The Village Preacher

To err is human nature, but there are those who “deliberately
break God’s Law” and those who

…stray out of carelessness or negligence. Both are
responsible for their own acts or omissions. In opposition
to both are the people who are in the light of Allāh’s
Grace: for His Grace not only protects them from active
wrong (if they will only submit their will to Him) but also
from straying into the paths of temptation or
carelessness.28

Thus, it is innate for humanity to seek Divine Guidance
and Blessing. God’s Grace is within grasp, an open secret for all
who emancipate their minds, hearts and bodies from the
illegitimate shackles of the innumerable ‘pseudo-gods’. Thus,
enabling them to awaken their mind, heart, soul, and spirit into
‘reading and understanding the Signs of The One, The Absolute
and The Almighty, The Oft-Forgiving and The Merciful, both in
the form of the open book – of the world of creation abound
and the written Book – the Qur’ān and thus become
impressioned and coloured by it.

‫ِص ْبغَةَ ّل هلاِ َو َم ْن أَ ْح َسن ِم َن ّل هلاِ ِص ْبغَة َو َن ْحن لَه َعا ِبدو َن ۝‬
“(We take our) colour from Allāh – sibghata”Llāh, and
who is better than Allāh at colouring. We are His
worshippers” (Q. al-Baqarah, 2:138).

28 Ibid.

315

“Sibghat Allāh” – the colouring of Allāh S.W.T. refers to those
who live their lives in total submission to Him, who receive
hues from His colouring for they are totally immersed by the
Light of the Lord. Whose light can surpass that which shines
forth from Allāh S.W.T. – “… ‫ – ّل َّلا نور ال َّس َما َوا ِت َوا ْْلَ ْر ِض‬Allāh, the
Light of the Heavens and the Earth…”29? When the spiritually
ethical is in the counsel of the Supreme Light, he is shielded
from the mirage of misguidance by clouded human reasoning
which, out of ignorance and arrogance, detaches himself from
his Creator and his very (holistic) being.

3.2 Qur’ānic Guidance

Allāh S.W.T The Omnipotent refers to the Qur’ān itself as Tanzīl
– The Revelation and as Qur'ān – to be read, recited or
proclaimed30:

‫تَن ِزيل ا ْل ِكتَا ِب ِم َن ّل َّلاِ ا ْلعَ ِزي ِز ا ْل َح ِكي ِم ۝‬
“The Revelation of this Book is from Allāh, the Exalted in
Power, full of Wisdom”(Q. al-Zumar, 39:1; al-Jāthiyah,
45:2; al-Aḥqāf, 46:2).

‫ِإنَّا أَن َز ْلنَاه ق ْرآنا َع َربِيا لَّ َعلَّك ْم تَ ْع ِقلو َن ۝‬
“We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'ān, in order that
ye may learn wisdom” (Q. Yūsuf, 12:2).

29 Q. al-Nūr, 24:35.
30 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Ali, The Holy Qur’ān, p. 546.

316

It is also referred to as al-Kitāb al-Ḥakīm – The Book of Wisdom
and as al-Furqān – The Criterion:

‫الر تِ ْل َك آيَات ا ْل ِكتَا ِب ا ْل َح ِكي ِم ۝‬
“Alif Lām Rā, These are the Āyāt of the Book of Wisdom”
(Q. Yȗnus, 10:1).

‫تَبَا َر َك الَّ ِذي نَ َّز َل ا ْلف ْرقَا َن َعلَى َع ْب ِد ِه ِليَكو َن ِل ْلعَالَ ِمي َن نَ ِذيرا ۝‬
“Blessed is He who sent down The Criterion to His servant,
that it may be an admonition to all creatures” (Q. al-
Furqān, 25:1).

We are informed that the Qur’ān is the Revealed Words of
Allāh, God The Supreme, The Powerful, The Wise, so that
humankind can learn wisdom. Whose wisdom qualifies for the
utmost validity than that from The Lord of Wisdom, through
His Book of Wisdom? How will humankind learn wisdom? The
Creator draws our attention to His Āyāt, which are His Signs,
each one a drop of Divine Wisdom. Out of His bountiful Mercy
and Grace to all His creatures, He sent the Revelations of His
Will, in His infinite Open Book of Nature – al-waḥy ghayr al-
matluw, and in the definite Book al-Qur’ān in human language –
al-waḥyu al-matluww31; the former to be ‘read’ in light of the

31 Al-Marḥūm Ustādh Muhammad ‘Uthman El-Muhammady used the
following phrases: al-waḥy ghayr al-matluww – the revelation without
recitation in human language, and al-wah̦y al-matluw – the revelation recited
in human language to refer to āyāt Allāh fī al-kawn – God’s Signs in the

317

latter, which gives clear directions, glad-tidings and
admonitions to all. The Qur’ān is the Book through which Allāh
S.W.T. guides and gives humans the wisdom to exercise reason,
to judge between right and wrong. It is of significance to note
that the Lord attributes Himself as “...The Light of the Heavens
and the Earth...” in Sūrah al-Nūr – the Light, which is the
preceding chapter to al-Furqān – the Criterion. The Qur’ān thus
illuminates the intellect to enable humans to distinguish
between true and false, right and wrong by Allāh’s Light32.

Allāh S.W.T further declares that it is through His Book –
“al-Kitāb al-Mubīn” – that things are made clear (by His Divine
Light):

‫ِت ْل َك آيَات ا ْل ِكتَا ِب ا ْلم ِبي ِن ۝‬
“These are Verses of the Book that makes (things) clear” (Q.
al-Qaṣaṣ, 28:2).

In Sūrah Luqmān, He speaks of the Qurān as “al-Kitābi al-
Ḥakīm” – “the Wise Book”, “Huda” – “a Guide” and “Raḥmah” –
“Mercy” and in Sūrah al-Isrā’ as “shifā’ ” – “Healing”:

‫الم ۝ ِت ْل َك آيَات ا ْل ِكتَا ِب ا ْل َح ِكي ِم ۝ هدى َو َر ْح َمة ِله ْلم ْح ِسنِي َن ۝‬

cosmos and āyāt Allāh fī al-Qur’ān – God’s Signs in the Qur’ānic verses
respectively.
32 ‘A. Yūsuf ‘Ali, The Holy Qur’ān, 889.

318

“Alif Lām Mīm. These are Verses of the Wise Book – A
Guide and a Mercy to the doers of Good” (Q. Luqmān,
31:1-3).

‫َون َن ِهزل ِم َن ا ْلق ْرآ ِن َما ه َو ِش َفاء َو َر ْح َمةٌ ِله ْلم ْؤ ِمنِي َن َولاَ يَ ِزيد ال َّظا ِل ِمي َن إَلاَّ َخ َسارا‬
‫۝‬

“We sent down in the Qur’ān that which is a Healing and a
Mercy to those who believe...” (Q. al-Isrā’, 17:82).

The Qurān is also referred to as “Kitāb huwa al-Ḥaqq” – “the
Book (which) is the Truth”; as well as “Bashīran wa nadhīra” –
“giving Good News and Admonition”:

‫َوالَّ ِذي أَ ْو َح ْينَا ِإلَ ْي َك ِم َن ا ْل ِكتَا ِب ه َو ا ْل َح ُّق م َص ِدهقا ِله َما بَ ْي َن يَدَ ْي ِه إِ َّن ّل َّلاَ بِ ِع َبا ِد ِه لَ َخبِي ٌر‬
‫َب ِصي ٌر ۝‬

“That which We have revealed to thee of the Book is the
Truth – confirming what was (revealed) before it: for
Allāh is assuredly with respect to His servants, Well
acquainted and fully Observant” (Q. Fāṭir, 35:31).

‫ِكتَا ٌب ف ِ هصلَ ْت آيَاته ق ْرآنا َع َربِيا ِلهقَ ْوم يَ ْع َلمو َن ۝ َب ِشيرا َونَ ِذيرا َفأَ ْع َر َض أَ ْكثَره ْم‬
‫فَه ْم َلا َي ْس َمعو َن ۝‬

“A Book thereof the verses are explained in detail – a
Qur’ān in Arabic, for people who understand. Giving Good
News and Admonition: yet most of them turn away…” (Q.
Fuṣṣilat, 41:3-4).

319

Hence, the Qur’ān as a Book of Guidance is the key with which
humankind unlocks the door towards deliverance, true success
and felicity. It is a comprehensive ‘manual’ given to humanity
from The Creator on how to lead his life, how to tread his way
along the straight path despite the tangles of routes that will
definitely lead him astray.

3.3 Tawḥīd and the Innate Nature of Humankind

Tawḥīd, the unwavering and absolute Oneness of God in Islam,
is the epicentre of spirituality and ethics of the Qur’ān and the
Sunnah of the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w). Allāh S.W.T. is the Absolute, One
and Only worthy of fidelity, veneration and worship33. He is
The Truth, Present, Living, Eternal and controls all that is in the
Heavens and Earths34. Allāh S.W.T. is The Lord, The Sustainer,
The Cherisher and The Master – Rabb of all creations. The
Arabic word tarbiyyah shares the same root (i.e. rabb) as the
verb yurabbi, meaning ‘raise’ (as in raise a child). Thus, it
conveys not only the idea of fostering, bringing up or
nourishing, but also that of regulating, completing,
accomplishing, cherishing, sustaining and bringing to maturity
through the stages of development, from the earliest state to
that of the highest. Sūrah al-Fātiḥah states clearly that Allāh
S.W.T. is Lord of the worlds – Rabb al-‘ālamīn, Who takes care,
nourishes and fosters through every stage of existence,

33 Q. al-Ikhlāṣ, 112:1-4.
34 Q. al-Fātiḥah, 1:1-7.

320

everything that exists35 and gives tarbiyyah to humankind
through tests, trials and tribulations that humans go through in
life.

35 Aqeedah.wordpress.com (2007) defines the word rabb as the following:
“Rabb is an Arabic linguistic term used for the owner – Mālik, the
master – as-Sayyid, the one who takes care of, sustains and nourishes –
al-Qayyūm, and provides or takes care of everything – ar-Razzāq) (from
Lisan al-Arab by ibn Mandhoor (d. 711)) . This definition includes the
following: (i) True and complete owner, (ii) The one with the right to be
obeyed, and (iii) The One who nourishes and sustains. This also means
tawḥīd of Allāh in His Actions, i.e. only Allāh nourishes, gives life, and
sustains. No other being can do the things He does, no one else can
legislate, or has the right to be obeyed other than Allāh.
It is also important to know that creation is not mentioned in
this definition, but it is implied by complete ownership, because only
the Creator has the complete right of ownership. The One who creates
out of nothing is the One with the right to legislate, and no one else has
that right.
The word tarbiyyah is also derived from the same root, and
means to take care of. Allāh is the One who takes care of everything.
The existence of creation is dependent upon Allāh. Rabb is used to
mean the one who is obeyed. Some have explained it to mean fostering
things in such a manner as to make them attain one condition after
another until they reach their goal of completion. Thus, it conveys not
only the idea of fostering, bringing up or nourishing, but also that of
regulating, completing, accomplishing, cherishing, sustaining and
bringing to maturity by evolution from the earliest state to that of the
highest perfection.”

(Italics and transliteration added by author of the paper)
__, ‘Meaning of Rabb’, in Aqeedah, (Aqeedahwordpress.com: Posted on
February 19, 2007. Filed under: 101 - Ruboobiyyah and Uloohiyyah),

321

When humankind perseveres on the straight path
through the tests of time, his innate Tawḥidic epicentre
amalgamates and fuses into the soul of his rūḥ, pulsating in
harmonious tandem within his core, his nafs, radiating outward
through the reason of his ‘aql and heartfelt realisation of his
qalb, colouring all of his endeavours. The firm conviction of his
utterance of submission and internalisation of belief, his islām
and īmān draws him towards a deep-seated God consciousness
or taqwā, fearing His wrath and retributions and yearning for
His acceptance and forgiveness. This keeps him within the
periphery of what is wholesome and away from the unlawful.
He never fails in his rajā’, in having his hopes in Allāh S.W.T.,
while striving towards taqarrub, nearness to Him in all his acts
of servitude and deeds of virtue, ‘ubūdiyyah and ‘amal ṣāliḥ. He
is not swayed by whatever the outcome of his good striving and
virtuous deeds may be (whether it is to the desired or
otherwise), for he submits to Allāh S.W.T. in full humility and
puts his faith solely in Him – tawakkal ‘ala Allāh. Even when he
errs, and falls out of the perimeter of wholesomeness, the
Tawḥīdic light that is within his core will pull him towards
Allāh in repentance, tawbah, so that he is back on the course of
the radiating light of īmān and taqwā.

<http://aqeedah.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/meaning-of-rabb/>, (accessed
Jan. 2nd, 2012).

322

The human being is certainly very much in need of God
and his whole life and endeavours should be in line with God’s
prescription as revealed in the Qur’ān and exemplified by the
last Prophet, Muhammad (ṣ.‘a.w). Humankind’s constant and
perpetual need of God is due to the nature of his creation – his
fiṭrah, and in resonance with his raison d’être.

‫ه َو الَّ ِذي َخلَ َقكم ِهمن ِطين ث َّم قَ َضى أَ َجلا َوأَ َج ٌل ُّمسمى ِعندَه ث َّم أَنت ْم تَ ْمتَرو َن ۝‬
“He it is Who created you from clay, and then decreed a
stated term...” (Q. al-An‘ām, 6:2).

‫ث َّم َج َع َل نَ ْسلَه ِمن س َلالَة ِهمن َّماء َّم ِهين ۝ ث َّم َس َّواه َونَفَ َخ فِي ِه ِمن ُّرو ِح ِه َو َج َع َل‬
‫لَكم ال َّس ْم َع َوا ْْلَ ْب َصا َر َوا ْْلَ ْفئِدَةَ َق ِليلا َّما تَ ْشكرو َن ۝‬

“And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature
of a fluid despised. But He fashioned him in due
proportion, and breathed into him something of His Spirit.
And He gave you (the faculty of) hearing and sight...” (Q.
al-Sajdah, 32:8-9).

The origin of humankind is lowly (from clay and a sperm
drop) yet sanctified in that Allāh S.W.T. Himself “...breathed
unto him (something) of His Spirit...”; perfected in form that He
has “...indeed created man in the best of moulds”36 and endowed
him with “...hearing and sight...” and the faculty of knowledge
through “...the names of all things...”37 and of reason and

36 Q. al-Tīn, 95:4.
37 Q. al-Baqarah, 2:31.

323

choice38. Upon God’s creation of Ādam (‘a.s.), Allāh S.W.T.
honoured this creation of His by ordering the angels and jinns
to “...bow down to Ādam...”39. These verses tell us that the form
of humankind is entirely physical, but because the human has
been graced by having in him (something) of the Lord’s Spirit,
he is principally spiritual. For this reason, humankind, very
much a spiritual being encapsulated in a physical body, is
endowed with godly potentials that if fully realised, is elevated
to the level of a fully functioning theomorphic human – insān
rabbāniyyah – a godly person. Humankind’s inherent nature,
his fiṭrah, is potentially god-like, in full congruence with the
purpose of his being – thus the unity of his existence with all
that have been created, in cosmological order as well as in
purpose, i.e., in abiding to God’s Law and Moral Ethical Order.

Hence when modern thoughts set humankind apart from
his spirituality, it is to deny the human being of himself, of the
wholeness of his being and the transcendental potentials
within him. This reduces him to the level of animals (albeit
intelligent), with only physical, emotional and biological hunger
needing satisfaction; when on the contrary, spirituality makes
up the greatest and lasting part of his being. Even more tragic,
modern scientific thoughts have reduced humankind so much
that they are comparable to mechanical machines. The

38 Q. Yūnus, 10:99; al-Baqarah, 2:256.
39 Q. al-Baqarah, 2:34.

324

marginalisation of the spirituality of humankind is akin to
humans depriving themselves of their biological self thus
leaving themselves hungry, withered and eventually starving to
death. This is the very thing that berefts the spirit of modern
humankind. Whence he chooses to proceed against his inherent
spiritual nature and claims his reason to be most supreme and
“...looks upon himself as self-sufficient”40 – he is abased “...to the
lowest of the low”41, where he is enveloped by convolutions of
darkness, gluts of confusion upon confusion, crisis on top of
crises.

3.4 The Primordial Covenant and the Purpose of Creation

When the modern humankind looks upon himself as
independent from God and His Revelation, he bereaves himself
of a whole universe of absolute and objective knowledge at the
level of certainty. The ‘here and now’ modern secular human
devotes his lifetime exercising his intellect with the utmost
vigour in the pursuit of knowing, alas with no higher than base
utility and with intention keeps himself, blind folded while his
hearing is sealed shut. He has no knowledge of or even concern
for the purpose of his creation – where he comes from and his
end. His core is empty, devoid of meaning.

40 Q. al-‘Alaq, 96:6-7.
41 Q. al-Tīn, 95:5.

325

‫َو َمثَل الَّ ِذي َن َكفَرواْ َك َمثَ ِل الَّ ِذي يَ ْن ِعق ِب َما لاَ يَ ْس َمع إِلاَّ د َعاء َونِدَاء ص ٌّم ب ْك ٌم ع ْم ٌي‬
‫َفه ْم لاَ َي ْع ِقلو َن ۝‬

“The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to
shout like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but
calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of
wisdom” (Q. al-Baqarah, 2:171).

On the contrary, the Qur’ān informs humankind of his
beginning – his primordial Covenant with Allāh S.W.T , Lord of
all creations:

‫َو ِإ ْذ أَ َخذَ َربُّ َك ِمن بَ ِني آدَ َم ِمن ظهو ِر ِه ْم ذ ِهريَّتَه ْم َوأَ ْش َهدَه ْم َعلَى أَنف ِس ِه ْم أَ َل ْست‬
‫ِب َربِهك ْم َقالواْ بَ َلى َش ِه ْدنَا أَن تَقولواْ َي ْو َم ا ْل ِقيَا َم ِة إِنَّا كنَّا َع ْن َهذَا َغا ِف ِلي َن ۝‬

“When thy Lord drew forth from the children of Ādam –
from their loins – their descendants, and made them
testify concerning themselves (saying): "Am I not your
Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?" They said: "Yea!
We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of
Judgement: “Of this we were never mindful" (Q. al-A‘rāf,
7:172).

Thus, each person has within him the innate bond with
The Divine Creator, for he participated actively upon this
Primordial Covenant, before the conception of his physical
earthly life. Yūsuf ‘Alī in his commentary of the above verse
explains that by accepting the covenant, humankind has in turn
certain duties to bear and fulfil. His reason has to conform to
the Absolute Truth, his inclinations and will to the Will of the
Absolute and his speech and action to what Allāh The Absolute

326

ordains of humankind. In brief, in response for all the blessings
and gifts that Allāh S.W.T. has given, he must remember his real
nature and always keep before him the real goal of his
terrestrial journey. He must know who he is, the purpose of his
creation and where he is going.42

Allāh S.W.T. did not create humankind but to worship
Him.

‫َو َما َخلَ ْقت ا ْل ِج َّن َوا ْل ِإن َس إِ َّلا ِليَ ْعبدو ِن ۝‬
“I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve
Me” (Q. al-Dhāriyāt, 51:56).

Some of the characteristics of the people who submit to The
Creator, and thus will eventually attain felicity, i.e., al-falāḥ, are
those who observe the ethical spirituality of the Qur’ān, such as
(i) being humble in prayers; (ii) avoiding vain talk; (iii) being
active in deeds of charity; (iv) abstaining from illegal sex; (v)
observing their trusts and covenants; and (vi) strictly guarding
their prayers43. They are also those

‫الَّ ِذي َن يَ ْذكرو َن ّل هلاَ ِق َياما َوقعودا َو َع َل َى جنو ِب ِه ْم َويَتَ َف َّكرو َن فِي َخ ْل ِق ال َّس َما َوا ِت‬
‫َواْلَ ْر ِض َربَّنَا َما َخ َل ْق َت َهذا بَا ِطلا س ْب َحا َن َك فَ ِ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

42 Yūsuf ‘Alī (1992), 395.
43 Q. al-Mu’minūn, 23:1-11.

327

thought): "Our Lord! Not for naught hast Thou created
(all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty
of the fire” (Q. Āl ‘Imrān, 3:191).

This verse is a clear indication that in the course of submitting
and serving Allāh S.W.T., humanity is commanded to exercise
the intellect in contemplation (fikr) of Allāh’s Signs within him
and his surroundings, in the heavens and earth44 and to
constantly remember Him (dhikr). There are many verses in
the Qur’ān instructing humankind to think, ponder and reflect,
as well as the rest of intellection in fikr and dhikr, in order to
gain knowledge and wisdom, to have the criterion of what
constitute as good and bad, to exercise good deeds and thus
achieve proximity to Him. The illuminated intellection of the
ūlū’l-albāb45 – the unblemished hearts that live by constant fikr
and dhikr, receive clarity of understanding in lieu of their
observance of the Qur’ānic spiritual ethics and unwavering
servitude to The Lord Creator – transcends above and is not by
any means to be equated to the base free-thinking of the
modern ethicists. Divinely illuminated intellection and worship
bring those on the path of spiritual ethics closer towards
felicity and blissfulness, al-falāh and al-sa‘ādah, which may
come in this world, but is certain and lasting in the hereafter as

44 These are al-waḥy ghayr al-matluww – the revelation without recitation in
human language, in the form of āyāt Allāh fī al-kawn – God’s signs in the
cosmos.
45 Q. 3:190 is one of 14 verses in the Qur’ān addressing the ūlū al-albāb.

328

promised by Allāh S.W.T. in the above verse – they will inherit
Paradise and will dwell therein forever.

To fulfil 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 person, an embodiment of godly makeup. Such a
person seeks learning and knowledge so much so that he is
changed inwardly, affecting his outward behavioural habits and
becoming inseparable from the values of which he learned – as
that which al-Ghazālī terms as ‘ilm, ‘amal and ḥāl – knowledge,
doing and being respectively. He is one with a fully integrated
personality (shakhṣiyyah mutakāmilah), whose intellect (‘aql),
heart (qalb), soul (nafs) and spirit (rūḥ) are so illuminated and
fused by God’s Light that as explained in the following ḥadīth
Qudsy:

...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...46

46 Allāh S.W.T. 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

329

A person in such a state has all his faculties and actions tuned
towards the godly qualities to the extent that these qualities
are inherently embedded in him, they form his state of being or
habitus i.e. malakah47. The Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w) and his Sunnah is a
‘living’ example of the perfect insān rabbāniyyah for all to
emulate through every facet of living48 and his message
delivers humankind “...from the depths of Darkness into
Light...”49 for he stands “...on an exalted standard of character”50.

3.5 Humankind’s Vicegerency

As a servant of Allāh, humankind is appointed as khalīfah Allāh
fī al-’arḍ – His vicegerent on earth.

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.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 509; Ezzeddin Ibrahim (Trans.), Al-
Nawāwi's Forty Hadith (Islamic Texts Society: 1997).
47Malakah is an important concept brought about by Ibn Khaldūn in his
Muqaddimah, often stressed by al-Marhūm Ustādh ‘Uthman El-Muhammady
in his lectures, which he translated as ‘habitus’. See Muhammad ‘Uthman El-
Muhammady, “Building the Human Capital in the ‘Malakah’ Concept of Ibn
Khaldun”, in Jurnal Hadhari, ISSN 1985-6830, (UKM: 2008).
48 Q. al-Aḥzāb, 33: 21.
49 Q. al-Ṭalāq, 65:11.
50 Q. al-Qalam, 68:4.

330

‫َوإِ ْذ قَا َل َربُّ َك ِل ْل َملاَئِ َك ِة إِنِهي َجا ِع ٌل فِي اْلَ ْر ِض َخ ِلي َفة َقالواْ أَتَ ْج َعل 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 لَ َك قَا َل إِ ِنهي أَ ْعلَم َما لاَ تَ ْع َلمو َ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)?2
He said: “I know what ye know not”” (Q. al-Baqarah, 2:30).

This vicegerency necessitates that humankind manages
himself, his family and society, his environment and the
universe in full humility, submission and subservience to God’s
Laws, to safeguard and preserve in totality nature’s intricate
systems and fragile balance. Allāh S.W.T. says of humankind’s
task while on earth,

‫َوه َو الَّ ِذي َجعَ َلك ْم َخلاَئِ َف اْلَ ْر ِض َو َر َف َع َب ْع َضك ْم َف ْو َق َب ْعض دَ َر َجات ِله َي ْبل َوك ْم فِي‬
‫َما آتَاك ْم إِ َّن َربَّ َك َس ِريع ا ْل ِع َقا ِب َو ِإنَّه َلغَفو ٌر َّر ِحي ٌم ۝‬

“It is He Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the
earth: He hath raised you in ranks, some above others:
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” (Q. al-An‘ām, 6:165).

Allāh in His Mercy does not leave humankind on his arduous
task alone. He is taught all manners of knowing “And He taught
Ādam the names of all things…”51 and sent guidance in the

51 Q. al-Baqarah, 2:31.

331

forms of Revelations and Messengers. Thus, the human is
tasked to manage the earth in accordance to God’s decrees as
prescribed in the Qur’ān and Sunnah. In matters pertaining to
issues of contemporary concerns – the consensus of the
scholars, ijmā‘ al ‘ulamā’ and examples set by pious people
whose spirituality are coloured with the spiritual ethics of the
Qur’ān, are sought. It is thus incumbent on each person, as
Allāh’s vicegerent on the earth, to enjoin and propagate good
and forbid evil, al-’amru bi al-ma‘rūf wa al-nahyu ‘an al-
munkar52 according to his authority, capacity and ability, to live
the examples set by the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w) in spreading mercy for
all.

‫َولَ َق ْد َكتَ ْب َنا فِي ال َّزبو ِر ِمن َب ْع ِد ال ِذه ْك ِر أَ َّن ا ْْلَ ْر َض يَ ِرث َها ِعبَا ِد َي ال َّصا ِلحو َن ۝ ِإ َّن‬
‫فِي َهذَا َل َب َلاغا ِلهقَ ْوم َعابِ ِدي َن ۝ َو َما أَ ْر َس ْل َنا َك ِإ َّلا َر ْح َمة ِله ْل َعالَ ِ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 (O Muḥammad) not,
but as a Mercy for all creatures” (Q. al-Anbiyā’, 21: 105-
107).

3.6 The Prophetic Ethics

The Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w) possessed the prophetic conscience and
psychology that qualified him as the direct receptacle of the
Divine Message, which otherwise ordinary humankind would

52 Q. Āl ‘Imrān, 3:104.

332

not be able to bear. The Prophet’s (ṣ.‘a.w) psyche was so
exalted that it negated him from any egocentric tendencies and
submitted him fully to the Divine Will, purifying him from any
fixation towards earthly inclinations, so as to allow
unobstructed penetration of the Divine Light and Message. The
way in which the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w) lived, his Sunnah, is a sentient
example of the perfect insān rabbāniyyah, the pure Qur’ānically
integrated spiritual ethics personified in flesh and blood -
shakhṣiyyah mutakāmilah, for the believers to emulate. Indeed,
such an astounding luminary with unblemished spiritual
illumination was he, who stands “...on an exalted standard of
character”53, whose message delivers humankind “...from the
depths of Darkness into Light...”

… ‫ّل هلا َو ِل ُّي الَّ ِذي َن آ َمنواْ ي ْخ ِرجهم ِهم َن ال ُّظل َما ِت إِلَى النُّو ِر‬
“Allāh is the Protector of those who have faith: from the
depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light...” (Q.
al-Baqarah, 2:257).

On the contrary, the modern ethicists are:

‫… َوالَّ ِذي َن َك َفرواْ أَ ْو ِليَآؤهم ال َّطاغوت ي ْخ ِرجونَهم ِهم َن النُّو ِر إِلَى ال ُّظل َما ِت أ ْولَـئِ َك‬
‫أَ ْص َحاب النَّا ِر ه ْم فِي َها َخا ِلدو َن ۝‬

“… Of those who reject faith the patrons are the Evil Ones:
from light they will lead them forth into the depths of

53 Q. al-Qalam, 68:4.

333

darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell
therein (for ever)” (Q. al-Baqarah, 2:257).

3.7 Qur’ānic Ethics: Sanctity of Beings

The transcendental nature of the spiritually awakened human
and his relation with Allāh S.W.T. draws him to be a Qur’ānic
ethical being. He battles within against the base desires of his
nafs al-’ammāratu bi al-sū’54 until he is capable of extinguishing
the devilish wicked impulses. He strives in taming the nafs al-
lawwāmah55 – the self-reproaching soul and thus perseveres in
the battles within his self, the jihād al-nafs between the pull of
earthly bedazzlements and his yearning for spiritual commune
with Allāh S.W.T., between his base physical impulses and his
god-like potentialities.

Since humankind in this case is cognisant of the Divine
Presence, he does not let his love of the worldly possessions
overcome and enslave him. “Such are the possessions of this
world's life, but in nearness to Allāh is the best of the goals.”56. He
is conscious of his purpose of being, his Covenant with the
Lord, and his moral obligation to al-’amr bi al-ma‘rūf wa al-
naḥyu ‘an al-munkar, enjoining in propagating good and
forbidding evil. He strives to enliven the examples set by the

54 Q. Yūsuf, 12:53.
55 Q. al-Qiyāmah, 75:2.
56 Q. Āl ‘Imrān, 3:14.

334

Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w) and through the paths of his physical life, he
exercises mercy and compassion and

‫ا ْدع إِ ِلى َسبِي ِل َربِه َك بِا ْل ِح ْك َم ِة َوا ْل َم ْو ِع َظ ِة ا ْل َح َسنَ ِ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 َسبِي ِ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 best and most gracious: for thy Lord Knoweth best,
who have strayed from His Path, and who receive
guidance” (Q. al-Naḥl, 16:125).

His speech is gentle, but aptly profound, relevant and valid as
what is professed is none other, but the absolute truth as
revealed in the Qur’ān and exemplified by the sunnah – not the
fiction of an unguided, clouded reason whose motives are but
egocentric, base, truncated and limited to the yearnings of
worldly impulses.

The person of Qur’ānic ethics strives to fulfil his duties as
khalīfah of Allāh S.W.T on this earth by living his life in
submission to his Creator, striving to acquiesce to his Lord
Sustainer. This striving is safeguarded through all his dealings
and relationships: (i) Ḥablum min-a Allāh – with God; and (ii)
Ḥablum min-a al-nās – with fellow human beings in faith, as
well as the non-believers, his family, society and his
environment, the natural world and the built. His whole self,
mind, body, emotion and spirit, is free from any worldly
shackles. He is unlike the modern ethicist who, under the

335

alleged reason of ethics and good moral, places one’s ideas and
thinking on the pedestal of pseudo-godhood, enslaved by one’s
own thinking, bereft from guidance. Whence the modernist
exploit all resources for his maximum utility, the spiritually
ethical treats all around him as God given trust with careful
handling and respectful management, the yield of which
benefits all, not for his self-centred utility, but to gain nearness
to Allāh S.W.T.

The one on the path of Qur’ānic spiritual ethics is in
possession of knowledge with certainty – that which a human
does in life transcends the boundaries of time and space. His
acts carry repercussions – both within the span of his earthly
existence and in the eternal life after death. He is accountable in
front of The Lord57, and will be rewarded for his righteous
deeds or chastised for his injustices towards his fiṭrah, thus he
is one that embodies taqwā, the one that is piously ever
conscious of Allāh S.W.T. As such, he safeguards the rights of
individuals, their sanctity of spirituality, the religion – al-dīn,
the multi-faceted intelligence, knowledge, honour and wealth –
to the pinnacle of iḥsān. On the narration of Abū Hurayrah
(r.‘a), the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w) said,

57 Q. Al-Fātiḥah,1:4-7.

336

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. 58

The Qur’ānic spiritual ethics is the most exalted station of the
faithful and sincere servants of God, in the course of which he
achieves rightful realization of virtues, through veritable
understanding and attaining lessons from God’s attributes –
asmā’ Allāh S.W.T. thus gaining godlike qualities. This exalted
station may be achieved through devoted observance of the
Qur’ān and Sunnah by way of the path laid by the consensus of
the scholars – ijmā‘ al-‘ulamā’ and examples set by the rightly-
guided pious whose characters clearly show colouration by
Allāh S.W.T. Indeed, the pinnacle of the spiritually ethical is
iḥsān.

Humankind that embodies ihṣ ān will not settle with
anything, but the finest in whatever he concerns his self with,
for the purpose is not to compete with any other entity, but to
please Allāh the Lord of the Universe, to be in the presence of
the Omnipotent, Omniscient. He always propels forward in this
pursuit, as Imām Rāghib al-Isfahānī eloquently explains, and as
Faẓl-ul-Raḥ mān al-Ansari quotes in his book – iḥsān is “...the
creation of beauty in one’s conduct, which is achieved through

58 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Volume 5, book 60, Number 300,
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/sunnah/bukhari/, (accessed January 1st,
2012).

337

beauty in knowledge and beauty in action...”59. This is so since
īmān is professing with the tongue, internalising into the heart
and actualizing through action, viz-à-viz what al-Ghazāli terms
as knowing – ‘ilm, doing – ‘amal and being – ḥāl. He is free to
pursue and express himself in his endeavours as long as they
are manifestations of taqwā and iḥsān, radiating outward from
his core of Tawḥīd within the periphery of the shārī‘ah. This he
devotes his life onto, in his longing quest for nearness with The
Lord’s Presence, with utmost patience and constancy. Such is
humankind with spiritual vigilance and perseverance in
submission to the Will of the Lord. He receives the Divine
barakah whereby his mortal efforts are multiplied in blessings
to transcend beyond earthly limits, and he is blessed with such
a “spiritual witnessing and profound contemplative
intelligence”60 that his person embodies humility – khushū‘,
thankfulness – shukr, constancy - ṣabr and unshakable
conviction – yaqīn. He is the person who embodies the apex of
the Qur’ānic spiritual ethicality, pleased and well pleasing – al-

59 Fazl-ul-Rahman al-Ansari, The Qur’ānic Foundations and Structure of
Muslim Society (Islamic Book Trust: Kuala Lumpur, Vol I, 2008), p. 140.
60 “Spiritual witnessing and profound contemplative intelligence” is al-
Marhūm Ustādh Uthman El-Muhammady’s explanation for the concept of
mushāhadah of iÍsān, ie. “to worship Allāh as if you see Him, and if you do
not achieve this state of devotion, then Allāh sees you”.

338

nafs al-Muṭma’innah61 whom the Lord Himself invites by His
Majesty and Grace to His Eternal Presence and abode.

CONCLUSION

Western modern period is brought about by the irreconcilable
conflicts between science’s assertion of objectivity and the
paradoxical claims of the church, which resulted in numerous
indictments against science. One salient feature shared among
all Modern theories is the absolute freedom, ascendancy and
superiority of the human reason given over and above
revelation, where God is reduced as a mere historical product
of fickle imagination of the unsophisticated human mind and
where religion is shelved off to the private and personal
domain. This apprehension against the theology, dogma and
authorities of the church may be understood by looking into
the evolutionary history of the Bible itself, reducing the text to
be all, but unadulterated revealed words of God. It is no wonder
that modern humankind rejoice at what they perceive as
liberation from any form of authority except the rationale of
reason and empiricism.

However, the 300 years or so of history during the
modern period proves innumerable faults and loopholes in the
modernists’ premises, thoughts and philosophies. While still
jubilant about their ‘freedom’, it becomes apparent that

61 Q. al-Fajr, 89:27-30.

339

modern ethics robs human of their holistic nature, bereaves
them of their innate and intimate yearning for God and leaves
them enslaved at the utility of their own clouded and corrupt
reason, grappling in the ever-proliferating darkness of
convoluted jargons and confused minds. When reason invents
right and wrong, the glut of uncertainties – what is to be
considered good, what evil is inevitable in the world whose
ethics is defined by the modernists: Whose definition of good;
which authority should decide what is amoral; how should one
discern right from wrong; and whose criteria should we use?
The philosophy of each school of ethical thought argues back
and forth since more than 300 years ago bearing no fruit except
futility, crises and further confusion.

When modern thoughts bereave the human of his
spirituality, it is to deny the human of his self, reducing him to
the level of animals (so claims Western modern science),
leaving his spirit hungry, withered and eventually starving to
death (so say the post-modernists with their annihilation of
truth and fatalistic declaration of the death of humankind). If
the modernists revolt against the unyielding and paradoxical
church, contemporary postmodernists protest against
modernism and its science’s claims of objectivity and authority.
Is humanity in any better situation? As long as humankind
repudiates the authority of the One God who is The All-
Knowing, direction from His Revelation and Guidance, and

340

places his reason to be supreme, he is enveloped by
convolutions of darkness upon undulating darkness.

It is of the essence for Muslims to be able to discern with
accuracy the fundamental premises of all the modernist and
postmodernist thoughts for our own felicity. However crucial
the previous statement is – it is more so our spiritual and
ethical obligation to equip ourselves well with the
prerequisites of ‘ilm and ḥāl so as to enable us to put forward
and present to the confusingly chaotic world as part of our
‘amal, an unequivocal ethics from our Lord The Supreme.
Through the teachings of His al-Kitāb al Ḥakīm as the Furqān,
we must bring forth to life the legacy of the Prophet (ṣ.‘a.w.)
who is Raḥmatan li al-‘ālamīn. The observations made and
succinctly stated more than 900 years ago with profound
eloquence by Hujjat al Islām, Imām al-Ghazāli in his Kimiyā’ al-
Sa‘ādāh, the Alchemy of Happiness, is worthy of our
contemplation:

The occupation of the animal is eating, sleeping and
fighting; therefore if you are an animal, busy yourself in
these things. Devils are busy in stirring up mischief, and
in guile and deceit; if you belong to them, do their work.
Angels contemplate the beauty of God and are entirely

341

free from animal qualities; if you are of angelic nature,
then strive towards your origin…62

‫… إِنَّا ِل هِلِ َوإِنَّـا ِإلَ ْي ِه َرا ِجعو َن ۝‬
“… From Allāh we came and to Him is our return” (Q. al-
Baqarah 2:156).

62 Al-Ghazali, Kimiya-e Saadat, The Alchemy of Happiness, revised and edited
based on the translation by Claude Field (Islamic Book Trust: Kuala Lumpur,
2007), pg. 4.

342

REFERENCES

Al-Ghazali. (2007). Kimiya-e Saadat, The Alchemy of Happiness. Revised
and edited based on the translation by Claude Field. Kuala Lumpur:
Islamic Book Trust.

‘Ali, A. Y. (1992). The Holy Qur’ān, Text, Translation and Commentary.
Brentwood, Maryland: Amana Cooperation.

Ansari, Fazl-ul-Rahman. (2008). The Qur’ānic Foundations and Structure of
Muslim Society. Vol 1. Karachi: The World Federation of Islamic
Missions.

Darwall, S. (Ed.). (2003). Blackwell Readings in Philosophy:
Consequentialism. Oxford, UK & Berlin, Germany: Blackwell
Publishing.

Dewey, J. (1922). Human Nature and Conduct. New York: Henry Holt and
Company.

Holyoake, G.J. (2011) ebook#36797. Project Gutenberg Ebook. The
Principles of Secularism. (1871). First published by London: Austin
& Co.

Holyoake, G.J. (2012). Rarebooksclub.com. Origin and Nature of
Secularism; Showing That Where Freethought Commonly Ends
Secularism Begins. (1896). First published by London: Watts.

Ibrahim, Ezzeddin. (1997). (Trans.). Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadith.
Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society.

Kant, I. (2009). Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals.
Abbott, T. K. (Trans.) The University of Adelaide Library, South
Australia: eBook@Adelaide.

Kant, I. (2009). The Metaphysical Elements of Ethics. Abbott, T. K. (Trans.)
The University of Adelaide Library, South Australia:
eBooks@Adelaide. (1780). First published.

Lafollette, H. (Ed.) (2000). The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory. Blackwell
Philosophy Guides, 1st ed. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.

Mackie, J. L. (1990). Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong. London: Penguin.

343

Mcmahon, T. F. (2002) Secularism. The New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd
Edition, Vol. 12. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of
American Press.

Olson, R. G. (1967). Deontological Ethics. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
London: Collier Macmillan.

Uthman El-Muhammady, Muhammad. (2008). “Building the Human
Capital in the ‘Malakah’ Concept of Ibn Khaldun”, in Jurnal Hadhari.
ISSN 1985-6830. (UKM)

Wood, A. W. (1990). Hegel’s Ethical Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.

___. (Feb. 19th 2007) Meaning of Rabb. Aqeedah, Filed under: 101 -
Ruboobiyyah and Uloohiyyah. Retrieved Jan 2nd 2012.
http://aqeedah.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/meaning-of-rabb/.

Michael, A. L. & M. (2008) Deontological Ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia
of Philosophy, Fall 2008 Edition, Retrieved Dec 31st 2011.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/.

Rose, D. (module leader) (2011) Newcastle University Undergraduate
Study, PHI2003: Modern Philosophy I: Ethical Thought. Retrieved
Dec. 30th 2011.
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/modules/module/PHI2003
/.

Ṣaḥih Bukhari. Retrieved Jan. 1st 2013.
http://www.Islamicity.com/mosque/sunnah/bukhari/.

344

345