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El Hajj Malik El Shabazz known as Malcolm X Autobiography Summary

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FROM MALCOLM X TO EL HAJJ MALIK EL SHABAZZ 
The Transformation of Malcolm X 
 
        Malcolm X was perhaps one of the most controversial elements in the civil rights movement. In his early years, Malcolm X became a member of  Nation of Islam, a religion that borrowed basic ideas from the orthodox teachings of Islam and combined with racist views regarding whites taught by Elijah Mohammed. Malcolm X was a very influential and prominent priest for the Nation of Islam. However, Mr. Mohammed and his Nation of Islam turned against Malcolm when he questioned some of the beliefs and actions of Elijah Mohammed. This uncertainty forced Malcolm to embark on a quest over seas seas to find his true beliefs. Upon his arrival to  Arabia, he found a truly different society, where race played no factor on a person's status (Davies, 98). This made a very positive change in Malcolm X's beliefs. This unity of human kind had forced Malcolm to change many of his ideas including his beliefs about the the solution to the racial problem in America. 
 
        Malcolm X had his first religious enlightenment while serving time for various crimes he had committed when he was young. While Malcolm was in prison, he learned and adopted the teachings of  Nation of Islam, a religious sect of  Orthodox Islam which believes in strict moral codes and radical views about race led by Elijah Mohammed. By the time he left prison, Malcolm had completely changed himself from a drug dealing burglar to a religious priest for the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X had completely submitted himself to the racist teachings of Elijah Mohammed. It is through the Nation of Islam and Elijah Mohammed's teachings that Malcolm developed his radical views about race in America. 
 
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Under the teachings of  Elijah Mohammed, Malcolm X had targeted all whites and blamed them for position of blacks in society. He had referred to whites as devils, who sought to lower the standards of blacks even more, by bringing prostitution, liquor, etc. into black neighborhoods. (Life, 0:06:03).  Malcolm X believed that complete segregation between blacks and whites was the only answer to the racial problem in America. Malcolm felt that all the actions committed against blacks in history was due the white race in its entirety, and not because of specific individual actions (X, 238-239). He also believed that blacks should not only segregate but all blacks should migrate to Africa, and establish a society there (Perry,196). 
 
Fifteen years after Malcolm embraced the Nation of Islam, he started to question the religion. Allegations of  sexual misconduct and illegitimate children against Elijah Mohammed had arisen (Mack-Williams, 101). When Malcolm confronted Mr. Mohammed regarding the situation, Mr. Mohammed admitted to his actions. Malcolm then began to question the beliefs of Elijah Mohammed, and his involvement with the Nation of Islam. During this time, according to Malcolm, Elijah Mohammed and other leaders of the Nation of Islam grew increasingly jealous of  Malcolm's success, and created lies about Malcolm to discredit his name (X, 290). Malcolm finally left the Nation of Islam in 1964. 
 
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Later that same year, in an attempt to find the true religion of Islam, as it is practiced by the millions of followers around the world, Malcolm embarked on a voyage that would ultimately change his beliefs, life, and attitude about America. Malcolm X landed in Mecca, Arabia to undergo the holy pilgrimage, an act that all well-to-do orthodox Muslims are required participate in . This experience had a very positive impact on Malcolm X. Despite the racial frustrations Malcolm carried, he wrote in a letter to his wife, 
 
 Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and the over     
        whelming sprit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all 
        colors and races here [Mecca].... this pilgrimage... has forced me 
        to re-arrange much of my thought patterns... and toss aside some of 
        my previous conclusions.... In the words and in the actions and in 
        the deeds of 'white' Muslims I felt the same sincerity that I felt 
        among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan, and Ghana (qtd. 
        in X, 339-340). 
 
While racial hatred, in America, had forced blacks into the lowest depths of society, Malcolm had encountered a land where the color of the skin played absolutely no factor in any aspect of life. While Segregation in America had forced blacks to survive in poorest of living conditions, the white leader of Arabia had invited Malcolm to stay not only in his extravagant palace, but in his own room (X, 333). While whites had  beaten, raped, and attacked blacks,  while fire hoses were unleashed at black civilians, while hungry dogs were released on black protesters, while white supremacist groups like the KKK used violence to intimidate blacks, Malcolm X had "eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass... while praying to the same God with fellow Muslims, whose eyes are the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white" (Malcolm X tape II, 1:38:48). It is from this trip to Arabia, that Malcolm learned about the value of brotherhood  He learned to trust people, whites in particular. Malcolm learned the color of one's skin does not reflect what kind of person you are, rather that ones actions reflect the quality of a person (X, 333).  He learned that coexistence can and will work, something that Malcolm previously believed could never happen. From this trip, Malcolm abandoned all his racist and segregational views about the American society, and adopted the more Orthodox Islamic approach of racial coexistence and equality. 
 
 When Malcolm returned to his trip, he immediately started preaching his new philosophy. He developed new ideas about race in America and how its relation in the world, foreign policy and politics, and African American unity. 
 
 Perhaps the greatest change in Malcolm's beliefs were his ideas regarding relationships between whites and blacks. His conversion to orthodox Islam had changed his views about whites completely. In one of his speeches after his Mecca trip, he writes: 
 
        I am not a racist... In the past I permitted myself ... to make   
        sweeping indictments of all white people, the entire white race, 
        and these generalizations have caused injuries to some whites and 
        perhaps did not deserve to hurt. Because of my spiritual       
        enlightenment... as a result of my pilgrimage [to Mecca, Arabia]... 
        I no longer subscribe to make sweeping indictments of any one race 
        ( "Malcolm X", MSA internet site). 
 
It is at this time Malcolm X had changed his name from the Nation of Islam trademark of "X" to a traditional orthodox Muslim name, Malik El- Shabazz. This change in his name probably signified his complete separation from the Nation of Islam's radical philosophy about racial separation to orthodox Islam's beliefs in racial equality. This is what Malik El-Shabazz said about his new found religion: "When you become [a true] Muslim, you don't look at a man as being black, brown, red, yellow. You look at him as being a man" (qtd. in Decaro Jr, 72). 
 
 Mr. El- Shabazz  practiced his new found philosophy. After Malcolm's separation from the Nation of Islam, he created his own orginization called Muslim Mosque Inc., which abandoned the Nation of Islam's anti-symetic views and called for black unity both in America and abroad. (Myers, 158). Perhaps the most shocking difference between Muslim Mosque Incorporated and the Nation of Islam was its views regarding whites. According to Malik's friend, Dr. Mahmoud Shawarbi, Malik El-Shabazz wanted whites to join his organization. In fact, Mr. El- Shabazz felt that it would help his organization grow (DeCaro Jr., 249). This was a complete reversal from his previous beliefs under the Nation of Islam where he not only didn't trust whites, he referred to them as devils (Malcolm X tape 2, 0:27:36). 
 
 In Arabia, Malcolm witnesses coexistence between all races. He brought this positive ideology to America. In his years with Nation of Islam, Malcolm called for complete separation of blacks and whites. He felt that the only way blacks could exist the way they deserve to exist is if they governed and lived by themselves (Malcolm X tape II, 1:11:19). However, Malik El- Shabazz no longer believed this way, infact he completely changed his views on this subject. Mr. Shabazz went as far as to state that relationships between races was permissible saying, "...when you are dealing with humanity as a family there's no marriage of intergration or intermarriage" (qtd. in X, 424).  Malik El- Shabazz truly felt unified with the people of all nations who held common beliefs. He believed that the solution to the racial problems lies in the mind of the people, not segregation. Malik El- Shabazz had felt that that many of the whites in America had developed a superiority attitude which dates back to the time of slavery. This superiority attitude was the root of the racial problems in America, and unless it is removed, theses problems could never be solved. (DeCaro Jr, 1^9) 
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 The way Malik El- Shabazz viewed other black organizations changed as a result of his spiritual rebirth. Previously, under the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X denounced all black leaders who supported "non-radical" solutions to the racial problems in America. He argued, "... when the white man wants to attack Negroes, they can't defend themselves, because [Martin Luther] King has put this foolish philosophy out- you're not supposed to fight or you're not supposed to defend yourself." Malcolm made direct criticisms against Martin King and others like King (qtd. in Gallen, 139). However, since the conversion to authentic Islam, Malik El- Shabazz looked at other black leaders differently. On his trip to Mecca, Malcolm witnessed a tremendous amount of unity of people, despite their differences. He had felt that unity is what strengthened brotherhood. Malik El- Shabazz wanted to bring this unity to America (Malcolm X tape II, 1:19:52). When Malik El-Shabazz returned to America, he gave full support to all black organizations, which wanted to achieve positive results. He began to set the stage for working with  Martin Luther King  and perhaps other black leaders (Curry, 5). 
 
 Shabazz's enlightenment in Arabia changed his attitude regarding the solution to the racial problems. Since Malik El- Shabazz gained a sense of unity with the people of the world,  he no longer felt that the racial problem existed only in America. He felt the civil rights cause should be addressed as human rights and should be treated as a human problem, not just a national one (Davies, 104). In that regard Malik El- Shabazz presented proposition to sue the United States for violating human rights in front of the United Nations (Curry, 5). However, because of the mind-set of the black community in America at the time, the proposition had minimal support. In addition this movement was completely stopped as a result of Shabazz's assassination. 
 
 Malik El- Shabazz also made direct criticisms against Elijah Mohammed and the Nation of Islam.  He believed that the religion of Nation of Islam is a completely different entity than Orthodox Islam, and Elijah Mohammed was a fake. Regarding the Nation of Islam and Elijah Mohammed, Malcolm writes: 
 
 For 12 long years I lived within the narrow minded confines of the 
        straight jacket world created by my strong belief that Elijah     
        Mohammed was a messenger direct from God... and my faith in what I 
        now see to be a pseudo-religious philosophy that he preaches. . . . 
        I shall never rest until I have undone the harm I did to so many 
        well-meaning, innocent Negroes who... now believe in him even more 
        fanatically and more blindly than I did (Malcolm X Quotes,       
        Internet). This passage reflects Shabazz's new beliefs regarding 
        the Nation of Islam, Shabazz's previous religion. He had felt that 
        the Nation of Islam was blinding many blacks, which in turn could 
        hurt the human rights movement. 
 
Malik El- Shabazz, not only criticized the Nation of Islam, he preached for many blacks to convert from Nation of Islam to Orthodox Islam. Malcolm had insulted the Nation by calling it "cult like" (De Caro Jr., 166). An action that threatened Elijah Mohammed and his Nation of Islam. El- Shabazz had felt that this threat may lead the Nation of Islam to inflect violence, in particular, against himself. (DeCaro Jr., 254). El- Shabazz was correct. On February 21, 1965, Malik El- Shabazz was assassinated while delivering a speech in New York. Three Nation of Islam leaders were convicted and sentenced for the killing (Myers, 196-197). 
 
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Malik El- Shabazz had said, " My whole life has been a chronology of changes" (Malcolm X Quotes, Internet). El- Shabazz had three main stages in his life. As Malcolm Little, he was a drug addict and a criminal. As Malcolm X, he had transformed from a petty thief to a prominent priest for the Nation of Islam . He taught racial hatred and radical views on solving the racial problems in America. As Malik El- Shabazz, he had transformed from preaching segregation to preaching racial unity and equality.  If someone was to hear the beliefs of Malcolm X and hear the beliefs of Malcolm as Malik El-Shabazz, they might beleive that Malcolm and Malik were two entirely different people, with drastically opposing views. Perhaps what made Malik El- Shabazz so great was that bettered himself  by acknowledging his mistakes, learning from them, and was committed to teaching the lessons of his mistakes to others, so others could better themselves. 
 
From: "zameer@castleweb.com" <Zarina.F.Baber-1@tc.umn.edu> 
Subject: Re: Malcolm X paper  Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996  Friday May, 10th 1996 
https://www.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/~moritz/Archive/malcolmx/zameerbabermalcolmx.txt 
 
Sources: 
Curry, George E. "The Last Days of Malcolm X." Emerge Feb. 1995: 1-5. SIRS 
Researcher Article 49. 
 
Davies, Mark. Malcolm X: Another Side of the Movement. New Jersey: Silver 
Burdett Press Inc., 1990. 
 
DeCaro Jr., Louis A. On the Side of My People: A Religious Life of Malcolm 
X. New York: New York University, 1996. 
 
Gallen, David. Malcolm X: As They Knew Him. New York: Caroll & Graff 
Publishers Inc., 1992. 
 
Life and Death of Malcolm X. Dir. James Washington. Narr. Kingston Ducoeur. 
 Simitar Entertainment, 1992. 
 
Mack-Williams, Kibibi. Malcolm X. Florida: Rourke Publications Inc., 1993. 
 
Malcolm X. Dir. Spike Lee. With Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett. 
Warner Bros., 1992. 
 
Moritz, Elke.  Malcolm X Quotes. http://www.unix-ag.uni 
kl.de/moritz/daten/afroamer/mxquotes.aa. Online. Netscape. Internet. 30 
April 1996. 
 
MSA. Malcolm X. http://www.csun.edu/~hbcsc103/malcolmx.html. Online. 
Netscape. Internet. 5 May 1996. 
 
Myers, Walter Dean. Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary.  New York: 
Scholastic Inc., 1993. 
 
Perry, Bruce. Malcolm: The Life of a Man Who Changed Black America. New 
York: Station Hill Press Inc., 1991. 
 
 X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Inc., 
1965.</div>

El Hajj Malik El Shabazz known as Malcolm X Autobiography Summary

FROM MALCOLM X TO EL HAJJ MALIK EL SHABAZZ The Transformation of Malcolm X Malcolm X was perhaps one of the most controvers...

Monday, February 08, 2016

Cannibalism! Eating human flesh

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Without a doubt, backbiting is forbidden in Islam due to the dire consequences that it brings upon Muslims, causing enmity, hatred and cutting-off ties of kinship. It wastes our precious time; and does not bring benefit or joy. This abhorable practice often involves making fun of how a certain individual looks,walks, talks, etc.,  in turn, resulting in mockery of Allah’s own creation! 
 
AllahSWT says: 
 
“O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” (Al-Hujurat, 49:12) 
 
Dear Readers, when you find AllahSWT comparing backbiting with eating dead human flesh (a repulsive image), understand what a huge and hateful sin this is! As-sa’di said in his Tafseer, “In this verse is a severe warning for backbiting as it is considered one of the major sins, because AllahSWT resembled it to eating the flesh of a dead person”. 
 
While many people cannot imagine eating human flesh, cannibalism is a practice that existed and still exists in few parts of the world. The people who engage in such acts have no shred of humanity in their souls and are classified as abnormal, savages and inhuman. We can pretty much say the same thing about people who engage in backbiting, but in the verse above, Allah SWT says backbiting is even worse that cannibalism, because while backbiting, we actually know our victim, whereas, cannibals may or may not necessary know theirs! 
 
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Sadly, this disease has spread in such a way that even righteous people indulge in it. Satan is able to drag everyone into indulging in such a hideous sin. 
 
What causes this? 
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Mingling with a lot of people causes many backbiting hotspots, and even if some people are safe from doing it, they are not safe from engaging in it, and if they are safe from engaging in it, they are not safe from being silent about it.</li>
<li>The main cause of backbiting is the lack of remembrance of Allah and His messengerSAWS.</li>
<li>Huge amount of time is wasted in such gatherings,where people often tend to forget about the hereafter and engage in matters that do not serve our purpose of existence.</li>
</ul>
<div>
May AllahSWT cure us from such a disease. Ameen</div>
 
What can you do? 
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>You can either oppose such gatherings that indulge in back biting.</li>
<li>Leave such gatherings and not be a part of them at all.</li>
<li>If you are not able to leave, then at least try getting busy with the remembrance of AllahSWT.</li>
</ul>
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No matter how ugly the sin of backbiting is, its effects appears to be pleasing, especially if the one we are backbiting about is hated or is considered an enemy. However, what if we ask the backbiter, “Would you be pleased if your enemy backbites about you and exposes your faults the same way you have exposed his?”</div>
 
Ask yourself… 
 
Have we become free from our own faults? 
 
What are we doing to fix them? 
 
Have we attained self righteousness and are free from sin? 
 
Have we mended our flaws that we waste time mentioning other people’s flaws? 
 
The Messenger of AllahSAWS said, 
“Blessed is he who is preoccupied with his defects rather than those of other people.” 
 
Its easy to backbite and does not require much effort. All it needs is a move from your tongue, especially if the one being backbitten is an enemy to those who are in the gathering, because they will be busy mentioning his or her flaws and become delighted with what they hear from others in the same way a thirsty person is delighted with cold water to extinguish the burning thirst inside him/her. However, backbiters are always defeated because when they know that the one they backbit about is present, they will turn their slur into praise! 
 
It is without a doubt that the tongue is what leads to such a grave sin, and this is why the best advice our beloved prophetSAWS said, 
 
“He who believes in Allah and the Last Day, must speak good or remain silent.” 2 
 
Let us all turn back to AllahSWT with regret for all the sins we have done with our tongues. Let us truly regret such an act and be firm in not returning to it. Let us seek forgiveness from those who we’ve spoken ill about, and let us seek forgiveness from the one whom we backbit about. Ameen 
 
http://blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com/cannibalism/</div>

Cannibalism! Eating human flesh

Without a doubt, backbiting is forbidden in Islam due to the dire consequences that it brings upon Muslims, causing enmity, hatred and c...

Monday, February 08, 2016

“He was born. He grew up. Got married. Then he died.” Do More than Just Exist

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We wake up each day and begin anew, with better ideas to make money, get married or simply have more fun: Family, food, work, entertainment, sleep. Then, we wake up again the next day to dive into the same routine, the same ambition. We are in the same boat as it seems like we have exactly the same goals and aspirations: how to make ourselves more happy and comfortable. That’s okay, right? 
 
That’s exactly why we are here: to work tirelessly and make money, or follow some career, or get married. Each day we hit the internet to have fun and feel we are living the purpose of our existence. And most of us don’t even bother to think about having a purpose! 
 
I mean, we are educated, civilized people. And extremely busy. So that, by default, means we are fulfilling the purpose (if there is any). But we forget that it is not enough to be busy because so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy doing? Sometimes, does it not feel like we are existing but not living? It does. 
 
And that’s why a famous Hollywood comedian actor, Jim Carrey, said, despite having “it all”: “I hope everybody could get rich and famous and will have everything they ever dreamed of, so they will know that it’s not the answer.” 
 
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Let’s see what our Creator said about our purpose of existence: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Adh Dhariyat, 51:56) 
 
Now take a deep look into your daily life and see how much you remember AllahSWT, your Creator? Where and when do you try to please Him? Is your life all about me, myself and I? Or is it about ‘AllahSWT‘?! 
 
We have a responsibility. Life is not just about finishing a video game or keeping up with the latest fashion or updating the Facebook profile. Life has more to it. 
 
We have been created for a higher purpose. And that is: living and actualizing this kalimah: None has the right to be worshiped but AllahSWT (la ilaha illaAllah). 
 
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We all believe in la ilaha illaAllah but belief in it is more than just saying ‘No’ to bowing down to idols – it has a much deeper meaning which we have to live up to. 
Living this kalima requires us to obey no one but AllahSWT, to love AllahSWT alone and to have other love in our hearts as an offshoot of that love, to never love the creation more than AllahSWT, to fear AllahSWT the most, to put all hopes in/with Him alone and not the creation, to rely on AllahSWT and not to depend on the creation, to fear AllahSWT the most, to love what Allah loves and to hate what AllahSWT hates… 
 
Honestly, are we living up to it? Are we making sure we love our family, children, etc., in the right amount or is that love becoming a hazard for us because we keep disobeying AllahSWT in order to please them? 
 
Only when you worship AllahSWT alone, obey Him alone and do not disobey Him by obeying man made laws, trust Him and His decree over you completely, love Him intensely more than anyone else, fear His punishment and pin all hopes on Him, you submit to Him…and that is when you live la ilaha illaAllah! 
 
Part of belief in Tawheed is devoting all acts of worship, both inward and outward, in word and deed, to AllahSWT alone and not worshiping anything or anyone other than AllahSWT, no matter who He is. 
 
“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him” (Al-Isra,17:23) 
 
 
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The meaning of La ilaaha ill Allah, that there is none worthy of worship except AllahSWT – this necessitates that the servant makes AllahSWT the sole object of worship, not directing any worship to other than him, whether that worship be khawf, or khas’yah, or tawakkul (which means putting ones trust solely in Allah), and the other meanings of ‘ibaadah. It is binding upon a servant to realize the greatness of this word and to make it a reality in his life, and that he does not say the statement emptily without meaning it. 
 
And the opposite of this Tawheed is shirk. And AllahSWT has decreed that the mushrikeen will abide forever in Hell and has told us that He will not forgive them and He has forbidden Paradise to them, as He says: 
 
“Indeed, AllahSWT does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin” (An-Nisa 4:48) 
 
Understand the danger. RELIGIOUS IGNORANCE IS ABUNDANT AND HOLDING ONTO ISLAM IS LIKE HOLDING ONTO A BURNING COAL. You pick up a novel and what you get to read is some garbage about magic being a good thing, people who can never die and have divine powers, overwhelming obsession with some created being (Twilight?), you turn on the TV and find shows where Islam is being mocked, belittled and maligned, you pick up your cell phone where you are being bombarded with messages about fortune telling and people claiming to know the unseen! While living in such a dangerous world, make sure you are still a Muslim! 
 
I mean, we are here in this world to please our Creator; it would be the MOST shameful thing if we NEVER make it! Because we are created by AllahSWT and for AllahSWT and unless we understand that, life will NEVER make sense! 
 
“He was born. He grew up. Got married. Then he died.” – Let not just this be the story of your life. Do something worth mentioning. Something big. Do Islam. Because bearing witness to this kalimah is not just an action of the tongue; let the heart bear witness. 
 
http://blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com/do-more-than-just-exist/</div>

“He was born. He grew up. Got married. Then he died.” Do More than Just Exist

We wake up each day and begin anew, with better ideas to make money, get married or simply have more fun: Family, food, work, entertai...

Friday, February 05, 2016

Allah invites you to Paradise and to Forgiveness, by His permission

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Allah invites you to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission 
 
Allah swt says in Surah an-Nisa 4 v28: “Allah wishes to lighten (the burden) for you; and man was created weak”. 
 
Brothers in Islam: To find perfection in the human being is impossible and infallibility is limited to Allah’s Prophets and His Messengers. Allah swt says that man has been created weak. Therefore no matter how strong his body becomes, he is weak when he faces the desires of his own soul, we see him crumble with no strength or ability to resist temptations. 
 
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Our Lord, the Most Compassionate, is most knowledgeable regarding His creation; He is fully aware of their inabilities, weaknesses, deficiencies and their short comings. Consequently, He warns them of His disobedience and His punishment but despite all of this, they still sin and transgress. As a result, He has opened to them the door of hope for His pardon, mercy, pleasure and forgiveness and invited them to the spaciousness of His generosity and compassion, saying, 
 
Allah swt says in Surah al-Baqarah 2, verse 221: “Allah invites to Paradise and forgiveness with His permission.” 
 
Imam Muslim has recorded in a hadith that the messenger of Allah (pbuh) said ‘Allah says “O my slaves indeed you commit sins by day and by night but I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I will forgive you’.” 
 
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Thus deficiency and heedlessness is part of our nature and we commit sins and disobedience and all the while Shaitan is on our right and on our left, in front of us and behind us, enticing us and inviting us to commit sins. Therefore we become weak and succumb to his invitation and thus become disobedient. After which the ‘accursed one’ says to us, “I had no power over you except to entice you and you succumbed to me, so do not blame me and blame no one but yourselves.” (Surah Ibrahim 14, verse 22) 
 
أيها المؤمنون: It is from the greatest gifts of Allah and from His good grace that He invites His slaves to His pardon and forgiveness; not only this but He also follows it with another great bounty: He grants them respite to critically examine their own souls, help amend their mistakes and correct their state. As He, the Exalted says in the Surah Ibrahim 14, verse 10: “He invites you so that He may forgive you your transgressions and He delays [your death] until an appointed time.” 
 
Thus, give glad tidings to those who know that they have a merciful Lord, Who is generous, Who pardons, Who accepts the repentance of those who are regretful, Who overlooks the mistakes of those who stumble when they turn to Him truthfully and sincerely and without losing hope. Indeed, this is what He has ordered His Prophet and those with him when He the Exalted says in Surah Muhammad, verse 19: “And know [O Muhammad] that there is no deity except Allah so seek forgiveness for your sins and for those of the believers.” 
 
And our Prophet Muhammad, (pbuh), said to us, “If you did not transgress, Allah would remove you and bring a people who do sin and seek forgiveness from Allah the Exalted and he would forgive them.” (Related by Muslim) 
 
So whoever’s hand committed sins, and whoever spoke that which enrages his Lord and Master by swearing and slander, and whoever walked the path of disobedience, and whoever spent the night worried, anxious, in discomfort, miserable, in despair, the world seemingly constricting him despite its spaciousness, his eyes not enjoying sleep and his mouth not enjoying the taste of food and drink, as if darkness surrounds him because he has disobeyed his Lord and committed a prohibited act, then let his heart be opened, his burden lightened, his worry and anxiety removed and his happiness returned to him by the statement of his Lord the Most High: “Say [O Muhammad]: O my slaves who have sinned against their own souls, do not despair from the mercy of Allah – indeed Allah forgives all sins and indeed it is He who is the All Forgiving, the All Merciful.” (Surah az-Zumar 39, verse53) And are you not overjoyed by the statement of Allah the Most High, 
 
“They are those who if they commit an immorality or transgress against their own souls they remember Allah and ask His forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah? [In addition] they do not persist in doing (evil) whilst they are aware of it.” (Surah al-e-Imran 3, verse135) 
 
And by His statement, “And indeed I am the Forgiver of he who repents and believes and performs righteous actions and then was guided.” (Surah Ta-Ha 20, verse 82) and in Surah an-Noor, verse 22: “Would you not like it that Allah would forgive you.” 
 
And by His statement in a hadith Qudsi, “O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done and I will not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to me with sins as great as the volume of the earth and were you then to face Me, associating no partners with Me, I would bring you forgiveness of an equal amount to it.” (Related by al-Tirmidhi) 
 
Brothers in Islam: Therefore shouldn’t those who have committed sins repent? And shouldn’t those who were saddened by their disobedience be happy? Don’t they see the extent of Allah’s mercy and His forgiveness? So raise your hands in supplication and raise your voice in remembrance of your Lord, open your heart and allow your tongue to say, “O my Lord I have repented to You so accept it from me and have mercy upon me.” And say, “I seek the forgiveness of Allah the Exalted and I have repented unto Him.” 
 
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Say it with a truthful tongue and with a sincere and pure heart and make a firm intention to leave all sins and to return to Allah absolutely, as the person who sought forgiveness but did not correct his repentance, then he is a liar and the person who seeks forgiveness for sins while he is still committing them, is as if he is ridiculing his Lord. So be wary that you do not become such a person. Try to become of those whom Allah describes as follows, “O you who believe, fear Allah and be with those who are truthful.” (9:119) and also Allah swt says in Surah at-Tahreem: “O you who believe, repent to Allah with a true and sincere repentance.” 
 
In Conclusion: seeking forgiveness and repentance and being consistent is not just the task of sinners and the disobedient. It is also for the people of faith, remembrance and sincerity. Seek forgiveness from Allah a great deal, even after performing the greatest acts of worship. For example, our Prophet (pbuh), said, “By Allah, I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him more than 100 times a day.” (Related by al-Bukhari) 
 
Ibn Umar, (ra) said, “We would count the Prophet, (pbuh) saying, ‘O my Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, indeed you are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful’ one hundred times in our gatherings.” (Related by Abu Dawood) 
 
And al-Muzani (ra) related that the Prophet (pbuh), said, “Indeed I find heedlessness prevailing upon my heart and indeed, I seek Allah’s forgiveness a 100 times a day.” (Related by Muslim) 
 
So remain firm upon this and follow the practice of the best of mankind, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and repent and seek Allah’s forgiveness much, so that your sins may be forgiven and your repentance be accepted. 
 
Our beloved Prophet, (pbuh) has taught us the best way in which to seek Allah’s forgiveness by informing us of a supplication to make, as we find on the authority of Shaddad b. Aws (ra) who related that the Prophet (pbuh), said, “The superior prayer for forgiveness is that the slave should say, 
 
‘O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no deity except you. You created me and I am Your slave. I am keeping my pledge and promise to you as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from the evil I have done. I acknowledge the blessings You have bestowed upon me and I confess my sins to you, so forgive me as indeed, no one can forgive sins except You.’ 
 
Whoever said this during the day, with surety of faith in it and died before they reached the evening then they will be of the people of Paradise. And whoever said this during the night, with surety of faith in it and died before they reached the morning then they will be of the people of Paradise.”(Related by al-Bukhari) 
 
So my dear brothers seize this great opportunity, learn it and teach it, say it with a truthful heart and a mindful tongue. O Allah, please forgive our sins and ignore our shortcomings and enter us into Your Paradise, Ameen. Farooq Khan</div>

Allah invites you to Paradise and to Forgiveness, by His permission

Allah invites you to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission Allah swt says in Surah an-Nisa 4 v28: “Allah wishes to lighten (the ...

Thursday, February 04, 2016

Islam and the Environment

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Almighty Allah Exhorts Us In The Holy Quran: “Eat And Drink From The Provisions Which We – Allah Have Provided For You, And Do Not Commit Abuse On The Earth, And Spread Corruption.” (Qur’an, 2:60) 
 
The Messenger Of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him) Said:  Many People Are Using The Property Of Allah In A Wrongful And Unjust Manner. For Them Is The Hellfire On The Day Of Judgment.   (Reported By Al-Bukhari) 
 
World Environment Day Was Celebrated On June 5th 2014 — And It Is A Day That Should Stimulate Awareness Of The Environment And Should Enhance Political Attention And Public Action Among All People. 
 
The First World Environment Day Was Celebrated In 1973. And It Is Hosted Every Year In A Different City Around The World With A Different Theme — And Is Commemorated With An International Exposition In The Week Commencing — 5th June. 
 
In South Africa We Have An Organisation Called- “Green Deen South Africa“ Which Is An Initiative Of The Union Of Muslim Students’ Associations Of South Africa And They Aim To Raise Awareness And Mobilise Action In The South African Muslim Community About Current Environmental Issues And To Provide Proactive Tools For Caring For Their Environment. 
 
Green Deen South Africa’, Has Issued An Annual Call-Out For South African Muslim Leaders To Raise The Islamic-Environmental Banner From Their Mimbars. 
 
All Religious Leaders Are Challenged To Look Into Their Traditions For Any Inspiration That Could Guide Us Towards Averting This Global Disaster. 
 
This New Demand On Old Traditions –Forces Us To Look Creatively At The World’s Religious Heritage And Reinterpret Or Reapply Sacred Texts And Principles To Our Present Problem. 
 
It Is Surprising, However, That The Texts Of The Islamic Religious Traditions Speak Directly On Many Issues That Are Pertinent To Our Problem. Hence The Task For The Muslims Here Is Not So Much A Reinterpretation Of The Traditions, But Mainly A Reapplication Of Old Texts To New Problems. 
 
To Begin With, The Quran Calls On Us To Recognise Our Own Contribution To The Crisis: The Emphasis Is To Educate Muslims And To Make Them Aware Of Their Responsibility To The Environment. 
 
Now If We Look At The Term “Environment” And Related Concepts Like — “Ecology”, “Environmental Awareness” Environmental Degradation” “Sustainability”, Sustainable Development/ Biodiversity And Global Warming – They Are All Are Modern-Day Invented Terms That Were Formulated In The Face Of Growing Concerns About The Contemporary State Of The Natural World Around Us. 
 
The Environment Was Always There And Humanity Always Lived In Harmony With It. It Is Since The Last Two Centuries That There Was A Dramatic Change Globally In The World Around Us 
 
The Relationship Between Human Beings And The Earth Is Increasingly Complicated And Urgent. -Every Day There Are Stories About Pollution, Global Warming And Animal Species Facing Extinction?  All Religions Are Responding With Views On The Environment And Our Responsibility For It. 
 
 In The Hq  (Qur’an 6:165)    “And It Is He (Allah) Who Made You Vicegerents (Khalaa’ifa) On The Earth  – And Has Raised Some Of You Above Others In Degrees Of Rank/ Intellect  / Awareness / Influence/ Wealth -So That He May Try You Through What He Has Given You –   Indeed, Your Lord Is Swift In Penalty; But Indeed, He Is Forgiving And Merciful.” (Qur’an 6:165). 
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 In The Classical Arabic The Word For Earthling Is Khalifa. This Is A Magnificent Word With Multiple Meanings Like Deputy, Guardian, ‘Friend Of The Earth’ Viceroy, Vicegerent /Custodian – Or Caretaker– And It All Boils Down To Stewardship. 
 
Human Beings Are The Most Intelligent Beings On Earth So It Makes Sense That We Should Have The Responsibility To Care For Our Planet = But Human Beings Are Also Responsible For Almost All The Damage Done To The Planet.* We Are A Species That Would Sacrifice Our Health For Money, And Then We Reach A Point Where We Become Ill – We Are Compelled To Spend That Money To Make Ourselves Healthy Again. We Do The Same To The Environment. We Rape The Land Seeking Its Value, And Then We Have To Use Our Profits To Fix Our Errors. Allah Has Set Severe Punishments For Those Who Damage And Abuse The Natural Resources. 
 
 Islam’s Regard For Environmental Ethics Is Very Clear In The Organization Of Its Sacred Scriptures. The Titles Of The Quranic Súrahs, Refer Both To The Attributes Of Almighty Allah And A Series Of Natural Phenomena, Including Animals,(Al Baqarah / Al An Aam/ Fil) Plants,(Masad/ Teen) Insects, (Al Nahl / Al Naml/ Ankabut) Mountains (Tur And Weather. (Ar Raad/ Dhaariyaat) 
 
 This Holistic Vision Of Man’s Relation To Allah And The Environment Is Likewise Evident In Multiple Passages Of The Quran, Which Indicates That People Will Be Accountable For How They Treat All Of The Earth’s Natural Resources. Allah Also Exhort Us In The [Quran 2:60]” “Eat And Drink From The Provisions Which Allah Has Provided For You, And Do Not Commit Abuse On The Earth, Spreading Corruption.” 
 
 If I Destroy A Person’s Property That Is Called Vandalism And I Could Be Taken To Task, But When Global Corporations Clear Hundreds Of Acres Of Land, Destroying The Lives Of Millions Of Creatures We Call It Progress. This Land Is Not Inherited From Our Ancestors It Is Borrowed From Our Children And Is A Trust Left To Us By Almighty Allah. 
 
 About The Islamic Belief And The Environment  —  The Qur’an Says That Allah (God) Is The Creator Of The World. Human Beings Are On The World As Trustees Or ‘Vicegerents’ – They Are Instructed To Look After The Earth For Allah And For The Future:  The Whole Earth Has Been Created A Place Of Worship, Pure And Clean. 
 
In The Qur’an, Muslims Are Instructed To Look After The Environment And Not To Damage It:  In Surah 30:30 Almighty Allah Says — Devote Yourselves Single-Mindedly To Thisway Of Life, And Follow The Nature Designed By Allah, And Which He (Allah) Has Fashioned For Mankind. There Is No Altering The Creation Of Allah. 
 
Muslims Have To Look After The Earth Because It Is All Allah’s Creation And It Is Part Of A Human’s Duty To Allah: Surah 13: 4 Almighty Allah Says: It Is Allah Who Spread Out The Earth And Made Therein Firmly Fixed Mountains And Rivers, And Of Fruits Of Every Kind He Has Made Pairs. ( Zawjain Ithnain) He Causes The Night To Cover The Day. Verily In All This, Are Aayah / Signs /Proofs / Evidences / Lessons For  People Who Can Reflect.  (Yatta Faqqaroon) 
 
Because Of This Instruction, – People Should See Themselves As Being Responsible For The World Which Allah Created And They Have To Make Their Own Decisions About How To Do This. – We Have A Duty To Protect And Take Responsibility For The Well-Being Of Allah’s Creation. The World And Everything In It Provides For The Needs Of Mankind And All Other Creatures. 
 
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 However, The Utilization Of This Creation Should Be Done In A Respectful And Responsible Manner, All The While Recognizing The Generosity Of Almighty Allah. -Muslims Believe In Accountability, And Cruelty To Allah’s Creation And Lack Of Respect Of The Natural World Will Be One Of The Bases For Judgment. In Shariah, There Are Regulations And Guidelines On How We Are Supposed To Treat The Natural World. This Ranges From The Prohibition Of Cruelty To Animals, To The Allocation Of Water Resources, As Well As The Process Behind Land Designation. 
 
Cruelty To Living Creatures Is Absolutely Forbidden. A Variety Of Stories And Anecdotes Exist In Islamic Teachings Regarding The Evil Of Those Who Mistreated Animals, And The Virtue Of Those Who Went Out Of Their Way To Demonstrate Kindness To Animals. 
 
 It Is Also Prohibited To Cut Down Trees Without Just Cause. Damage To The Natural Environment And All Living Things Is A Criminal Offence And Laws Do Exist For Protection, Assigning Punishments To Those Who Oppose The Law. 
 
 The Punishment Of Crimes Against Nature, As Well As The Duty To Protect And Conserve Allah’s Creation, Makes Islam Very Much In Tune With The Needs Of The Environment. 
 
  Let Us Look At The Wisdom Of Some Of The Teachings Of Prophet Muhammad (Saw) And See How Many Solutions There Are For These Modern Terms. 
 
About The Role Of Plants And Trees: The Prophet Muhammad (Saw) Encouraged The Planting Of Trees And The Cultivation Of Agriculture Which Are Considered As Good Acts. This Is Illustrated In The Following Tradition: Narrated By Anas Bin Malik (Ra) That Allah’s Apostle (Saw) Said: “There Is None Amongst The Muslims Who Plants A Tree Or Sows Seeds, And Then A Bird, Or A Person Or An Animal Eats From It, But Is Regarded As A Charitable Gift For Him.”‏(Bukhari). 
 
The Prophet (Saw) Knew The Value Of Planting And Cultivation. Planting Of Trees Results In More Nutritious Food For Man And Beast, It Serves As A Shade From The Burning Sun Especially In Hot Areas, It Supplements The Oxygen In The Atmosphere. In Certain Areas It Prevents Soil Erosion And Prevents Mudslides. It Is Also Home To Several Species Of Insects And Animals. 
 
Islam Is Against The Cutting Or Destruction Of Plants And Trees Unnecessarily As Is Evident In The Following Hadith: Abdullah Ibn Habashi Reported That Nabi Muhammad (Saw) Said: “He Who Cuts A Lote-Tree [Without Justification], For Him Await A Severe  Chastisement In The Hereafter.” (Abu Dawud) 
 
Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi Explains Many Ahadith In Terms Of Protecting The Natural Resources And Preserving The Balance That Exists Between The Creatures In The Environment –He Says –Islam Teaches That Allah Created All Things In Perfect Balance And Measurement. There Is A Purpose Behind All Living And Non-Living Things, And Each Species Has An Important Role To Play In The Balance —  In This Regard Almighty Allah States In The Hq: 55  -7-13 
 
7-And The Heaven – He (Allah) Raised High And He Set A Balance- 
 
8 In Order That You May Not Transgress The Due Balance 
 
9. And Observe The Weight With Equity And Do Not Make The Balance Deficient. 
 
10.And The Earth Has Been Created For All The Creatures. 
 
 11.Therein Are Fruits And Species Of Dates 
 
12. And Also Corn With Its Leaves And Stalk For Fodder (Feed For Animals) And Sweet Scented Plants. 
 
13. Then Which Of The Favours And Blessings Of Your Lord Do You Deny. 
 
 The Devastation Caused By Deforestation In Many Countries Causes Soil Erosion And Kills Many Of The Biodiversity Of The Earth. Planting Of More Trees Will Restore The Earth’s Health –Reduce Soil Erosion And Flooding, There Will Be A Recycling Of Rainfall Inland And There Will Be A Restoration Of Aquifer Recharge. (Aquiferrecharge Or Deep Drainage Is A Process Where Water Moves Downward From Surface Water To Groundwater) 
 
Sustainable Use Of Land: The Prophet (Saw) Was A Strong Proponent Of The Sustainable Use And Cultivation Of Land. The Prophet (S.A.W.) Thus Encouraged The Cultivation Of Land. Abu Hurairah (Ra) Said That Nabi (S.A.W) Said: “Whoever Owns Land Should Cultivate It Himself Or Give It To His (Muslim) Brother For Cultivation” ‏(Bukhari) 
 
 Unsustainable Use Of Land Affects The Physical Space, The Natural Resources Of Soil, The Mineral Deposits, Water, As Well As Plant And Animal Life. The Expansion Of Human Activities Has Affected The Quality Of The Land. It Causes Instability Of The Earth’s Ecosystems. It Leads To The Disruption Of The Global Nitrogen Cycle. 
 
Conservation  And Saving Of Water And Using It Sparingly Were Pointed Out By The Prophet (Saw) To His Companions. When The Prophet (Saw) Saw Sa’d Performing Wudhu He Said : “What Is This? You Are Wasting Water.” Sa’d Replied: Can There Be Wastefulness While Performing Ablution? The Prophet (Saw) Replied: “Yes Even If You Perform It In A Flowing River.” (Ibn Maja) 
 
In Addition To Encouraging Water Conservation, The Prophet Saw) Himself Set The Example; It Is Narrated By Anas (Ra): The Prophet (Saw) Used To Take A Bath And Ablution With Very Little Water ( Bukhari) 
 
In The Qur’an, 6:65 “Almighty Allah Says –-And Allah Sent Down Rain From The Sky And Give Life Thereby To The Earth After Its Lifelessness. Indeed In That Is A Sign (Clear Proof) For People Who Listen. (And Obey)”) This Verse Leaves One With No Doubt That The Preservation Of Water Is Paramount To The Natural Order Found On Earth. 
 
Wastage Of Water Causes Deficiency  In Nature And It Affects The Ecological Balance. It Violates The Rights Of Forthcoming Generations To Live In A Healthy Environment. All Living Beings Are Affected By Water Wastage. 
 
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The Prophet (Saw) Was Also Concerned About The Purity Of Water. The Prophet Warned Against Water Pollution By Forbidding Relieving Yourself In Stagnant Water. 
 
 The Prophet (Saw) Said: “Be On Your Guard Against Three Things Which Provoke Cursing: Relieving Yourself In The Watering Places, And On The Thoroughfares, And In The Shade (Of The Trees)”( Abu-Dawud ). 
 
This Hadith Prohibits Humans From Defecating At Places Frequented By Others And Also Teaches Them That Human Waste Has Its Specific Place. If It Is Dropped At Unguarded Areas It Can Cause A Health Hazard And Can Lead To Many Illnesses. 
 
The World Is Moving Into A Water Stress Era. Water Tables Are Falling In Almost Every Country That Irrigates Under –Ground Water. Farmers Are Losing Water To The Ever Growing Cities. Glaziers Are Melting Faster Than Expected Due To Global Warming Which Results In Mountain Peoples’ Reduction In Their Water Supply. Underground Water Becomes Contaminated Due To Mining Activities In Many Areas. Every Citizen Of The World Has To Adopt A Water Conservation Attitude. 
 
The Treatment Of Animals And Insects: Play A Vital Role In The Ecosystem Of The Earth. The Species Should Be Respected, Protected And Not To Be Destroyed. If A Species Become Extinct It Can Never, Ever Be Replaced And A Whole Ecosystem With Many Lives Can Be Affected. 
 
 The Prophet (Saw) Preached That Animals Should Be Treated With Dignity. He Promised A Reward For Those Who Care For Animals. 
 
The Prophet (Saw) Showed Great Gentleness Towards Animals And He Was Also Extremely Sensitive To The Suffering Of Animals. Any Killing Of Animals Without Justification In Islam Is Not Allowed Even If The Victim Is A Very Small Animal Or Bird. 
 
Global Warming Has A Significant Impact On The Biodiversity Of The Earth Which Contain Much Of Animal Life. We Are Still Presently Discovering Many New Species Of Animal Life And Many Species Of The Fauna Are Already Extinct Or On The Brink Of Extinction. Destruction Of Habitat And Over-Harvesting Are Destroying Animal Life On Great Scale. 
 
Conclusion:   I Have Mentioned Only A Few Of The Narrations In This Khutbah – But Much Of The Prophet’s (Saw) Advice Can Be Appreciated And Applied. Today One Finds That Everyone Is Concerned About The Effects Of Global Warming And Climate Change Mainly Brought About By The Hands Of Humanity. The Nabi (Saw) Told Us: There Should Be No Harming (Daraar) Or Reciprocating Harm (Diraar). { Imaam Malik.} 
 
The World Is Suffering Due To Deforestation And Prophet (Saw) Showed Us The Importance Of Trees And Plants. Land Degradation And Desertification Is Practiced By Many Countries Worldwide And Sustainable Use Of Land Is In Our Islamic Teachings. 
 
 Developed As Well As Developing Countries Are Suffering From Water Stress And How To Overcome This Was Given To Us 14 Centuries Ago. Biodiversity Of The World Is Suffering And This Includes Over-Fishing And Over-Hunting Due To Human Activities And Human Greed, But The Prophet (Saw) Taught Us The Value Of Animal Life. 
 
 Islam Is Characterized By An All-Encompassing Spirituality Which Is Found In All Acts Of A Muslim’s Life And His Way Of Consuming The Gifts Of Nature Is Part Of Worship. 
 
 What Is Distinctive About The Prophet’s Approach To Environmental Issues Is The Connection He Established Between Green Practices And Rewards In The Hereafter, Which, Represents, An Incentive Greater Than Any Worldly Gain Or Reward. Thus, His Lessons Prompt A Greater Care For The Earth And More Effort To Conserve Its Resources. 
 
This Planet And Body Is A Trust From Allah And We Should Make Dua That Allah Allows Us To Continue Taking Care Of That Trust. 
 
Environmental Stewardship Is A Qur’anic Mandate And Commission From Almighty Allah. All Of Allah’s Creation Is Important, Down To The Last Sparrow And Blade Of Grass. — We Have Wrongfully Assumed That Creation Exists For Our Own Consumption. It Is The Responsibility Of Every True Believer To Take Stewardship Seriously, And That Includes Environmental Stewardship. We Need To Embrace The Task To Start “Tending The Garden.”1 
 
 I Believe — There Is Most Certainly A Message From Islam And Our Beloved Prophet (Saw) For Many Future World Conferences And Meetings On Environmental Justice. 
 
 Let Us Pray –  O Allah!! , Creator Of The Heaven And Earth, We Thank You For The Wonder And Beauty Of Nature. May We Be Ever Vigilant And Responsible With The World That You Have Given Us, Keeping Mindful Not Only That We Are Your Stewards, But Also That Your Creation Is A Gift For All Generations. 
 
 O Allah!! Breathe Into Us Solidarity  With All Those Who Suffer Now And The Future Generations Who Will Suffer Because Of Our Environmental Irresponsibility. —  Move Us Into Action To Save Our Earth And To Build Your Sustainable Kingdom. —- 
 
O Allah!! We Have Caused Corruption On Land And Sea, And It Is Up To Us To Mend Our Ways. Our Present Crisis Calls On Religious Leaders To Find Faith-Based Messages That Will Inspire The Faithful Towards A Heightened Environmental Awareness. 
 
Imam Nur Salie</div>

Islam and the Environment

Almighty Allah Exhorts Us In The Holy Quran: “Eat And Drink From The Provisions Which We – Allah Have Provided For You, And Do Not Commit...

Wednesday, February 03, 2016

‘Tawhidic-Singularity’ As A New Philosophy Of Islam – Analysis

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One of the realities about Islam as it is represented today is that very few understand its meaning in a contemporary social context, let alone be able to apply it to the world that is organic, emotionally unstable, and constantly evolving as patterned by organized chaos and complexity. 
What is missing in the discourse of contemporary Islam is the idea of the fluidity of One-ness and the bounded-ness of Multiplicity as twin paradoxes of what philosophy in this age of cybernetics, terrorism, and ‘neo-frankensteinism’ means. 
 
In other words, what Muslims of today need is not a debate, dialogue, and discourse about “what is the correct ideology that constitutes Islam”, but a radical rephrasing of the question itself: what is this notion of peace within the self, as it interacts with the outer boundaries of the self and how must the ‘self’ behaves in a world of complexity of beings without losing the fundamental believe in the holistic and philosophic-ness of the self itself. 
 
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This is the notion of ‘tawhid’ in traditional Islamic discourse we wish to explore. 
 
The authors of this essay propose a reconstructed ‘Tawhidism’; one that is not exclusively about the Islamic concept of it, with the cultural baggage of Arabism; rather, it is about the interplay between contemporary idea of Singularity and Multiplicity we frame using some version of Complexity Theory. 
 
In the foregoing discussions we will focus on the Islamic notion of the ‘knowledge of the One-ness of god’, from the philological and philosophical perspective and see how this idea can move nations, especially as we see the relevance to the Muslims in Malaysia. 
 
We chose Malaysia as a case study because of its interesting evolution not only as a plural society but also one socio-psychologically impacted by contemporary advances in globalised and networked technologies and ideologies. 
 
In our discussions we will also allude instances of the idea to existing religious traditions applicable the problems of this century. In doing so, we believe it would be more effective and logical not to craft another essay on the ‘glory of Islamic philosophy derived from the past’, but to write about the Oneness-Manyness, holistic-particularistic, and self-to-Self continuum and dichotomy; about the principle of Singularity which lives in all things cybernetic, as Chinese philosophers too would propose in the concept of the Yin and Yang of existence. 
 
Death of Islamic philosophizing 
 
We begin our discussion on the death of philosophizing in Islam, taking Malaysia as a case in point. In the Malaysian scenario, a ‘version’ of Islam began being imposed upon the rakyat (people) since the 1980s during a first phase of ‘Islamisation’. The reign of Mahathir Mohamad brought mega-changes such as the imposition of Malaysia Incorporated, a crony Privatization Policy, and The Look East policy. 
 
It also brought the push to ‘Islamize society’, through the work of Mahathir’s deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, now incarcerated on charges of sodomy. Educational, cultural, and governmental institutions were made to be more ‘Islamic’, and the nation was hegemonized by this idea of moral and intellectual leadership. 
 
As this idea evolved and permeate through the system, this ‘Islamic version of Malaysia’s developmentalist paradigm’ became one that couldn’t be questioned as to its singularity, where any person even hinting of deviating from the official view would face authoritarian consequences through the ‘Sharia police’. 
 
In this sense, ‘Islam’ in Malaysia today has been put above the constitution. Islam in Malaysia now restricts the basic rights and fundamental liberty of both individuals and communities to express themselves. Sharia authorities use the ‘precepts of Islam” as a vague term to define anything that suits in the ever growing stronger political Islam theology in Malaysia. 
 
What was once Malaysia’s official religion is quickly becoming Malaysia’s only religion. Any deviating opinion is quashed. Malaysia is now under an Umno Caliphate for all intents and purposes. 
 
The last decades saw the increase of Sharia vs Constitutional-related court cases ranging from the fight for custody of children in inter-faith marriage to the controversy over the use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Malay-translated version Christian Bible or the ‘Al-Kitab’, used in East Malaysia. 
 
We see a fight between singularities. The Islamic bureaucracy in Malaysia has been growing stronger and stamping and stomping its version as the ‘one and only’ Islam, where any deviation is savagely jumped upon and prosecuted. Any hope of plurality is fast going. 
 
The Islamic bureaucracy has placed heavy ‘qualifications’ upon anybody who would dare speak out, against the prevailing form of Islam prescribed today. Malaysia has gone the path of a skewed literal understanding, with its hudud debate, and shut out the layered interpretations that were once diverse throughout the region. 
 
Like in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), peaceful coexistence of various interpretations are no longer allowed to exist. Any plurality is considered deviant, where total obedience to the ‘infallible’ ulama is now expected without question. Dissent became criminalized. Ideas of any potential Islamic reformism went away with the passing on the prime ministership from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to Najib Abdul Razak. 
 
There is no agreed methodology on how to interpret the meaning within the Quran. Scholars have begun to acknowledge the fact that the text is ‘cultural-bound’ and speaks of the time and place unique to the people of the Middle East. The stories in the Quran are essentially about prophets and messengers of the land of Arabia. 
 
There is then the problem of universalizing the experience of reading the text without ‘transferring the culture embedded in the language itself’. This has led to immense disagreement and conflict in how to approach the spiritual text of the Muslims without a culture subjecting itself to the process or even the onslaught of Arabization. 
 
In addition, centuries old Islam-predated cultural ideas such as animism in parts of South-East Asia included have been planted their roost in the psyche of the peoples, giving the unique identity such as those manifested in the idea of Javanese syncretism. 
 
Especially in South-East Asia, Hindu-Buddhist philosophy was already in vogue in the early kingdoms such as those in Srivijaya, Mataram, Singahsari, Majapahit in Java and in the kingdoms in Champa and Siam. Islam came at a later stage through the work of Arab traders and also those deliberately trying to spread this new religion from Arabia. The triumph of Islam is clear today: the Muslim man is becoming the Arabian man. 
 
Many read Islamic doctrine literally, Allah is merciful, and as a consequence fate should be merciful, i.e. Allah is watching over all Muslims. However this ignores a holistic interpretation where verses such as 13.11 clearly put destiny in ‘human’ hands. 
 
A karmic superstitious dogma has developed dating back to animism, where there is a belief that one will pay for sins against Allah, i.e., esoteric cause and effect view of the world. This appears to be deeply embedded within the cultural ‘psyche’ of Malays today. 
 
Yet within the Quran, our consciousness within the specter of the Tawhid is part of a greater consciousness which links individuals with community, nature, and something much larger that the human imagination, the concept of a universal creator. The Quran sends out a challenge to humankind, a challenge to pursue life in quest of knowledge for the betterment of the spirit, mind, and community. 
 
This is a humbling quest as the Tawhid overshadows any individual or community with something much greater, a universal creator. 
 
There are a number of paradoxes within Islam that have laid the foundations of historical frictions: 
 
The context of pre-Islamic tribal laws and customs and those practices today by ‘Arabic’ Muslims, and emulated by other Muslims across the world. What is Islam and what are residual tribal customs, i.e., on the status of women, hudud, and rituals such as female circumcision. 
The shifting of the context of jihad, a Muslim’s duty to strive and struggle, from the inward struggle to discover the pure nature within oneself and the shift towards an external struggle against those who are perceived to threaten the faith. This is a human rather than divine reinterpretation, and has now come to mean not just war against infidels, but other Muslims who are seen to view Islam differently. 
The contemporary use or hijacking of the concept of jihad makes no apology for ignoring the tenant within Islam that one should not kill another, i.e., committing suicide and going to heaven is a contradiction, irreconcilable within Islam. Is Jihad now a crime against the Tawhid? 
Much of Islamic understanding today is made up of a collective understanding by Islamic scholars, i.e., hudud, not something that comes from the Tawhid within the Quran. Consequently, much of Islam today is manufactured like Judaism, Christianity, but portrayed as set, by political forces of Islam. 
A paradox between the mystical and spiritual heritage of Islam and the political and destructive aspects of Islam. 
Nowhere is the collective wisdom of the Quran used as a compass in public policy and decision-making, particularly in Malaysia where there has been an ongoing competition between the United Malays National Organisation, (Umno) and the Pan-Islamic Malayan Party (PAS) to boast the ‘best’ Islamic credentials. 
 
Certainly there is no shura (collective) decision-making in any country within the Islamic world, where ironically the West has taken up this aspect of Islam. Malaysia tends to follow a model of dictatorship, while trying to put Islamic connotation upon this style of leadership. 
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We should push the point that the concept of Shura is Islam, it is inclusive and an alternative model west proves works, but paradoxically, Islam is repressive on minorities wherever it exists. 
 
What the Islamic world has developed is a pseudo-legalistic and political Islam that is almost singularly used for the purpose of justifying an elite group to remaining unchallenged in power. 
 
Unfortunately, to the authors’ knowledge, Islam has never been utilized as an ethically-based means to solve contemporary social, economic and political problems from an ethical moral and Tawhidic view. 
 
The models are powerful alternative paradigms to social organization purposely ignored by ruling power elites of Islamic countries, because they are empowering. Instead, empowerment has been replaced with the repressive parts of the Syariah and in Malaysia the hudud card was dealt out instead. 
 
As a consequence, too much emphasis is placed on rites and ritual within Malaysian society today. Rites and ritual have become Islam. Hence, we encounter a Fardu Ain/Kifayah paradox, where ritualism is all important at the expense of action in Islam today. 
 
We now come to the paradox of static verses dynamism, where Islam has anchored societies to maintaining a state of static entropy rather than the dynamism of progression that Islam really seeks. Arabism is setting in, antagonism against non-Muslims and returning to middle age rule seem to be the tenant about how Islam is interpreted today. 
 
On Tawhid 
 
The principles of Tawhid, or oneness of God and the idea of Singularity aforementioned; a principle central to the belief system of the Muslims regardless of school of thought or sect. 
 
The building blocks of Tawhid are the concepts of al-iman (belief), al-ilm (knowledge) and al-amal (pious acts and efforts). Al-iman is the belief in the existence of one God and Creator, with a commitment to His teachings and revelations, revealed through the Al-Qur’an, and Prophets, through the Hadiths and Sunnah, i.e., What the Prophet Muhammad said, did, agreed or disagreed to. 
 
Faith in Allah must be reflected in daily behavior, influenced by our moral system formed and contained within us. It is our inner self; 
Faith is not expectations and not outward ornamentations, but implanted in the heart and Al-iman is deepened by al-ilm, which is the responsibility of all Muslims to seek in order to fulfill and perform al-amal. Knowledge (spiritual, wisdom and scientific) is the foundation of all acts of al-amal which would be futile and unproductive without the search for further knowledge to enhance the well-being of society. 
 
Islam places great importance on scientific discovery, knowledge and wisdom to develop civilisation. Al-iman and al-ilm manifested through al-amal is the basis of the advancement of civilization for the benefit of humankind and the Ummah (Muslim community), in particular. This is undertaken under the principle of ad-din (relating humans to Allah through spiritual acts), which is referred to as ibadah. 
 
In Islam a person, who of faith, knowledge and pious devotion, manifested in effort and acts, using reason and experience and adheres to the teachings of the Al-Qur’an and Prophets is a person of Taqwa, adhering to the philosophy of Tawhid. He or she is fulfilling their purpose on Earth to perform ibada to God, through obedience (ta’ah), which conforms to his or her true and essential nature (fitrah) of humanity. 
 
This relates a person to God through everything an individual does, including spiritual duties, thoughts, actions, and deeds to other people. 
As humans operate in a social environment, Islam prescribes a number of forms of business organizationz, through which obligations can be fulfilled. A mushharakah (organization) can take a number of forms. Such business organizations are founded and operated on the principle of al-ta’awun (mutual assistance and cooperation) among members of a society for both their mutual benefit and that of a society as a whole realized through actions. (Ibn Najjar and Dailami) 
 
Islamic business is governed by the rules of sharia, the path by which all Muslims should follow. The sharia is the divine law that establishes the standards of justice and human conduct, as well as what is permitted and prohibited in action. 
 
The sharia is based on the Al-Qur’an, Sunnah and interpretations by Islamic scholars. Some Muslim scholars have stated that these standards are beyond human and are a goal or path of guidance, where others see these utopian ideals as mandatory for advancement of the community. 
Central to the sharia are the concepts of Halal and Toyyibat, which govern all the economic activities of man in wealth production and consumption of wealth, where certain means of gaining a livelihood are declared unlawful. 
 
Halal means lawful or permitted for Muslims, a concept that is much wider than just issues of food, concerning as to whether things are undertaken according to the sharia. Toyyibat is a much wider concept, meaning good, clean, wholesome, and ethical in the Islamic concept. In nutrition, toyyibat is much wider than halal, as food must also be clean, safe, nutritious, healthy and balanced. 
 
Toyyibat would also mean that agriculture must be undertaken within sustainable practices, and in business all things must be undertaken with good intentions. 
 
In Islam, the individual’s vision, mission and objectives in business is to achieve both success in this world and the hereafter. This is al-falah. Islam puts very little restriction upon the scale of worldly success, except specifying, it must be reasonable, provides the comforts of worldly life, with consideration to the poor and suffering, and within the balance of worldly and spiritual life. Human success must also serve the legitimate needs of the ummah. 
 
Allah equipped humans with the faculties of understanding right and wrong, so they may obtain a bright destiny. Humans have a free choice in what they choose. Opposition and straying from his/her true nature (fitrah) will bring discord to the individual where negative attributes will distort his or her true nature, which could lead him into doing evil deeds. 
 
The individual has his al-iman and al-ilm to keep him from this path of self-destruction (al-fasad), which would manifest itself through nepotism, favoritism, envy, greed, corruption, injustice and ignorance. This in Islam is the influence of satan, manifested in many different ways to humankind to lure one away from God’s chosen path. Humans can become unfocused through ignorance and lack of knowledge. 
 
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Achieving al-falah means that a human has lived up to God’s trust placed upon him or her, through performing ibadah, while obeying all the laws of the sharia. This is where humankind can overcome their general weaknesses in the service of Allah through righteous deeds (amal), in the obligation of fard kifayah. A human has reached the state of amanah, fulfilling the trust God has put in him or her. 
 
Islam also specifies the way organizations should be operated and managed. An organization must base all its work on al-amal and ibadah with the overall management objective of achieving al-falah for the organization as a whole and each individual within it. 
 
This is based upon a foundation of al-iman and al-ilm, within a civilization based upon a tawhid philosophy, so that employees have the opportunity to achieve taqwa and avoid straying towards the state of al-fasad. Central to achieving this are the concepts of shura (participation in decision making and community learning) and adab (justice and rights). 
 
Shura is total organizational community participation in decision making to ensure an organization gets the best views, is creative, to develop employees understanding of decisions made, to achieve better implementation of decisions and strengthen the Islamic fraternity. 
 
Shura is can also be seen as an organizational control mechanism to prevent management and individuals within the organization from straying down the path of ignorance, greed and oppression, so that the organization can continue to serve its members and the wider community and thus sustain itself. Shura creates a positive learning environment within and organization, similar to the concepts of learning organization proposed by the management guru Peter Senge in the 1990s. 
 
The Al-Qur’an states that the concept of shura is mandatory upon an organization. 
 
An organization should build its foundations upon the basic principles of human rights in its administration based on the concept of adab. Adab is based on the existence and recognition of Allah and recognition of his commands and laws (sharia). 
 
Within an organizational context, adab persuades a person to do good and avoid evil (al-fasad), in accordance with the nature of man (fitrah) and nature of his action (al-amal). Adab comprises four major responsibilities, 1. responsibility to God, 2. responsibility to oneself, 3. responsibility to society and other human beings, and 4. responsibility to the universe and other creatures. 
 
Over the last few decades Western management ideas and ethics have moved closer to Islamic principles and ethics. Stephen Covey, a devout practicing member of The Church of Latter-Day Saints, evangelistically preaches personal development, fulfillment and spirituality within the context of the organization. 
 
We see ‘Western non-Islamic’ societies that have embodied many principles within the Tawhid within their legal and juridistic codes, playing out a farm of ‘secular’ Islam based up knowledge, fairness, and compassion, that don’t exist within the contemporary Islamic world. 
 
Complexity Theory and Islam 
 
The world of today continues to evolve in all its complexity. Advanced digital communication technologies, high speed informational flow that instantaneously send images and ideas of change, the process of globalization itself that alter and compress time and space and even decide the course of human and social events – all these continue to fragment the human self. 
 
Religion, such as Islam which claims to be adaptable to changing times is also affected by the destruction of the ‘singularity of the selfhood of the Muslim’. New ideas and inventions challenge Islamic orthodoxy and open up new debates that demand new perspectives, or edicts, or “fatwas” to be written to safeguard the ‘fragmentation of Islam’. 
 
In short, the Muslim of today lives in a spiritual world of deconstructionism; ideas bombard the self into multiplicity rather than hold it as a ‘Singularity’, as how promoters of Islam orthodoxy would demand. 
 
Complex systems require a complex view of looking at phenomena. The idea of complexity brought about by the post-Industrial world and as it impacts the mind, body, and soul of the Muslim individually and collectively as an ‘ummah’ (a millinearistic supra-nation of Oneness before Allah,) has brought fragmentation among the believers of this religion. 
 
From the historical conflicts of the major schools of thought, to the violent departure of ideological Islam in the Shia-Sunni schism, to the ‘crisis of identity’ plaguing Muslims of today especially post-9/11 – these characterize fragmentation that have led to never-ending violent conflicts in the Islamic world. Muslims are living in a world of Islamic chaos, so to speak. 
 
If we take the idea of Chaos Theory as one that tries to explain small changes leading to larger systemic changes over a long period of time (the ‘Butterfly Effect’,) and apply it to the phenomena of Islam’s evolution as an institutionalized religious ideology, we could see that there is the need to look the core issue of the loss of ‘the principle of Singularity’ or ‘One-ness’ or ‘Unity’ brought about by Muhammad. 
 
There is a loss of the sense of and the understanding of ‘Tawhid’ or the deep understanding of the knowledge and application of the principles of the one-ness of god or Allah that not only should unify the self but society. 
 
Tawhidic knowledge can perhaps de-fragment the self, bring it to holism and create an understanding that man is the vicegerent of Allah on Earth, as how the early teachings of Islam and the ‘early Tawhidists’ at the time of Muhammad would enjoin. 
 
Today’s Islam is a manifestation of deep rooted fragmentation and even destruction of the self as can be seen in the conduct of nations calling themselves Islamic. Whether the blame is put on geopolitical, political-economic, or post-industrial complexities of a multipolar world of today, or even the power play among empires such as Russia or the United States, the issue in the world of Islam is chaos and the multitudinality of conflicts as opposed to unity and strength of the self and society as taught by Islam. 
 
So how does Tawhidism interpret problems and offer solutions to major issues of today? 
 
Praxis and the Islamic state 
 
A need to rethink these puritanical teachings. Islam is about consciousness, not ritual. Islam has become totally intolerant of diverse views, even though there is a rich and diverse Ummah to contribute. 
 
The task of Muslims of today is to re-interpret Islam within contemporary contexts, rather than rely on the literal Arabic and tradition to craft discourses of action. The Arabic frame of interpretation is just as corrupting as any liberal interpretative frame. (i.e., rose-colored glasses phenomenon). 
 
To date text has supported opinion. However, there must be a balance between text and opinion, particularly when it comes to Hadiths. The tenants of Islam should not change, only the contexts, (i.e., the scenes). 
 
This requires relooking at Islam without any frames, be it Arabic or Liberal-Christianic. Liberal or tribal morals and traditions must not be allowed to skew the true meaning of Tawhid. 
 
Islam was once seen as a magnificent and progressive religion which took civilization to the forefront of advancement. However scholars today are forbidden and censored from taking any ‘unframed’ look at Islamic doctrine, the doctrine(s) held by today’s Islamic elite(s). 
 
The Islamic world of today has also suffered from the evolution of violent and chaos from the ideological and even philosophical conflict between the Sunnis and the Shiahs – conflict that began as a leadership succession crisis between the camp Muawiyyah and the family of Prophet Muhammad, led by the latter’s cousin, Ali’ ibn Abi Talib. 
 
The former believe that the mantle of the prophet should be with the democratically elected leader in Muawiyyah, but some believe that instead of Abu Bakr’ as the first khalifah, the political and spiritual leadership should come from the Ahlul Bayt or the ‘family of the prophet’. 
 
The famous claim that there is a hadiths/saying which goes “… if I am the treasure throve of knowledge, Ali (my cousin) is the holder of its key …” formed the basis of the claim to leadership by direct discordancy. The conflict culminated in the massacre of Ali and his children Hasan and Hussein, at Karbala (now in Iran.) The ‘massacre at Karbala’ became a historical foundation of what is now known as the Sunni-Shia schism and violent conflicts currently happening in the Middle East. 
 
The Tawhidic view of Islam necessitates one to look at the religion outside the realm of the destructive and cognitively-debilitating Sunni-Shiah schism. It requires the mind to enter the realm of discussions on the idea that amid chaos and complexity of the self and the outer world one inhabits lie a realm of totality of the self in which, as we allude in the first paragraph, the Singularity-Multiplicity Principle. 
 
It emanates from the idea that one must first think of oneself from an existentialist point of view and move on to conceptualizing the totality of the self as embodied by the sense of powerfulness, knowledge, and other qualities that makes up human nature. The poem below perhaps best allude to this idea of reconceptualization of oneself: 
 
The philosophy of the self 
is the constant – 
the Absolute – 
from which 
the Changing Concepts emanate. 
From the Absolute 
springs 
existence, 
eternity, 
harmony, 
oneness, 
power, 
destiny, 
knowledge, 
life, … 
and so on and so forth. 
From the Absolute 
springs 
Creationism 
within the Inner Self 
that one must govern, 
From the Absolute 
emanates 
Good and Evil, 
Heaven and Hell 
the opposites and the contradictions 
that one needs to mediate 
in one’s lifetime, 
From the Absolute 
emanates 
the knowledge of one’s 
Life, 
Death, 
and Resurrection 
one experiences daily, 
From the Absolute 
one sees 
the history of the creation of the Universe within, 
the Universe Outside, and 
the parallel universes that are being created 
outside of oneself, 
From the Absolute 
one finds The Love that Reigns Supreme, 
that conquers all, 
that evolves from Hate to Love 
from the being trapped 
in the love of oneself to 
the love of humanity, 
without boundaries 
From the Absolute, 
one commands the Guardian Angles 
to bow down to oneself 
and not to Kings, Sultans, 
Despots, Tuns, Datuk Seris, 
or the State, 
From the Absolutism 
of One’s Rulership in one’s kingdom, 
one governs the armies of senses – 
Sight, Hearing, Speech, Thoughts… 
From the Absolute 
one sees with the Inner Eye 
the daily battles within and decide 
who will be the winners and 
who will be the losers, 
From the Throne of Absolutism, 
one speaks 
with the ancient prophets and sages 
and instruct them 
to strengthen the authority and legitimation 
of this Inner Kingdom one constructed 
out of the realisation 
of an end of a journey 
one is rewarded with, 
The Absolute is Love, 
never changing, 
always travelling with this self 
of flesh and bones 
and consciousness 
that one gets the chance to encounter 
in one’s lifetime… 
if one searches for love. 
Love is the Absolute 
Only Love 
 
This takes us to the higher level of Islamic thinking. We see Allah not as an agent of judgement and hellfire, based upon literal reading of the Quran but as a unifying, non-physical, and a present universal consciousness, that is all loving, all creating, all embracing, all merciful, and absolute; a quantum, which Islam calls ‘Allah’. 
 
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‘Shura-democratic’ principles of transcultural Islam 
 
Borrowing a Socrates maxim, at the core of the issue is ignorance and the will to be stubborn to remain ignorant. There is a possible cure for this, a process philosophy framed from the tawhidic-singularity worldview. 
 
Muslims of today need a multi-culturalist, multi-vocalic, multi-accepting, and multi-diverse brand of progressive thinking to save them. In Malaysia for example, they need to embrace a new perspective in conflict resolution and peace-building: a ‘shura-democratic’ principles based on the idea of transcultural-humanism. 
 
By ‘shura’ we mean the practice of participatory and grassroots decision-making in which the leader will listen to the voices of dissent and consensus and turn them into artifacts of invention and social imagination in order to affect positive change. 
 
This form of progressive and altruistic liberalism that hybridizes tawhid with transcultural philosophies may promise to remove the glass coconut shell that has become a comfort zone, especially for the Malays and particularly of the Malay Muslims. 
 
‘Shura-democracy’ might be the long-awaited cure for this neo-feudalistic malady called ‘malaise-ness’ that hath plagued for example the Malays in Malaysia since they were enslaved first as ‘hamba sahaya’, by their own rulers of ancient times. At the macro-level as it pertains to the evolution of societies governed by Muslim leaders, it may be the best way to approach strategic designs for social change. 
 
‘Shura-democracy’, which begin with the deep understanding of the personacratic self is consistent with the idea of ‘wisdom’ or ‘fatanah’ as the highest level of knowledge acquisition and application in Islam. In speaking of seeking knowledge and in trumpeting Islam as a religion of high learning, progressiveness, and democracy that upholds the principles of human rights, Muslims in Malaysia too often quote the words of the first revelation, ‘Iqra’, ‘Read’, or “read in the name of Thy Lord who created thee … who created thee from a clot” as a signature of religious advocacy par excellence. 
 
In this case, he word ‘Rabb’ or ‘Creator’ or ‘the Lord’ is used in the translation and not the world ‘Allah’ in the first revelation ‘Iqra’. Maybe the concept of ‘Allah’ is a later formulation borne out of a philosophical quest to construct the meaning of god in Islam. Perhaps the idea of ‘Allah’ was already there in the texts of the Jews, Christians, and the Sabeans and the later Muslims had to invent a philosophically distinct one. 
 
Islam as it has evolved is not only an institutionalized religion influenced by texts and subtexts of ideas and ideologies that are in conflict with one another but also have brought about deadly conflicts. It is a religion that has deep cultural roots and continue to impose its Arabist shackle onto the believers. 
 
As such, a transcultural world view of this tawhid-driven belief system need to be brought to the center stage of the global movement of new ideas in Islamic philosophical reconstructionism. We believe that the believers need to help institutionalized and parochlized Islam evolve especially beyond the disabling realms of culture. 
 
We believe that and those using this system as a guide in life need to embrace a ‘transcultural worldview’ of this religion and strip Islam out of its exclusionary Arabist cultural entrapment. We believe that the idea of ‘shura-democratic principles’ of Islam as seen from the transculturalist worldview need to be the new playground of this new Islamic renaissance. 
 
Again, as we assert throughout this essay, the centrepiece of this vision of a new philosophical outlook lie in the idea of tawhidic-singularity of things. Muslims need to bring back multiple worldviews and diverse philosophies of human progress and intellectual freedom into the process of reconsctructing this new ‘tawhidic-singularity’ mode of organic thinking. 
 
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Conclusion 
 
In the foregoing discussions, we have proposed a reconstruction of ‘Tawhid’, by framing it through the language of contemporary social transformation and social cybernetics. At the center of this Arabic word, ‘Tawhid’, which means one-ness and unity as a weltanscauung of the cognition and consciousness of the Muslim, we propose conceptual-constellations such as complexity theory, praxis, cybernetics, and futurism to denote and connoted the notion of Singularity to be applied to the behaviors of the Muslim as he/she is located in the State. 
 
We believe that the idea of ‘shura-democratic principles’ of Islam, framed from a transcultural worldview is needed by today’s Muslims. Today’s believer of this religion seem to be lost in this precarious world of globalization affecting the discursive evolution of Islam. We believe the principles of Tawhid are central to the functions of the State such as the economy, entrepreneurship education, and the relationship among nations. 
 
We propose that only when the self is governed as whole and the principle of One-ness exists in the realm of the One-ness of god, or the Tawhid and that Man knows why he/she exists, and when ethics, epistemology, and ontological vocation of Man as vicegerent of God is understood as a principle of living, the state of peace can be arrived at – beginning from the construction the peaceful self to the building and maintaining of peace in the family, community, and society, and finally moving on to the designing of peaceful solutions to world conflicts, in our dream of building that ‘peaceful world order’. 
 
The Islamic world of today, as a microcosm of the world in general, is not only fragmented but also an organic and metastasizing ground of violence is they visible, hidden, and structural. 
 
We believe that at least at the conceptual and theoretical level we must begin to re-conceive the Tawhidic idea of one-ness and to explore its potential as an organic and ‘praxical’ (or unity of theory and practice) philosophy so that the continuing fragmentation can be arrested. 
 
As the title of our essay suggests, we believe this is a philosophy of personal and social progress and transformation that will be searching for today’s Muslims in particular and for others in general. Tawhid is a philosophy of cybernetic-existentialism that can be appealing to the global citizen of today’s world: a world of materialistic Multiplicities in search of the metaphysical Singularity. 
 
Copernicus once argued that the earth was not at the center of the universe, which threw the Christian view of the world into chaos. Muslims must accommodate that Allah rabb al-àlamin is the Lord of the Worlds, and thus there are potentially multiple and parallel realities within Islam. 
 
This is the true Islamic revolution in developing a Tawhidic wisdom that is waiting. 
 
The literal Islamic worldview is just but one layer in meaning that needs to be peeled away so we can see the deeper meanings within Islam. 
 
The literal view is not the center of Islam. This has covered and hidden much deeper meanings of the Quran. Islam accepts that there are a multiplicity of worlds in existence, but Muslims to date have chosen to live within only one of them. Yet the Quran speaks of Allah al-ghaib, or concealed dimensions of reality. 
 
New understandings of Islam are necessary.</div>

‘Tawhidic-Singularity’ As A New Philosophy Of Islam – Analysis

One of the realities about Islam as it is represented today is that very few understand its meaning in a contemporary social context, let...

Sunday, January 17, 2016