The essence of evil is not its potential or its ritual applications, protocols or detailed effects, but rather it is the conscious denial of our pre-primordial covenant with God. This is to say the denial of our true human-nature, the instinct that prompts us to acknowledge God’s sovereignty by obeying the divine laws that outline morally responsible ethics or ‘imperatives’. Hence and simply put, evil is the rejection of what we already know is good for us:
On Fitrah: “Shāh Walī Allāh’s and Ibn ‛Āshūr share some fundamental elements in their understanding of human nature. Like Ibn Taymiyyah and others, the sense of the oneness of God and love of Him and submission to His will is, according to Walī Allāh, rooted in human nature and conscience. All this consists in the all-encompassing “virtue of humbling oneself before God,” which he calls ikhbāt. It is thus an essential part of the measured course (taqdīr) according to which man has been created with angelic (malakiyyah) and animalistic (hayawāniyya) dispositions enabling him to pursue his natural spiritual, biological and aesthetic needs. These innate dispositions, which are inherited by the individuals of the species, constitute, according to Shāh Walī Allāh, man’s unalterable original or primordial state of nature (fitrah). In his view, this constant fitrah pertains mainly to the principles and essence of good and evil (usūl al-birr wa al-ithm wa kulliyyātihimā) and not to their details and particular details and applications.”[1]
Thus, when men awaken to temptation at puberty and succumb to “Satan’s invitation” rather than God’s invitation, they welcome the suggestion to perpetrate wickedness and thus, by neglecting to choose what is good they fall from God’s additional grace of peaceful prosperity in the earth. This latter estate is something most everyone yearns for but is impossible to maintain without the vigilance of righteous men willing to die fighting for its preservation. This self-chosen perpetration of evil also establishes the difference between what is human and sub-human and hence, automatically returns us to an un-peaceful prosperity indicative of our current Age of Harm. The present “civilized” condition that holds forth unethical models is mundanely called ‘progress’ despite its being filled with the anxieties of a non-peaceful co-existence by a majority who afford themselves unbalanced concerns over self, their opinions, their earthly possessions, etc. etc., including the deluded spouse who thinks their husband or wife ‘belongs’ to them rather than divinely ‘assigned’ to them as the wise perspective. Nevertheless, even the sad condition just described is a grace-filled respite of temporal rewards and challenges to the materialist’s faith until death liberates the soul. So then:
- If there is nothing without God’s grace (i.e., Creation and therefore existence), and
- If both good and evil respectively advance or retreat from this initial grace by means of man’s choice, it behooves man to
- Understand the Spiritual Laws written by the Eternal Cause of all causes as they relate to the
- Temporal trial of an earthly life that directly relates to our ultimate immortal disposition (akhirah)
- Before we write an abidingly self-incriminating verdict in the Book of Deeds.
The Significance of Life’s Trials
There inevitably come frequent trials to all human journeymen. Yet each trial, though it may hold an evil potential, is actually an offer of additional divine grace. The option held forth presents an opportunity to obtain augmented favor that far exceeds the potential for evil’s progress.[2] For this reason, Prophet Isa instructed his disciples to rejoice equally in peace, persecution and trouble. He also warned believers to beware when all men speak well of them, because the implication is that such souls fail to speak or defend the truth but to the contrary, defer towards the pleasure of disobedient men. Such is the case in many countries where fawning citizens unravel red carpets for exalted savants of wickedness. To the contrary, if there are no trials of faith in a man’s life, the implication is that God has withdrawn the promise of enhanced potential and has abandoned the recalcitrant, trial-free-fool to his doom.
- This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those who reject Faith. Those are they whose hearts, ears, and eyes Allah has sealed up, and they take no heed. Without doubt, in the Hereafter they will perish.” (16: 107-109)
Such woe begotten creatures are called Kufr or Kafir [i] in the Qur’an and are to be avoided by believers whenever possible. The Qur’an often speaks of people whose ‘case’ or ‘trial’ is no longer considered by God. These folk have abandoned true human nature for the sake of sub-human appetites and God’s finite grace, which is the many illusory benefits of the material world. These persons are reprobates who have lapsed towards evil potential so often they’ve become permanently addicted to temporal rewards; much like King Nimrud’s rejection of Prophet Ibrahim’s invitation, or like an addict’s hypothalamic pleasure nuclei which is habituated to the endorphins produced by sex or drugs that in turn lead to uncontrollable obsession:
- “… Whoever seeks the advantage of the other world will receive the same and more of it. Whoever seeks the advantage of this world will receive the same, but he will have no share in the other.” (42: 20)
Such people are anti-social, non-contemplative-frontal-lobe sociopaths and ‘materialists’ who do not strive for the Kingdom of God’s eternal bonus nor seek the Metaphysical light of His additional guiding grace while living on earth:
- “O ye that believe! Fear Allah and believe in His Messenger, and He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy: He will provide for you a light by which ye shall walk straight in your path, and He will forgive you your past … “ (58: 28)
Therefore, God shuns the reprobate once they have repeatedly refused His Call to Grace, after which they walk in spiritual Darkness no matter how many times they call the illusion ‘light. This spiritual blindness is filled with signs, wonders, sensuality and even scientific acumen as per the nuclear physicist who gave us unredeemable radiation and resultant cancers. This existential estate is, unfortunately, the inverse consequence of the Law of Grace. As heedless reprobates, such folk live exclusively by means of the ordinary benevolence of common temporal respite plus base instincts and wit rather than by the advancing support of Divine favor. Such people have failed the test, dismissed the Law of Grace and are but vaguely aware (asleep) they have rejected faith and their true human nature (fitrah):[3] They have chosen not to humbly submit to God’s additional goodwill. For them, one can do nothing but assist them as they sojourn to hell; after all, our good deeds do stand us for reward in the hereafter.
[1] Mohamed El-Tahir El-Mesawi, citing Hujjah, vol. 1, pp. 203-206 and 233–234; The Conclusive Argument, pp. 206–209 and 238-239. Cf. al-Ghazali, op. cit., p. 16 and 175; Hujjah, vol. 1, p. 162 and 197; op. cit., p. 157; Hujjah, vol. 1, pp. 72–82; op. cit., pp. 60–68; Hujjah, vol. 1, p. 85 and pp. 174–175; op. cit., p. 72; Shāh Walī Allāh, Hujjah, vol. 1, pp. 85-86, 243-268; op. cit., pp. 72–73 and 245–270. For a profound discussion of the idea of natural innate religion from an Islamic perspective, see Ezzati, A., Islam and Natural Law
[2] Hence: the challenge presented to Prophet Job or the suffering of Makkan Muslims prior to the Hijra.
[3] There are others who believe but do not act on their belief. This, unfortunately, is equivalent to unbelief. In the Qur’an, Faith is inextricably married to good deeds. See V2:112 for example, “Yes, but whoever submits his face to Allah and he is a Muhsin {a good doer who performs good deeds totally for Allah’s sake without any show-off or to gain praise or fame] then his reward is with his Lord, on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” Even Paul said: “Faith without works is dead.”
[i] Kafir Unbeliever بً فه Unbeliever. Someone who covers up the truth and rejects Allah and His messengers. There are many different ways in which a person becomes a disbeliever in Allah. For full explanation see Kufr. Plural: Kuffar. — Kufr ً قه Disbelief in Allah’s Commands, including the refusal to accept whatever the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught. There are two levels of Kufr:
1. Kufr al-Akbar (major disbelief) subdivided into five categories;
- Kufr al-Taktheeb: Denying the divine truth.
- Kufr Abaa wa Stakbara ma’alTasdeeq: Refusing to bow to Allah due to pride, even though acknowledging the divine truth.
- Kufr ash-Shakk wa Dhann: Doubting any or all of the six articles of faith (see ‘Aqaaid), even if not completely denying them.
- Kufr aI-Iraad: Knowingly turning away from the divine truth.
- Kufr al-Nifaq: Disbelief through hypocrisy.
2. Kufr aI-Asghar (minor disbelief). Being unappreciative of what Allah Ta’ala has provided.
4 responses to “The Divinely Ordained Trial of Man's Inherent Common Sense (Fitrah) by Dr. Omar Zaid”
Here’s a sneak peek for a potential trial (reprinted from The Star Malaysia, 11/7/12:
Responding to the global LGBT agenda
DIPLOMATICALLY SPEAKING By DENNIS IGNATIUS
duta.thestar@gmail.com
The culture wars are no longer about gay rights but about shaping a new global value system.
The whole debate about gay marriage and the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered (LGBT) people is reaching a climax of sorts across North America and Europe.
Britain is in the midst of a showdown between religious groups and the government over Prime Minister David Cameron’s plans to legalise same-sex marriage.
In the United States, similar battles are being waged across several states. President Barack Obama, finally, and some would argue, very conveniently, came out of the political closet to endorse gay marriage in time for the upcoming November presidential elections. That endorsement earned him a rare rebuke from Datuk Seri Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
While the ongoing battles over gay marriage continue to draw a lot of attention, the real focus has gone beyond gay rights to shaping a global value system based on LGBT culture.
LGBT culture is itself still evolving as boundaries are relentlessly pushed back to accommodate individual whims and fancies.
Consider, for example, the newspaper report that was headlined, “He’s having their baby” about a man who used to be a woman who says he is now pregnant. Though legally classified as a male, he apparently opted to keep his “reproductive rights” intact – meaning that “he” still has ovaries, a uterus and a vagina!
And then there is the case of Miss Canada contestant, Jenna Talackova, who was born male but now regards “herself” as a female after having undergone hormone therapy and “sexual reassignment surgery” (the politically correct term for a sex-change operation). According to press reports, Jenna lied on her application form by stating that she was a “natural born” female and was subsequently expelled from the pageant.
The LGBT community immediately cried foul, alleging gender discrimination; Jenna was allowed back into the competition but did not win.
Meanwhile, an Ottawa exhibition aimed at educating teenagers about sex (as if today’s teens need any help) demonstrated twelve different kinds of sexuality, none of them heterosexual.
In schools, textbooks now almost routinely tell stories of Jack and his two dads or Jill and her two mums, portraying gay families as the norm. There are also mandatory gay/straight clubs in all schools in the province of Ontario.
Even comic book superheroes have not been spared. Marvel Comics just “outted” Green Lantern as gay. Who would have thought the poor fellow was struggling all these years with identity issues while trying to save the planet?
And who’s next? Could Wonder Woman be a transgendered male? Is there more to the relationship between Batman and Robin after all?
Doesn’t the LGBT community have any superheroes of their own? Do they have to raid our childhood memories and remake our superheroes in their own image? Do they have to colour the whole world in rainbow shades in order to feel equal and free?
The blurring of gender identity, the constant promotion of the idea that there is no such thing as normalcy in sexual matters, that gay families are somehow the norm rather than the exception, that anything and everything is morally equal, acceptable and normal is intrinsic to the LGBT agenda.
It has, of course, become politically incorrect to even ask these questions or wonder out loud where the West is heading given the wholesale abandonment of the very value system that underpins Western civilisation. Indeed, those who beg to differ are quickly shouted down and labelled intolerant, hateful and homophobic.
I suppose it won’t be long before straight couples and normal families are ridiculed as hopelessly outmoded and harassed for holding on to traditional values.
It might be tempting to think that all this has nothing to do with us in Malaysia, that we can safely retreat behind our own cultural and religious walls and remain unaffected by the emerging LGBT global culture.
The reality, however, is that whatever happens in the West invariably sets the pace for the rest of the world. A global culture is being shaped through television, music, education and the internet that is steadily influencing opinion and moulding attitudes, especially among the youth.
As well, powerful countries like Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States have now made the LGBT agenda one of their foreign policy goals and are aggressively lobbying to make a broad spectrum of LGBT rights mandatory for all countries. Britain and the US have even threatened to withhold aid to developing countries that do not support LGBT rights.
Interestingly, several hard-pressed religious leaders in the West are now looking to Asia, Africa and Latin America for moral support to counter the LGBT agenda. The Third World could well become the last refuge of traditional morality.
It is now incumbent on Third World leadersto develop a measured political, spiritual and intellectual response to the global LGBT agenda.
Harassing the LGBT community and treating them as common criminals, as so many Third World countries have done, is both morally wrong and counterproductive. The real challenge is to find a way to respect basic rights without sacrificing fundamental values or abandoning foundational belief systems as the West has done.
■ Datuk Dennis Ignatius is a 36-year veteran of the Malaysian foreign service. He has served in London, Beijing and Washington and was ambassador to Chile and Argentina. He was twice Undersecretary for American Affairs. He retired as High Commissioner to Canada in July 2008.
Salaam, I have addressed this matter at length in my book, “The Taqua of Marriage’. You can download from this site See ‘Books’
Brilliant work.
Though I am detecting a faint glimmer of pushback from the much maligned third world to Hillary’s Gay War agenda.
some cross-religious and cross-cultiural uniting may be warranted among the ‘wretched nations of the earth’!
Salam to you, Sir.
Salaam,
Thank you. I have addressed the need for Cultural renewal in my book (not yet in print) “Refuge From the Damned”
http://zaidpub.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/refuge-from-the-damned.pdf