Reason

When madness reigns, the words of the Qur'an sometimes comes across like a message from a different planet. Its ideals, principles, perspectives and visions of justice, peace and beauty clash with the oppression, exploitation, destruction, violence and war that is part of out everyday reality - as a terrifying experience, as worrying news from relatives and friends or as unsettling pictures on the television screen.

The Qur'an often points out the variety within creation, the differences of colours in minerals, plants, animals and human beings, the multiplicity of languages, nations and religions, the polarity of male and female and even opposites like day and night. They are described "signs of God", with the same term that is used for the messages in the revealed scriptures, and people are encouraged to study them on various levels, both for practical benefits like medicine or the improvement of the quality of life, for insights into the the way creation works, and for spiritual growth.

In this context, the Qur'an repeatedly stresses that these are "signs for people who understand". The Arabic word 'aqala, literally to be sensible, intelligent, reasonable, to understand, to comprehend, also means, on a more elementary level, to tie up (an animal), to restrain. The famous saying of the Prophet Muhammad, "First tie up (your camel), then rely on God," plays with this word. Muslim scholars of all ages emphasised the importance of 'aql, intellect, reason, as the human capability to understand the interaction and relationship between human beings in society and various living beings within creation, the laws that are operative in nature as well as the link between all this and the Source of all Being and to come to conclusions that offer ethical and spiritual orientation. Reason and revelation were not considered opposites but reason was seen as a condition for the understanding of revelation, for acquiring knowledge of God's existence and unity, for differentiating between good and evil, for reaching certainty and trust, and for developing law and theology in an increasingly complex world.

Strong selfish impulses like hate, greed or envy and even strong fear interfere with the intellect and self-control like drugs. Their noisy demands try to drown the soft voice of reason that keeps reminding of justice and responsibility. They can even disturb the sense of proportion and distort the picture of reality beyond recognition: a different lifestyle is then perceived as a threat, a stranger as an enemy, a human being as a demon. Occasionally they assume the disguise of rational arguments and complete logical systems in order to mislead people into harmful ideologies like racism, sexism and many others. If God has a role in this at all - as it is certainly the case in religious extremism - then very often as a concept that must be defended against threats from "those who want to destroy our religion" rather than the Ultimate Reality who is our Creator, Sustainer, Protector and Judge and to whom we are accountable for our actions. Once folly has gained the upper hand, there does not seem to be any limits to injustice, destruction and senseless cruelty. Even the warning lessons of history, no matter how hard they were learned, are forgotten or ignored.

Let us have a closer look at the Qur'anic verse. On one level, it seems to describe facts that can easily be observed. When we travel, we are often amazed at the beauty of mountains, lakes, plains, gardens, woods, deserts, fields, orchards, rivers, oceans. An environment-conscious fellow human being might point out the interdependence of all these and the fine-tuning that is behind their coexistence. Many a Muslim is struck with awe when observing and exploring this and will soon agree that their variety points to the Creator's unlimited wisdom and care.

But the Qur'an does not just state the obvious. On a different level, the verse is a parable that describes human similarities and differences. People are part of various families, nations and cultures (the very word culture comes from Latin and denotes something that grows, that is cultivated, like in agri-culture). Some are related, from the same root as it were - a well-known example is the relationship of religious communities in the tradition that is traced back to Abraham - while others have completely different roots and consequently seem to have concepts and images that are more difficult to understand. It seems easier to communicate with "relatives" in familiar terms and to cooperate with them on common grounds, but then conflicts are much more painful even when the "other" is demonised. The multiplicity of cultural fruits produced by all these groups, by each of them and through their exchange, constitutes the amazing wealth of human civilization.

But whether we focus on similarities or on differences, on coexistence or on rivalry, we must keep in mind that we are permeated by the same life-giving water. We have all be created by the same Creator as human beings. We all live on this one planet and share the responsibility for its upkeep. We all want life, safety, liberty, dignity and happiness for ourselves and for our children. We should by now have learned, by bitter experiences in the past or from diligently studying our Scriptures, that this cannot be achieved by destroying, oppressing, exploiting and enslaving each other. In fact, religion has progressively been teaching people to look beyond their garden fence, to become aware of their neighbours' needs and to develop a wider perspective of justice and peace.

Let us therefore remember that we are in God's presence, restrain our inner "animals'" stampede of folly and return to reasonable efforts towards reconciliation, justice and peace, and then we may rely on God to bless us with success.

God, Creator of the heavens and the earth who knows the hidden and the manifest, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful, Living, Subsisting, Judge, Compassionate, the One who awakens and completes, Owner of Majesty and Grace - the hearts of the created beings are in Your hands and their foreheads are turned towards You, for You plant good into their hearts and take away their evil with Your permission.
I ask You, God, to eliminate from my heart all that You detest, and to fill my heart with awe and knowledge of You and with the consciousness of Your presence and with the yearning for that which is with You and with security and certainty. Show us Your gentleness and kindness with Your mercy and blessings and inspire us to do what is right and wise.
We ask You, God, for the knowledge of those who live in the consciousness of Your presence, for the devotion of those who are humble before You, for the loyalty of those who have reached certainty, for the gratefulness of those who are patient, and for the repentance of those who are sincere. And we ask You, God, by the light of Your countenance that enlightens the pillars of Your throne, to plant the knowledge of You into our hearts, that we may know you in a way that is worthy of You.

The supplication was transmitted from the mystic Abu Abdullah al-Jazuli.

(c) Halima Krausen, 2006