A rchive Date
[ 27-11-2002 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Islam ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/mansur_london.html
Contemplating Islam as the Qur'an instructs
By SALIM MANSUR -- For the London Free Press
November 27, 2002
A Qur'anic verse reads, "Every soul will know the taste of death." The Qur'an, in one sense, is an invitation for the living to contemplate death, on the preparation for dying and of life in the hereafter, for death, as it teaches, is not a closure, but a beginning.
The Qur'an instructs that life and living, without contemplation and introspection, amount to a bewilderment with shadows of projected fears, repressed desires and mistaken pride. The end is inescapable and, into the hereafter, all an individual can carry is knowledge acquired in this life of one's origin and destination.
Acquiring this knowledge and wisdom that follows, the Qur'an teaches, reconciles an individual's sojourn in this world with ultimate destination. This wisdom brings peace, meaning Islam, a word derived from the Arabic "salam" that is related to the Hebrew "shalom."
Peace born of wisdom is the most elusive of human conditions.
The paradox is obvious, of what is most sought being also most difficult to acquire.
Peace is the pearl of existence veiled by a multitude of illusions. An individual can only remove these veils eventually by acquiring knowledge of the singular reality that pervades all of existence and yet is beyond all that exist whose shadows leave the ignorant confounded.
The first word of revelation to Mohammed was "read." Here "read" means in the most substantive sense to contemplate on the infinitely diverse reality of nature and discover within it a harmony of design, a perfection of order that points to the supreme intelligence of the creator.
Nature, in other words, carries the thumbprint of God equally in every leaf of grass and every twinkle of the furthest star in galaxies beyond ours.
Hence "reading" is the path of knowledge, then wisdom, reconciling an individual as an act of creation with the Creator. This gift of "reading" is lodged in every human heart, as the gift of turning towards the sun is lodged in the instinct of the sunflower as a living plant. The Creator is not only a supremely intelligent designer, but also infinitely merciful and compassionate for what He has created.
The human heart is the metaphorical home, or mirror, where the soul may see the Creator's sublime reflection. This is what Mohammed taught. He said, "The heart of the believer is the sanctuary of God and nothing but God is allowed access there."
The prophet of Islam spoke about a believer, and not a Muslim, for the latter may or may not be a believer. Religion, to a believer, is a means and not an end. The end is peace that comes with wisdom and then reunion of a believer with the Creator.
Mohammed counselled, "God has made a polish for everything that tarnishes. And the polish for the heart is remembrance." This counsel was most deeply embraced by those known as Sufis, who stressed the inward opening of the heart to God and understood Islam, or peace, meaning the final repose of the soul in the bliss of the Creator's compassion.
The question I am often asked is why, given the teachings of Islam, are contemporary Muslims bewildered and distressed. The answer is contained partly in a story from the East.
A sheik, or a Muslim religious teacher, visited the West and on returning to his native home was asked what impressed him most in his travel. He replied that it was in finding Islam without Muslims in the West, while on returning home seeing Muslims without finding Islam.
Muslims over time enclosed the message of Islam, of peace, in the veils of their politics. This enclosure has left a great majority of Muslims utterly bewildered with both politics and religion.
For peace, it is imperative for Muslims to regain an understanding of Islam as the Qur'an instructs. It is equally imperative for others in our troubled world to open their hearts to that instruction and not confuse Islam with the bewilderment of Muslims.
This is the final instalment in a series of four columns of Muslim perspectives during Ramadan. Salim Mansur is a professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario. Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@lfpress.com.
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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