Comprehensiveness of The Islamic 'Aqeedah (contd...)
Someone may argue that life has changed, and that the world many centuries ago is nothing like today's world of supercomputers, information highways, space exploration and scientific progress. Based upon this, those individuals see no sense in restricting themselves to the divine limits set by Islam. Such an argument has no basis because it fails to distinguish between what the 'aqeedah came to address and what things are universal regardless of the ideas and concepts. Islam addresses the human being, the human being's position in life and provides systems to regulate human beings as individuals and as societies. Because the human being (the aspect that Islam addresses) has not changed, then Islam does not need to change. Humans have certain instincts and needs that manifest in several drives. The survival instinct manifests in the drive to dominate, the need to acquire wealth and have luxury items, and the drive to protect the self and the personal interests. Also, human have sexual instincts that create attraction between the sexes, as well as instincts of kind that manifest in family relationships and humans looking out for one another. All human beings share these attributes regardless of time and place because these attributes are characteristic of the nature of humans that Allah (swt) has created humanity with.
When human beings live together in a society, these needs and instincts result in a myriad of relationships which need a system to organise them. Any system that emanates from human beings will suffer from the limitations, flaws and constraints characteristic of the human minds who designed them, and will only lead to confusion and doubt resulting from incorrect answers as well as oppression and misery resulting from incorrect systems. Because Islam emanates from the Creator, then its 'aqeedah is comprehensive and it gives the human being a clear perspective on life. Also, the system that emanates from this 'aqeedah, as it stems from the Creator, will be comprehensive. The Islamic System recognises these basic needs and instincts of the human being and regulates them with a divine system that keeps him satisfied and tranquil in this life and in the Hereafter. The limits, drawn by Islam, are the milestones that differentiate the Muslim society from any other society because no one in a Muslim society has any authority to alter these limits. The 'aqeedah defined intellectual milestones within which the mind can be unleashed, and defined behavioural milestones within which a person is free as long as he does not transgress those limits. Anyone who transgresses these limits is punished to protect the 'aqeedah as well as the integrity of the society.
When Islam came, the Arab world was a world devoid of thoughts except primitive thoughts like tribalism, nationalism and idolatry. They were a little people steeped in backwardness and played upon by the superpowers at the time. After Islam was revealed, the Arabs rose from the depths of tribalism and backwardness to a superpower established upon a clear 'aqeedah which soon dominated the world for over thirteen centuries. The Islamic 'aqeedah unified the thoughts, feelings and perceptions of people of different nationalities and culture into the Islamic culture and thought, and based upon this 'aqeedah, the Islamic society had a message that it carried to the entire world. This message was well understood by the companion Rib'ii ibn Amir when he said to Rustum, the Persian commander, "Allah sent us to take the people away from worshipping one another to worship Allah, and from the discomfort of this world to its comfort, and from the oppression of religions to the justice of Islam...."
All of the problems that the Islamic Ummah suffers from result from a lack of understanding the comprehensive nature of the Islamic 'aqeedah. Many false ideas and perceptions regarding the Islamic 'aqeedah still linger in the Ummah and stand as obstacles towards the correct understanding of Islam. Some Muslims claim that nobody needs to obey and follow the divine commands and prohibitions because "the belief is in the 'heart' and as long as the 'heart' is 'clean', Allah will grant us paradise". Others claim that pleasing Allah (swt) takes nothing but good morals. Another group claims that Islam is nothing more than praying and fasting, or a few rituals that have no effect on life. Others claim that Islam allows a person to simultaneously be a Muslim and a Nationalist, or a Muslim and a patriot to a certain piece of land, or a Muslim and a Capitalist, or even a Muslim and a Communist.
These people do not realise that Islam conflicts with all other ideologies. Allah (swt) says clearly in the Qur'an: "There is nothing after the Truth (Islam) but Falsehood." [TMQ Yunus 10:32]
"Nay, We hurl the Truth against the Falsehood, so it knocks out its brains, and behold, the Falsehood vanishes." [TMQ Al-Anbiya' 21:18]
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