The statement ‘Islam is a complete guidance for life’ is both correct and incorrect. If this idea is taken in the sense of following Islam by one’s own choice, then it is true. However, if Islam is considered a complete system of life in the sense of enforcing it on others, then this would certainly be a wrong notion which finds no basis in the Quran or the life of the Prophet.
Islam: A Subject of Individual Following
For example, a verse in the Quran enjoins Muslims thus: “Believers, fear God, and say the right word.” (33: 70). This verse means that whenever a believer speaks, he should be cautious about saying that which is true and upright. But if the interpretation of the injunction given here is taken to be the establishment of a political system in which people are compelled to speak the truth and never utter anything that is improper, then this would be a self-styled interpretation, which finds no sanction in the Quran.
Similarly, at another place the Quran says: “When you speak, observe justice.” (6: 152). This verse speaks about a commandment that has to be adopted in one’s individual life. That is, as an individual a believer should always be honest in speech and should never say a lie. However, if this verse is taken to mean that Muslims are duty-bound to establish a political system which forces people to always speak the truth and never be dishonest, then this would be a self-styled understanding of the injunction to speak the truth. Such an interpretation has nothing to do with this verse of the Quran.
Another verse in the Quran reads: “Remain steadfast in religion.” (42: 13). Here the Quran is advising every individual believer to follow the divine religion in his life. If instead this verse is understood to mean that Muslims have been commanded to establish a state by force and to coerce people into abiding by the rules of this state, then this would again be a wrong meaning given to this verse.
Islam is a complete code of life, however, it is so in the sense of an individual following the religion of Islam in his life by his own choice. To take Islam to be a complete socio-political system that must be established in society at every level by the force of political power—is a wrong idea.
The Goal of Islam
The goal of Islam is not to establish by authoritative power a sociopolitical system in which people are forced into adopting the divine religion in their lives and from which they are allowed no deviation. On the contrary, the aim of Islam is to inculcate the love of God in every individual and make him a God-fearing person. This spirit is called al-rabbaniyah in the Quran and is described thus in one of its verses: Kunu rabbaniyin, which means: “Be devoted servants of God.” (3: 79). Islam desires to instill this spirit of the love of God and the fear of God in every human being so that he can lead his life in its guidance in whichever situation he may be or wherever he may be.
According to Islamic teaching, the present world is a testing ground for individuals, it is not a place of enforcement of commands. In the present world, people are being put to the test to see whether they use their freedom to follow the straight path as determined by God or they deviate from it. Due to this reason, every human being has been granted complete freedom so that he may have the choice to either accept the divine religion or reject it. This reality about our present life has been stated in the Quran in these words: “Say, this is the truth from your Lord. Let him who will, believe in it, and him who will, deny it.” (18: 29). Another verse instructs the Prophet with respect to his contemporaries who were in denial of his prophethood: “You are not a keeper over them.” (88: 22). The Prophet is here counselled not to compel people to believe in the message he was conveying to them. For this reason, a principle has been mentioned in the Quran in clear terms: “There shall be no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error. But whoever refuses to be led by Satan and believes in God has grasped the strong handhold that will never break. God is all hearing and all knowing.” (2: 256)
Islam is a complete code of life, in the sense of an individual following the religion in his life by his own choice. To take Islam to be a complete socio-political system that must be established by the force of political power—is a wrong idea.
Divine Scheme of Things
A verse in the Quran sheds light on God’s scheme of things for human beings. It speaks about the creation of the soul and says that God “then inspired it to understand what was right and wrong for it. He who purifies it will indeed be successful, and he who corrupts it is sure to fail.” (91: 8-10). According to the creation plan, God has bestowed full freedom to man. Every human being has been given the opportunity to think as one chooses and to act accordingly. This divine scheme of things necessarily demands that every person enjoys full freedom. Thus following a particular religion—whether it provides a complete or an incomplete code of life—is a choice that rests solely with the individual and cannot be compulsorily imposed on the individual from outside by anyone else. Making a person conform to particular set of commandments or regulations by force is tantamount to interfering with the scheme of things God has chosen for human beings. Anything which goes against the law of nature set by God for the present world is doomed to fail.
The concept of Islam being a complete code of life which has to be imposed on people will always yield counter-productive results. Those who believe in this notion and try to forcibly implement it in society will turn Islam, a religion of well-wishing for others, into a religion of enmity and hatred.
Counter-productive Results of the Political Interpretation of Islam
When Islam is portrayed as a complete system of life, it immediately brings to mind the point that some or the other group has already put in place a certain system in society. The group that possesses political power in a society has adopted the law or rule of conduct which it considers proper. Now those who regard Islam as a complete system of life would wish to have full control over all the systems and structures of a society. These people would then realize that in order to have such control, they would need to take political authority and power in their hands. They would thus turn their attention to grabbing political power from the hands of those who are currently in possession of it. Working towards this would hold the foremost importance for them. This is the main cause for why reform of the self initially acquires a secondary place in the minds of such persons and gradually they cease to accord it even minimal importance. They become obsessed with the concept of changing the external system instead of bringing about a change within their own individual selves. Viewed from this perspective, the idea of Islam being a complete system of life produces counter-productive results. Such an interpretation of Islam can only foster an atmosphere of hatred and violence.
The concept of Islam being a complete code of life which has to be imposed on people will always yield counterproductive results. Those who believe in this notion and try to forcibly implement it in society will turn Islam, a religion of well-wishing for others, into a religion of enmity and hatred.
The notion that Islam is a complete and comprehensive religious system is quite famous among present-day Muslims. Apparently, this interpretation presents Islam as a complete religion, however, the truth is that it is an incomplete interpretation of Islam. This is because according to this interpretation, Islam is reduced to a kind of a manual. Even if a manual were considered comprehensive, it can, by its very nature, take into consideration only a partial aspect of a human being. A manual can be complete only for a robot, not a human being. This is because a human being is essentially a thinking animal. Any kind of manual can serve to fulfil only the physical needs of a human being, however, the greater intellectual aspect of a human being can never be encompassed in a manual.
Islam: A Continuous Thinking Process
Islam is not complete in the sense of a manual on paper, but rather it is complete when it is understood as a continuous thinking process. True Islam is one that creates an intellectual storm in the mind of a person and thus initiates a continuous thinking process. Such an understanding of religion develops creativity through which one is able to discover novel aspects of God’s wisdom and understand the higher realities of life. In every experience or observation that one has, one is able to extract divine food for oneself.
According to the creation plan, God has bestowed full freedom to man. Every human being has been given the opportunity to think as one chooses and to act accordingly. This divine scheme of things necessarily demands that every person enjoys full freedom.
Two verses from Chapter 3 of the Quran are helpful in illustrating the above point. This passage describes those who reflect on and ponder over the world around them: “There are signs in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day for people of understanding; who remember God while standing, sitting and [lying] on their sides, and who ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth, saying, ‘Lord, You have not created all this without purpose. Glory be to You! Save us from the torment of the Fire.’ (3: 190-191). Here believers are defined as “people of understanding”. These are the people of faith who engage in reflection and contemplation of the world and the universe. They are thus able to discover God’s signs when they observe God’s creation. In this way, their awakened minds derive spiritual learning from their study and observation of the natural world. This intellectual process develops in them, what is called in the Quran, “a purified personality”. (20: 76)
For example, consider a person who goes to bed after his long day’s work. This is the time when he begins to introspect over what happened during the day. He reflects over his actions and tries to figure out whether they were proper or improper. When he thinks of a good deed that he may have done, he is filled with thankfulness to God, but if he realizes that he made a mistake somewhere, he feels repentant. So before going to sleep, he would pray to God to forgive him for his wrong actions and make a promise not to commit the same mistake in the future. This is how the person ends his day.
Now when he wakes up in the morning, he observes the morning prayer and then leaves for office. Here he faces several kinds of situations. In every situation, he tries to extract spiritual food for himself. For example, when he converses with someone over the phone while in office, experience of being able to instantly communicate with people who are at great distance from him makes him profoundly grateful to God. He realizes that long distance communication is possible only because God has made nature in such a manner that human beings can utilize it as a tool for their various activities.
When such a person sits outside his room in the balcony, he observes various natural phenomena—the sun shining brightly, the air supplying him oxygen, the clouds raining down freshwater after the entire process of desalinating seawater, the soil providing different essential nutrients, and much more. His mind gets triggered when he beholds the spectacle of nature before him. Then he sees that there are also several cars continually going up and down on the roads. Since these cars represent human planning and management at work behind them, the numerous meaningful activities happening in nature must also surely have a mind behind at work. Thinking in this manner, he comes to the conclusion that the world of nature has a Super Mind which is perfectly controlling all its affairs. This thought makes him recognize the Creator and gives him conviction in His existence.
The above illustration helps explain in what sense Islam is a complete religion. Islam is complete not in the restrictive sense of a manual. The truth is that Islam is the name of high thinking based on discovery of the Creator. Such kind of intellectual activity provides spiritual food to a believer in every circumstance throughout his life.
