An- Nahdah ( Revival) by Al-Ustaadh Haafizh Saalih (Fareed Muhammad Saalih Al-Ghaanim)

As for the Fikr ul-Mustaneer (the enlightened thought) it is the most elevated and it is the thought that leads to the true Nahdah (revival). It is the thought that clears away the obscurities and it does not suffice with knowing or understanding the fundamentals of things and matters and their branches, or the reality and its effects, or the texts and their meanings as is the case with the deep thought. Rather it goes beyond all of that to understand that which surrounds the matters, what lies around them and is related to them.

So when the one possessing this thought looks into and examines a thing he does not find it sufficient to arrive at its conclusion by knowing its particular weight or its atom make-up but rather it is necessary to know and understand its circumstances and conditions. In other words it relates to knowledge of the laws that control over it, the specificities that it is distinguished by and that which must by necessity proceed along with it and is not able to escape from it or leave it behind unless its condition changes and its circumstances and conditions are replaced with others and as such is controlled by other laws and specificities or characteristics. When this level of depth is gone into in the study then it is necessary to enquire and question about that which is related to it, meaning that which has made this thing submit to these laws and made it proceed in that way according to these circumstances and conditions. This means shedding light upon the parts of the thing and the laws that control or govern it and to have knowledge of that which has made it submit to these laws. For this reason it has been named the enlightened thought as it has not left a single matter except that it has shed light upon it whilst the deep thought is insufficient and the superficial shallow thought is rejected. This is the nature of the enlightened thought and what distinguishes it from the deep thought.

These are the thoughts that govern the behaviours of the human and his conduct and upon its basis his concepts (Mafaheem) and inclinations (Mayool) are shaped and formed, and his viewpoint in life is defined by it, and through it he knows and understands the meaning of his existence in life. It is this thinking that decides his position and standing amongst people? So does he accept and choose to be declined in his thinking with a low level of comprehension? Is he satisfied to be shallow in his thinking and short sighted? Does he dive deep into depth whilst leaving a thousand questions and does he stay away from questioning of those around him in regards to connecting the causes and the effects or does he deal with it haphazardly when he is unable to provide reasoning? Or does he seek the standing that Allah (swt) has dignified him with and the blessing that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon him, the blessing of the mind (intellect) and human dignity. He will think like a human and utilise his mind or intellect (‘Aql) to comprehend things or matters and clear the obscurities of matters away and understand their true realities.

Therefore it is essential for him to follow the events and incidents and connect them to their causes and effects, to know their circumstances and conditions and to shed the exploratory light to understand all that which is related to them. This is so that he can proceed upon the path of revival and elevate to the heights of completeness by way of the ‘Aql (mind/intellect) and proof. Due to this we say: ‘The man will revive according to that which he possesses in terms of the thought about life, the universe and the human being and their relationship altogether with what is before the life of this Dunyaa and what lies after it’. This means that the path of revival is represented in the view of the human for the human himself and the life that is around him in this vast universe in which he lives. This is so that he is able to understand this period of time that the human is alive for in this existence. In other words he must have knowledge about the meaning of his existence in this life and know that this is not arrived at unless a comprehensive thought is formulated by him about the universe, life and the human. This is to establish a firm and constant truth in respect to it being eternal or created? If he establishes that it is created then what was before it? Therefore it is necessary to formulate a thought about this creator that all of life in existence depends upon just as it is essential to formulate a comprehensive thought about what lies after the life of the Dunyaa. As long as this life of the Dunyaa has a beginning then it must also have an end. So what is it? And what is the relationship between all of these things together and between that which is before them (i.e. the creator) and what is the relationship with that which is after them? In other words is there a relationship between the life of this world and what was before it and is there a relationship between it and what lies after it? By answering all of these questions he is then able to understand the life of this world and the period of life that he lives. He will then be capable of knowing the meaning and purpose of his existence and the meaning of life.

As for the necessity of these questions and the necessity of answering them to formulate a comprehensive idea about them, then this is because the human is forced to interact and deal with them and it is absolutely not possible for him to live in isolation from them. He is an individual from amongst human kind and he is inevitably connected in relationships with others and he has no choice but to engage with them. Similarly he sees that he is surrounded by living creatures of whom he is one and it is essential for him to interact and participate in living upon the earth in this vast universe. This earth contains things and it is essential to utilise them. He fulfils his needs with them, satisfies his hungers (organic needs and instincts) and he fulfils his wishes or desires with them. This is particularly because Allah (swt) has put all that is in the earth at the human’s disposal. In summary this human represents a picture from this universe in terms of what is in it. He shares in the universe in terms of what it is made of, he shares in the living creatures in regards to the soul and he is unique by the power of the intellect that puts everything else under his disposal, and this mind is the focal place of the Takleef (legal responsibility). Due to this it is necessary for a comprehensive thought about the universe, the human and life to be formulated. He will understand himself firstly and then he will understand the life that he lives in with others and the universe that he lives. He will then be able to know and understand the life of this world and the consequences of this upon him in regards to the period of time that he is living within it. In other words he will know and understand the meaning and purpose of life.

Without answering these questions and without forming a comprehensive thought about existence (irrespective of the correctness or error or this thought) he will be incapable of defining the meaning of his existence in life. He will just wander about in it and his greatest concern will be the satisfaction of the greatest amount of sensual gratification. He will therefore not differ from any animal and indeed his condition would be even worse than that:

Allah (swt) says:

They have hearts with which they do not understand with, they have eyes with which they do not see with, and they have ears with which they do not hear with. They are like livestock; rather, they are even more astray (Al-A’araaf 179).

And they say, "There is not but our worldly life; we die and live, and nothing destroys us except time. (Al-Jaathiyah 24).

This comprehensive idea about the universe (all that exists), the human and life which is used to understand the meaning of the life of this world and which has arisen from a comprehensive and examining view of the universe, man and life is what has been called the Aqeedah. This is where the Aqeedah has been defined as: ‘The comprehensive idea about the universe, man and life and about what is before the life and what is after it, and their relationship altogether with what is before the life and their relationship with what is after the life’. Due to this the Aqeedah is the only path to generate the correct concepts about the life of the world and to understand this period of time that the human spends in the life, in addition to understanding the meaning of his existence and what he must do. This means that it is the Aqeedah that defines for him his viewpoint in life and from it the systems that regulate his life emanate, in addition to the controls or principles that govern his conduct and behaviours. It is therefore the Qaa’idah Al-Asaasiyah (The fundamental principle/basis) upon which all of his thoughts are built as it has not left out anything that the senses can fall upon except that it has been included by the comprehensive idea which has arisen from a scrutinised and researched view. It has provided a complete answer whether this relates to his conduct or his thoughts. This is because it is the fundamental principle and as we have stated thoughts represent judgements upon things, realities or events. This comprehensive idea covers everything that can fall upon the senses and as such is a fundamental principle (basis) to judge upon anything or any matter in existence as these matters are considered as being parts of this complete and comprehensive view for everything that is in existence. As for his actions and behaviours which must be in line with his viewpoint that he has formulated about life and the meaning of his existence in it, then these are branches resulting from the knowledge or understanding of his relationship with what was before the life and his final destination after the life. It is therefore inevitable for all of his actions and behaviours to be branches that have emanated from his knowledge and understanding about his relationship as a human with that which was before the life of the world i.e. the relationship of the human with what was before the life meaning with the one who brought him into existence into the life upon this universe.

An issue remains:

Is every Aqeedah suitable for Nahdah (revival)? And is every Aqeedah correct?

Every comprehensive thought about the universe, the human and the life, what is before the life and what is after it and about the relationship of what was before the life and the relationship of what is after it, meaning any Aqeedah, is suitable to be a basis for revival because it comprises a fundamental (basic) principle for things and matters, a fundamental principle for relationships in addition to being the basis of a viewpoint in life in addition to providing the answer to the meaning of life. Following from this it draws out a path for the carrier of this thought to proceed in the way of revival, meaning elevation from one state or condition to a better one for the individual or society. Therefore the Aqeedah that encompasses all of these bases can act as a basis for revival and indeed revival cannot be completed except by it and upon it. If however the Aqeedah was deficient or restricted to a certain aspect to the exclusion of another and neglected something that necessarily needed to be included, then in that case it would not be suitable. Indeed it would not be valid to call it an Aqeedah based upon the definition and if it has been called an Aqeedah then this has only been done by way of Majaaz (metaphorical and not a true meaning of its reality).

As for the question of whether it is a correct thought or correct principle that leads to a correct revival and the transferring of an individual or society to a better condition or state, then this requires establishing a Daleel (evidence) upon the correctness of the thought or principle and establishing proof in relation to that. As the Aqeedah is a thought, a comprehensive thought about the universe, human and life, then like any other thought it is subjugated to what any thought is subjugated to and submits to, when wanting to ascertain its validity or falsity. It has to be judged and it applicability upon its reality or non-applicability needs to be known. This is because every thought is a judgement upon a reality and the correctness of the thought is determined by it being applicable upon the reality that it has been applied upon. Similarly when we judge the thoughts to know their validity then it is necessary for us to have solid criteria and true measures which establish the true reality of that thought upon their basis. As such it is necessary to understand these criteria and measures so that the judgment can be clear and all obscurities can be removed.

The thought (Fikrah) is a judgement upon a specific reality and in the case where we state that it is a Hukm ‘Aqliy (Intellectual judgement) then it is necessary to go to the mind or intellect for judgement i.e. to utilise the correct intellectual principles. In other words to make the mind or intellect judge upon it and to be based and built upon it and what the sound mind decisively judges to be correct.

So the intellect necessitates for example that behind every effect there lies a cause, that behind every system there lies an organiser of it, that everything that has been organised by a system requires that which has organised it and that the thing that is deficient from completeness is in need, and that the matter or thing in need is not self sufficient by itself. And that the one who is incapable of fulfilling his own need is himself and that he is in greater need of fulfilling the need than others in regards to the same need and that the one that does not possess something cannot give it to others. Similarly the sound mind dictates that two opposites cannot be brought together just as it dictates that there are only two options in regards to a matter or thing existing or not existing. These are some of the principles that are given and accepted intellectual facts (axioms) and they are necessary so that the mind can build upon its rules and so that thoughts and opinions can be measures, and to rely upon it when issuing rulings. When however these principles and rules are neglected or ignored or judgement is made in opposition to them, then we say that it is intellectual judgement (Hukm ‘Aqliy) although it is not built upon the ‘Aql (mind/intellect). This means that it is not built upon these principles and laws or based upon these measurements which are given and accepted facts (axioms) that no two rational people can disagree upon.

Therefore the first measurement in determining the correctness of this thought (the Aqeedah) is that it needs to be built upon the ‘Aql (intellect/mind) so that every possessor of a mind can be convinced by it. This does not happen by leaving the question unanswered and equalising between existence and non-existence or by providing a middle compromising answer or by making matter the source of thinking or by leaving that which is incompatible due to chance, coincidence or impulse. So the first condition is for the mentality (‘Aqliyah) to be built upon the ‘Aql (mind/intellect).

As for the second measurement then this is a measurement of a different kind:

This is because the study is related to the human and the meaning of his existence in the life so that he can know how he should proceed in life and how he should act and behave in accordance to his understanding of the meaning and purpose of the life. For this reason it is necessary for the reality of this human and understanding his true reality to be the area and scope of the study. This is because it is the reality that we want to apply the thought upon so that it is valid to become a correct thought due to its applicability upon this reality. This is because the correct thought is the thought that is applicable upon its reality.

So what is the Haqeeqah (true reality) of this human i.e. what is the nature (Fitrah) that he has been provided with?

These two measures or criteria are necessary to pass judgment upon the comprehensive thought (Aqeedah). The first criteria is for the ‘Aqliyah (mentality) to built upon the ‘Aql (mind/intellect) and the second criteria is its applicability upon the reality of this human being, which means that it is in agreement with the Fitrah (nature) that the human was provided with.

The first criteria: Here I mean the intellectual conviction and building upon the mind. As such one should not believe that every intellectual study is a study that is built upon the mind or that every thought that the mind has been used to judge upon a specific reality is a correct judgment and built upon the mind. Rather the intellectual study and the issuing of a judgement upon things, matters, realities and events requires a number of elements, different principles and various criteria that must necessarily be used when undertaking the intellectual process that leads to the issuing of a judgement upon a thing, reality or event. The correctness of the judgement rests upon the correctness and validity of these elements, principles and criteria.

This is because the intellectual process necessitates the sound mind or intellect that takes on the process of connecting the (previous) information he holds with what has been transferred to him of the sensation of the particular reality of event. So the fundamental elements for the intellectual (or thinking) process number four: The sound mind, the sound sensation, the sensed reality or that which is embodied in the mind and the stored or retained information or that which has been gained that explains the particular reality or incident. So the mind undertakes the process of connecting these elements and issuing its judgement upon the thing or event. And the correctness of the results of this intellectual thought process rests upon the accurateness of the understanding of the reality and gaining understanding in it whilst being beware of the possible deception or manipulation of the sensation. It also rests upon the accuracy of the information that explains and interprets this reality and making sure that it is correct. Then accuracy is required when connecting between the information and the reality. However this does not mean that the Hukm (judgment) is correct unless the fundamental principles and measuring units that were used as the basis for making the judgement upon the thoughts and realities were correct decisively (i.e. with certainty).

So if the information used to explain and interpret the realities was correct and if the principles and measures (criteria) upon which the measurement of the reality and the information was made were also correct in addition to the process of connecting between these elements being correct, then the Hukm (judgement) would be Saheeh (correct) and it would be considered an intellectual judgement that is built upon the mind (intellect). However if the information was mistaken or the principles and measures were not intellectually accepted facts (axioms), or if the connection between these elements was not done soundly, then the result would be incorrect. If however the information was correct, the reality correct and the process of connecting was correct but the principles and measuring units that were used were incorrect and then the process of making the judgement upon the reality was made upon them during the process of connecting in addition to the judgement of the information upon them during the connecting between the information and the reality, then in this case (the judgement) would not be correct. This thought process is considered an intellectual thought process however it was not built upon the mind (Aql) because the Qawaa’id (principles) and Maqaayees (measurements) that were used were not from the given and accepted (undisputable) facts (axioms). They were not from that which the sound mind decisively accepts to be correct and for this reason we state that the result is intellectual but that it was not built upon the mind or intellect (Aql).

For this reason the sensation of the reality is not sufficient but rather it is necessary to understand this reality in a manner that is built upon the pure (truthful) sensation. Therefore before the judgement is made it is necessary to measure the reality upon the principles of the true sensation so that we are not deceived by one of the manifestations of a matter or thing, or imagine a mirage that does not really exist. Similarly it is necessary to gain understanding of this reality and to know all of its aspects, circumstances, conditions and what relates to it. In other words knowledge of the laws that are controlling over it and of its causes and effects is required. This is all essential before engaging in the thinking process i.e. before connecting the reality to the information or the information to the reality. Similarly it is necessary to make judgement upon this reality along with its related information, its circumstances and conditions. This is by measuring it to specific principles and given undisputed intellectual accepted facts (axioms) so that all ambiguities can be cleaned away and every obscurity removed.

After this truthful sensation and the confirmation of the correctness of this sensation, the sensation transfers to the brain so that its opinion of it can be examined and its true reality established. However the brain cannot to do this unless it obtains the information that explains to it this reality. This applies in the same way whether this information was retained or gained. And just as his sensation passes judgement upon a specific principle or principles it is also necessary for the information explaining this reality to be judged upon the same principle or principles that the sensation has been judged upon. This means the measuring of the information upon firm principles and given accepted intellectual facts (axioms) that confirm the correctness of the information. This is so that it is not in opposition to the intellectual rational axioms (indisputably accepted facts), what the sound mind necessitates. Thereafter the mind undertakes the process of connecting between the reality and the information. If the connection and linkage was correct then it would be an intellectual result that is built upon the mind. Therefore the crucial point for intellectual judgements to be considered to be built upon the ‘Aql (mind/intellect) returns back to a collection of principles and axioms ((indisputably accepted facts) by which the reality is measured or by measuring the information during the process of connecting by them. As such they are not considered as being built upon the mind merely as a result of the ‘Aql making a judgement upon it. This is similar to mathematical equations which are not solved without first putting down laws and formulae. The utilisation of any incorrect rule or law would lead to an error in every solution that uses that law or formula and will inevitably lead to the wrong result and even if he proceeded to solve the problem in a correct manner (according to the wrong law or formula).

As for what these principles and indisputably accepted facts (axioms) are? Then they are general thoughts and intellectual principles that the sound mind has laid down to understand the partial thoughts and to issue intellectual (rational) judgements i.e. to generate thoughts. These are like the natural laws of physics in addition to chemical, mathematical, logarithmic and square root laws amongst others. In every field of knowledge intellectual axioms (accepted facts) have been laid down that are relied upon for understanding. This is like the statement that two opposites cannot come together, that two is greater than one, that the straight line is the shortest line between two points, behind every effect their lies a cause and behind every system there lies an organiser, amongst thousands of other principles in every area and field of knowledge. Utilising these principles and intellectual axioms during the thought process makes the result intellectual (rational) and built upon the mind. However attempting to reconcile between existence (of a creator) and non-existence or stopping the study when it is only half way along its path, or relying on incidental matters or chance or upon matter being the source of thought, then all of these in addition to being false are not suitable to be fundamental principles to be used as measures and it is not valid to say that the thoughts that are built upon them are thoughts that have been built upon the mind. This is because building upon the mind necessitates that the basis that is built upon is an intellectual (rational) basis. This means that the principle or principles that are built upon during the connecting process are indeed principles and measures taken from the intellectual (rational) axioms and indeed from the obvious matters and truths that no two minds can rationally disagree upon.

For this reason when we wish to put down a basic or fundamental principle for our thought then that is done by providing a comprehensive idea about the universe, the human and the life where this is the reality that the senses can fall upon and where it is comprehensive dealing with every matter.

It is therefore necessary to establish its reality first to know if it is Azaliy (eternal) or if it is created by a creator. So in relation to this sensed reality of the universe, the man and the life it is necessary to gain depth in it to know and understand its circumstances, conditions and what relates to it. From here we must return to all the information we have about it and the natural laws and dynamics that accompany it. This reality is then judged and the information that we have at our disposal is judged measuring them all by the collection of intellectual principles and measures that are axioms (indisputable acknowledged facts).

Therefore when we discover that everything in it (the universe) is Mahdood (limited) and that everything within it is Muhtaaj (needy), that all of it is subservient to a system that regulates it, and when we know that every part from amongst its parts submits to laws and contain properties that cannot be abandoned. When we discover all of this within this reality along with the information that explains it and we return back to the intellectual (rational) measures and principles and indeed the most obvious rationalities which establish a single true reality. The truth that behind every organised system there is an organiser and that anything organised by a system is not capable of exiting from its regulation and system. When we witness within this reality that the temperature of the sun differs from the temperature of the atmospheres surrounding it and when we know that there are many suns and that they also differ from the atmospheres surrounding them. When we witness that it is a shining light that radiates its heat and yet is unable to offset the heat or equalise with the atmospheres that surround it. When we connect this reality to the intellectual rational principles and measures we possess, they dictate that every hot entity loses some of its heat gradually until it is equal to its surroundings. We therefore judge with certainty (Yaqeen) that it must have a beginning point i.e. that it is not Azaliy (eternal). This judgement is therefore an intellectual (rational)

judgement that is built upon the mind as it is built upon the intellectually undisputed facts (axioms) and obvious facts. When we arrive to the understanding that it has a beginning point and that it is not eternal then the mind necessitates that there is something that has brought it into existence, provided it with this heat and made it subservient to systems that regulate it.

This then is the intellectual judgment that is built upon the mind and it represents the first condition in regards to ascertaining whether the comprehensive idea is a correct thought and that the Hukm (judgement) applies upon the reality in a complete manner, and as such is a correct thought.

Example:

Everything possessing heat continues to emit or radiate its heat if the atmosphere around it is less than its temperature and it continues to emit this heat until its temperature is equal to the atmosphere surrounding it and this is like a cup of tea. So if we were to pour tea into a mug (cup) and the temperature of the tea was 90 degrees, it would begin to radiate its heat, which it would lose gradually until it reaches the temperature of the place which is surrounding it. If we entered a room in which there was a cup of tea that was still hot, we would be able to calculate the time from when it had been poured. However after its temperature had become equal to its surroundings then we would be unable to specify a time period for how long it had been there. However we would be able to say that it had stood there for a long period since the time that it was poured. The above relates to the loss of temperature and there is another measure that is related to radiation when substances lose structuring due to emission or radiation and it can transform into another element (or state) due to the loss of this radiation. So for example uranium changes into lead after its radiation has taken place and based upon this the structure of the lead is calculated differently from the element of uranium due to the radiation. This body is called half life (or age) where the element of uranium radiates and leaves behind a body (or mass) of lead from what it loses during the radiation. This is why this body or mass is called half life (or age).

In addition built upon the law of temperature (or heat) they make calculations for the sun in relation to when it will end by calculating the amount that it radiates from its heat and they say that after a certain amount of years it will lose its heat. Indeed they go further than this and say that there are many stars that have lost their temperature and gone out (like a light) and have become black specks. They have also calculated what is produced from that radiation in relation to the increase of the intensity of the radiating body. From this they say that the sun when it loses a lot of its heat this will increase its intensity and as a result the power of its pull!! And as a result it will pull the planets towards it and this will mean the end of the world. This is what they have stated and it does not concern us what they have stated in their studies however the Muslim uses his ‘Aql (mind/intellect). He uses it to know that every hot entity continues to lose its heat until it is equal to its surroundings and that this means that these heavenly bodies (planets) that emit heat have not remained for long enough for them to have equalised with their surroundings. This means that they have a beginning or starting point that they began from which means that they are not Azaliyah (eternal) and this is what the sound mind decisively concludes. This is what we mean when we say the thought should be Aqliyah (rational/intellectual) and built upon the mind.

As for the second criteria, which is that the thought applies upon the reality of the human being and is in line with it?

Allah (swt) says:

[Adhere to] the Fitrah (nature) of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know (Ar-Room 30).

This is approached in the same manner as we have taken to know the reality of things or matters according to their true realities and how we have understanding about them what is required to be able to make judgement upon them and for our judgement to be in line with the reality. In other words the process by which we have measured the reality of things and matters and the information that explains them upon the intellectual rational principles that are axioms (undisputed) and as a result of that the result was completely applicable and in line with the reality. Therefore in the same way it is essential to know and understand the reality of the human according to his true reality and to measure this knowledge upon the intellectual rational principles that are axioms (undisputed).

It is therefore necessary to know and understand the reality of the human being according to his true reality and obtaining information about this universe and the human is sufficient to explain it and understand its true reality. Then this information is measured and the reality of the human is measured upon the rational undisputed principles when judging upon this human so that the judgment is applicable to and in line with the reality. Yes it is essential to know the reality of the human because he represents the point of legal responsibility (Manaat At-Takleef). He is the subject of the study, the one who is examining and the one who is searching for the meaning of his existence in the life so that he can define his course in it and he is the one searching for that which will bring him happiness and contentment. Therefore it is necessary for that which we have used to judge upon things and matters, in addition to being rational and built upon the mind, for it to also be in line and applicable to the reality of this human being i.e. in agreement (and harmony) to the Fitrah (nature) which people have been shaped (or created) upon. It is not possible to know the agreement of this solution to the Fitrah or its disagreement to it unless we have known the components of this human, his composition and the factors that lead to his tranquillity and peace of mind so that he can spend this period of time (in this life) upon the straight path and in continual tranquillity, and so that he can be rid of the misery and unhappiness that he suffers from, in addition to the conditions of worry and stagnation that affect him. This is all so that he can be elevated to the level of a human being that Allah (swt) has dignified him with. For this reason it is essential to gain comprehension and understanding of this human being.

We have said since the beginning that the conduct of the human and regulation of his behaviour proceeds in accordance to his concepts about life. And that these concepts are a collection of thoughts that the human believes in and has comprehended their reality. And that these thoughts are a collection of judgements that the mind issues in relation to realities, events and things, and they specify and define his position towards them. Built upon this it becomes clear that what determines the human conduct and behaviour is this power of intellect that Allah (swt) has granted him with. Therefore these judgments that are issued from this human power of intellect must be in agreement with the composition of this human. It must be at home with it, able to settle it and provide it with comfort and tranquillity. In other words, the comprehensive thought about the universe, the man and the life need to be in agreement (and harmony) with the Fitrah (nature) of the human being and his natural composition i.e. in agreement with the components of this human entity or body.

So what then are these human components?

Firstly: The organic components/ the organic composition:

It is from the most well known and accepted matters that the organic composition of the human demands fundamental elements that must be provided to him so that his body does not to perish, its need for development is taken care of and its capability for movement is ensured. These elements are represented in all that the human requires in terms of food and drink including all that the food and drink contains in terms of those elements that the body is in need of.

This is addition to that which he naturally takes directly from the air in terms of oxygen and other elements. Just as he requires that which will nourish his strength and development, he also needs to dispose of waste. Therefore any fundamental thought that does not take into account this organic composition, is not compatible with these needs and does not lead to the satisfaction of these hungers, is a destructive thought that will lead to the dying out of the human species and the wrecking of human life.

Secondly: The instinctive (Ghareeziy) composition:

It is also a well known and accepted matter that this human is very attentive to the continuation of his life and gives this matter his full attention and concern. For him this is a vital issue that he would fight until death for. Similarly he is very attentive to the continuance of human kind and the attention he gives to this is no less than the attention and care he places to the continuance of his body. So he pays care and attention to his parents and children and his readiness to sacrifice himself and his wealth for any of them reveals clearly to us that the issue of the continuance of the human kind is a vital life and death issue. I would like to bring attention to an important aspect related to preserving and safeguarding the continuance of the kind (species) and the mentioning of this is for the sake of bringing clarity to the issue. This issue is that of AL-‘Ird (honour) because the issue of honour is a subject that is clear to the eyes and it is well established to be from amongst the vital issues connected to the importance of life and death. So the continuation of the species and the human kind is an inevitable matter and a vital issue.

He is also is very attentive to finding a safe and secure place to seek refuge in at the time of severity which he can turn to in the time of need, when the supporters are few and he has lost all protectors. In other words this occurs when somebody is incapable of meeting his need or finding security from his fears.

These inner driving dispositional sensations and feelings have been called instincts. They are the inherent or latent energy within him and what motivates him towards continuous activity and to continuously move forward.

Some people have categorised the instincts and counted them to be in excess of one hundred however in respect to all of these manifestations which they have considered to be instincts we return to the origin that they have originated from. As a result they number no more than three fundamentals or origins and they include every aspect of the human’s life. They are: Firstly, his love for continuance (i.e. to remain/survive) which includes his attention and care that he attaches to this. Secondly, his love for the human species and the continuance of reproduction including the attention and care that he attaches to this. And thirdly, his love for security (feeling of safety) and tranquillity and the care and attention he attaches to this.

For each of these origins there are a great number of manifestations and each one of them appears or manifests in the presence of that which instigates them. So he fears when an incentive for fear exists which could either be from a represented reality in front of him that causes fear or it could be from associating the thoughts of fear with a represented reality that is in the mind which exists externally and as a result he pays special attention and care upon his survival, well being and continuation of his life. Also he inclines towards the female when she is present or if he thinks about the girl in his mind which relates to his internal dispositional attentiveness to the continuation of the human species and kind. And he dedicates himself to Du’aa and continuous pleading to Allah when he finds himself in a tight spot or dilemma and he cannot find anyone or anything to fix it for him or get rid of it from him, or when he is thinking about obtaining or attaining something that is hard to achieve or reach.

Each of these three Gharaa’iz (instincts) have a number of manifestations from which feelings are emitted that apply pressure upon the Nafs (inner-self) of the person whenever an instinctual hunger from any of these three instincts or one of its manifestations occurs within him. He is then driven to satisfy this hunger or goes in search of a means to satisfy it. It will remain a source of pressure upon the human inner-self and cause worry and stress for him until he is able to remove the reasons provoking that hunger or satisfy that hunger or prepare a means for its satisfaction.

And it should not be said: That these matters are not originally in the Nafs (self) but rather they are acquired characteristics or attributes and accrued in the person as a result of living circumstances or conditions and the nature of life. This is not said because it is noticeable that the child from the moment of its birth has these matters existing within him and this reality has been witnessed by the senses. This evidence of this in a child is apparent before he has 65

gained the ability to imitate or make such an acquisition. His longing towards his mother, his crying out due to pain and his love for grabbing hold and taking possession of everything that he sees around him, all of this confirms the Fitrah (nature) of these matters within him and that they are not attributes that are acquired from his society. None other than the blindly arrogant would deny this and refuge is sought in Allah from such arrogance. And is there anyone more arrogant than the one who says that the instinct of possession or ownership arises from the capitalist society and the concepts that it brings whilst in origin the human has no such instinct and they are only characteristics or attributes that the child picks up from his childhood and onwards? So who then taught the child how to take milk from his mother and to pay special care and attention to the breast of his mother, and who taught him to pay special attention to his toy and provided him with the ardent zeal to attempt to take ownership of another child’s toy when he comes across it?

The above is a brief snapshot of the reality of the human composition, the natural (Fitriy) composition that cannot under any circumstances be overlooked, neglected or changed.

Allah (swt) says:

[Adhere to] the Fitrah (nature) of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah (Ar-Room 30).

Otherwise this would lead to the end of the human being and his extinction as a result of overlooking his organic needs or by overlooking the instinct of the species (i.e. procreation). Or it would leave the human locked in his obsessions, worry, stress and instability due to not being able to satisfy his instinctual hungers and natural internal sensations that apply pressure upon his nerves leading to his unhappiness and misery.

This brief summary above was presented so that we can understand the extent of the effect of the comprehensive thought and what emanates from it in regards to the systems that are applied upon this human being who is the subject of our study and the problem that we want to address and solve.

Therefore any comprehensive thought (Aqeedah) along with what emanates from it in terms of treatments and solutions that did not take into account these (natural) compositions of the human self, is considered to be an incorrect thought, that is not compatible with the objective of bringing a sound and correct revival for the human or his society. In summary, the first criteria, which is that the thought is rational (intellectual) and built upon the mind, is a correct measure or criterion and the second criteria which is the agreement of that comprehensive idea to the Fitrah (inherent nature) of the human, is also a correct measure. And any comprehensive thought that is in opposition with these two criteria or any one of them is an incorrect or false thought that is not suitable for the sound or correct Nahdah (revival).

For example when a particular thought is being established related to the repression of the instinct of procreation or the spread of the thought of monasticism and abstention, this thought is false and incorrect because it does not take into consideration the procreation instinct that exists naturally and inherently within the human being. If every human was to abide by this thought then this would mean the end of the human race after only a short time from the point of embracing this kind of thought.

<<A group from amongt the Sahaabah went to the houses of the wives of the Nabi (saw) and asked about his ‘Ibaadah (acts of worship). When they were told, it was as if they thought it was little and said: Where are we in relation to the Messenger of Allah (saw) who has been forgiven his past and future wrong actions? Then one of them said: I will pray throughout the night and never sleep. The second said: I will fast continuously and never break my fast. The third said: I will isolate myself from women and never marry. Then when this news reached the Messenger of Allah (saw) he addressed the people in the Masjid and said: What is the matter with those people who say such and such things!? As for me, I stand up for prayer at night and (then) I sleep, I fast and I break it and I marry women. So this is my Sunnah and whoever desires to turn away from my Sunnah then he is not from me>>.

This is in relation to the thought’s opposition to the Fitrah of Allah that he has created the people upon. Similarly this is the case when a comprehensive idea is established upon the repression of the survival instinct or the suppression of one of its manifestations like the love of ownership which they have called the ownership instinct and considered to be (merely) an acquired custom or habit. Regardless of their incompetence in that consideration, it is evident that the reality of ownership or possession exists within the child who has yet to acquire anything from his surroundings or those who are around him. The attempt to repress this reality represents a failed attempt and it will inevitably lead to the unhappiness and misery of the human due to it being in opposition to his Fitrah (inherent nature). We would say: It is an incorrect comprehensive idea and it is not suitable to revive the human with a sound (correct) revival or to provide him with happiness and contentment. Additionally this kind of thought cannot be achieved in reality in the absence of the use of coercion and force.

Likewise any comprehensive idea or thought that attempts to prevent the human from feeling the need for a power that he can seek refuge in whenever he faces hardship or a harm befalls him is a failure of an idea or thought. This is because it is not possible to remove these feelings and whenever we attempt to do so we redirect and divert these feelings of sanctification and respect in another direction. As for completely removing these feelings then this is pure fantasy and diverting them to sanctification, reverence and respect to a State, person, leader or anything else is exactly like the attempt to convince people with the idea of abstinence from marriage whilst leaving him to satisfy himself by way of Zinaa (Fornication) or homosexuality for example. This represents an attempt to satisfy his hunger or desire for procreation in an incorrect or a deviant satisfaction in regards to one of its manifestations.

As for the correct comprehensive idea (Aqeedah), it is the thought that does not overlook the Fitrah of the human being in terms of his organic needs and instinctual hungers (urges/drives). Rather it aims at organising all of these hungers and not suppressing them and it arranged and organised their realities in a precise manner and it did not let them run free. This meant that it did not allow the satisfaction of one at the expense of another. Therefore the Aqeedah like this which the second measure or criterion has judged to be correct due to its agreement with the inherent nature of the man, we say that the like of this Aqeedah is correct, as long as it fulfils two conditions:

a) That it is ‘Aqliyah (intellectual/rational) and built upon the ‘Aql (mind).

b) That it is in agreement (harmony) with the Fitrah (inherent nature) of the human being.

We therefore decisively affirm that the comprehensive thought (Aqeedah) i.e. the Qaa’idah Al-Fikriyah (Intellectual principle/basis)

upon which the human builds his thoughts, and from which the systems of his life emanate, must fulfil two conditions. It must be intellectual and built upon the mind so that the intellectual conviction can be attained and it must also be in agreement with the human Fitrah resulting in the tranquillity of the heart. This is what leads to human happiness and it is the principle or basis that is utilised to achieve the revival of human kind.

So the intellectual conviction is what the human uses to regulate and conduct his affairs whilst the agreement to the Fitrah is what brings tranquillity, peace and contentment into his heart.