Knowledge III

Islam is thus based on knowledge n action to know the Supreme Being n His laws, n to obey them to attain the goal on the path of progress. Again knowledge is graded from the highest n purest source, namely (Wah-Yi) Revelation, down to (Fikr) Self thinking, (Khawz) Vain discourse, and (Zan) Conjecture, in their descending order.

1. Intuition n inspiration which comes more or less within the experience of all, at the odd moments of their life, might just give an idea of Revelation, as a faint ray may represent the bright sun. But Revelation as such is extremely spontaneous natural briliant. Sure and Supreme, far above the effort of mind. Says the Qur-aan. And it is not for any man that the Supreme Being should speak to him, except by Revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger, revealing by His permission what He pleases. Surely He is High, Wise...

2. Next to (Wah-Yi) comes (Fikr) or Self Thinking, which is highly commended, even urged by the Qur-aan. But the sphere of thinking is distinctly confined to nature n its working the basis of all our sciences.

"Do they not think within themselves that ALLAH did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them but with TRUTH (to serve a serious purpose), and for a fixed term? But most people believe not in the meeting of their Lord. Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men of understanding - those who remember ALLAH standing and sitting, and lying on their sides, and thinking about the creation of the heavens and the earth (till they admit) - Our Lord! Thou has not created (all) this in vain. Glory be to thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire."

It would apear from this passage that religous mentality is not all averse to a scientific outlook, in fact the latter follows the former as a natural sequence. IGNORANCE is the SOURCE of all PAIN and misery amounting to fire.

3. So Revelation and thinking are recognised as the two reliable sources of knowledge in their respective spheres. But when thought sets out to explore the remote regions of revelation, it loses its moorings, and wanders off to (Khawz) Vain discourse, which in the language of the Qur-aan is no better than mere play.

4. Lastly (Zan) is a mere guess or Conjecture, right or wrong as the case may be. It is a very common tendency of the human mind, and a great source of misjudgments; So it has been expressly deprecated in the Qur-aan.

"And most of those (Unbelivers) do not follow (any truth) but conjecture; surely conjecture will not avail them aught against the Truth; Surely ALLAH knoweth what they do.

5. Revelation which is the purest form of knowledge can be assimilated through (Iman) Belief by other people. In fact belief is the shortest n surest way to attain revealed knowledge. Belief is equally necessary for our aquired knowledge. Our individual personal knowledge, even of daily life is almost insignificant, as compared with the sum total of human knowledge. Every advance of science n civerlization tends to multiply our beliefs in the knowledge n action of others. Therefore belief is by no means confined to the spiritual sphere. It pervades the whole of our temporal life as well.

6. The knowledge recived through revelation n through the accompanying belief, is by no means a blind acceptance, rather it carries its own light which is limitless and ever fresh it is termed, (Sharhe-Sadr) Expansion of breast, a special gift for prophets n their followers. According to Qur-aan knowledge is Light n Life; Ignorance is Darkness n Death. It is not a mere smile but a scientific truth. (Hikmat) Wisdom, which is the cream of knowledge is the source of all good, n a great gift of the Supreme Being, specially awarded to prophets n their followers.