Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Man and Universe

Author(s): Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari

Publisher(s): Islamic Seminary Publications

www.alhassanain.org/english

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Table of Contents

Part 1: Man and Faith 11

Chapter 1: Man and Animals 12

Awareness and Desire in Animals 12

Awareness and Desire in Man 13

Basis of the Distinction of Man 13

Is Humanity a Superstructure? 14

Notes 16

Chapter 2: Knowledge and Faith 18

Relation Between Knowledge and Faith 18

Can Knowledge and Faith Take the Place of Each Other? 21

Notes 23

Chapter 3: Religious Faith 25

Distinctions of Religious Faith 25

Effects and Advantages of Faith 27

I. Happiness and Delight 27

(i) Effort 28

II. Role of Faith in the Improvement Of Social Relations 29

III. Reduction of Worries 30

Chapter 4: School of Thought or Ideology 31

Definition and Necessity of Ideology 31

Kinds of Ideologies 35

In other words, is it absolute or relative? 37

Notes 38

Chapter 5: Islam - A Comprehensive School 39

Causes of Wrong Thinking 39

I. Reliance on Conjecture Instead of Sure Knowledge 39

II. Bias and Base Desires 40

III. Haste 40

IV. Traditional Thinking and Looking to the Past 40

V- Cult of Personality 40

Chapter 6: Sources of Thoughts In Islam 42

I. Nature 42

II. History 42

III. Human Conscience 42

Note 43

Part 2: Monotheistic Conception of the World 44

Chapter 7: Conception of the Universe 45

Conception of the World and Perception of the World 45

Varieties of World Conception 45

Scientific Conception of the World 46

Philosophical Conception of the World 48

Religious Conception of the World 48

How to Judge an Ideology? 49

Monotheistic Conception of the World 49

Islamic Conception of the World 50

Chapter 8: Realistic Conception of the World 52

Allah is Absolute Reality and Source of Life 52

Integral Characteristics of the World 52

(i) Limitation 52

(ii) Change 52

(iii) Attachment 53

(iv) Dependence 53

(v) Relativeness 53

Attributes of Allah 54

Monotheism 55

Worship and Adoration 56

Definition of Worship 56

Spirit of Adoration and Worship 57

Chapter 11: Degrees of Monotheism 58

I. Unity of the Essence of Allah 58

II. Unity of the Attributes of Allah 59

III. Unity of the Work of Allah 60

IV. Unity in Worship 60

Note 62

Chapter 10: Man and Unification 63

I. Materialistic Theory 63

II. Idealistic Theory 63

III. Realistic Theory 64

Chapter 11: Degrees of Polytheism 69

I. Belief in the Plurality of Divine Essence 69

II. Plurality of Creatorship 71

III. Plurality of Divine Attributes 71

IV. Plurality of Worship 71

Boundary Between Monotheism and Polytheism 73

Unity and Singleness of the World 79

Visible and Invisible 80

This World and the Next World 82

Chapter 12: Profound Wisdom and Divine Justice 83

(i) Principle of the self-Existence and Perfection of Allah 83

(ii) Principle of Sequence 84

(iii) Principle of Generality 84

History of the Principle of Justice in Islamic Culture 86

Part 3: Revelation and Prophethood 89

Chapter 13: Revelation and Prophethood 90

Universal Guidance 90

Characteristics of Prophets 91

(i) Miracles: 91

(ii) Infallibility: 91

Immunity from Sins: 91

Difference Between Prophets and Geniuses 92

(iii) Guidance: 93

(iv) Sincerity of Purpose: 93

(v) Constructiveness: 94

(vi) Struggle and Conflict: 94

(vii) Human Aspect: 95

(viii) Prophets Having A Divine Legal Code: 95

Chapter 14: Historical Role of the Prophet 97

(i) Education: 99

(ii) Affirmation of Agreements and Covenants: 99

(iii) Emancipation from Social Bondage: 99

Chapter 15: The Object of Prophethood 101

Chapter 16: Religion or Religions 104

Chapter 17: Finality of Prophethood 106

Reasons of the Renewal of Prophethood 106

Miracles of the Final Prophet 111

Note 113

Chapter 18: Miracle of Finality 114

Is this occurrence not a supernatural event and a miracle? 117

Value and Effect of a Miracle 120

Value of a Miracle From the Viewpoint of the Qur'an 120

Nature of the Holy Prophet's Guidance 120

Chapter 19: The Holy Qur'an 124

Great Interest of Muslims in the Holy Qur'an 124

Inimitability of the Holy Qur'an 124

Various Aspects of the Inimitability of the Holy Qur'an 125

Wording of the Holy Qur'an 125

Contents of the Holy Qur'an 127

Vastness of Meanings 130

Allah in the Holy Qur’an 130

Man's Relation with Allah 131

Qur’an, Tawrat and Injil 132

Historical Stories 132

The Holy Qur'an and Predictions 132

Chapter 20: Distinguishing Features of Islam 133

1. The Methods of Knowing 135

(i) Is it possible to identify the truth? 135

(ii) What are the Sources of Knowledge? 135

(iii) What are the means of Acquiring Knowledge? 136

(iv) Subjects of Knowledge 137

2. Conception of the World 137

Ideological Aspect 141

Chapter 21: The Holy Prophet 148

His Childhood 148

Abhorrence of Idleness and Lethargy 148

Honesty 149

Combat with Tyranny 149

Family Behavior 149

Treatment of Slaves 150

Cleanliness and Use of Perfume 150

Social Behavior 150

Soft as well as Tough 150

Worship 151

Austerity and Simple Living 151

Resolution and Perseverance 152

Leadership, Administration and Consultation 152

Regularity and Orderliness 152

Capacity to Listen to Criticism and Dislike of Flattery and Undue Compliments 153

Fight Against Weak Points 153

Possession of the Necessary Qualities of Leadership 153

Method of Preaching 154

Encouragement of Knowledge 154

Part 4: Man and the Holy Qur'an 155

Chapter 22: Man and the Holy Qur'an 156

Merits of Man 156

Demerits of Man 158

Is Man By Nature Good or Bad? 158

Multi-dimensional Being 159

Diverse Powers of Man 163

Self-Consciousness 164

Promotion of Talents 165

Development of Body 165

Development of Soul 166

Man's Effective Role in Building His Future 166

(i) Extensiveness of the range of his information 167

(ii) Extensiveness of the range of his desires 167

(iii) Man has a special self-making ability 167

Man's Will and Range of His Freedom 168

(i) Heredity 168

(ii) Natural and Geographical Environment 169

(iii) Social Atmosphere 169

(iv) History and Time Factors 169

Man's Revolt Against Limitations 169

Man and Divine Fate 169

Man and Obligations 170

(i) Puberty 170

(ii) Sanity 171

(iii) Knowledge and Awareness 171

(iv) Ability and Power 172

(v) Power of Choice and free-Will 172

Conditions of Validity 173

Chapter 23: Human Knowledge 177

I. Innate Self-Consciousness 178

II. Philosophical Self-consciousness 179

III. Universal Self-consciousness 179

IV. Class Self-consciousness 180

V. National Self-consciousness 180

VI. Human Self-consciousness 181

VII. Mystic Self-Consciousness 184

VIII. Prophetic Self-Consciousness 186

Note 188

Part 5: Society and History 189

Society and History 190

Introduction 190

What is Society? 191

Is Man Social By Nature? 191

Is the Existence of Society Real and Substantial? 193

Society and Tradition 198

Compulsion or Volition 200

Note 203

Chapter 25: Social Classification 204

Singleness or Multiplicity of Societies 207

Future of Societies 209

Chapter 26: What is History? 216

Scientific History 220

I. Reliability or Unreliability of Transmitted History 220

II. Principle of Causation 221

III. Is History Materialistic in Nature? 225

Basic Principles of Historical Materialism 226

I. Priority of Matter over Spirit 226

II. Precedence of Material Needs to Spiritual Needs 228

III. Precedence of Action to Thought 229

IV. Precedence of Social Existence of Man to His Individual Existence 230

V. Precedence of Material Aspect of Society to Its Intellectual Aspect 233

Conclusions 238

Criticism and Comments of Historical Materialism 249

i) Baselessness 251

(ii) Revision of Views by Its Founders 251

(iii) Demolition of the Principle of Compulsory Harmony Between Infrastructure and Superstructure 256

(iv) Nonconformity of the Basis of Class Ideology 258

(v) Independence of Cultural Development 258

(vi) Historical Materialism Is Self-contradictory 259

Note 260

Chapter 27: Islam and Historical Materialism 261

Comments 267

Notes 282

Chapter 28: Islamic Philosophy of History 283

I. Strategy of Mission 283

II. An Ideology's Nomenclature 288

III. Favourable and Unfavourable Conditions for Acceptability 288

(i) Justice and Injustice 290

(ii) Unity And Discord 290

(iii) Observance or Disregard of Allah's Command About Exhorting to What is Good and Restraining from What is Evil 290

(iv) Moral Depravity and Licentiousness 290

Notes 291

Chapter 29: Evolution and Change in History 292

I. The Racial Theory 293

II. The Geographical Theory 293

III. Theory of Intellectual Giants 294

IV. The Economic Theory 294

V. The Divine Theory 295

The Role of Personality in History 297

Notes 299

Part 6: Imamat and Khilafat 300

Chapter 30:Imamat and Khilafat 301

Leadership 301

Imamat and Dialectic Logic 305

An Extract From Notes 305

Leadership and Protection of Faith 306

Notes 307

Chapter 31: Imamat - Leadership 308

Difference Between Guidance and Leadership 308

Imamat of the Holy Imams and the Tradition of Thaqalayn 308

Imamat and Hadith of Thaqalayn 310

Notes 313

Chapter 32: Significance of Imamat 314

The Meaning of Imam 314

Various Aspects of the Holy Prophet 314

Imamat in the Sense of Leadership of Society 316

Imamat in the Sense of Religious Authority 317

Imamat in the Sense of Wilayat 318

A Tradition about Imamat 320

Imamat in the Holy Qur'an 321

Chapter 33: Imamat and Expounding of Religion 323

Government is a Branch of Imamat 324

Imam is the Successor of the Holy Prophet in Expounding of Religion 325

The Tradition of Thaqalayn 326

Prohibition of Recording of Traditions 327

Use of Analogy 328

Analogy From the Shi'ah Point of View 329

No Question of Election in the Presence of an Infallible Imam 329

Question of Spiritual Wilayat 330

Importance of the Tradition of Thaqalayn 331

The Tradition of Ghadir 331

Note 332

Chapter 34: Scholastic Study of Imamat 333

Definition of Imamat 334

Rational Argument of the Shi'ah 334

Imam Means An Expert in Religious Matters 335

Infallibility 336

Divine Designation 337

Prophetic Texts Relating to Imamat of Imam Ali 338

The Event of the Day of Warning 339

Meeting of the Head of a Tribe With the Holy Prophet 339

The Tradition of Ghadir and Its Continuity 340

Question and Answer 342

Notes 344

Chapter 35: Imamat and the Verse regarding Despair of Unbelievers 345

Difference Between Perfection and Completion 345

Which Day Is Meant By This Day? 346

(i) The Day the Holy Prophet was Raised 347

(ii) The Day of the Conquest of Makkah 347

(iii) Recitation of Surah al-Baraat by Imam Ali 349

Shi'ah Explanation 350

(iv) Internal Evidence Existing In the Verse 351

Specific (Mohkamat) and Ambiguous (Mutashabihat) Verse 351

Question and Answer 353

Notes 358

Chapter 36: Imamat in the Qur’an 359

Special Position of the Verses Relating to the Prophet's Progeny 359

The Verse of Tathir (Purification) 359

Reason 362

Historical Evidence 363

What The Gnostics Say? 364

The Concept of Imamat 364

Imam In Prophet Ibrahim's Progeny 365

Prophet Ibrahim's Trials - Command to Migrate to Hijaz 365

Command to Slaughter His Son 366

Imamat Is A Divine Covenant 367

Who is a Wrongdoer? 367

Questions and Answers 368

Notes 373

Chapter 37: Imamat from the Viewpoint of the Imams 374

What Kind of a Being is Man? 374

First Man in the Qur’an 374

Zayd ibn Ali and Imamat 377

Questions and Answers 382

Note 382

Chapter 38: Notes on Leadership and Management 383

Style of Leadership 386

Notes On Leadership In Islam 392

Leadership and Management 395

Imamat of Imams 399

Notes 399

Part 7: Eternal Life 401

Life of the Next World 401

Source of Belief in the Life of the Next World 401

Nature of Death 402

After Death 406

Barzakh or Purgatory 406

Resurrection 409

Relation Between This Life and the Next 410

Embodiment and Eternity of Human Deeds 410

Traditions (Ahadith) 411

Common and Uncommon Points of This Life and the Next 411

Arguments of the Qur’an 412

Part 1: Man and Faith