness over yourselves”. Imām Raghib al-Isfahāni eloquently
explains, as Faz’l-ul-Rahman quotes in his book, iḥsān is “…the

19 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 300.
208

creation of beauty in one’s conduct, which is achieved through
beauty in knowledge and beauty in action…” 20.

This is but an outcome of iḥsān, for īmān is professing
with the tongue, internalising in the heart and actualizing
through action, thus fashioning humanity with it, vis-à-vis,
knowing, doing and being21. Such a society is free to pursue and
express itself in the sciences, the humanities and the arts so
long as its endeavours are expressions of taqwā and iḥsān that
is within the limits of the sharī‘ah in its quest to achieve
closeness with The Lord Most Gracious. The theocratic society’s
endeavours are internally governed by its awareness of Allāh,
propelled by its love of Allāh, fear of Allāh’s Wrath and
Retribution, and yearning for Allāh’s Acceptance—an
internalisation of its accountability before Allāh S.W.T.

Taqwā demands the Islamic society to remain united:

… ‫َوا ْعتَ ِصمواْ ِب َح ْب ِل ّل هلاِ َج ِميعا َولاَ تَفَ َّرقواْ َوا ْذكرواْ نِ ْع َمةَ ّل هلاِ َعلَ ْيك ْم‬
“And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allāh
(stretches out for you), and be not divided among
yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allāh’s favour
on you…” (Q. 3:103).

Allāh S.W.T. warns the believers against

20 Muhammad Faz’l-ul-Rahman (2005): 140.
21 The Ghazzalian notion of ‘ilm, ‘amal and ḥāl.

209

‫ِم َن الَّ ِذي َن فَ َّرقوا ِدي َنه ْم َو َكانوا ِشيَعا ك ُّل ِح ْزب ِب َما لَدَ ْي ِه ْم فَ ِرحو َن ۝‬
“Those who split up their religion, and become (mere) sects
– each party rejoicing in that which is with itself!” (Q.
30:32).

‫ِل َي ْكفروا بِ َما آتَ ْينَاه ْم َفتَ َمتَّعوا فَ َس ْو َف تَ ْعلَمون ۝‬
(As if) to show their ingratitude for the (favours) We have
bestowed on them! Then enjoy (your brief day); but soon
will ye know (your folly) (Q. 30:34).

An important feature of such a society is leadership, of leading
and being led. Muslims ought to take lessons from the
congregational prayer, which is akin the strong knit that forms
the fabric of society. The Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w) was very firm against
those who did not join the congregational prayer in the
masjid22.

On the account of Abū Hurairah, r.‘a., the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w)
said,
By Him in Whose Hands my life is, I was about to order for
collecting firewood and then order someone to pronounce
the adhān for the prayer and then order someone to lead
the people in the prayer and then I would go from behind
and burn the houses of men who did not present
themselves for the (compulsory congregational) prayer
[...].

22 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Volume 9, Book 89, Number 330, ḥadīth related by Abū
Huraira (r.‘a).

210

Anyone who is at a masjid must join the congregation
irrespective of who is leading the prayer, or at which raka‘ā or
posture he is in during the jamā‘ah or congregation. Several
lessons in the context of society can be drawn here, such as
listed below, together with Qur’ānic injunctions in relation to
each.

(i) The ummah is to stay united, and not form separate
jamā‘āt or splinter groups in society.

‫َوا ْعتَ ِصمواْ ِب َح ْب ِل ّل هلاِ َج ِميعا َولاَ تَ َف َّرقواْ َوا ْذكرواْ ِن ْع َمةَ ّل هلاِ َعلَ ْيك ْم ِإ ْذ كنت ْم أَ ْعدَاء‬
‫َفأَلَّ َف َب ْي َن قلوبِك ْم فَأَ ْصبَ ْحتم بِ ِن ْع َمتِ ِه ِإ ْخ َوانا َوكنت ْم َعلَ َى َشفَا ح ْف َرة ِهم َن النَّا ِر فَأَنقَذَكم‬

‫ِهم ْن َها َكذَ ِل َك يبَيِهن ّل هلا لَك ْم آ َياتِ ِه َلعَلَّك ْم تَ ْهتَدو َن ۝‬
“And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allāh
(stretches out for you), and be not divided among
yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allāh's favour on
you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love,
so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on
the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus
doth Allāh make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be
guided” (Q. 3:103).

(ii) To keep silent and to listen to the imām’s loud recitations
attentively – i.e. to follow the established system,
continue with it by being aware of its state of affairs.

211

‫أَيُّ َها الَّ ِذي َن آ َمنواْ أَ ِطيعواْ ّل هلاَ َوأَ ِطيعواْ ال َّرسو َل َوأ ْو ِلي اْلَ ْم ِر ِمنك ْم فَإِن تَنَا َز ْعت ْم ِفي‬
‫َش ْيء َفردُّوه ِإلَى ّل هلاِ َوال َّرسو ِل إِن كنت ْم ت ْؤ ِمنو َن ِبال هِلِ َوا ْليَ ْو ِم اْل ِخ ِر ذَ ِل َك َخ ْي ٌر‬
‫َوأَ ْح َسن تَأْ ِويلا ۝‬

“O ye who believe! Obey Allāh, and obey the Rasūl and those
charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything
among yourselves, refer it to Allāh and His Messenger, if ye
believe in Allāh and the Last Day: That is best and most
suitable for the final determination” (Q. 4:59).

(iii) To follow in unison and in tandem with the rest of the
jamā‘ah, making up the missed actions afterwards – i.e. to
keep order in society by taking a position that causes the
least disruption, while planning for the best strategy in
time and in action for a remedy when when the time is
right.

‫إِ َّن ّل َّلاَ ي ِح ُّب الَّ ِذي َن يقَاتِلو َن فِي َس ِبي ِل ِه َصفا َكأَنَّهم بنيَا ٌن َّم ْرصو ٌص ۝‬
“Truly Allāh loves those who fight [or strive] in His Cause in
battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure” (Q.
61:4).

(iv) If the imām (or leader) commits an error in his recitation
(or administration in society), one of the more
knowledgeable ma’mūm or followers may loudly correct
his recitation (or leadership). At the time when a gross
error is committed due to the human weakness of a
leader or administrator of an authority, the members of

212

the society have the right and responsibility to know the
error and inform the authority with the intention of
correcting the error.

‫ا ْدع إِ ِلى َسبِي ِل َربِه َك بِا ْل ِح ْك َم ِة َوا ْل َم ْو ِع َظ ِة ا ْل َح َس َن ِة َو َجا ِد ْلهم بِالَّ ِتي ِه َي أَ ْح َسن إِ َّن‬
‫َربَّ َك ه َو أَ ْع َلم ِب َمن َض َّل َعن َس ِبي ِل ِه َوه َو أَ ْع َلم ِبا ْلم ْهتَ ِدي َن ۝‬

“Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and
beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are
best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who
have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance” (Q.
16:125).

(v) If the above is not possible, then the ma’mūm (members
of the congregation or society) who is aware, may make
intention to not follow the imām (or leader), but still
maintain respect and order, and follow in synchrony the
action of the jamā‘ah or congregation. Consultations and
corrections for the error can take place once the
immediate congregation disperses, even to the extent of
replacing the imam with another who is more competent.
This is done with the intention and hope that by
maintaining order and good for the general masses, Allāh
S.W.T. will accept the prayer or societal deeds, and bless
the people with an opening towards a better leadership.

‫َو َما ا ْختَ َل ْفت ْم ِفي ِه ِمن َش ْيء فَح ْكمه ِإ َلى ّل َّلاِ ذَ ِلكم ّل َّلا َربِهي َعلَ ْي ِه تَ َو َّك ْلت َوإِلَ ْي ِه أنِيب ۝‬

213

“Whatever it be wherein ye differ, the decision thereof is
with Allāh. Such is Allāh my Lord: In Him I trust, and to Him
I turn” (Q. 42:10).

The person in the position of leadership must be open to
criticism and must possess the characteristics and strengths of
a good leader. He (and the public) must be aware that his
authority is not absolute, for he stands accountable before The
Almighty. The hierarchy in the society is as stated by Allāh
S.W.T. in His Book: In Sūrah al-Nisā’: 59, quoted earlier, it says
“… obey Allāh, and obey the Rasūl and those charged with
authority among you…”. The public must strive to maintain
unity, obey the leader for as long as he is on the right. This must
be in line with the spirit of upholding truth and forbidding evil
through whatever position of authority or power one has; as
explained in the Prophetic injunction of correcting errors by
one’s hands or tongue or expresses displeasure in one’s heart,
which is the weakest of īmān. The principle of wisdom
(ḥikmah) forms the overarching criterion in upholding truth
and forbidding evil – taking into consideration and prioritising
the public interest over any individual inclination.

The state of the jamā‘ah (or society) very much depends
on the imām or amīr – the leader, whether he is able to bring
his charge to a state of khushū‘, of deep reverence in worship
and servitude to Allāh S.W.T. with the strength and beautiful

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