Research Methodology [RKUD 2999]

By: M. M. ALI

Kulliyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
KUALA LUMPUR

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Research Methodology [RKUD 2999]
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS

Department of Usuluddin and Comparative Religion

Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences

IIUM.

Semester 1 2015/2016

Presentation 5 October, 2015 [starts]

Mid-term test 26 October 2015

Submission of Final Research Proposal: 23 November 2015.

Every student must come to class on time and participate in discussion.

Our focus would be more on UNDRSTANDING critical and analytical.

Questions and Comments are always welcomed and entertained.

Every student must come to class with required reading material.

Every student must understand Learning outcomes

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Research Methodology [RKUD 2999]
By: M. M. ALI

PREAMBLE
The Quran presents a few universal principles before people of the
world, especially the thinking minds, and urges them to reflect upon
these principles. It says:

Let there be no compulsion [on the issue of worldview] in

religion]: Truth stands out clear from Error [false
worldviews/ideologies/religions]: whoever rejects evil [false
worldviews/ideologies/religions] and [accepts] believes in
Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that
never breaks. And Allah hear and knows all things.[2: 256]

Allah is the Protector of those who have clear understanding

[of Truth and Reality of Life and the World] faith: from the
depths of darkness [of false worldviews/ideologies and
religions] He will lead them forth into light [of Truth and
Reality that guarantee peace, security, prosperity and
happiness]. Of those who reject [Truth and Reality of Life
and the World] faith the patrons
[philosophers/thinkers/scientists/leaders] are the Evil Ones:
from light they will lead them forth into the depths of

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darkness of false worldview/ideologies and religions]. They
will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (For ever).
[2: 257].

When it is said to them: ‘Make not mischief on the earth’

they say: ‘Why, we only want to make peace!’[2: 11]

Of a surety they are the ones who make mischief, but they
realize [it] not. [2:12]

When it is said to them: ‘Believe [understand and accept] as

the others believe [understand and accept]:’ they say: ‘Shall
we believe as the fools believe?’ Nay, of a surety they are
the fools. But they do not know.
[2: 13]

And remember how He made you inheritors after the people

of Ad and gave you habitations in the land: you build for
yourselves palaces and castles in [open] plains, and carve
out homes in the mountains; so bring to remembrance the
benefits [you have received] from Allah, and refrain from
evil and mischief on the earth.
[7: 74]

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INTRODUCTION
Research methodology course has been generally taken by teachers and students
as one of the most important courses than any other course.

It has two dimensions. Theoretical or Conceptual and Technical or Procedural

PART 1. We will discuss technical or procedural aspects of research

methodology in part one.

PART 2. Part two will cover the discussion of theoretical or conceptual aspects
of research methodology.

There are a good number of books on Research Methodology and Research

Methods. But a very few students and scholars know that these books are not on
Research Methodology and Research Methods but on Modern Western Research
Methodology and Modern Western Research Methods. This assertion may look
as surprising and unacceptable but it is true. All these books on Research
Methodology and Research Methods have been written on the basis of the
modern Western Worldview and Perspective by modern Western oriented
scholars. Naturally, everybody would like to know what is this modern Western
worldview and perspective. Is there any difference between research
methodology and the modern Western research methodology? Definitely, there
is a difference. To avoid confusion, we prefer, in this book now on wards, to use
the term Truth-Based Research instead of just ‘research’ or modern Western
oriented research. It is because there is nothing such as ‘research’ at present.

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Whatever exists in the name of ‘research’ that is modern Western oriented
research but definitely not ‘research’.

It should be noted, at the very outset, that the modern Western oriented
perspective is based on modern Western worldview. The modern Western
worldview is developed based on the modern Western philosophical thought
which is based on metaphysical speculation and conjecture instead of True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge. The existence and acceptance of True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge has been denied in the modern world by the
modern Western philosophers/thinkers/scientists and leaders. This denial has
not been done on the basis of knowledge – the True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge. It has been done on the basis of metaphysical speculation and
conjecture. But, the data, rational and empirical, collected from the Quran
present a different point of view. It claims that it contains in it True, Authentic
and Universal Knowledge. Its contention is that the True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge existed with mankind throughout history. Hence, the Quran
emphasizes all thought, philosophical and scientific, and also worldview must be
based on True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge instead of metaphysical
speculation and conjecture. The Quran considers the philosophical and scientific
thought and also worldview based on metaphysical speculation and philosophical
conjecture as fallacious and misleading. According to the Quran, the most
authentic and scientific way of understanding anything of this world is based on
True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. Hence, the main goal of any genuine
research – the Truth-based research - must be to highlight the differences
between the modern Western oriented research and the research which is based

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on the worldview which is drawn on the basis of the True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge.

Teaching the course Research Methodology or Research Methods is

considered as a challenging task. Several statements have been generally made by
the modern Western oriented scholars about the importance of the modern
Western research and modern Western research methodology. For example, it is
said that the modern Western research demands better ‘knowledge’ of overall
‘process of research’. We need to do justice to the complex ‘nature of research’
etc.

It is also asserted that each modern Western research design has several
aspects which are mutually connected. The Modern Western methodology is
perceived as the soul of the modern Western research especially in social
sciences. Based on the modern Western methodology social sciences are
distinguished from other modern Western sciences.

Consequently, the study and better understanding of the modern Western

research methodology and modern Western methods are, therefore, considered
indispensable. It is also asserted that to facilitate students with a better
understanding of the modern Western research and its modern Western
methodology we need to describe and discuss, at the very outset, the meaning of
‘research’, its ‘methodology’ and ‘methods’.

No doubt the above-mentioned general remarks are certain extent

important but they, in reality and truth, do not reflect the real perspective,
importance and significance of a ‘genuine research’ and ‘methodology’. As they

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deal with some technical aspects of ‘research’ and its ‘methodology’ but do not
cover a comprehensive meaning of them.

Other than these technical and procedural aspects, there are some other
very important and paramount dimensions of ‘genuine research’ and
‘methodology’ which require our attention at the very outset. Hence, before we
embark on the true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal
understanding of ‘research’ and its meaning and ‘methodology’, it seems
imperative to look into those aspects of Life and the World which are more
important and fundamental than technical and procedural aspects and are
intimately related with the issues of ‘research’ and its ‘methodology’.

PART 1
FOUR BASIC APPROACHES OF RESEARCH ACCORDING
TO THE MODERN WESTERN PERSPECTIVE OF RESEARCH
It is argue that there are a few basic research methods namely:
experimental method, survey method, field research, and the use of available
data. It is contended that they are, in fact, major methods of data collection. They
are also considered multiple-methods and are complimentary rather than
mutually exclusive. It is claimed that methods generally includes: research design,
data collection, experiments, experimental research and designs, analysis, survey
sampling techniques [how to design a sample], measurement, report, preparation
of questionnaire, observational techniques, field research, field administration
etc. In our view all these dimensions of research, no doubt, are important but do
not help to constitute true meaning of research and give comprehensive results,

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hence, is far away from the Truth-based research. At this stage of scholarship,
before we accept anything related to the modern Western research, we need to
develop, at the very outset as a prerequisite to the research, the critical thinking.
Furthermore, it is also asserted that the modern Western research includes inter-
relatedness of all phases, historical document research, content analysis, textual
analysis, [they are also called available data], research process [as a whole it
requires a better comprehension], data analysis and report writing.

FEATURES OF THE MODERN WESTERN RESEARCH

METHODS

It is argued that the modern Western research methods have their own
features such as the scientific nature of inquiry, ethical consideration, basic
terminology etc. Here the current literature on the modern Western research and
the modern Western research methods give us only one-sided information. We
need to redefine all these features in the light of True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge. For example, the ‘scientific nature of inquiry’ means the modern
Western notion of ‘scientific’ which has some genuine problems. In the same way
the ‘ethical consideration’ connotes the moral consideration not rational. We first
need to look into any problem from a rational [ethical] point of view because if it
is not sound rationally then the application of morals cannot be useful. At the
very outset we need to be rationally [ethically] sound.

It is said that the modern Western research methods must have a topic
concerning specific areas such as social research methods must have social
phenomena. This implies, as we are told, that we take into consideration the

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concerns of people. What people want, why people want a specific thing, how
people act, think, feel and interact with one another. All these concerns are, no
doubt, important. But, before we think in this way we also need to think What
Allah SWT really wants from us – researcher and people? Is there any Guidance
from Him? Are we independent from Allah SWT? Can we take genuine intellectual
decisions after liberating ourselves from Allah SWT? We need to investigate all
these questions at first. The Truth-based method of research will take into
consideration both what Allah SWT wants and what people want. Through Truth-
based research we desire to make people understand that whatever Allah SWT
wants from us is better for us. We cannot achieve any truthful, meaningful,
realistic, comprehensive, holistic and sustainable development without seeking
guidance from Allah SWT.

Hence, every discipline is committed to Truth-based research method. For

example, if we do research in ‘religious’ studies we generally follow method of
textual analysis or content analysis or contextual analysis. Here we will apply
Truth-based research method which implies that there are not several ‘religions’
revealed by Allah SWT. Allah SWT made it clear in the Quran that He revealed
only Islam if Islam is taken as religion. Allah SWT revealed Islam as a worldview
and way of life which provide detail scheme of life and society whereas, religions
as man-made mode of worships deal with doctrines and rituals. We will make a
comparative study between Islam and other religions and see what kind of life
and society they want to develop. What are the differences and similarities
between Islamic approach and religious approach to life and society? In social
sciences, for example, psychology prefers to conduct experiments on ‘human’
behavior; human are taken here as animal beings because both have life;

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sociologists most often prefer to apply survey research; anthropologists
characteristically conduct field research; historians tend to make use of available
historical data. But according to the True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge, it
is not necessary to stick to any specific method in a particular discipline. In all
these branches of knowledge one needs to follow a combination of these
methods or one or two different methods. But whatever method of research is
adopted in Truth-based research it will work within the framework of Truth and
Reality of Life and the World. The Quranic emphasis is on rational and empirical
methods. Along with this, any other suitable method can also be used. But these
methods, if isolated from the aim of life and society, become ineffective and do
not help people to solve the problems. Hence, all aspects of life and society have
to be taken in consideration in a holistic manner. They cannot be separated from
each other. In modern Western perspective the scholars and scientists are at loss
in general all over the world as is manifest in our contemporary age about this
holistic aspect. The Truth-based research and method, first, look into the basic
issues of life and society such as aim of life and purpose of society.

THE DIFERENCE BETWEEN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

AND METHODS

There is a difference between methodology and method. Many people do

not realize this difference. Methodology deals with general principles of research
whereas methods identify certain specific steps. Methodology is concerned more
with epistemological, conceptual and theoretical dimensions of research
methods. Methods as such do not involve with any discussion of useful and

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relevant or irrelevant principles. This is the jurisdiction of methodology.
Methodology, in fact, deals with the method of those principles of methods which
are applied for any kind of study. Methods always deal with technical aspects. The
Truth-based research and method focus at first, as asserted above, on the
methodological principles which ultimately related to Truth and Reality of Life and
the World and the place of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge in the
scheme of research.

METHODOLOGY as a set of principles may be explained in terms of the

systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study. It
comprises the theoretical analysis of the body of methods and principles
associated with a branch of knowledge – the modern Western knowledge – or
Truth-based knowledge. Typically, it encompasses concepts such as paradigm,
theoretical model, phases and quantitative or qualitative approaches/techniques.

A methodology does not set out to provide solutions - it is, therefore, not
the same thing as a method. Instead, it offers the theoretical underpinning for
understanding which method, set of methods or so called “best practices” can be
applied to specific case, for example, to calculate a specific result.

It has been defined also as follows:

1. "The analysis of the principles of methods, rules, and postulates employed

by a discipline."
2. "The systematic study of methods that are, can be, or have been applied
within a discipline."
3. "The study or description of methods."

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THE DEFINITIONS OF METHODOLOGY

According to the modern Western perspective, methodology is defined as a

set or system of methods, principles and rules for regulating a given discipline, as
in the modern Western arts or sciences.

The modern Western methodology is the underlying principles and rules of

organization of a philosophical system or inquiry procedure.

Methodology is the study of the modern Western

principles underlying the organization of the various modern Western
sciences and the conduct of scientific inquiry.

The modern Western methodology is also defined in another way. It is a

prerequisite to the general research strategy that outlines the way in which a
modern Western research project is to be undertaken and, among other things,
identifies the modern Western methods to be used in it. These Methods,
described in the methodology, define the means or modes of data collection or,
sometimes, how a specific result is to be calculated. Methodology does not define
specific methods, even though much attention is given to the nature and kinds of
processes to be followed in a particular procedure or to attain an objective.

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN METHODOLOGY, THEORY,
PARADIGM, ALGORITHM AND METHOD

A Paradigm is similar to a methodology in that it is also a constructive

framework. In theoretical work, the development of paradigms satisfies most or
all of the criteria for methodology. 

An Algorithm, like a paradigm, is also a type of constructive framework,

meaning that the construction is a logical, rather than a physical, array of
connected elements.
Any description of a means of calculation of a specific result is always a
description of a method, and never a description of a methodology. It is thus
important to avoid using methodology as a synonym for method or body of
methods. Doing this shifts it away from its true epistemological meaning and
reduces it to being the procedure itself, the set of tools or the instruments that
should have been its outcome.

A methodology is the design process for carrying out research or the

development of a procedure and is not in itself an instrument, or method, or
procedure for doing things.
Methodology and method are not interchangeable but, in recent years,
there has been a tendency to use methodology as a "pretentious substitute for
the word method". Using methodology as a synonym for method or set of
methods, leads to confusion and misinterpretation, and undermines the proper
analysis that should go into designing research.

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TYPES OF RESEARCH METHODS

CONTENT ANALYSIS
In modern Western social sciences and humanities, content analysis is the
analysis of texts of various types including writing, images, recordings and cultural
artefacts. Content analysis includes both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Content analysis is used for a variety of purposes including attribution of texts to
authors, testing of hypotheses, theory building, and evaluation research.

In the social sciences, content analysis is a method for studying the content of
written texts and artefacts. Earl Babbie defines it as "the study of recorded human
communications, such as books, websites, paintings and laws".

Content analysis is a scholarly method in the humanities by which texts are

studied as to authorship, authenticity, or meaning.[3] This latter subject
includes philology, hermeneutics, and semiotics.

The political scientist Harold Lasswell formulated the core questions of

content analysis: "Who says what, to whom, why, to what extent and with what
effect?"[4] Ole Holsti offers a broad definition of content analysis as "any technique
for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified
characteristics of messages",[5] while communications scholar Kimberly Neuendorf
provides a six-part definition:[6] "Content analysis is a summarising, quantitative
analysis of messages that relies on the scientific method (including attention to
objectivity, intersubjectivity, a priori design, reliability, validity, generalisability,
replicability, and hypothesis testing) and is not limited as to the types of variables

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that may be measured or the context in which the messages are created or
presented."

In media studies Tipaldo defines content analysis as "a wide and

heterogeneous set of manual or computer-assisted techniques for contextualized
interpretations of documents produced by communication processes strictiore
sensu (any kind of text, written, iconic, multimedia, etc.) or signification processes
(traces and artefacts), having as ultimate goal the production of valid and
trustworthy inferences".[7]

The method of content analysis enables the researcher to include large

amounts of textual information and systematically identify its properties, such as
the frequencies of most used keywords by locating the more important structures
of its communication content. Such amounts of textual information must be
categorised to provide a meaningful reading of content under scrutiny. For
example, David Robertson created a coding frame for a comparison of modes of
party competition between British and American parties.[8] It was developed
further in 1979 by the Manifesto Research Group aiming at a comparative
content-analytic approach on the policy positions of political parties. This group
created the Manifesto Project Database.

Since the 1980s, content analysis has become an increasingly important tool
in the measurement of success in public relations (notably media relations)
programs and the assessment of media profiles. In these circumstances, content
analysis is an element of media evaluation or media analysis.[9] In analyses of this
type, data from content analysis is usually combined with media data (circulation,
readership, number of viewers and listeners, frequency of publication). It has also

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been used by futurists to identify trends. In 1982, John Naisbitt published his
popular Megatrends, based on content analysis in the US media.

Every content analysis should depart from a hypothesis. As an evaluation

approach, content analysis is considered by some to be quasi-evaluation because
content analysis judgements need not be based on value statements if the
research objective is aimed at presenting subjective experiences. Thus, they can
be based on knowledge of everyday lived experiences. Such content analyses are
not evaluations. On the other hand, when content analysis judgements are based
on values, such studies are evaluations.[13]

Qualitative content analysis is “a systematic, replicable technique for

compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit
rules of coding”.[14] It often involves building and applying a “concept dictionary”
or fixed vocabulary of terms on the basis of which words are extracted from the
textual data for concording or statistical computation.

Content analysis refers to a general set of techniques useful for analysing

and understanding collections of text.  There is considerable work done in this
area, which predates Internet research by decades.  In the context of
understanding the impact of digitised collections and websites, one particularly
relevant type of content analysis is the analysis of news articles.  These news
articles may be about the collection, or they may be about the type of resource in
general.

In the context of understanding impact, these news articles can help you
understand several things, including:

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 1. How well efforts to publicize the resource are reflected in the news.
2. For articles that aren't just re-prints of press releases, how is the resource
or others like it being framed in the media?  "Framing" is a concept used in
fields such as media studies to understand how the public discourse on a
topic influences public opinion, and also further public discourse.  So, for
instance, if digitisation efforts are being portrayed as efficient ways to make
rare materials available, that frame is very different than if articles are
suggesting that digitisation grants are an example of wasteful government
spending.
3. From a strictly quantitative perspective, even counts of articles can give you
some indication of impact based on frequency of mentions in the media.

Some projects will have lots of external content to analyse, others will have
relatively little.

Getting started with qualitative data analysis can be relatively simple,

although the possibilities of data analysis are nearly endless. One of the best
resources for finding out how to do qualitative research using computer-aided
tools is the CAQDAS (Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis) Networking
Project at the University of Surrey. Through the CAQDAS Networking Project,
users can get face to face training, online tutorials, and extensive support in the
skills needed to work with qualitative data.

AN OVERVIEW OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

Content analysis has been defined as a systematic, replicable technique for

compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit

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rules of coding (Berelson, 1952; GAO, 1996; Krippendorff, 1980; and Weber,
1990). Holsti (1969) offers a broad definition of content analysis as, "any
technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying
specified characteristics of messages" (p. 14). Under Holsti’s definition, the
technique of content analysis is not restricted to the domain of textual analysis,
but may be applied to other areas such as coding student drawings (Wheelock,
Haney, & Bebell, 2000), or coding of actions observed in videotaped studies
(Stigler, Gonzales, Kawanaka, Knoll, & Serrano, 1999). In order to allow for
replication, however, the technique can only be applied to data that are durable
in nature.

Content analysis enables researchers to sift through large volumes of data

with relative ease in a systematic fashion (GAO, 1996). It can be a useful
technique for allowing us to discover and describe the focus of individual, group,
institutional, or social attention (Weber, 1990). It also allows inferences to be
made which can then be corroborated using other methods of data collection.
Krippendorff (1980) notes that "[m]uch content analysis research is motivated by
the search for techniques to infer from symbolic data what would be either too
costly, no longer possible, or too obtrusive by the use of other techniques" (p.
51).

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
Textual analysis is a way for researchers to gather information about how
other human beings make sense of the world. It is a methodology - a data-
gathering process - for those researchers who want to understand the ways in
which members of various cultures and subcultures make sense of who they are,

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and of how they fit into the world in which they live. Textual analysis is useful for
researchers working in cultural studies, media studies, in mass communication,
and perhaps even in sociology and philosophy. Let's open with a straightforward
description What is textual analysis? When we perform textual analysis on a text,
we make an educated guess at some of the most likely interpretations that might
be made of that text. We interpret texts (films, television programmes,
magazines, advertisements, clothes, graffiti, and so on) in order to try and obtain
a sense of the ways in which we think about the things and understand them.

THE STEPS OF TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Textual analysis is the method communication researchers use to describe and

interpret
the characteristics of a recorded or visual message.
1. The purpose of textual analysis is to describe the content, structure, and
functions of the
messages contained in texts.
2. The important considerations in textual analysis include selecting the
types of texts to be
studied, acquiring appropriate texts, and determining which particular
approach to employ
in analyzing them.
3. There are two general categories of texts:
a. Transcripts of communication (verbatim recordings)
b. Outputs of communication (messages produced by communicators)
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 4. In terms of acquiring texts, outputs of communication are more readily
available than
transcripts.
a. Archival communication research involves examining the
communication embedded in
existing records of human behavior kept in archives.
b. Acquisition of texts is important as is the representativeness of the
texts selected since
sampling is typically used.
c. Another issue is determining how complete and accurate the texts are
in order to conduct
a sound analysis.
II. APPROACHES TO TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
A. There are four major approaches to textual analysis: rhetorical criticism, content analysis,
Interaction analysis, and performance studies.
B. Rhetorical Criticism
1. The terms, rhetoric and criticism, conjure up interesting images.
a. Rhetoric often carries negative connotations, such as when it is applied to grand,
eloquent, bombastic, or verbose discourse.
b. Andrews believes that criticism is typically associated with tearing down or denigrating
comments; despite its function as constructive advice.
c. For scholars, the word rhetoric is associated with Aristotle’s definition: “the available
means of persuasion” and criticism is the “systematic process of illuminating and
evaluating products of human activity” (Andrews, 1983, p. 4).
2. Rhetorical Criticism, therefore, is a systematic method for describing, analyzing,
interpreting, and evaluating the persuasive force of messages embedded within texts.
3. The process serves five important functions (Andrews, 1983) including:
a. sheds light on the purposes of a persuasive message
b. can aid in understanding historical, social, and cultural contexts
c. can be used as a form of social criticism to evaluate society
d. can contribute to theory building by showing how theories apply to persuasive
discourse
e. serves a pedagogical function by teaching people how persuasion works and what
constitutes effective persuasion.
4. Classical rhetoric examined the characteristics and effect of persuasive public speaking
during the Greek and Roman civilizations.

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5. Contemporary rhetoric has expanded to incorporate a wide range of philosophical,
theoretical, and methodological perspectives that are used to study the persuasive impact
of many different types of texts and messages.
6. There are four steps to conducting rhetorical criticism
a. Choosing a text(s) to study
b. Choosing a specific type of rhetorical criticism
c. Analyzing the text(s) according to the method chosen
d. Writing the critical essay
7. There are several types of rhetorical criticism and they may be used to answer a wide
range of questions including:
a. What is the relationship between a text and its context?
b. How does a text construct reality for an audience?
c. What does a text suggest about the rhetoric?
i. Historical Criticism examines how important past events shape and are shaped by
rhetorical messages. Researchers go beyond merely describing and recreating past
events from documents to evaluate the reasons why the past events occurred as
they did.
ii. Oral Histories investigate spoken, as opposed to written, accounts of personal
experiences to understand more fully what happened in the past.
iii. Historical Case Studies examine texts related to a single, salient historical to
understand the role played by communication.
iv. Biographical Studies examine public and private texts of prominent, influential, or
otherwise remarkable individuals. They analyze how the messages used by these
individuals helped them to accomplish what they did.
v. Social Movement Studies examine persuasive strategies used to influence the
historical development of specific campaigns and causes.
vi. Neo-Aristotelian Criticism evaluated whether the most appropriate and effective
means, as articulated in the specific set of criteria given in Aristotle’s Rhetoric, were
used to create the rhetorical text(s) intended to influence a particular audience.
vii. Genre Criticism rejects using a single set of criteria to evaluate all persuasive
messages, arguing instead, that standards vary according to the particular type, or
genre of text being studied.
(a) Forensic Rhetoric deals with the past and concerns issued involving
legality and justice.
(b) Epideictic rhetoric concerns the present and is ceremonial.
© Deliberative rhetoric speaks to the future and involves political oratory.
viii. Dramatistic Criticism primarily analyzes texts according to philosopher Kenneth
Burke’s view that all communication can be seen in terms of five
essential elements that comprise a dramatic event.
(a) Act: A particular message produced by a communicator.
(b) Purpose: The reason for the message.
(c) Agent: The person who communicated the message.
(d) Agency: The medium used to express the message
(e) Pentadic Analysis, as it is called, uses these five elements to isolate essential
characteristics of and differences between symbolic acts.
ix. Metaphoric Criticism assumes that we can never know reality directly.
x. Narrative Criticism assumes that many (or all) persuasive messages function as
narratives—storied, accounts, or tales.

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 xi. Fantasy Theme Analysis, based on the work of Ernest Bormann, examines the
common images used to portray narrative elements of situations described in
a text. Fantasy themes are mythic stories present in communication that
involve characters with which people identify.
xii. Feminist Criticism analyzes how conceptions of gender are produced and
maintained in persuasive messages. Content Analysis is used to identify,
enumerate, and analyze occurrences of specific messages and
message characteristics embedded in texts.
1. Qualitative Content Analysis: Researchers are more interested in the meanings
associated with messages than with the number of times message variables occur.
2. Quantitative Content Analysis is the systematic, step-by-step procedure used to answer
research questions and test hypothesis.
3. Considered an unobtrusive technique because researchers study texts that already exist
rather than asking people to produce texts.
4. Vast majority of content analyses employ quantitative procedures, which involve selecting
texts, determining the units to be coded, developing content categories, training
observers to code units, and analyzing the data.
a. Selecting texts: Choosing appropriate texts to study such as, newspapers, magazines,
books, public service announcements, and Internet messages, etc.
b. Determining the unit of analysis: First identify the appropriate message unit to code
(unitizing).
5. There are five units including:
a. Physical units are the space and time devoted to content
b. Meaning units, which the remaining four types reside within, involve symbolic meaning
c. Syntactical units consist of discrete units of language, such as individual words,
sentences, and paragraphs
d. Referential units, also called character units, involve some physical or temporal unit
referred to or alluded to within content
e. Thematic units are topics contained within messages.
6. Developing content categories into which units can be classified is done through the use
of nominal measurement procedures; this is a very creative process; there are an infinite
number of categories into which units could potentially be classified.
7. Analyzing the data, coding units into nominal categories, yields qualitative data in that
what is being communicated is determined by the type of category.
C. Interaction Analysis: Scholars view interaction as a complex accomplishment that requires
much knowledge on the part of individual communicators and the ability to coordinate
behavior with others.
1. To describe interaction, researchers focus on a number of characteristics including:
a. Linguistic features: Studies range from the analysis of particular words and sentence
components (verbs), to nonverbal features (eye contact & touch), to more interpretive
aspects of language (powerful vs. powerless speech).
b. Types of topics that people talk about.
c. The purposes of specific actions and utterances in an interaction.
2. Group decision making requires that group members satisfy four fundamental tasks,
called functional requisites:
a. Thorough and accurate understanding of the choice-making situation
b. Identification of a range of realistic alternative courses of action
c. Thorough and accurate assessment of the positive qualities or consequences

23
 associated with alternative choices
d. Thorough and accurate assessment of the negative qualities or consequences
associated with alternative choices.
3. Researchers interested in the functional nature of messages exchanged during
interaction focus on the purpose of each communicator’s moves.
4. Others analyze the structure of interaction by studying the relationship between
conversants’ moves.
5. Relating interaction to other variables: Most interaction analysts go beyond description to
study the ways in which interaction is related to significant input and output variables.
a. How the characteristics of interactants influence their behavior during an interaction
b. The effects of sociodemographic characteristics, such as gender or race
c. Personality traits, such as affective orientation (the tendency to use one’s emotions as
guiding information)
d. Anxiety
e. Attachment style (the type and quality of relationship one wants to share with another)
f. Attributional confidence (confidence in the ability to predict other people’s feelings and
behavior
g. Cognitive complexity (the degree of differentiation, articulation, and integration within a
cognitive system)
h. Defensiveness; depression; extroversion; empathic ability
i. Locus of control (degree to which people versus the environment are held accountable
for enacted behavior)
j. Loneliness; need for privacy
k. Self-efficacy (degree of confidence people have in being able to attain goals)
l. Self-esteem
m. Self-monitoring (the extent to which people pay attention to their verbal and nonverbal
behaviors)
n. Tolerance for disagreement.
6. Conducting Interaction Analysis: Conducting interaction analysis involves two general
tasks: Obtaining a sample of interaction, and analyzing that sample.
a. In gathering a sample of interaction, researchers make choices that affect both the
type and the quality of the data obtained, including the type of interactional data
required, the desired location of the interaction, and the appropriate means for
gathering the data.
i. Type: Will it be any interaction or a specific interaction? natural and unstructured or
structured? Real or hypothetical?
ii. Location: Will it be in a laboratory, in interactants’ homes or offices, or in some
publicly accessible place.
iii. Means for gathering data: Audiotaping, videotaping, observational notes taken by
researchers and questionnaires answered by respondents.
b. Analyzing the sample of interaction: Specific analysis depends on whether the goal is
to describe interaction or relate it to other variables. It also depends on the form the
data take.
D. Performance Studies: “the process of dialogic engagement with one’s own and others’
aesthetic communication through the means of performance.”
1. Researchers interpret texts as a method of inquiry that enables them and audiences of
performances to interpret the aesthetic richness of those texts.
2. There are six steps in generating and reporting insights in performance studies.

24
 a. Selecting: Identifying the communication act or text they wish to examine
b. Playing: Trying on different vocal and bodily behaviors
c. Testing: Establishes the range of legitimate understandings
d. Choosing: Question of selecting those valid interpretations to isolate one possible
understanding to pursue.
i. Sets in motion a performance vision, a reading that the performance researcher
attempts to enact.
e. Repeating: Sets and refines the researchers chosen interpretation.
f. Presenting: Report of what has been discovered through public performance; puts on a
display for others’ consideration what the performance researcher has come to
understand.

A famous industrialist once said, “a person’s language, as a rule, is an index

of his or her mind.” This suggests that examining word choices can provide
insights into people’ characters.
The essence of this message is also a basic premise of textual analysts. Their
mission is to understand how people think, and consequently act, by studying
patterns displayed in their discourse, broadly defined.

STAGES OR STEPS OF RESEARCH [METHODOLOGY]/the

Activities of the Research Process

There are several stages or steps of research. It follows a methodology.

There is a process of research. We plan to understand some problem or to
identify some very important but new points or new things. The research is not
interested only in problems rather it suggests new direction and new ways and
means for the improvement of condition of life and society. It is said that the
research is, in fact, a process of critical and creative thinking. The critical and
creative thinking are motivated by the criterion of Knowledge. This understanding

25
of the process of research required certain rules/principles/steps. The researcher,
hence, needs to understand those rules and steps. In other words researcher is
not an independent scholar. He/she depends on those rules/steps which are
considered as part of research method. The researcher also depends on certain
worldview/concepts/paradigm/perspective/or framework. Generally, the
principles of research methodology are derived from worldview/perspective/
framework.

The research plans/designs may be different in different field of studies. We

design to present here some common factors or aspects which constitute
research plan/design. This is also called as steps of research. There may be
different stages or steps of research. Some scholars call them research design. We
differentiate between Stages of Research and Research Proposal. The research
stages in general focuses on specific steps such as literature review, research
problem, selection of the topic, effective planning of research, statement of the
problem, research methodology, data collection, analysis of data, research report,
research findings, research recommendations and conclusions. The Research
proposal and its features will be explained in a separate chapter. In this chapter
focus will be directed on the Stages of Research.

1] Plan of research/Research designs

Planning research is very important step in Research Methodology. Why do

we need to plan the research? We need to plan research because it saves our
time, energy, money and opportunities. Planning must be the right planning. Poor
planning may lead to poor research. Poor research means inadequate results. It
would be proper to include in research plan: what do we intend to do? Why this

26
problem and its solutions are important? What has been done in this area or on
this issue by others? How are we going to solve this problem?

The purpose of plan/design is to clearly describe what is the proposed

problem and how it would be resolved? In order to do a better research, the plan
must be better. An integral part of the plan/design is effective management of the
time available for research. A typical research plan/design must have some
sections such as specific aim; background and significance; preliminary studies
and progress report; research method. The research plan/ design is defined
variously.

The research design is the conceptual structure within which research is

conducted; it constitutes the blue print for the collection, measurement and
analysis of data. The research design provides the back bone structure of the
study; it supports the study and holds it together. The research design refers to
the researcher’s overall plan for answering the research questions or testing the
research hypotheses. [C.K.Kothari, Research Methodology: Methods and
Techniques, 31]. It is used to spell out the basic strategies that researchers adopt
to develop evidence that is accurate and interpretable. It deals with matters such
as selecting participants for the research and preparing for data collection.
[Denise F. Polit and Cheryl Tatano, Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing
Evidence for Nursing Practice, 203] According to Russell Ackoff, research design is
the process of making decisions before a situation arises in which the decision has
to be carried out. It is actually a process of deliberate anticipation directed
towards bringing an unexpected situation under control. [Norman Blaikie,
Designing Social Research, 15]

27
 The research design also refers to the overall strategy that the researcher
choose to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent and
logical way, thereby, ensuring researcher will be able to address the research
problem in an effective manner. [De Vaus, D. A. Research Design in Social
Research, London: SAGE, 2001]

2] Identifying a research problem [issue]

1. Introduction
2. Identification of the Problem of Research/Selection of Topic
3. Abstract

3] Reviewing the literature

4. Review of Literature
5. Formation of Hypothesis

4] Statement of the problem

6. The statement of the problem

7. Formulation of research questions

8. Identification of research objectives/purpose of research

5] Research methodology [nature of the research problem]

9. Research Methodology: Research approaches/Research methods [research

methods of

data collection]

Qualitative and Quantitative/inductive/deductive/mixed research method

28
 Quantitative Research: Experimental Research/empirical
research/interviews/surveys/questionnaire/identification of sample
Quasi-experimental research
Qualitative research/library research/using reports and documents

6] Data Collection

10.Collection of Data

7] Analyzing and interpreting data

11.Analysis and interpretation of Data

8] Reporting and evaluating research

12.Drawing Conclusion/development of theories/models/evaluating

research/reporting research

9] Conclusion

Bibliography
Appendix

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

TITLE/TOPIC

A well design research proposal includes the following:

1. Introduction
2. Statement of the Problem
3. Research Questions

29
 4. Research Objectives
5. Significance of the Research
6. Research Methodology
1. Qualitative [Library research based on books, reports, documents,
web-sites]
Descriptive and analytical
2. Quantitative [Interview, survey, questionnaire]
7. Review of Literature

Tentative Chapters

Introduction

First Chapter

Second Chapter

Third Chapter

Fourth Chapter

Fifth Chapter

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

30
 PART 2

TRUTH AND REALITY OF LIFE AND THE WORLD

At the very outset we human beings need to understand clearly certain
fundamental ‘truths and facts’ of life so that we can bring change and guarantee
development in life and society: namely, the true, correct, authentic, realistic,
comprehensive and universal understanding of Truth and Reality of Life and the
World.

The true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal

understanding of Truth and Reality of Life and the World becomes the very first
step towards ‘genuine research’ and understanding of anything of this world.
True, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal understanding of
Truth and Reality of Life and the World cannot be achieved on the basis of
conjecture and speculation. It can be achieved only through True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge. The inquiry of existence or non-existence of True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge, therefore, becomes the second paramount
step of ‘genuine research’ which itself requires ‘research’, examination and
analysis of existing claims for true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive
and universal understanding of Truth and Reality of Life and the World.

In modern period the existence of any sort of True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge has been denied by the modern Western
philosophers/thinkers/scientists and leaders as said earlier. It is contended that
this decision is made based on the basis of ‘scientific research’ and ‘scientific
inquiry’. Hence, the denial of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge is

31
considered as ‘scientific’ i.e. the true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive
and universal. It is also but falsely contended that it had been done on the basis of
tests and verification on the basis of rational and empirical tools.

Contrary to this generally accepted position, I would like to contend, for a

better, true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal
understanding, that in modern period whatever ‘science’ and ‘scientific
knowledge’ has been developed and accepted as true, correct, authentic,
realistic, comprehensive and universal, tested and verified, on the basis of
rational and empirical tools, is not ‘science’ and ‘scientific knowledge’ as such but
rather it is modern Western science and modern Western scientific knowledge.
Hence, today, the overall understanding of the idea of modern Western science
and modern Western scientific knowledge has been questioned. The modern
Western science and modern Western scientific knowledge are not accepted as
‘science’ and ‘scientific knowledge’ by all people of the world.

To establish and demonstrate the truth and reality of our contention we

need a more deep analysis of this sort of claims. It requires more ‘research’ and
reflection. Based on the data collected from the Quran we come to know that all
these sorts of claims and understanding are not based on True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge. They are not supported by sound rational arguments and
empirical evidence RATHER this understanding and claims are the result of some
fancies, imaginations, conjecture and speculation about the Truth and Reality of
Life and the World.

The data of the Quran and its analysis reveals the fact that there exists,
definitely, True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. To establish the fact of this

32
truth, the Quran presents a very powerful ethical discourse along with empirical
evidence. See, for example, the statements and claims made by the Quran,
related to the natural world and human body, which have been confirmed by so-
called the modern Western science. They are sufficient empirical proofs that the
other statements and claims of the Quran about the existence of True, Authentic
and Universal Knowledge are also True. For the existence of the True, Authentic
and Universal Knowledge we find numerous sound rational arguments and
empirical evidence in the Quran and in nature and in our self.

Based on a rational and ‘scientific’ ‘research’ we come to know that there is

a link in between True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge and the Truth and
Reality of Life and the World.

Hence, we conclude that the answer to the question of Truth and Reality of
Life and the World can only be given on the basis of conjecture and speculation
or on the basis of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge.

For a better, true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal

understanding of Truth and Reality of Life and the World we depend on True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge so also depend for a better, true, correct,
authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal ‘research’, its ‘methodology’
and ‘methods’ on the basis of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. Without
a true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal understanding of
these relations, which are in reality the ‘truths and facts’ of life, no one can build
up any system and structure of life and society in a scientific way. The true,
correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal understanding of Truth
and Reality of Life and the World and the existence of True, Authentic and

33
universal Knowledge, therefore, become the decisive factors in ‘research’ and
‘methodology’.

The success or failures of ‘research’ projects, therefore, depend on this

better, true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal
understanding of ‘truths and facts’. The way our body without ruh [spirit] is
considered as dead in the same way the ‘research’ and ‘methodology’ without
Truth and Reality of Life and the World are considered as dead. Our body also
requires the blood circulation every moment otherwise it may cause heart
attack and heart failure which is the sign of our possible death. In the same
manner the ‘research’ and ‘methodology’ require the application of True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge throughout the process of ‘research’ and
use of ‘methodology’ without which the whole process of ‘research’ and its
‘methodology’ would be considered as soulless i.e. dead. Hence, I argue, that
the recognition, acknowledgement and application of Truth and Reality of Life
and the World as well as True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge are
indispensable for a Truth-based research and its methodology.

THE FAILURE OF MODERN WESTERN RESEARCH AND ITS

METHODOLOGIES
Since the inception of life on this earth, man, who possesses the cognitive
dimension, has been continuously thinking and developing his ideas about the
Truth and Reality of Life and the World. For this purpose, people have developed,
especially in modern period, thousands and thousands of systems of thought and
trends of scholarship. In spite of all these sincere efforts for search and quest for
the true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal understanding

34
of Truth and Reality of Life and the World, it seems, they have been failure. The
reasons are not far away.

The main reason is that people in general failed to understand another basic
‘truth and fact’ of life that the true correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive
and universal understanding of Truth and Reality of Life and the World cannot be
developed on the basis of false foundation of speculation, conjecture,
imaginations, assumptions, desires and fancies. For a better, true, correct,
authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal understanding of Truth and
Reality of Life and the World, at the very outset, people need to understand that
they have to have the Knowledge – True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge.
Hence, we repeat, for the sake of true, correct, authentic, realistic,
comprehensive and universal understanding of Truth and Reality of Life and the
World we need True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. The true, correct,
authentic, realistic, comprehensive and universal understanding of Truth and
Reality of Life and the World cannot be achieved on the basis of speculation,
conjecture, imaginations, assumptions, desires, fancies and discursive
philosophies. The failure to understand this ‘truth and fact’ of life has caused the
development of improper meaning and misunderstanding of ‘research’ and its
‘methodology’. In spite of a plethora of ‘research’ and ‘planning’, excellent
‘methodologies’ people, in general, have been failures to produce good results.
This is the reason that in spite of development of thousands of systems of
thought and ‘research’, its techniques, methods and methodologies, people, as a
whole, are unable to solve the problems of life and society. Whenever, they
achieve some success at the same time they create more problems.

35
 This sort of ‘research’ in our view deserves to be called the modern Western
research not ‘research’ as such. This modern Western research [divorced from
Truth and Reality of Life and the World and True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge] has directed all human energies and efforts in a wrong and false
direction and for the sake of false goals of life and society. As a matter of fact,
the modern Western research and its plethora have diverted the attention of
people of modern period from the Truth and Reality of Life and the World and
True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge and focused on doubt, speculation,
conjecture and assumptions. Doubt, assumptions, prepositions, speculations were
elevated to the ranks of ‘scientific’ tools. Therefore, this modern Western
research has destroyed completely the essence of humanity. Hence, humanity
today is marching towards the false notion of material and technological
advancement and development and has created an unending race among all the
nations of the world for technological advancement, material achievements and
the production of weapons of mass destruction and creating environmental un-
solvable crisis and chaos. The false worldview, false framework of research, false
framework of methodology, false view of life, false view of the world, false vision
of life, false vision of society, false mission of life and false mission of society are
some are the characteristics of the modern Western oriented world of today.
People of the modern world have forgotten that for material and technological
advancement and development we need, as the fundamental prerequisite, the
strong foundation of ethics, spirituality and morality.

36
THE MODERN WESTERN METHODOLOGIES OF
RESEARCH ARE BASED ON THE FALSE FOUNDATION OF
LIFE AND THE WORLD
Sincere efforts, fine techniques, procedures, methods, excellent systems,
well-connected structures, meaningful skills, effective strategies etc. cannot
guarantee the proper development of system of ‘research’ and its ‘methodology’
if they are based on false foundation of Life and the World. It is like a journey in a
new branded beautiful car which is excellently designed with a marvelous physical
body, highly comfortable seats in side and with a professional driver. But, it seems
that both, the driver and the master, have forgotten the proper road and true
direction but moving fast. We can understand and see their fate. They will never
arrive at their final but true destination. We, therefore, need, at the very
beginning of our journey, a conscious, correct, authentic, truthful, compressive,
and realistic foundation of Life and the World. The current systems of ‘research’,
its ‘methods’ and ‘methodologies’ are, in fact, based on false foundation of Life
and the World. Hence, the first important task of any genuine and meaningful
‘research’ is to provide true, correct, authentic, realistic, comprehensive and
universal foundation to both: to Life and the World and to ‘research’ and its
‘methodology’. The modern Western worldview, modern Western research and
modern Western research methodologies could not help us to take to the path of
advancement and development as they are based on a false view of Life and the
World. Hence, their vision of life and society are faulty and different from those
of expounded by True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. We need correct,

37
realistic and authentic view of Life and the World as well as true vision of life and
society. These will take us to the path of development - sirat–e- mustaqeem.

The current phenomenon of life and the world warrants us to teach to our
students the true meaning and vision of life and society. It also demands a correct
view of research and its methodology – the truth-based research and
methodology. So, there is a need to know truly, correctly, authentically,
realistically, comprehensively and universally whether there exist any knowledge
which can be taken as True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge so that based on
it we can know truly, correctly, authentically, realistically, comprehensively and
universally Truth and Reality of Life and the World. We were told, especially in
modern period, by the modern Western oriented thinkers and philosophers that
there is no knowledge such as True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. We
totally depend on speculation, conjecture, imaginations, assumptions, desires,
fancies, so-called ethical and scientific theories and discursive philosophies so far
as metaphysical world is concerned. It is absolutely wrong to argue that people in
modern age follow their sound faculties of reason and sense-perception, hence,
their journey of scholarship is rational and empirical. This claim is unfounded and
is wrong simply because the question of Truth and Reality of Life and the World is
concerned; the faculties of reason and sense-perception finally resolve and end
up with speculation, conjecture, imaginations, assumptions, desires, fancies, so-
called ethical and scientific theories and discursive philosophies. All these tools
are not the authentic tools for the recognition, acknowledgement and application
of Truth and Reality of Life and the World.

38
 Quite contrary to this claim of thousands and thousands of modern Western
oriented thinkers and philosophers, as we have asserted earlier, we find in this
regard based on an in-depth research and study a totally different data in the
Quran which ethically and empirically prove that there exits the True, Authentic
and Universal Knowledge. The use and application of the True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge gives us the true, correct, authentic, realistic,
comprehensive and universal understanding about the Truth and Reality of Life
and the World and makes our life meaningful and worthy of living.

THE FOUNDATION OF LIFE AND THE WORLD: THE

WITNESS OF THE QURAN
THE TRUTH AND REALITY OF LIFE AND THE WORLD - ALLAH SWT IS THE CREATOR OF THE
UNIVERSE

We do not need a so-called modern Western philosophical or scientific discussion

to know the Truth and Reality of Allah SWT. We need to understand and
appreciate the powerful ethical discourse of the Quran which has been followed
by empirical evidence. We genuinely need to reflect and ponder over the
statements of the Quran. Concerning the creation of man and this world, it is
stated in the Qur’an:

‫ش َما لَ ُك ْم ِم ْن دُونِ ِه ِم ْن َولِ ٍّي َواَل‬ِ ْ‫ض َو َما بَ ْينَهُ َما فِي ِستَّ ِة أَي ٍَّام ثُ َّم ا ْستَ َوى َعلَى ْال َعر‬ َ ْ‫ت َواأْل َر‬ ِ ‫اوا‬ َ ‫ق ال َّس َم‬َ َ‫هَّللا ُ الَّ ِذي خَ ل‬
‫ض ثُ َّم يَ ْع ُر ُج إِلَ ْي ِه فِي يَوْ ٍم كَانَ ِم ْق دَا ُرهُ أَ ْل فَ َس نَ ٍة ِم َّما‬
ِ ْ‫) يُ َدبِّ ُر اأْل َ ْم َر ِمنَ ال َّس َما ِء إِلَى اأْل َر‬4( َ‫يع أَفَاَل تَتَ َذ َّكرُون‬ ٍ ِ‫َشف‬
‫ان ِم ْن‬ ِ ‫ق اإْل ِ ْن َس‬َ ‫) الَّ ِذي أَحْ َسنَ ُك َّل َش ْي ٍء خَ لَقَهُ َوبَدَأَ خَ ْل‬6( ‫َّحي ُم‬ ِ ‫ب َوال َّشهَا َد ِة ْال َع ِزي ُز الر‬
ِ ‫ك عَالِ ُم ْال َغ ْي‬ َ ِ‫) َذل‬5( َ‫تَ ُع ُّدون‬
‫ْص ا َر‬ َ ‫الس ْم َع َواأْل َب‬ ِ ‫) ثُ َّم َس َّواهُ َونَفَخَ فِي ِه ِم ْن ر‬8( ‫) ثُ َّم َج َع َل نَ ْسلَهُ ِم ْن ُساَل لَ ٍة ِم ْن َما ٍء َم ِهي ٍن‬7( ‫ِطي ٍن‬
َّ ‫ُوح ِه َو َج َع َل لَ ُك ُم‬
)9( َ‫َواأْل َ ْفئِ َدةَ قَلِياًل َما تَ ْش ُكرُون‬

It is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is
between the two, in six days, and then He established Himself on

39
 the Throne…He governs from the heaven to the earth and then
the record [of this governance] goes up to Him…He knows all that
is beyond as well as all that is within a creature’s sense-
perception. He is the Most Mighty, the Most Compassionate. He
Who excelled in the creation of all that He created. He originated
the creation of man from clay, and then made his progeny from
the extract of a mean fluid, then He duly proportioned him, and
breathed into him of His spirit, and bestowed upon your ears and
eyes and hearts. And yet, little thanks do you give. [32: 4-9]

‫ش يُ ْغ ِشي‬ ِ ْ‫ض فِي ِستَّ ِة أَي ٍَّام ثُ َّم ا ْست ََوى َعلَى ْال َعر‬ َ ْ‫ت َواأْل َر‬ ِ ‫ق ال َّس َما َوا‬َ َ‫إِ َّن َربَّ ُك ُم هَّللا ُ الَّ ِذي َخل‬
‫ق َواأْل َ ْم ُر‬ُ ‫ت بِأ َ ْم ِر ِه أَاَل لَهُ ْال َخ ْل‬
ٍ ‫س َو ْالقَ َم َر َوالنُّجُو َم ُم َس َّخ َرا‬ ْ َ‫ار ي‬
َ ‫طلُبُهُ َحثِيثًا َوال َّش ْم‬ َ َ‫اللَّ ْي َل النَّه‬
)7:54( َ‫ك هَّللا ُ َربُّ ْال َعالَ ِمين‬ َ ‫تَبَا َر‬

Surely your Lord is none other than Allah, Who created the
heavens and the earth in six days, and then ascended His Throne,
Who causes the night to cover the day and then the day swiftly
pursues the night, Who created the sun and the moon and the
stars making them all subservient to His command. Lo! His is the
creation and His is the command. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the
Whole Universe. [7: 54]

The above-mentioned statements of the Quran, on one side, clear all doubts and
confusions about the Truth and Reality of Life and the World and, on the other
side, undoubtedly expound the Truth of the World. The existence of Allah SWT is
the Truth of this World and the Reality is that Allah SWT is the Creator of Life and
the World. We will demonstrate later on the validity and authenticity of the
statements of the Qur’an. At the moment it is enough to know that Allah’s
“creations, for example, in the Universe are innumerable. Of them, none is flawed
or blemished, or out of tune with the overall scheme of things. On the contrary,
each object has an elegance and grace of its own; each is well proportionate and
in its proper place. Allah SWT has created everything in the best shape and has
40
invested it with the most suitable features…Man cannot identify any flaw in
Allah’s grand design.” [Mawdudi, Vol. 8, 2007, 163] The command of Allah S.W.T.
to create everything is manifests everywhere in the creation. Look at “a single cell
creature, notwithstanding its simple appearance, is so complex, delicate and
replete with such wisdom that it would be patently foolish to consider it to have
come into being accidently rather than by Allah’s command. Such a notion is
much more unscientific and illogical than the concept of direct creation which the
adherents of the theory of evolution find hard to digest.” [Mawdudi, V 8, 164]
This is the reason that Allah S.W.T. invited thinking minds to think about the
Qur’anic statements. Such as look at the following:

َ ‫ق هّللا ُ ِمن َش ْي ٍء َوأَ ْن َع َسى أَن يَ ُكونَ قَ ِد ا ْقت ََر‬

‫ب‬ ِ ْ‫ت َواألَر‬
َ َ‫ض َو َما خَ ل‬ ْ ‫أَ َولَ ْم يَنظُر‬
ِ ‫ُوا فِي َملَ ُكو‬
ِ ‫ت ال َّس َما َوا‬
)7:185 ( َ‫ث بَ ْع َدهُ ي ُْؤ ِمنُون‬ٍ ‫أَ َجلُهُ ْم فَبِأَيِّ َح ِدي‬

Have they not observed the kingdom of the heavens and the
earth, and all that Allah has created, and that their term of life
might have drawn near?…(7:185)

ِ ْ‫قُلْ ِسيرُوا فِي اأْل َر‬ ﴾﴿ٌ‫ك َعلَى هَّللا ِ يَ ِسير‬

‫ض‬ َ ‫ئ هَّللا ُ ْال َخ ْل‬
َ ِ‫ق ثُ َّم يُ ِعي ُدهُ إِ َّن َذل‬ ُ ‫أَ َولَ ْم يَ َروْ ا َك ْيفَ يُ ْب ِد‬
 ﴾20-29:19﴿ٌ‫ئ النَّ ْشأَةَ اآْل ِخ َرةَ إِ َّن هَّللا َ َعلَى ُك ِّل َش ْي ٍء قَ ِدير‬ َ ‫فَانظُرُوا َك ْيفَ بَدَأَ ْال َخ ْل‬
ُ ‫ق ثُ َّم هَّللا ُ يُن ِش‬

Have these people never seen how Allah originates the creation,

and then repeats it? Surely this (repetition) is easier for Allah. Say
to them, "Go about in the earth and see how He has begun the
creation; then Allah will recreate life: surely Allah has power over
everything.

(29:19-20)

ٌّ‫س َو ْالقَ َم َر ُكل‬ ِ ْ‫ت بِ َغي ِْر َع َم ٍد تَ َروْ نَها ثُ َّم ا ْستَوى َعلَى ْال َعر‬
َ ‫ش َو َس َّخ َر ال َّش ْم‬ ِ ‫هَّللا ُ الَّ ِذي َرفَ َع السَّماوا‬
‫) َوه َُو الَّ ِذي َم َّد‬2( َ‫ت لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم بِلِقا ِء َربِّ ُك ْم تُوقِنُون‬ ِّ َ‫يَجْ ِري أِل َ َج ٍل ُم َس ّمًى يُ َدبِّ ُر اأْل َ ْم َر يُف‬
ِ ‫ص ُل اآْل يا‬

41
 ‫ت َج َع َل فِيها زَ وْ َجي ِْن ْاثنَي ِْن يُ ْغ ِشي اللَّي َْل‬
ِ ‫ض َو َج َع َل فِيها َروا ِس َي َوأَ ْنهاراً َو ِم ْن ُك ِّل الثَّ َمرا‬
َ ْ‫اأْل َر‬
1[3]3-2:‫ت لِقَوْ ٍم يَتَفَ َّكرُونَ الرعد‬
ٍ ‫ك آَل يا‬ َ َّ‫الن‬
َ ِ‫هار إِ َّن فِي ذل‬

It is Allah Who has raised up the heavens without such pillars as

you could see: then He sat Himself upon the Throne of His
Kingdom: He subjected the sun and the moon to a
law. Everything in the universe is running its course to its fixed
term. And Allah alone is directing the whole affair. He makes His
signs plain: perhaps you may be convinced of meeting your Lord.

And it is He Who has spread out the earth, and fixed the
immovable mountains in it, and made the rivers flow on it. He
has created in pairs every kind of fruit, and He covers the day
with the veil of night. Surely there are great Signs in these for
those who reflect upon them.(13:2-3)

﴾13:16﴿ ‫ق ُكلِّ َش ْي ٍء َوه َُو ْال َوا ِح ُد ْالقَهَّا ُر‬

ُ ِ‫قُ ِل هَّللا ُ خَال‬

Say: Allah is the Creator of all things; He is the One, the

Irresistible. [13:16]

‫ق َوأَجَ ٍل ُم َس ّمًى‬
ِّ ‫ض َو َما بَ ْينَهُ َما إِاَّل بِ ْال َح‬
َ ْ‫ت َواأْل َر‬ َ َ‫أَ َولَ ْم يَتَفَ َّكرُوا فِي أَ ْنفُ ِس ِه ْم َما خَ ل‬
ِ ‫ق هَّللا ُ ال َّس َم َوا‬
 ﴾30:8﴿ َ‫اس بِلِقَا ِء َربِّ ِه ْم لَ َكافِرُون‬ ِ َّ‫َوإِ َّن َكثِيرًا ِمنَ الن‬

Have they never reflected in their own selves? Allah has

created the earth and the heavens and all that lies between
them, with the truth, and only for an appointed term; but most
people disbelieve in the meeting with their Lord.(30:8)

َ ‫ق ثُ َّم ي ُِعي ُدهُ قُ ِل هَّللا ُ يَ ْبدَأُ ْالخَ ْل‬

( َ‫ق ثُ َّم ي ُِعي ُدهُ فَأَنَّى تُ ْؤفَ ُكون‬ َ ‫قُلْ هَلْ ِم ْن ُش َر َكائِ ُك ْم َم ْن يَ ْبدَأُ ْالخَ ْل‬
)10:34

Ask them: ‘Is there any among those whom you associate with
Allah in His divinity that brings about the creation of all beings
in the first instance and will then repeat it?’ Tell them: ‘It is

42
 Allah Who brings about the creation of all beings and will then
repeat it. How are you, then, being misled?’ [10: 34]

َ‫) هُ َو هَّللا ُ الَّ ِذي اَل إِلَه‬22( ‫ب َوال َّشهَا َد ِة هُ َو الرَّحْ َمنُ ال َّر ِحي ُم‬ ِ ‫هُ َو هَّللا ُ الَّ ِذي اَل إِلَهَ إِاَّل ه َُو عَالِ ُم ْال َغ ْي‬
َ‫ك ْالقُ ُّدوسُ ال َّساَل ُم ْال ُم ْؤ ِمنُ ْال ُمهَ ْي ِمنُ ْال َع ِزي ُز ْال َجبَّا ُر ْال ُمتَ َكبِّ ُر ُس ْب َحانَ هَّللا ِ َع َّما ي ُْش ِر ُكون‬ ُ ِ‫إِاَّل هُ َو ْال َمل‬
‫ض‬ِ ْ‫ت َواأْل َر‬ ِ ‫الس َما َوا‬ َّ ‫ص ِّو ُر لَهُ اأْل َ ْس َما ُء ْال ُح ْسنَى يُ َسبِّ ُح لَهُ َما فِي‬ َ ‫ئ ْال ُم‬ ِ َ‫ق ْالب‬
ُ ‫ار‬ ُ ِ‫) ه َُو هَّللا ُ ْالخَال‬23(
)59:24( ‫َوهُ َو ْال َع ِزي ُز ْال َح ِكي ُم‬

He is Allah: there is no god but He; the knower of the unseen

and the manifest, He is the Most Merciful, the Most
Compassionate. [23] He is Allah: there is no god but He: the
king, the Holy, the All-Peace, the Giver of security, the
Overseer, the Most Mighty, the Overpowering, the All-Great.
Exalted be He from whatever they associate with Him [24] He
is Allah, the Planner, Executer and Fashioner of creation. [the
Maker Who shapes all forms and appearances! ]

His alone are the attributes of perfection. All that is in the

heavens and on earth extols His limitless Glory: for He alone is
Almighty, Truly Most Wise! [59: 22-24]

Allah SWT and His acts are marvelous, excellent and wondrous manifestations of
His power and wisdom. We simply overlook the reality of Allah SWT

)18:109( ‫ات َربِّي َولَوْ ِج ْئنَا بِ ِم ْثلِ ِه َم َددًا‬

ُ ‫ت َربِّي لَنَفِ َد ْالبَحْ ُر قَ ْب َل أَ ْن تَ ْنفَ َد َكلِ َم‬
ِ ‫قُلْ لَوْ َكانَ ْالبَحْ ُر ِمدَادًا لِ َكلِ َما‬
Say [O Prophet]: “If the sea were to become ink to record the
Words of my Lord, indeed the sea would be all used up before
the Words of my Lord are exhausted, and it would be the
same even if We were to bring an equal amount of ink.” [18:
109]

THE TRUTH AND REALITY OF ALLAH SWT: ALLAH SWT

INTRODUCES HIMSELF IN THE QUR’AN
ِ ‫إِ َّن هَّللا َ ع‬
]220 :‫َزي ٌز َح ِكي ٌم [البقرة‬

43
 Allah is All-Powerful as well as All-Wise. [2:220]

]231 :‫َواتَّقُوا هَّللا َ َوا ْعلَ ُموا أَ َّن هَّللا َ بِ ُك ِّل َش ْي ٍء َعلِي ٌم [البقرة‬

Fear Allah, and know well that Allah has full knowledge of
everything. [2: 231]

]34 :‫إِ َّن هَّللا َ َعلِي ٌم َخبِي ٌر [لقمان‬

Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. [31: 34]

]231 :‫َواتَّقُوا هَّللا َ َوا ْعلَ ُموا أَ َّن هَّللا َ بِ ُك ِّل َش ْي ٍء َعلِي ٌم [البقرة‬

Fear Allah, and know well that Allah has full knowledge of
everything. [2: 231]

]32 :‫ك اَل ِع ْل َم لَنَا إِاَّل َما عَلَّ ْمتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَ ْنتَ ْال َعلِي ُم ْال َح ِكي ُم [البقرة‬
َ َ‫قَالُوا ُس ْب َحان‬

You, only You, are All-Knowing, All Wise.’ [2: 32]

]137 :‫َوهُ َو ال َّس ِمي ُع ْال َعلِي ُم [البقرة‬

He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [2: 137]

]227 :‫فَإِ َّن هَّللا َ َس ِمي ٌع َعلِي ٌم [البقرة‬

Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [2: 227]

]181 :‫إِ َّن هَّللا َ َس ِمي ٌع َعلِي ٌم [البقرة‬

Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [2: 181]

]35 :‫ك أَ ْنتَ ال َّس ِمي ُع ْال َعلِي ُم [آل عمران‬

َ َّ‫إِن‬

Surely You alone are All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [3: 35]

ِ ‫َوهَّللا ُ َو‬
]73 :‫اس ٌع َعلِي ٌم [آل عمران‬

Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. [3: 73]

ِ ‫إِ َّن هَّللا َ ع‬

]220 :‫َزي ٌز َح ِكي ٌم [البقرة‬

44
 He is All-Powerful as well as All-Wise. [2:220]

ِ َ‫َواتَّقُوا هَّللا َ َوا ْعلَ ُموا أَ َّن هَّللا َ بِ َما تَ ْع َملُونَ ب‬

]233 :‫صي ٌر [البقرة‬

Fear Allah and know well that Allah sees all that you do.[2: 233]

]283 :‫َوهَّللا ُ بِ َما تَ ْع َملُونَ َعلِي ٌم [البقرة‬

Allah has full knowledge of all that you do. [2: 283]

]6 :‫اَل إِلَهَ إِاَّل هُ َو ْال َع ِزي ُز ْال َح ِكي ُم [آل عمران‬

There is no God but He; the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [3: 6]

ِ ْ‫ت َو َما فِي اأْل َر‬

]29 :‫ض َوهَّللا ُ َعلَى ُك ِّل َش ْي ٍء قَ ِدي ٌر [آل عمران‬ َ ‫َويَ ْعلَ ُم َما فِي ال َّس َم‬
ِ ‫اوا‬
Allah knows what is in the heavens and in the earth and He has
power over everything. [3: 29]

ِ ْ‫ت َومَا فِي اأْل َر‬

‫ض َم ْن َذا الَّ ِذي‬ ِ ‫اوا‬ َّ ‫هَّللا ُ اَل إِلَهَ إِاَّل هُ َو ْال َح ُّي ْالقَيُّو ُم اَل تَأْ ُخ ُذهُ ِسنَةٌ َواَل نَوْ ٌم لَهُ مَا فِي‬
َ ‫الس َم‬
‫يَ ْشفَ ُع ِع ْن َدهُ إِاَّل بِإِ ْذنِ ِه يَ ْعلَ ُم مَا بَ ْينَ أَ ْي ِدي ِه ْم َومَا َخ ْلفَهُ ْم َواَل يُ ِحيطُ ونَ بِ َش ْي ٍء ِم ْن ِع ْل ِم ِه إِاَّل بِمَا َش ا َء َو ِس َع‬
]255 :‫ض َواَل يَئُو ُدهُ ِح ْفظُهُ َما َوهُ َو ْال َعلِ ُّي ْال َع ِظي ُم [البقرة‬ َ ْ‫ت َواأْل َر‬ ِ ‫ُكرْ ِسيُّهُ ال َّس َما َوا‬
Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting by Whom all subsist, there
is no God but He. Neither slumber seizes Him, nor sleep; to Him
belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Who is
there who might intercede with him save with his leave? He knows
what lies before them and what is hidden from them, whereas they
cannot attain to anything of His knowledge save what He wills them
to attain, His Dominion overspreads the heavens and the earth, and
their upholding wearies Him not. He is All-High, All-Glorious.[2: 255]

THE TRUTH AND REALITY IS THAT - ALLAH SWT IS

THE SOURCE OF TRUE, AUTHENTIC AND UNIVERSAL
KNOWLEDGE WHICH IS CONTAINED IN THE QUR’AN

45
 Introduction of Allah SWT came with a clear and powerful declaration
that the Qur’an is revealed by none other than Allah SWT--All-
Knowledgeable, All-Wise and All-Powerful that contains the True, Authentic
and Universal Knowledge.

]192 :26[ َ‫َوإِنَّهُ لَتَ ْن ِزي ُل َربِّ ْال َعالَ ِمين‬

Surely this is a revelation from the Lord of the universe [26: 192]

]6 :27[‫ك لَتُلَقَّى ْالقُرْ آنَ ِم ْن لَد ُْن َح ِك ٍيم َعلِ ٍيم‬

َ َّ‫َوإِن‬

[O Muhammad], you are receiving the Qur’an from the Most Wise, the All-
Knowing. [27: 6]

ُّ ‫أَ ْم يَقُولُونَ ا ْفت ََراهُ بَلْ هُ َو ْال َح‬

]2 :32[ َ‫ق ِم ْن َربِّك‬

This Book, beyond all doubt, was revealed by the Lord of the
Universe [32:2]

]2-1 :40[‫يز ْال َعلِيم‬

ِ ‫ب ِمنَ هَّللا ِ ْال َع ِز‬
ِ ‫) تَ ْن ِزي ُل ْال ِكتَا‬1( ‫حم‬
Ha.Mim. [1] The revelation of this Book is from Allah, Exalted in Power, and
Full of knowledge. [40: 1-2]

ِّ ‫َاب بِ ْال َح‬

[ َ‫ق فَا ْعبُ ِد هَّللا َ ُم ْخلِصًا لَهُ ال ِّدين‬ َ ‫ك ْال ِكت‬
َ ‫) إِنَّا أَ ْنزَ ْلنَا إِلَ ْي‬1( ‫يز ْال َح ِك ِيم‬
ِ ‫ب ِمنَ هَّللا ِ ْال َع ِز‬
ِ ‫تَ ْن ِزي ُل ْال ِكتَا‬
]2-1 :39

The revelation of this book is from Allah, the Exalted in Power, and Full of
Wisdom. Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to you in Truth, so
serve only Allah, consecrating your devotion to Him [39: 1-2]

]2 :2[ َ‫ْب فِي ِه هُدًى لِ ْل ُمتَّقِين‬

َ ‫ك ْال ِكتَابُ اَل َري‬
َ ِ‫َذل‬

This is the Book of Allah, there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the
pious. [2: 2]

46
 ]1 :25[‫تَبَا َركَ الَّ ِذي نَ َّز َل ْالفُرْ قَانَ َعلَى َع ْب ِد ِه لِيَ ُكونَ لِ ْل َعالَ ِمينَ نَ ِذيرًا‬

Most blessed is He Who sent down this Criterion on His servant to be a

Warner to all mankind. [25: 1]

]1 :10[‫ب ْال َح ِك ِيم‬

ِ ‫ات ْال ِكتَا‬
ُ َ‫تِ ْلكَ آي‬

These are the verses of the Book overflowing with wisdom. [10: 1]

‫) أَاَّل تَ ْعبُ دُوا إِاَّل هَّللا َ إِنَّنِي لَ ُك ْم ِم ْن هُ نَ ِذي ٌر‬1( ‫ير‬ ْ ‫ِكتَابٌ أُحْ ِك َم‬
ِّ ُ‫ت آيَاتُ هُ ثُ َّم ف‬
ْ َ‫ص ل‬
ٍ ِ‫ت ِم ْن لَد ُْن َح ِك ٍيم خَ ب‬
]2-1 :11[ ‫َوبَ ِشي ٌر‬

This is a Divine Command whose contents have been made firm and
set forth in detail from One Who is All-Wise, All-Aware. [11: 1-2]

ِ ِ‫ب ْال ُمب‬

]1 :12[‫ين‬ ِ ‫ات ْال ِكتَا‬
ُ َ‫تِ ْلكَ آي‬

]6:114[ َ‫ق فَاَل تَ ُكون ََّن ِمنَ ْال ُم ْمت َِرين‬

ِّ ‫أَنَّهُ ُمنَ َّز ٌل ِم ْن َربِّكَ بِ ْال َح‬

This Book has been revealed in Truth by your Lord [6:114]

ُّ ‫ك ْال َح‬
]10:94[ َ‫ق ِم ْن َربِّك‬ َ ‫لَقَ ْد َجا َء‬

It is the Truth that has come to you from your Lord [10:94]

ِ َّ‫ك َولَ ِك َّن أَ ْكثَ َر الن‬

]11:17[ َ‫اس اَل ي ُْؤ ِمنُون‬ ُّ ‫ك فِي ِمرْ يَ ٍة ِم ْنهُ إِنَّهُ ْال َح‬
َ ِّ‫ق ِم ْن َرب‬ ُ َ‫فَاَل ت‬

…So be in no doubt about it [the Qur’an] for this indeed is the Truth from
your Lord although most people do not believe. [11:17]

:14[ ‫يز ْال َح ِميد‬

ِ ‫اط ْال َع ِز‬ ِ ‫ور بِإِ ْذ ِن َربِّ ِه ْم إِلَى‬
ِ ‫ص َر‬ ُّ َ‫اس ِمن‬
ِ ‫الظلُ َما‬
ِ ُّ‫ت إِلَى الن‬ َ ‫ِكتَابٌ أَ ْن َز ْلنَاهُ إِلَ ْي‬
َ َّ‫ك لِتُ ْخ ِر َج الن‬
]1

…This is a Book which We have revealed to you that you may bring forth
mankind from every kind of darkness into light and direct them, with the
leave of their Lord, to the Way of the Mighty, the Innately Praiseworthy…
[14: 1]

َ ‫ك ْال ِكت‬
ْ ‫َاب إِاَّل لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُ ُم الَّ ِذي‬
]64 :16[ َ‫اختَلَفُوا فِي ِه َوهُدًى َو َرحْ َمةً لِقَوْ ٍم ي ُْؤ ِمنُون‬ َ ‫َو َما أَ ْنزَ ْلنَا َعلَ ْي‬
47
 We have sent down the Book that you may explain to them the truth
concerning what they are disputing and that the Book may serve as a
guidance and mercy for those who believe in it [16: 64]

]1 :13[ َ‫اس اَل ي ُْؤ ِمنُون‬ ُّ ‫ب َوالَّ ِذي أُ ْن ِز َل إِلَ ْيكَ ِم ْن َربِّكَ ْال َح‬
ِ َّ‫ق َولَ ِك َّن أَ ْكثَ َر الن‬ ِ ‫ات ْال ِكتَا‬ َ ‫المر تِ ْل‬
ُ َ‫ك آي‬

These are the verses of the Divine Book. Whatever has been revealed to
you from your Lord is the truth, and yet most people do not believe.
[13: 1]

Can we ignore Allah SWT and His Guidance and develop research schemes,
methodologies, science, technology etc. and continue march on the path of
metaphysical understanding and develop the structure of philosophical thought?
If we ignore Allah SWT and His Book, is this attitude rational? Has any other
philosopher, thinker, scholar or author made this kind of claim about himself?
Who has the Unlimited Knowledge, Wisdom and Power over each and every thing
of this world, philosophers or Allah SWT?

Did anyone find any claim or statement of the Qur’an as being false? If not,
how can we ignore the Qur’an that contains the True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge in it? If we do that does it not mean that our attitude is irrational and
conjectural? In fact, in our studies we have ignored all these facts and have
reduced this All-Powerful Allah SWT to a god of a religion. Irrespective of the
existence of a number of philosophers and thinkers, accepted by ignorant people,
the fact remains that the domain of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge in
its entirety belongs exclusively to the Eternal Being - Allah SWT - Who is indebted
to no one for His existence. Allah SWT - All-Knowing alone knows the Truth and
Reality of both metaphysical and physical worlds which are not two but only one

48
in reality but it has two dimensions. Hence, instead of making a rational or
empirical search on the basis of our limited reason and conjecture, we must make
our philosophical and metaphysical search on the basis of True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge [Islamic Revealed Knowledge] given by Allah SWT. Is this not
a reasonable and rational way of understanding? Why should we be bias about
the Qur’an? Why do we think that the Qur’an is a religious book and also a book
solely for Muslims? In reality, it is neither a religious book nor the book for
Muslims; rather it is a Book from Allah SWT Who has the Unlimited Knowledge,
Unlimited Wisdom and Unlimited Power. It is revealed for the Guidance and
benefit for all of mankind. This Book is the continuation of other previous Books
of Allah SWT. This Book is revealed by Allah SWT Who, in fact, is not only Self-
Existent, but upon Him rests the entire order of the universe. He alone wields all
sovereign authority over His dominion. None shares either His attributes or His
power and might, and no one has the same claims against the creatures as He.
Hence, if anywhere in the heavens or the earth someone sets up anything or
anybody as equal, either instead of or in addition to the One True God, this
amounts to declaring war on Truth and Reality.

Hence, it is genuinely asserted that on the basis of the study of the Qur’an,
one can easily comprehend that the theory of Social Law; of the Three Stages of
Human Development, presented by August Comte based on his faculties, which
has now become an integral part of the dominant concept of modern secular
knowledge, science and education in the modern world, is also based on
philosophical reasoning and speculative and conjectural philosophy. This theory
advocates that man reached its maturity through the process of primitive stages
i.e. religious, philosophical and scientific. In his primitive stage, man lived in total

49
darkness i.e. without True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge of metaphysical
reality. In this theory, it is also claimed that man had no knowledge about himself,
society and metaphysical reality. Even the doctrine of evolution which postulates
that “man has gradually come out of darkness into light; that life has advanced in
a unilinear fashion, towards increasingly better conditions” [Mawdudi, 1990 Vol.
3, 35] is contradicted by the Qur’an. Contrary to this, the Qur’an presents
altogether a different Reality. The Qur’an forcefully rejects such theories which
deny the existence of the True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge about this
world. It proclaims that man, in his primitive stage of life, did not open his eyes in
the darkness of metaphysical Truth and Reality. Instead, the Qur’an makes it clear
that since the time of inception of life on this earth, man was given by his Creator
–Allah SWT-- True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge of the physical and
metaphysical world. According to the Qur’an, the True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge of Truth and Reality of the physical and metaphysical world, was
revealed again and again to man since his inception through the Messengers.
Hence, “the Qur’an postulates that human life began in the full light of” True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge. [Mawdudi, 1990, Vol. 3, 35] It was also
made clear in the Qur’an that this True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge was
given to man by none except Allah SWT, the Creator of man and universe. It was
also made clear, beyond any doubt, in the Qur’an that this Creator is none other
than Allah SWT Who is All-Knowledgeable, All-Wise and All-Powerful and the Lord
of the universe, Who, alone, is Possessor, Sustainer, Cherisher, Provider of this
world. In favor of this claim, the Qur’an has provided several empirical evidences
from the physical body of man and the natural world. Look at the following
statements of the Qur’an.

50
THE VALIDITY, TRUTH AND REALITY OF THE QUR’AN:
THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCES

The fact that the Quran makes many references, over 1400 years ago, of
scientific phenomena that have only recently been proven through advances in
the scientific field affords empirical validity that these revelations could only have
come from the Creator, Allah SWT Himself.

)25:53( ‫ات َوهَ َذا ِم ْل ٌح أُ َجا ٌج َو َج َع َل بَ ْينَهُ َما بَرْ َز ًخا َو ِحجْ رًا َمحْ جُورًا‬
ٌ ‫َوهُ َو الَّ ِذي َم َر َج ْالبَحْ َر ْي ِن هَ َذا ع َْذبٌ فُ َر‬

It is He Who has joined the two seas: one sweet and palatable
and the other saltiest and bitter; and He has set a barrier and an
insurmountable obstruction between the two that keeps them
apart. [25: 53]

“This happens wherever a large river flows into the sea. There are springs of
sweet water at several locations in different seas where the sweet water remains
separate from the salty water of the sea. Sayyidi ‘Ali Ra’is, a Turkish admiral of the
sixteenth century, mentioned in his work, Mir’at al-Mamalik, one such place in
the Persian Gulf. He wrote that he found springs of sweet water under the salty
water of the sea and drew drinking water from them for his fellow sailors. In more
recent times, when the Arabian American Oil Company began drilling oil wells in
Saudi Arabia, they used the water of the same springs of the Persian Gulf as
drinking water until the wells in the vicinity of Dhahran were dug. Also, near
Bahrain, there are springs of sweet water under the sea from which people have
drawn upon for ages.” [Mawdudi, 1995, V, 32]

The same kind of statement is being repeated in the Qur’an.

51
 ِ َ‫) بَ ْينَهُ َما بَرْ زَ ٌخ اَل يَب ِْغي‬19( ‫َم َر َج ْالبَحْ َر ْي ِن يَ ْلتَقِيَا ِن‬
)53:20( ‫ان‬

He unleashed the two seas so that they merge together, and yet
there is a barrier between them which they may not overstep.
[55: 19-20]

This property of the seas, that is, that they meet and yet do not intermix,
has only very recently been discovered by oceanographers. Because of the
physical force called "surface tension," the waters of neighboring seas do not mix.
Caused by the difference in the density of their waters, surface tension prevents
them from mingling with one another, just as if a thin wall were between them.
[Yahya, Harun, 2001, 60]

It is interesting that, during a period when there was little knowledge of

physics, and of surface tension, or oceanography, this truth was revealed in the
Qur’an.

There are many more scientific evidences that prove the empirical validity of

the Qur’an. Look at the following:

)80:21( ُ‫) ثُ َّم أَ َماتَهُ فَأ َ ْقبَ َره‬20( ُ‫يل يَ َّس َره‬ ْ ُ‫) ِم ْن ن‬18( ُ‫ي َش ْي ٍء خَ لَقَه‬
َ ِ‫) ثُ َّم ال َّسب‬19( ُ‫طفَ ٍة خَ لَقَهُ فَقَ َّد َره‬ ِّ َ‫ِم ْن أ‬

Out of what did Allah create him? Out of a sperm-drop did he

creates him and then determined a measure for him, and then
made the course of life easy for him, then He caused him to die
and brought him to the grave,[80: 18-21]
ْ ُّ‫) ثُ َّم َخلَ ْقنَا الن‬13( ‫ين‬
‫طفَةَ َعلَقَةً فَ َخلَ ْقنَا‬ ٍ ‫ار َم ِك‬ٍ ‫طفَةً فِي قَ َر‬ ْ ُ‫) ثُ َّم َج َع ْلنَاهُ ن‬12( ‫َولَقَ ْد َخلَ ْقنَا اإْل ِ ْن َسانَ ِم ْن ُساَل لَ ٍة ِم ْن ِطي ٍن‬
( َ‫َبَاركَ هَّللا ُ أَحْ َس نُ ْالخَالِقِين‬ َ ‫خَر فَت‬ ْ
َ َ‫ْال َعلَقَةَ ُمضْ َغةً فَ َخلَ ْقنَا ْال ُمضْ َغةَ ِعظَا ًما فَ َك َس وْ نَا ْال ِعظَا َم لَحْ مًا ثُ َّم أَ ْن َش أنَاهُ خَ ْلقًا آ‬
)23:14

We [Allah] created man of the extract of clay; then We made him

into a drop of life-germ, then We placed it in a safe depository;

52
 then We made this drop into a clot; then We made the clot into a
lump; then We made the lump into bones; then We clothed the
bones with flesh, and then We caused it to grow into another
creation. Thus Most Blessed is Allah, the Best of all those that
create. [23: 12-14]

What we need to note of these statements is that all the information about
embryology provided in the Qur’an, over fourteen hundred years ago, conforms
to the findings of modern medicine. Once again this information, which has only
recently emerged through advanced technology, is one of the clearest proofs that
the Qur’an is the revelation of our Lord, the Creator of all. [Yahya, Harun, 2001,
60]

ُّ ‫َوفِي َخ ْلقِ ُك ْم َو َما يَب‬

ٌ َ‫ُث ِم ْن دَابَّ ٍة آي‬
 )4 :45( َ‫ات لِقَوْ ٍم يُوقِنُون‬

And in your creation and all the creatures He has spread about there are
Signs for people with certainty. (45: 4) 

For this reason, the Qur’an invites people to reflect on the fact that there is
a consistency throughout the Quran despite it being revealed over a period of 23
years.

ْ ‫أَفَاَل يَتَ َدبَّرُونَ ْالقُرْ آَنَ َولَوْ َكانَ ِم ْن ِع ْن ِد َغي ِْر هَّللا ِ لَ َو َجدُوا فِي ِه‬
)4:82( ‫اختِاَل فًا َكثِيرًا‬

Do they not ponder about the Qur’an? Had it been from any other
than Allah, they would surely have found in it much inconsistency.
[4: 82]

“The Qur’an itself is a strong, persuasive testimony to its Divine origin.

It is inconceivable that any human being should compose discourses
on different subjects under different circumstances and on different
occasions and the collection of those discourses should then grow into

53
 a coherent, homogeneous and integrated work, no component of
which is discordant with the rest. It is also inconceivable that such a
work would be permeated throughout with a uniform outlook and
attitude, a work manifesting remarkable consistency in the mood and
spirit of its Author, a work so perfect that it would never require any
change or revision.” [Mawdudi, 2, 63]

THE TRUTH AND REALITY OF THE CAPABILITY OF

MAN - MAN IS NOT CAPABLE TO KNOW THE
METAPHYSICAL WORLD INDEPENDENTLY

Being the Creator of man, Allah SWT knows the faculties and abilities of
man. What is the Truth and Reality of man and this world? Everything is known
only to Allah SWT. Human life is a composite of the bi-dimensional, physical and
metaphysical, so, for man, as for as the metaphysical aspect of life is concerned, it
is not known to him. In spite of his power of cognition, he cannot understand it by
himself. He needs knowledge of metaphysics from Allah SWT because Allah SWT,
alone, possesses the knowledge of the metaphysical world [unseen].

[62 :‫إِ َّن هَّللا َ بِ ُك ِّل َش ْي ٍء َعلِي ٌم [العنكبوت‬

Surely Allah has knowledge of everything. [29: 62]

َ ‫ض ْال َغي‬
]65 :‫ْب إِاَّل هَّللا ُ [النمل‬ ِ ْ‫ت َواأْل َر‬ َ ‫قُلْ اَل يَ ْعلَ ُم َم ْن فِي ال َّس َم‬
ِ ‫اوا‬

Say: “None in the heavens and on the earth has knowledge of

the Unseen save Allah.” [27: 65]

54
 Here, in this statement, it is claimed that the knowledge of every creature in
this world is limited whereas the knowledge of Allah S.W.T. is unlimited and all-
Pervasive. Allah S.W.T. alone knows everything. He knows the past, present and
future of every creature. Unseen, here, refers to the metaphysical dimension as
well all those things which are unknown to man and are not yet accessible to
him by the means of knowledge available to him. It also refers to the hidden
reality related to Allah S.W.T.; unobservable aspects of the universe, and the
meaning and purpose inherent in its creation. [Asad, 1980, 585] There are a
number of things which are still unknown to the human species. Is it possible for
any human being to know all the conditions and states of all human beings—from
their conception to their last breath—and also of all those who have been created
to date, and who will be created until the Day of Resurrection? How can this
information be known to any human being? Is he the creator of these countless
number of people? If he cannot know this, how can he claim know the realm of
the metaphysical world? He has no True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge
about it, except through his conjecture or speculation. Whereas, Allah SWT knows
everything which is either known, observable or hidden. [Mawdudi, V, 7, 2001,
176-179]

‫ب اَل يَ ْعلَ ُمهَا إِاَّل ه َُو َويَ ْعلَ ُم َما فِي ْالبَ ِّر َو ْالبَحْ ِر َو َما ت َْس قُطُ ِم ْن َو َرقَ ٍة إِاَّل يَ ْعلَ ُمهَا‬ِ ‫َو ِع ْن َدهُ َمفَاتِ ُح ْال َغ ْي‬
ْ ‫ض َواَل َر‬
]6:59[‫ين‬ ٍ ِ‫ب ُمب‬ ٍ ‫س إِاَّل فِي ِكتَا‬ ٍ ِ‫ب َواَل يَاب‬ ٍ ‫ط‬ ِ ْ‫ت اأْل َر‬ ِ ‫َواَل َحبَّ ٍة فِي ظُلُ َما‬

He has the keys to the realm that lies beyond the reach of human
perception; none knows them but He. And He knows what is on
the land and in the sea; there is not a leaf which falls that He does
not know about and there is not a grain in the darkness of the
earth or anything green or dry which has not been recorded in a
Clear Book. [6:59]

55
 ‫ْث َويَ ْعلَ ُم َما فِي اأْل َرْ َح ِام َو َما تَ ْد ِري نَ ْفسٌ َما َذا‬
َ ‫إِ َّن هَّللا َ ِع ْن َدهُ ِع ْل ُم السَّا َع ِة َويُن َِّز ُل ْال َغي‬
]34 :31[ٌ‫وت إِ َّن هَّللا َ َعلِي ٌم خَ بِير‬ ُ ‫ض تَ ُم‬ ٍ ْ‫ي أَر‬ ِّ َ ‫تَ ْك ِسبُ َغدًا َو َما تَ ْد ِري نَ ْفسٌ بِأ‬

Allah is He Who has the Knowledge of the Hour ; and it is He Who

sends down rain: it is He Who knows what is in the wombs [of the
mothers] and no living being knows what will be earn tomorrow
nor in which place will his death overtake him. Indeed, Allah is All-
Knowing, All-Aware. [31: 34]

‫ت‬ َ ‫يَ ْعلَ ُم َما بَ ْينَ أَ ْي ِدي ِه ْم َو َما خَ ْلفَهُ ْم َواَل ي ُِحيطُونَ بِ َش ْي ٍء ِم ْن ِع ْل ِم ِه إِاَّل بِ َما َشا َء َو ِس َع ُكرْ ِسيُّهُ ال َّس َم‬
ِ ‫اوا‬
]255 :2[‫ض َواَل يَئُو ُدهُ ِح ْفظُهُ َما َوهُ َو ْال َعلِ ُّي ْال َع ِظي ُم‬ َ ْ‫َواأْل َر‬

He knows what lies before men and what is hidden from them,
whereas they cannot attain to anything of His knowledge save what
He wills them to attain. His Dominion overspreads the heavens and
the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not; He is All-High, All-
Glorious. [2: 255]

ِ ‫عَالِ ِم ْال َغ ْي‬

]92 :23[ َ‫ب َوال َّشهَا َد ِة فَتَ َعالَى َع َّما يُ ْش ِر ُكون‬

He knows both what is visible and what is not visible. Exalted is

Allah above all that they associate with Him. [23: 92]

ْ ‫َو َما َكانَ هَّللا ُ لِي‬

ِ ‫ُطلِ َع ُك ْم َعلَى ْال َغ ْي‬
ِ ‫ب َولَ ِك َّن هَّللا َ يَجْ تَبِي ِم ْن ُر ُسلِ ِه َم ْن يَ َشا ُء فَآ ِمنُوا بِاهَّلل‬
]179 :3[‫َو ُر ُسلِ ِه َوإِ ْن تُ ْؤ ِمنُوا َوتَتَّقُوا فَلَ ُك ْم أَجْ ٌر َع ِظي ٌم‬

…Allah is not going to disclose to you what is hidden in the realm

beyond the reach of perception, but He chooses from among His
Messengers whom He wills [to intimate such knowledge]. So
believe in Allah in His Messengers; and if you believe and become
God-fearing, yours will be a great reward. [3: 179]

ِ ‫هُ َو هَّللا ُ الَّ ِذي اَل إِلَهَ إِاَّل ه َُو عَالِ ُم ْال َغ ْي‬
﴾59:22﴿ ‫ب َوال َّشهَا َد ِة هُ َو الرَّحْ َمنُ ال َّر ِحي ُم‬

Allah is He save Whom there is no deity; the one Who knows all that
is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception, as well as all that

56
 can be witnessed by a creature’s senses or mind: He, the Most
Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace. [59: 22]

‫ض َوأَ ْعلَ ُم َما تُ ْب ُدونَ َو َما ُك ْنتُ ْم‬

ِ ْ‫ت َواأْل َر‬ َ ‫قَا َل أَلَ ْم أَقُلْ لَ ُك ْم إِنِّي أَ ْعلَ ُم َغي‬
َ ‫ْب ال َّس َم‬
ِ ‫اوا‬
]33 :2[ َ‫تَ ْكتُ ُمون‬

Did I not say to you that I know everything about the heavens and
the earth which are beyond your range of knowledge and I know all
that you disclose and all that you hide? [2: 33]

 ﴾19:78﴿ ‫ْب أَ ِم اتَّ َخ َذ ِع ْن َد الرَّحْ َم ِن َع ْهدًا‬

َ ‫أَطَّلَ َع ْال َغي‬
Has he known the unseen or has he taken a covenant from the
Most Beneficent. [19: 78]
﴾52:41﴿ َ‫أَ ْم ِع ْن َدهُ ُم ْال َغيْبُ فَهُ ْم يَ ْكتُبُون‬

Or is it that they have access to [the Truths in] the realm beyond
sense-perception which they are writing down? [52: 41]

ِ ‫أَ ِع ْن َدهُ ِع ْل ُم ْال َغ ْي‬

﴾53:35﴿‫ب فَهُ َو يَ َرى‬

Is with him the knowledge of the unseen so that he sees? [53:35]

ِ ‫أَلَ ْم يَ ْعلَ ُموا أَ َّن هَّللا َ يَ ْعلَ ُم ِس َّرهُ ْم َونَجْ َواهُ ْم َوأَ َّن هَّللا َ َعاَّل ُم ْال ُغيُو‬
 ﴾9:78﴿‫ب‬

Are they not aware that Allah knows what they conceal and
what they secretly discuss, and that Allah has full knowledge
even of all that is beyond the reach of perception? [9:78]

THE TRUTH AND REALITY OF CONJECTURE

We need to know whether the claims of philosophers who consider man
self-sufficient are in reality, correct, true, and authentic or just the manifestation
of some assumptions, sentiments and fleeting dreams. The claims that man is not
an especial creation stem from assumption or conjecture. The basis that all of life

57
is materialistic, seem to rely on speculation. In our view, one needs to realize that
before the development of any strategy of research about metaphysical,
epistemological and methodological issues, it is imperative for us from an ethical
and empirical point of view, to, first, have a correct, true, and authentic
understanding of Truth and Reality of Life and the World on the basis of a
rigorous research and ethical inquiry. We also need to understand that as far as
the correct, true, and authentic understanding of metaphysical world and reality is
concerned, the rational and empirical faculties of man are not sufficient. In their
final search, man generally ends up merely with metaphysical speculation and
conjecture instead of correct, true, and authentic understanding about man and
this world. In this regard, we find some useful data in the Qur’an which invites
thinking minds to ‘think, observe and understand’ the reality and nature of
conjecture. The Qur’an revealed:

ِّ ‫َو َما يَتَّبِ ُع أَ ْكثَ ُرهُ ْم إِاَّل ظَنًّا إِ َّن الظَّ َّن اَل يُ ْغنِي ِمنَ ْال َح‬
 ﴾10:36﴿ َ‫ق َش ْيئًا إِ َّن هَّللا َ َعلِي ٌم بِ َما يَ ْف َعلُون‬

Most of them only follow conjectures; and surely conjecture can

be no substitute for truth [i.e. True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge].Allah is well aware of whatever they do.[10:36];

In fact, all those, particularly philosophers, thinkers and scientists of the

modern period who, in disregard of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge,
invented their own religions of a sort through developing philosophies,
perspectives, and even prescribed laws “to govern human life did not do this on
the basis of any definite knowledge that they possessed; rather, it was the result
of their conjecture and fancy. Likewise, those who followed their religious and
worldly leaders did so, not because they fully knew and fully understood all that

58
the latter espoused, rather, they followed those leaders merely on the gratuitous
assumption that whatever was being taught by those great people, and
[therefore] whatever had been recognized as ‘right’ by their own forefathers,
must indeed be true.”[Mawdudi, 1993, V. 4] Consequently, being devoid of True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge and basing themselves merely on conjecture,
the people are unwillingly bound to head towards a calamitous end. For if their
ideas regarding metaphysical world are flawed, any path that they take will
naturally bound to lead to their doom. This is the reason that “contemporary
civilization based on secular modernity and autonomy of human reason showing
symptoms of severe systematic crises and eventually collapse” [Kamal Hassan,
2013b, 2] in spite of serious and systematic researches.

Hence, we find so many references in the Qur’an of the pitfalls of

conjecture. People have repeatedly been reminded of the reality of conjecture
and are expected that they will not develop their strategies for research and
structure of philosophical thought on the basis of conjecture. The Qur’an
revealed:

[4:157] ‫َما لَهُ ْم بِ ِه ِم ْن ِع ْل ٍم إِاَّل اتِّبَا َع الظَّنِّ َو َما قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا‬

They have no definite knowledge [True, Authentic and Universal

Knowledge] of it, but merely follow conjecture. [4:157]

)6:116( َ‫إِ ْن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِاَّل الظَّ َّن َوإِ ْن هُ ْم إِاَّل يَ ْخ ُرصُون‬

They only follow idle fancies, indulging in conjecture. [6: 116]

)6:119( ‫ُضلُّونَ بِأ َ ْه َوائِ ِه ْم بِ َغي ِْر ِع ْل ٍم‬

ِ ‫َوإِ َّن َكثِيرًا لَي‬
Many indeed say misleading things without knowledge, driven

merely by their desires. [6: 119]

59
 ( َ‫قُلْ هَلْ ِع ْن َد ُك ْم ِم ْن ِع ْل ٍم فَتُ ْخ ِرجُوهُ لَنَا إِ ْن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِاَّل الظَّ َّن َوإِ ْن أَ ْنتُ ْم إِاَّل ت َْخ ُرصُون‬
)6:148

Tell them; “have you any sure knowledge that you can produce
before us? In fact you are only following idle fancies and are
merely conjecturing.” [6: 148]

)10:66( َ‫إِ ْن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِاَّل الظَّ َّن َوإِ ْن هُ ْم إِاَّل يَ ْخ ُرصُون‬

Those who invoke…only follow conjecture and are merely

guessing. [10: 66]

َ َ‫بَ ِل اتَّبَ َع الَّ ِذينَ ظَلَ ُموا أَ ْه َوا َءهُ ْم بِ َغي ِْر ِع ْل ٍم فَ َم ْن يَ ْه ِدي َم ْن أ‬
ِ ‫ض َّل هَّللا ُ َو َما لَهُ ْم ِم ْن ن‬
( َ‫َاص ِرين‬
)30:29

But the wrong-doers follow their desires without any knowledge.

[30: 29]

)51:11( َ‫) الَّ ِذينَ هُ ْم فِي َغ ْم َر ٍة َساهُون‬10( َ‫قُتِ َل ْالخَ رَّاصُون‬

Doomed are the conjecturers who are steeped in ignorance and

heedlessness. [51: 10-11]

ِ ‫) أَ ْم لِإْل ِ ْن َس‬23( ‫َو َما تَه َْوى اأْل َ ْنفُسُ َولَقَ ْد َجا َءهُ ْم ِم ْن َربِّ ِه ُم ْالهُدَى‬
)53:24( ‫ان َما تَ َمنَّى‬

They are merely following their conjecture and their carnal

desires although guidance [True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge] has come to them from their Lord. Does man
imagine that whatever he wishes for is right for him? [53: 23-24]

ِّ ‫َو َما لَهُ ْم بِ ِه ِم ْن ِع ْل ٍم إِ ْن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِاَّل الظَّ َّن َوإِ َّن الظَّ َّن اَل يُ ْغنِي ِمنَ ْال َح‬
 ﴾53:28﴿ ‫ق َش ْيئًا‬

While they have no knowledge thereof. They only follow their

conjecture, and verily, conjecture is no substitute for the Truth.
[53:28]; 

In spite of these warnings, unfortunately, the modern philosophers concluded

that human beings are most powerful beings:

60
 …we are the most powerful beings in the cosmos; we are
responsible for what happens to us and to our world. [Mitchell,
Roots of Wisdom, 2008, 166]

With these fallacious assumptions based on conjecture and speculation, the

foundation of research, its methodology, knowledge and science was laid down.
Reason and sense perception became supreme guides. For understanding the
Truth and Reality of Life and the World, human reason was considered to be the
fundamental source “instead of a supernatural way using revelation or the
revealed word of God as found in the Bible or the Qur’an.” [Mitchell, Roots of
Wisdom, 2008, 172].The epistemology of modern world made “the thinking of the
individual ego the center of reality and the criterion of all knowledge…” as
claimed by Descartes. [Quoted by Mitchell, Roots of Wisdom, 2008, 204] These
new developments resulted in the denial of spirituality and acceptance of
materialism and secularism. Research, its methodology, scientific method and the
philosophy of development and modernization are deeply rooted in these false
isms. These isms finally destroyed “the reality of the world of Spirit” [Nasr, 1993,
45] and accepted human spirit and neglected “all the ambiguities and deficiencies
which the latter entails.” [Nasr, 1993, 45] Finally, a new concept of man was
developed; one who became free from any supernatural guidance. The world was
considered the only reality. In this way, a process of dehumanizing human beings
was forged and that it promised to guarantee the well-being of people. Life with
luxuries became the dominant notion of our time. Morals were taken as relative
and for the sake of economic and material gains sacrificed. It was contended that
in this way quality of life can be achieved. But the observable facts and empirical
realities of the contemporary world demonstrate something else. They show that

61
instead of guaranteeing a quality of life, modern man started facing increasing
problems. Rather than becoming prosperous and secure, man was said to enslave
himself. One can observe in our contemporary world “the aggression of man
against himself and the world of nature on a scale which now threatens his own
existence.” [Nasr, 1993, 46] He lives with a state of disequilibrium and chaos at
every juncture of his life. “This disequilibrium leads occasionally to war, which is
its most obvious and threatening symptom….modern man has sacrificed
everything at his disposal…He has raped nature with unparalleled ferocity in order
to fulfil ever increasing ‘needs’ which in turn enable him to forget himself, his end
and the purpose of life as much as possible.”[Nasr, 1993, 46] He has forgotten
completely who he is. The “disequilibrium continues and threatens at every
moment to cause the destruction of the world.” [Nasr, 1993, 47] “Today those
who have pondered over the human condition and the future of man with any
degree of depth assert in unison that certain new and at the same time old
qualities must be cultivated by man if he is to survive, qualities such as self-
restraint, humility, charity towards one’s neighbor including the world of nature,
magnanimity, justice, etc.” [Nasr, 1993, 48]

The current schemes of research, methods and methodologies produce that

body of knowledge, science, and technology, philosophy of science and education
which had failed to inculcate these noble qualities. Hence, in order to achieve
noble goals of acquisition of noble qualities, it is necessary to bring a radical
change in the existing concepts of research, methods, methodologies and the
body of knowledge and education that is produced by these methods. The
existing systems of research and their methodologies are “based upon a fallacy
related to the false conception of man which has grown within modern civilization

62
since the Renaissance, a concept which posits perfection for man in his present
state, a supposed perfection which is simply not there.” [Nasr, 1993, 49]
According to Nasr, “No one takes it seriously enough upon himself to ask whether
modern man should not begin remaking the future by reforming himself and by
seeing himself as he really is, namely God’s vicegerent on earth, endowed with
exceptional powers but also with great responsibility towards all creatures, a
responsibility which he cannot shun at any price except through his own
destruction.” [Nasr, 1993, 49]

THE TRUTH AND REALITY IS THAT ALLAH SWT IS

THE FIRST TEACHER OF MANKIND
Man cannot know independently the Reality of this world. Therefore, Allah
SWT taught him necessary things about this world. It is revealed in the Qur’an.

]31 :2[‫َوعَلَّ َم آ َد َم اأْل َ ْس َما َء ُكلَّهَا‬

Then Allah taught Adam the names of all things. [2: 31]
ُ ‫ُور ِه ْم ُذ ِّريَّتَهُ ْم َوأَ ْشهَ َدهُ ْم َعلَى أَ ْنفُ ِس ِه ْم أَلَس‬
‫ْت بِ َربِّ ُك ْم قَالُوا‬ َ ُّ‫َوإِ ْذ أَ َخ َذ َرب‬
ِ ‫ك ِم ْن بَنِي آ َد َم ِم ْن ظُه‬
]172 :7[ ‫بَلَى َش ِه ْدنَا‬

And recall [O Prophet] when your Lord brought forth

descendants from the loins of the sons of Adam, and made them
witnesses against their own selves, asking them: ‘Am I not your
Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes, we do testify.’ [7: 172]

َ َ‫ا ْق َر ْأ بِاس ِْم َربِّكَ الَّ ِذي خَ ل‬

َ‫) َكاَّل إِ َّن اإْل ِ ْن َسان‬5( ‫) َعلَّ َم اإْل ِ ْن َسانَ َما لَ ْم يَ ْعلَ ْم‬4( ‫) الَّ ِذي َعلَّ َم بِ ْالقَلَ ِم‬1( ‫ق‬
)6-4 & ,1 :96(‫طغَى‬ ْ َ‫لَي‬

Read! In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created [man]
….He Who taught [The use of] the Pen—Taught man that which
he knew not. Nay, but man doth transgress all bounds. [96: 1,& 4-
6]

63
 ]282 :2[‫َويُ َعلِّ ُم ُك ُم هَّللا ُ َوهَّللا ُ بِ ُكلِّ َش ْي ٍء َعلِي ٌم‬

He teaches you the Right Way and has full knowledge of

everything. [2: 282]

)2:32( ‫ك أَ ْنتَ ْال َعلِي ُم ْال َح ِكي ُم‬

َ َّ‫ك اَل ِع ْل َم لَنَا إِاَّل َما َعلَّ ْمتَنَا إِن‬
َ َ‫قَالُوا ُس ْب َحان‬

They said, “Glory to You! We have no knowledge except what You

taught us. You, only You, are All-Knowing, All-Wise.[2: 32]

َ ‫ال أَلَ ْم أَقُلْ لَ ُك ْم إِنِّي أَ ْعلَ ُم َغي‬

ِ ‫ْب ال َّس َم َوا‬
‫ت‬ َ َ‫قَا َل يَا آَ َد ُم أَ ْنبِ ْئهُ ْم بِأ َ ْس َمائِ ِه ْم فَلَ َّما أَ ْنبَأَهُ ْم بِأ َ ْس َمائِ ِه ْم ق‬
 ﴾2:33﴿ َ‫ض َوأَ ْعلَ ُم َما تُ ْب ُدونَ َو َما ُك ْنتُ ْم تَ ْكتُ ُمون‬ ِ ْ‫َواأْل َر‬
Did I not say to you that I know everything about the
heavens and the earth which are beyond your range of
knowledge and I know all that you disclose and all that
you hide? [2: 33]

On what basis was this All-Knowledgeable, All-Wise and All-Powerful Allah

SWT and His guidance rejected as a whole? We did not see any ethical [rational]
answer. This rejection was not based on a thorough examination of the Qur’an.
So, as for as, Allah SWT is concerned, He guided man throughout history through
the chain of Messengers and revelations. He informed man of what is good for
him and society.

]2:2[ َ‫ْب فِي ِه هُدًى لِ ْل ُمتَّقِين‬

َ ‫ك ْال ِكتَابُ اَل َري‬
َ ِ‫َذل‬

This is the book of Allah, there is no doubt in it; it is the guidance

for the pious. [2:2]

]24:34[ َ‫ت َو َمثَاًل ِمنَ الَّ ِذينَ خَ لَوْ ا ِم ْن قَ ْبلِ ُك ْم َو َموْ ِعظَةً لِ ْل ُمتَّقِين‬ ٍ ‫َولَقَ ْد أَ ْنزَ ْلنَا إِلَ ْي ُك ْم آيَا‬
ٍ ‫ت ُمبَيِّنَا‬

Verily We have sent down for you revelations which clearly

expound true guidance and examples of those who passed away
before you, and an admonition for those who fear Allah. [24:34]
64
 َ ‫ص ِّدقًا لِ َما بَ ْينَ يَ َد ْي ِه َوأَ ْنزَ َل التَّوْ َراةَ َواإْل ِ ْن ِج‬
‫) ِم ْن قَ ْب ُل هُدًى‬3( ‫يل‬ ِّ ‫َاب بِ ْال َح‬
َ ‫ق ُم‬ َ ‫نَ َّز َل َعلَ ْيكَ ْال ِكت‬
]4 ،3 :‫اس َوأَ ْن َز َل ْالفُرْ قَانَ [آل عمران‬ ِ َّ‫لِلن‬
He has revealed this Book to you, setting forth the truth and
confirming the earlier Books…for the guidance of mankind; and He
has also revealed the Criterion [to distinguish truth from
falsehood] [3:3-4]

ُّ ‫بَلْ هُ َو ْال َح‬....... َ‫ْب فِي ِه ِم ْن َربِّ ْال َعالَ ِمين‬

]3-2 :32[ َ‫ق ِم ْن َربِّك‬ ِ ‫تَ ْن ِزي ُل ْال ِكتَا‬
َ ‫ب اَل َري‬
This Book, beyond all doubt, was revealed by the Lord of the
Universe…It is the Truth from your Lord [32: 2-3]

ِ ِ‫ب ْال ُمب‬

]1 :12[‫ين‬ ِ ‫ات ْال ِكتَا‬ َ ‫تِ ْل‬
ُ َ‫ك آي‬

These are the verses of a Book that clearly expounds the

Truth. [12: 1]

َ ‫ك ْال ِكت‬
ْ ‫َاب إِاَّل لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُ ُم الَّ ِذي‬
]64 :16[ َ‫اختَلَفُوا فِي ِه َوهُدًى َو َرحْ َمةً لِقَوْ ٍم ي ُْؤ ِمنُون‬ َ ‫َو َما أَ ْن َز ْلنَا َعلَ ْي‬

We have sent down the Book that you may explain to them the truth
concerning what they are disputing and that the Book may serve as a
guidance and mercy for those who believe in it [16: 64]

‫] َش ْيئًا َوه َُو خَ ْي ٌر لَ ُك ْم َو َع َسى أَ ْن‬216 :‫َو َع َسى أَ ْن تَ ْك َرهُوا يَ ْعلَ ُم َوأَ ْنتُ ْم اَل تَ ْعلَ ُمونَ [البقرة‬
)2:216( ُ ‫تُ ِحبُّوا َش ْيئًا َوهُ َو َش ٌّر لَ ُك ْم َوهَّللا‬

…it may well be that you dislike a thing even though it is good
for you, and it may well be that you like a thing even though it
is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know. [2:216]

THE TRUTH AND REALITY IS THAT SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM ALLAH

SWT IS RATIONAL AND INDISPENSABLE

65
 At the time of creation of Adam [pbuh], Allah SWT made it clear that man
with the guidance of Allah SWT will be able to make this world a place of peace
and security. Otherwise he will create destruction, chaos and crisis.

)2:38( َ‫ف َعلَ ْي ِه ْم َواَل هُ ْم يَحْ زَ نُون‬ َ ‫قُ ْلنَا ا ْهبِطُوا ِم ْنهَا َج ِميعًا فَإِ َّما يَأْتِيَنَّ ُك ْم ِمنِّي هُدًى فَ َم ْن تَبِ َع هُد‬
ٌ ْ‫َاي فَاَل خَ و‬

We said: ‘Get you down from here, all of you, and guidance
shall come to you from Me: then, whoever will follow My
guidance need have no fear, nor shall they grieve. [2: 38]

‫ض َخلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْ َع ُل فِيهَا َم ْن يُ ْف ِس ُد فِيهَا‬ِ ْ‫ك لِ ْل َماَل ئِ َك ِة إِنِّي َجا ِع ٌل فِي اأْل َر‬ َ ُّ‫ال َرب‬ َ َ‫َوإِ ْذ ق‬
]30 :2[ َ‫ك قَا َل إِنِّي أَ ْعلَ ُم َما اَل تَ ْعلَ ُمون‬ َ َ‫ك َونُقَدِّسُ ل‬
َ ‫ك ال ِّد َما َء َونَحْ نُ نُ َسبِّ ُح بِ َح ْم ِد‬ُ ِ‫َويَ ْسف‬

Just think when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Lo I am about
to place a vicegerent on earth’, they said: ‘Will You place on
it one who will spread mischief and shed blood while we
celebrate Your glory and extol Your holiness? He said: “Surely
I know what you do not know.” [2: 30]

ِ َّ‫ت أَ ْي ِدي الن‬

]41 :30[ ‫اس‬ ْ َ‫ظَهَ َر ْالفَ َسا ُد فِي ْالبَ ِّر َو ْالبَحْ ِر بِ َما َك َسب‬

Evil has become rife on the land and at sea because of men’s
deeds. [30: 41]

ِ ‫صةً َوا ْعلَ ُموا أَ َّن هَّللا َ َش ِدي ُد ْال ِعقَا‬

‫ب‬ َّ ‫صيبَ َّن الَّ ِذينَ ظَلَ ُموا ِم ْن ُك ْم خَا‬
ِ ُ‫َواتَّقُوا فِ ْتنَةً اَل ت‬
[8: 25]

And guard against the mischief that will not only bring
punishment to the wrong-doers among you. Know well that
Allah is severe in punishment. [8: 25]

‫ت أَ َّن لَهُ ْم‬

ِ ‫إِ َّن هَ َذا ْالقُرْ آنَ يَ ْه ِدي لِلَّتِي ِه َي أَ ْق َو ُم َويُبَ ِّش ُر ْال ُم ْؤ ِمنِينَ الَّ ِذينَ يَ ْع َملُونَ الصَّالِ َحا‬
]10 ،9 :‫) َوأَ َّن الَّ ِذينَ اَل ي ُْؤ ِمنُونَ بِاآْل ِخ َر ِة أَ ْعتَ ْدنَا لَهُ ْم َع َذابًا أَلِي ًما [اإلسراء‬9( ‫أَجْ رًا َكبِيرًا‬

Verily this Qur’an guides to the Way that is the Straight-most.

To those who believe in it, and do righteous works, it gives

66
 the good news that a great reward awaits them; and warns
those who do not believe in the Hereafter that We have
prepared for them a grievous chastisement. [17: 9-10]

‫از َرةٌ ِو ْز َر أُ ْخ َرى‬ َ ‫َم ِن ا ْهتَدَى فَإِنَّ َما يَ ْهتَ ِدي لِنَ ْف ِس ِه َو َم ْن‬
ِ َ‫ض َّل فَإِنَّ َما ي‬
ِ ‫ضلُّ َعلَ ْيهَا َواَل ت َِز ُر َو‬
]15 :‫ث َر ُسواًل [اإلسراء‬ َ ‫َو َما ُكنَّا ُم َع ِّذبِينَ َحتَّى نَ ْب َع‬

He who follows the Right Way shall do so to his own

advantage; and he who strays shall incur his own loss. No one
shall carry another’s burden. And never shall We punish any
until We send a Messenger [to make the Truth distinct to
them from falsehood]. [17: 15]

َ ُ‫ق َويَ ْعق‬

‫وب‬ َ ‫يل َوإِ ْس َحا‬َ ‫اع‬ِ ‫قُلْ آ َمنَّا بِاهَّلل ِ َو َما أُ ْن ِز َل َعلَيْنَا َومَا أُ ْن ِز َل َعلَى إِ ْب َرا ِهي َم َوإِ ْس َم‬
ُ‫ق بَ ْينَ أَحَ ٍد ِم ْنهُ ْم َونَحْ ن‬ َ ‫َواأْل َ ْسبَا ِط َو َما أُوتِ َي ُمو َسى َو ِع‬
ُ ِّ‫يس ى َوالنَّبِيُّونَ ِم ْن َربِّ ِه ْم اَل نُفَر‬
]84 :‫لَهُ ُم ْسلِ ُمونَ [آل عمران‬

Say: ‘We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us

and what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and
the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the
Prophets, from their Lord. We make no distinction between
one and another among them, and to God do we bow our will
(in Islam).’[3:84]

Hence, Allah SWT invited mankind through the Qur’an to understand the
Truth and Reality of this World.

ً ‫ض فِ َر‬
‫اش ا‬ َ ْ‫عَل لَ ُك ُم اأْل َر‬ َ ‫) الَّ ِذي َج‬21( َ‫يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ا ْعبُ دُوا َربَّ ُك ُم الَّ ِذي َخلَقَ ُك ْم َوالَّ ِذينَ ِم ْن قَ ْبلِ ُك ْم لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَتَّقُ ون‬
( َ‫ت ِر ْزقًا لَ ُك ْم فَاَل تَجْ َعلُ وا هَّلِل ِ أَ ْن دَادًا َوأَ ْنتُ ْم تَ ْعلَ ُم ون‬
ِ ‫الس َما ِء مَا ًء فَأ َ ْخ َر َج بِ ِه ِمنَ الثَّمَ َرا‬
َّ َ‫َوال َّس َما َء بِنَا ًء َوأَ ْن َز َل ِمن‬
)2:22

O mankind, serve your Lord Who has created you as well as those
before you; do so that you are saved. It is He Who has made the
earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy, and sent down
water from above with which He brought forth fruits for your

67
 sustenance, Do not, then, set up rivals to Allah when you know[the
truth]. [2: 21-22]

The Qur’an presents a challenge to the thinking minds of all ages and urges
them to disprove the claims of the Qur’an. It is again and again contended that
Allah SWT is the only Creator of man and the world Who granted man through
the process of revelation the True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge of the
physical and metaphysical world. Hence, we argue, based on this True, Authentic
and Universal Knowledge that Allah SWT and the Knowledge given by Him to
mankind should form the foundation of research, methodology and methods. The
central place of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge in the scheme of
production of new knowledge by way of conducting research would gurantee the
success of man and societies. There should not be any doubt about it. Therefore,
it is said in the Qur’an:

َ ‫ب ِم َّما نَ َّز ْلنَا َعلَى َع ْب ِدنَا فَأْتُوا بِ ُس و َر ٍة ِم ْن ِم ْثلِ ِه َوا ْد ُع وا ُش هَدَا َء ُك ْم ِم ْن دُو ِن هَّللا ِ ِإ ْن ُك ْنتُ ْم‬
‫﴾ فَإِ ْن لَ ْم تَ ْف َعلُ وا َولَ ْن‬2:23﴿ َ‫ص ا ِدقِين‬ ٍ ‫َوإِ ْن ُك ْنتُ ْم فِي َر ْي‬
 ﴾2:24﴿ َ‫ت لِ ْلكَافِ ِرين‬ ْ ‫ار الَّتِي َوقُو ُدهَا النَّاسُ َو ْال ِح َجا َرةُ أُ ِع َّد‬ َ َّ‫تَ ْف َعلُوا فَاتَّقُوا الن‬

If you are in any doubt whether it is We Who have revealed this Book
to Our servant, then produce just a surah like it, and call all your
supporters and seek in it the support of all others save Allah.
Accomplish this if you are truthful. But if you fail to this- and you will
most certainly fail-then have fear of the Fire whose fuel is men and
stones and which has been prepared for those who deny the Truth.
[2: 23-24]

﴾2:28﴿ َ‫َك ْيفَ تَ ْكفُرُونَ بِاهَّلل ِ َو ُك ْنتُ ْم أَ ْم َواتًا فَأَحْ يَا ُك ْم ثُ َّم يُ ِميتُ ُك ْم ثُ َّم يُحْ يِي ُك ْم ثُ َّم إِلَ ْي ِه تُرْ َجعُون‬

How can you be ungrateful to Allah who bestowed life upon you
when you were lifeless, will later cause you to die and will again bring
back to life so that you will be returned to Him. [2: 28]

68
 ِ ْ‫ق لَ ُك ْم َما فِي اأْل َر‬
ٍ ‫ض َج ِميعًا ثُ َّم ا ْست ََوى إِلَى ال َّس َما ِء فَ َس َّواه َُّن َس ْب َع َس َم َوا‬
‫ت َوه َُو بِ ُك ِّل‬ َ َ‫هُ َو الَّ ِذي خَ ل‬
 ﴾2:29﴿ ‫علِي ٌم‬ َ ‫َش ْي ٍء‬

It is He Who created for you all that is on earth and then turned
above and fashioned it into seven heavens. He knows all things. [2:
29]

َ‫ت َويُ ْؤ ِم ْن بِاهَّلل ِ فَقَ ِد ا ْستَ ْم َس ك‬ِ ‫اَل إِ ْك َراهَ فِي ال دِّي ِن قَ ْد تَبَيَّنَ الرُّ ْش ُد ِمنَ ْال َغ ِّي فَ َم ْن يَ ْكفُ رْ بِالطَّا ُغو‬
َ‫) هَّللا ُ َولِ ُّي الَّ ِذينَ آَ َمنُ وا ي ُْخ ِر ُجهُ ْم ِمن‬2:256( ‫ص ا َم لَهَا َوهَّللا ُ َس ِمي ٌع َعلِي ٌم‬ َ ِ‫بِ ْالعُرْ َو ِة ْال ُو ْثقَى اَل ا ْنف‬
َ ِ‫ت أُولَئ‬
‫ك‬ ُّ ‫ور إِلَى‬
ِ ‫الظلُ َما‬ ُ ‫ور َوالَّ ِذينَ َكفَرُوا أَوْ لِيَا ُؤهُ ُم الطَّا ُغ‬
ِ ُّ‫وت ي ُْخ ِرجُونَهُ ْم ِمنَ الن‬ ِ ُّ‫ت إِلَى الن‬ ُّ
ِ ‫الظلُ َما‬
)2:257( َ‫ار هُ ْم فِيهَا خَالِ ُدون‬ ِ َّ‫أَصْ َحابُ الن‬ 
There is no compulsion in Din [accepting Truth]. The right way now
stands clearly distinguished from the wrong. Hence, he who rejects
the evil ones and believes in Allah has indeed taken hold of the firm,
unbreakable handle. And Allah [Whom he has held for support] is All-
Hearing, All-Knowing. [2: 256] Allah is the Guardian of those who
believe, and brings them out of every darkness into light. And those
who disbelieve, their guardians are the evil ones; they bring them out
of light into all kinds of darkness. These are destined for the Fire, and
there they shall abide.[2: 257]

َ‫﴾ أَاَل إِنَّهُ ْم هُ ُم ْال ُم ْف ِس ُدون‬2:11﴿ َ‫ص لِحُون‬ ِ ْ‫َوإِ َذا قِي َل لَهُ ْم اَل تُ ْف ِسدُوا فِي اأْل َر‬
ْ ‫ض قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْ نُ ُم‬
﴾2:12﴿ َ‫َولَ ِك ْن اَل يَ ْش ُعرُون‬

Whenever they are told: ‘Do not spread mischief on earth’, they say:
‘Why! We indeed are the ones who set things right.’ They are the
mischief-makers, but they do not realize it. [2: 11-12]

ُّ ‫الس فَهَا ُء أَاَل إِنَّهُ ْم هُ ُم‬

‫الس فَهَا ُء َولَ ِك ْن اَل‬ ُّ َ‫َوإِ َذا قِي َل لَهُ ْم آَ ِمنُوا َك َما آَ َمنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوا أَنُ ْؤ ِمنُ َكمَا آَ َمن‬
 ﴾2:13﴿ َ‫يَ ْعلَ ُمون‬

Whenever they are told: ‘Believe as others believe’, they answer:

‘Shall we believe as the fools have believed?’ Indeed it is they who
are the fools, but they are not aware of it. [2: 13]

69
 Unfortunately, in modern period research, its methodology, methods,
philosophy of research, goal and scope were all totally separated from the
abovementioned Truth and Reality. Untrue and unrealistic false foundation was
laid down by the philosophers of modernity for research, methodology,
knowledge, science and technology and all other branches of knowledge
[disciplines]. The reality and truth is that the upholders of True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge were not at all unaware of the intellectual and scientific
challenges. Hence, in the light of the above-mentioned statements and claims of
the Quran, they are continuously contending that a NEW foundation of research,
its methodology, knowledge, science and education should be laid down. This
new foundation must be based on the True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge
instead of speculation and conjecture.

SOME IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS OF THE QURAN:

WHY DO YOU NOT THINK AND REFLECT?
َ‫أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُون‬

44‫َاب أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُونَ }البقرة‬ َ َّ‫{أَتَأْ ُمرُونَ الن‬

َ ‫اس بِ ْالبِ ِّر َوتَن َسوْ نَ أَنفُ َس ُك ْم َوأَنتُ ْم تَ ْتلُونَ ْال ِكت‬

Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience
to Allah) on the people and you forget (to practice it) yourselves, while you recite
the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah)]! Have you then no sense.

‫وا أَتُ َح ِّدثُونَهُم بِ َما فَت ََح هّللا ُ َعلَ ْي ُك ْم لِيُ َحآجُّ و ُكم بِ ِه‬
ْ ُ‫ْض قَال‬ ْ ُ‫وا قَال‬
ُ ‫وا آ َمنَّا َوإِ َذا خَ الَ بَ ْع‬
ٍ ‫ضهُ ْم إِلَ َى بَع‬ ْ ُ‫وا الَّ ِذينَ آ َمن‬
ْ ُ‫{ َوإِ َذا لَق‬
76‫ِعن َد َربِّ ُك ْم أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُونَ }البقرة‬

70
And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe",
but when they meet one another in private, they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them
(Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you [Jews, about the description and the
qualities of Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him, that which are written in the
Taurat (Torah)], that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before
your Lord?" Have you (Jews) then no understanding

65‫وراةُ َواإلن ِجي ُل إِالَّ ِمن بَ ْع ِد ِه أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُونَ }آل عمران‬

َ َّ‫ت الت‬
ِ َ‫نزل‬ُ ِ ‫{يَا أَ ْه َل ْال ِكتَا‬
ِ ‫ب لِ َم تُ َحآجُّ ونَ فِي إِ ْب َرا ِهي َم َو َما أ‬
Ye People of the Book! Why dispute ye about Abraham, when the Law and the
Gospel Were not revealed Till after him? Have ye no understanding

32‫{ َو َما ْال َحيَاةُ ال ُّد ْنيَا إِالَّ لَ ِعبٌ َولَ ْه ٌو َولَل َّدا ُر اآل ِخ َرةُ خَ ْي ٌر لِّلَّ ِذينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُونَ }األنعام‬

And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the
house in the Hereafter for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2). Will
you not then understand?

ُ‫ض هَـ َذا األ ْدنَى َويَقُولُونَ َسيُ ْغفَ ُر لَنَا َوإِن يَأْتِ ِه ْم ع ََرضٌ ِّم ْثلُه‬ َ ‫َاب يَأْ ُخ ُذونَ َع َر‬
َ ‫وا ْال ِكت‬ ْ ُ‫ف َو ِرث‬ ٌ ‫{فَخَ لَفَ ِمن بَ ْع ِد ِه ْم َخ ْل‬
َ‫اآلخ َرةُ َخ ْي ٌر لِّلَّ ِذين‬ ْ ‫ق َو َد َرس‬
ِ ‫ُوا َما فِي ِه َوال َّدا ُر‬ َّ ‫وا َعلَى هّللا ِ إِالَّ ْال َح‬
ْ ُ‫ب أَن الَّ يِقُول‬
ِ ‫ق ْال ِكتَا‬ُ ‫يَأْ ُخ ُذوهُ أَلَ ْم ي ُْؤخ َْذ َعلَ ْي ِهم ِّميثَا‬
169‫يَتَّقُونَ أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُونَ }األعراف‬

Then after them succeeded an (evil) generation, which inherited the Book, but
they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life (evil pleasures of this world)
saying (as an excuse): "(Everything) will be forgiven to us." And if (again) the offer
of the like (evil pleasures of this world) came their way, they would (again) seize
them (would commit those sins). Was not the covenant of the Book taken from
them that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth? And they have
studied what is in it (the Book). And the home of the Hereafter is better for those
who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2). Do not you then understand?
16‫ت فِي ُك ْم ُع ُمراً ِّمن قَ ْبلِ ِه أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُونَ }يونس‬
ُ ‫{قُل لَّوْ َشاء هّللا ُ َما تَلَوْ تُهُ َعلَ ْي ُك ْم َوالَ أَ ْد َرا ُكم بِ ِه فَقَ ْد لَبِ ْث‬

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to
you nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed amongst you a
life time before this. Have you then no sense

51‫ي إِالَّ َعلَى الَّ ِذي فَطَ َرنِي أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُونَ }هود‬
َ ‫{يَا قَوْ ِم ال أَسْأَلُ ُك ْم َعلَ ْي ِه أَجْ راً إِ ْن أَجْ ِر‬
71
"O my people I ask of you no reward for it (the Message). My reward is only from
Him, Who created me. Will you not then understand?
ْ ‫ض فَيَنظُر‬
ُ‫ُوا َك ْيفَ َكانَ عَاقِبَة‬ ِ ْ‫ُوا فِي األَر‬
ْ ‫ك إِالَّ ِر َجاالً نُّو ِحي إِلَ ْي ِهم ِّم ْن أَ ْه ِل ْالقُ َرى أَفَلَ ْم يَ ِسير‬ َ ِ‫{ َو َما أَرْ َس ْلنَا ِمن قَ ْبل‬
109‫وا أَفَالَ تَ ْعقِلُونَ }يوسف‬ ْ َ‫الَّ ِذينَ ِمن قَ ْبلِ ِه ْم َولَدَا ُر اآل ِخ َر ِة َخ ْي ٌر لِّلَّ ِذينَ اتَّق‬

And We sent not before you (as Messengers) any but men, whom We inspired
from among the people of townships. Have they not travelled through the earth
and seen what was the end of those who were before them? And verily, the
home of the Hereafter is the best for those who fear Allah and obey Him (by
abstaining from sins and evil deeds and by performing righteous good deeds). Do
you not then understand?

[:1021‫{لَقَ ْد أَن َز ْلنَا إِلَ ْي ُك ْم ِكتَابا ً فِي ِه ِذ ْك ُر ُك ْم أَفَاَل تَ ْعقِلُونَ }األنبياء‬

ِ ‫{أُفٍّ لَّ ُك ْم َولِ َما تَ ْعبُ ُدونَ ِمن د‬

67‫ُون هَّللا ِ أَفَاَل تَ ْعقِلُونَ }األنبياء‬

"Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you then no
sense

ُ ‫{ َو َما أُوتِيتُم ِّمن َش ْي ٍء فَ َمتَا‬

60‫ع ْال َحيَا ِة ال ُّد ْنيَا َو ِزينَتُهَا َو َما ِعن َد هَّللا ِ َخ ْي ٌر َوأَ ْبقَى أَفَاَل تَ ْعقِلُونَ }القصص‬

And whatever you have been given is an enjoyment of the life of (this) world and
its adornment, and that (Hereafter) which is with Allah is better and will remain
forever. Have you then no sense?

138‫{ َوبِاللَّ ْي ِل أَفَاَل تَ ْعقِلُونَ }الصافات‬

And at night; will you not then reflect?

62‫ض َّل ِمن ُك ْم ِجبِاّل ً َكثِيراً أَفَلَ ْم تَ ُكونُوا تَ ْعقِلُونَ }يس‬

َ َ‫{ َولَقَ ْد أ‬
And indeed he (Satan) did lead astray a great multitude of you. Did you not, then,
understand?

68‫ق أَفَاَل يَ ْعقِلُونَ }يس‬

ِ ‫{ َو َم ْن نُ َع ِّمرْ هُ نُنَ ِّك ْسهُ فِي ْال َخ ْل‬

72
And he whom We grant long life, We reverse him in creation (weakness after
strength). Will they not then understand?

80‫ار أَفَاَل تَ ْعقِلُونَ }المؤمنون‬

ِ َ‫اختِاَل فُ اللَّ ْي ِل َوالنَّه‬ ُ ‫{ َوهُ َو الَّ ِذي يُحْ يِي َويُ ِم‬
ْ ُ‫يت َولَه‬

And it is He Who gives life and causes death, and His is the alternation of night
and day. Will you not then understand?

…And He it is Who gives life and causes death, and His is the alternation of the
night and the day. Do you not then understand?[23: 80]
َ‫لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُون‬

73‫ك يُحْ يِي هّللا ُ ْال َموْ تَى َوي ُِري ُك ْم آيَاتِ ِه لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }البقرة‬ ِ ‫{فَقُ ْلنَا اضْ ِربُوهُ بِبَ ْع‬
َ ِ‫ضهَا َك َذل‬

So We said: "Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow)." Thus Allah
brings the dead to life and shows you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons,
signs, revelations, etc.) so that you may understand

242‫ك يُبَيِّنُ هّللا ُ لَ ُك ْم آيَاتِ ِه لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }البقرة‬

َ ِ‫{ َك َذل‬

Thus Allah makes clear His Ayat (Laws) to you, in order that you may understand.

ُ‫ق نَّحْ ن‬ ٍ َ‫وا أَوْ الَ َد ُكم ِّم ْن إ ْمال‬ ْ ُ‫وا بِ ِه َشيْئا ً َوبِ ْال َوالِ َد ْي ِن إِحْ َسانا ً َوالَ تَ ْقتُل‬
ْ ‫{قُلْ تَ َعالَوْ ْا أَ ْت ُل َما َح َّر َم َربُّ ُك ْم َعلَ ْي ُك ْم أَالَّ تُ ْش ِر ُك‬
ِّ ‫س الَّتِي َح َّر َم هّللا ُ إِالَّ بِ ْال َح‬
‫ق َذلِ ُك ْم‬ ْ ُ‫ش َما ظَهَ َر ِم ْنهَا َو َما بَطَنَ َوالَ تَ ْقتُل‬
َ ‫وا النَّ ْف‬ َ ‫اح‬ ِ ‫ُوا ْالفَ َو‬ْ ‫نَرْ ُزقُ ُك ْم َوإِيَّاهُ ْم َوالَ تَ ْق َرب‬
151‫َوصَّا ُك ْم بِ ِه لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }األنعام‬

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you
from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents;
kill not your children because of poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for
them; come not near to Al-Fawahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse,
etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allah has
forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic law). This He has
commanded you that you may understand.

2‫{إِنَّا أَن َز ْلنَاهُ قُرْ آنا ً ع ََربِيّا ً لَّ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }يوسف‬

Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an in order that you may
understand

73
 ‫يض َح َر ٌج َواَل َعلَى أَنفُ ِس ُك ْم أَن تَأْ ُكلُوا ِمن‬ ِ ‫ج َح َر ٌج َواَل َعلَى ْال َم ِر‬ ِ ‫ْس َعلَى اأْل َ ْع َمى َح َر ٌج َواَل َعلَى اأْل َ ْع َر‬ َ ‫{لَي‬
‫ت َع َّماتِ ُك ْم‬ ِ ‫ت أَ ْع َما ِم ُك ْم أَوْ بُيُو‬
ِ ‫خَواتِ ُك ْم أَوْ بُيُو‬ َ َ‫ت أ‬ ِ ‫ت إِ ْخ َوانِ ُك ْم أَوْ بُيُو‬ ِ ‫ت أُ َّمهَاتِ ُك ْم أَوْ بُيُو‬ِ ‫ت آبَائِ ُك ْم أَوْ بُيُو‬
ِ ‫بُيُوتِ ُك ْم أَوْ بُيُو‬
ً ‫ْس َعلَ ْي ُك ْم ُجنَا ٌح أَن تَأْ ُكلُوا َج ِميعا ً أَوْ أَ ْشتَاتا‬ َ ْ‫ت خَ ااَل تِ ُك ْم أَوْ َما َملَ ْكتُم َّمفَاتِ َحهُ أَو‬
َ ‫ص ِديقِ ُك ْم لَي‬ ِ ‫ت أَ ْخ َوالِ ُك ْم أَوْ بُيُو‬
ِ ‫أَوْ بُيُو‬
} ‫ت لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُون‬ َ َ‫فَإِ َذا َدخَ ْلتُم بُيُوتا ً فَ َسلِّ ُموا َعلَى أَنفُ ِس ُك ْم تَ ِحيَّةً ِّم ْن ِعن ِد هَّللا ِ ُمب‬
ِ ‫ار َكةً طَيِّبَةً َك َذلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ هَّللا ُ لَ ُك ُم اآْل يَا‬
61‫النور‬

There is no restriction on the blind, nor any restriction on the lame, nor any
restriction on the sick, nor on yourselves, if you eat from your houses, or the
houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your
brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your father's brothers, or
the houses of your father's sisters, or the houses of your mother's brothers, or the
houses of your mother's sisters, or (from that) whereof you hold keys, or (from
the house) of a friend. No sin on you whether you eat together or apart. But when
you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah (i.e. say: As-
Salamu 'Alaikum - peace be on you) blessed and good. Thus Allah makes clear the
Ayat (these Verses or your religious symbols and signs, etc.) to you that you may
understand.
ْ ُّ‫ب ثُ َّم ِمن ن‬
‫طفَ ٍة ثُ َّم ِم ْن َعلَقَ ٍة ثُ َّم ي ُْخ ِر ُج ُك ْم ِط ْفالً ثُ َّم لِتَ ْبلُ ُغوا أَ ُش َّد ُك ْم ثُ َّم لِتَ ُكونُوا ُشيُوخا ً َو ِمن ُكم‬ ٍ ‫{هُ َو الَّ ِذي خَ لَقَ ُكم ِّمن تُ َرا‬
67‫َّمن يُتَ َوفَّى ِمن قَ ْب ُل َولِتَ ْبلُ ُغوا أَ َجالً ُّم َس ّمًى َولَ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }غافر‬

He, it is Who has created you (Adam) from dust, then from a Nutfah [mixed
semen drops of male and female discharge (i.e. Adam's offspring)] then from a
clot (a piece of coagulated blood), then brings you forth as children, then (makes
you grow) to reach the age of full strength, and afterwards to be old (men and
women), though some among you die before, and that you reach an appointed
term, in order that you may understand

3‫{إِنَّا َج َع ْلنَاهُ قُرْ آنا ً ع ََربِيّا ً لَّ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }الزخرف‬

We verily, have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that you may be able to understand
(its meanings and its admonitions

17‫ت لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }الحديد‬ َ ْ‫{ا ْعلَ ُموا أَ َّن هَّللا َ يُحْ يِي اأْل َر‬
ِ ‫ض بَ ْع َد َموْ تِهَا قَ ْد بَيَّنَّا لَ ُك ُم اآْل يَا‬

74
Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death! Indeed We have made clear
the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) to you, if you
but understand.

ِ ‫ق َو ْال َم ْغ ِر‬
28‫ب َو َما بَ ْينَهُ َما إِن ُكنتُ ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }الشعراء‬ ِ ‫{قَا َل َربُّ ْال َم ْش ِر‬
Musa (Moses) said: "Lord of the east and the west, and all that is between them,
if you did but understand

‫ضاء ِم ْن أَ ْف َوا ِه ِه ْم َو َما‬

َ ‫ت ْالبَ ْغ‬ ْ ‫وا بِطَانَةً ِّمن دُونِ ُك ْم الَ يَأْلُونَ ُك ْم َخبَاالً َو ُّد‬
ِ ‫وا َما َعنِتُّ ْم قَ ْد بَ َد‬ ْ ‫وا الَ تَتَّ ِخ ُذ‬ ْ ُ‫{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّ ِذينَ آ َمن‬
118‫ت إِن ُكنتُ ْم تَ ْعقِلُونَ }آل عمران‬ ِ ‫صدُو ُرهُ ْم أَ ْكبَ ُر قَ ْد بَيَّنَّا لَ ُك ُم اآليَا‬ُ ‫تُ ْخفِي‬

O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah (advisors, consultants, protectors,
helpers, friends, etc.) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and
hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to
harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what
their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat
(proofs, evidences, verses) if you understand.
َ‫الَ يَ ْعقِلُون‬

170‫وا بَلْ نَتَّبِ ُع َما أَ ْلفَ ْينَا َعلَ ْي ِه آبَاءنَا أَ َولَوْ َكانَ آبَا ُؤهُ ْم الَ يَ ْعقِلُونَ َشيْئا ً َوالَ يَ ْهتَ ُدونَ }البقرة‬
ْ ُ‫{ َوإِ َذا قِي َل لَهُ ُم اتَّبِعُوا َما أَن َز َل هّللا ُ قَال‬

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We
shall follow what we found our fathers following." (Would they do that!) Even
though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided

171‫ي فَهُ ْم الَ يَ ْعقِلُونَ }البقرة‬

ٌ ‫ص ٌّم بُ ْك ٌم ُع ْم‬
ُ ‫ق بِ َما الَ يَ ْس َم ُع إِالَّ ُدعَاء َونِدَاء‬ ْ ‫{ َو َمثَ ُل الَّ ِذينَ َكفَر‬
ُ ‫ُوا َك َمثَ ِل الَّ ِذي يَ ْن ِع‬

And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to the
(flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and
blind. So they do not understand

58‫ك بِأَنَّهُ ْم قَوْ ٌم الَّ يَ ْعقِلُونَ }المائدة‬

َ ِ‫صالَ ِة اتَّخَ ُذوهَا هُ ُزواً َولَ ِعبا ً َذل‬
َّ ‫{ َوإِ َذا نَا َد ْيتُ ْم إِلَى ال‬

And when you proclaim the call for As-Salat [call for the prayer (Adhan)], they
take it (but) as a mockery and fun; that is because they are a people who
understand not

75
 َ‫ب َوأَ ْكثَ ُرهُ ْم ال‬
َ ‫ُوا يَ ْفتَرُونَ َعلَى هّللا ِ ْال َك ِذ‬
ْ ‫صيلَ ٍة َوالَ َح ٍام َولَـ ِك َّن الَّ ِذينَ َكفَر‬ َ ‫{ َما َج َع َل هّللا ُ ِمن بَ ِح‬
ِ ‫ير ٍة َوالَ َسآئِبَ ٍة َوالَ َو‬
103‫يَ ْعقِلُونَ }المائدة‬

Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah (a she-camel whose milk was spared
for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk it) or a Sa'ibah (a she-camel let loose
for free pasture for their false gods, e.g. idols, etc., and nothing was allowed to be
carried on it), or a Wasilah (a she-camel set free for idols because it has given
birth to a she-camel at its first delivery and then again gives birth to a she-camel
at its second delivery) or a Ham (a stallion-camel freed from work for their idols,
after it had finished a number of copulations assigned for it, all these animals
were liberated in honor of idols as practiced by pagan Arabs in the pre-Islamic
period). But those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them have
no understanding

22‫{إِ َّن َش َّر ال َّد َوابِّ ِعن َد هّللا ِ الصُّ ُّم ْالبُ ْك ُم الَّ ِذينَ الَ يَ ْعقِلُونَ }األنفال‬

Verily! The worst of (moving) living creatures with Allah are the deaf and the
dumb, those who understand not (i.e. the disbelievers).

ْ ُ‫ك أَفَأَنتَ تُ ْس ِم ُع الصُّ َّم َولَوْ َكان‬

42‫وا الَ يَ ْعقِلُونَ }يونس‬ َ ‫{ َو ِم ْنهُم َّمن يَ ْستَ ِمعُونَ إِلَ ْي‬

And of them are some who listen to thee. But canst thou make the deaf to hear,
though they will not understand

َ ْ‫س أَن تُ ْؤ ِمنَ إِالَّ بِإِ ْذ ِن هّللا ِ َويَجْ َع ُل الرِّج‬

100‫س َعلَى الَّ ِذينَ الَ يَ ْعقِلُونَ }يونس‬ ٍ ‫{ َو َما َكانَ لِنَ ْف‬
It is not for any soul to believe save by the permission of Allah. He hath set
uncleanness upon those who have no sense.

43‫اس َو َما يَ ْعقِلُهَا إِاَّل ْال َعالِ ُمونَ }العنكبوت‬

ِ َّ‫ك اأْل َ ْمثَا ُل نَضْ ِربُهَا لِلن‬
َ ‫{ َوتِ ْل‬

And these similitude We put forward for mankind, but none will understand them
except those who have knowledge (of Allah and His Signs, etc

‫ض ِمن بَ ْع ِد َموْ تِهَا لَيَقُولُ َّن هَّللا ُ قُ ِل ْال َح ْم ُد هَّلِل ِ بَلْ أَ ْكثَ ُرهُ ْم اَل‬
َ ْ‫{ َولَئِن َسأ َ ْلتَهُم َّمن نَّ َّز َل ِمنَ ال َّس َما ِء َما ًء فَأَحْ يَا بِ ِه اأْل َر‬
63‫يَ ْعقِلُونَ }العنكبوت‬

76
if you were to ask them: "Who sends down water (rain) from the sky, and gives
life therewith to the earth after its death?" They will surely reply: "Allah." Say: "All
the praises and thanks be to Allah!" Nay! Most of them have no sense

43‫ُون هَّللا ِ ُشفَ َعاء قُلْ أَ َولَوْ َكانُوا اَل يَ ْملِ ُكونَ َشيْئا ً َواَل يَ ْعقِلُونَ }الزمر‬
ِ ‫{أَ ِم اتَّ َخ ُذوا ِمن د‬
Have they taken others as intercessors besides Allah? Say: "Even if they have
power over nothing whatever and have no intelligence

4‫ت أَ ْكثَ ُرهُ ْم اَل يَ ْعقِلُونَ }الحجرات‬

ِ ‫ك ِمن َو َراء ْال ُح ُج َرا‬
َ َ‫{إِ َّن الَّ ِذينَ يُنَادُون‬

Verily! Those who call you from behind the dwellings, most of them have no
sense

َ ِ‫صنَ ٍة أَوْ ِمن َو َراء ُجد ٍُر بَأْ ُسهُ ْم بَ ْينَهُ ْم َش ِدي ٌد تَحْ َسبُهُ ْم َج ِميعا ً َوقُلُوبُهُ ْم َشتَّى َذل‬
‫ك‬ َّ ‫{اَل يُقَاتِلُونَ ُك ْم َج ِميعا ً إِاَّل فِي قُرًى ُّم َح‬
14‫بِأَنَّهُ ْم قَوْ ٌم اَّل يَ ْعقِلُونَ }الحشر‬

They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from
behind walls. Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they
were united, but their hearts are divided, that is because they are a people who
understand not

َ‫لِّقَ ْو ٍم يَ ْعقِلُون‬

َ َّ‫ك الَّتِي تَجْ ِري فِي ْالبَحْ ِر بِ َما يَنفَ ُع الن‬

‫اس َو َما‬ ِ ‫ار َو ْالفُ ْل‬
ِ َ‫ف اللَّ ْي ِل َوالنَّه‬ ْ ‫ض َو‬
ِ َ‫اختِال‬ ِ ْ‫ت َواألَر‬ ِ ‫{إِ َّن فِي َخ ْل‬
ِ ‫ق ال َّس َما َوا‬
‫ب‬
ِ ‫اح َوالس ََّحا‬
ِ َ‫يف الرِّ ي‬ ِ ‫ث فِيهَا ِمن ُكلِّ دَآبَّ ٍة َوتَصْ ِر‬ َّ َ‫ض بَ ْع َد َموْ تِهَا َوب‬ َ ْ‫أَن َز َل هّللا ُ ِمنَ ال َّس َما ِء ِمن َّماء فَأَحْ يَا بِ ِه األر‬
164‫ت لِّقَوْ ٍم يَ ْعقِلُونَ }البقرة‬ ٍ ‫ض آليَا‬ ِ ْ‫ْال ُم َس ِّخ ِر بَ ْينَ ال َّس َماء َواألَر‬
Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of
night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use
to mankind, and the water (rain) which Allah sends down from the sky and makes
the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) creatures of all
kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which
are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs,
etc.) for people of understanding

‫ص ْن َوا ٍن يُ ْسقَى بِ َماء َوا ِح ٍد‬ ٌ ‫ص ْن َو‬

ِ ‫ان َو َغ ْي ُر‬ ٌ ْ‫ب َوزَر‬
ِ ‫ع َونَ ِخي ٌل‬ ٍ ‫ات ِّم ْن أَ ْعنَا‬
ٌ َّ‫ات َو َجن‬ٌ ‫او َر‬ ِ ْ‫{ َوفِي األَر‬
ِ ‫ض قِطَ ٌع ُّمتَ َج‬
4‫ت لِّقَوْ ٍم يَ ْعقِلُونَ }الرعد‬ ٍ ‫ْض فِي األُ ُك ِل إِ َّن فِي َذلِكَ آَل يَا‬
ٍ ‫ضهَا َعلَى بَع‬ ِّ َ‫َونُف‬
َ ‫ض ُل بَ ْع‬

77
And in the earth are neighboring tracts, and gardens of vines, and green crops
(fields etc.), and date-palms, growing out two or three from a single stem root, or
otherwise (one stem root for every palm ), watered with the same water, yet
some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Verily, in these things,
there are Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs) for the people who understand.

ٍ ‫ات بِأ َ ْم ِر ِه إِ َّن فِي َذلِكَ آَل يَا‬

12‫ت لِّقَوْ ٍم يَ ْعقِلُونَ }النحل‬ ٌ ‫س َو ْالقَ َم َر َو ْالنُّجُو ُم ُم َس َّخ َر‬
َ ‫{ َو َس َّخ َر لَ ُك ُم اللَّ ْي َل َو ْالنَّهَا َر َوال َّش ْم‬
And He has subjected to you the night and the day, the sun and the moon; and
the stars are subjected by His Command. Surely, in this are proofs for people who
understand

ِ ‫يل َواألَ ْعنَا‬

67‫ب تَتَّ ِخ ُذونَ ِم ْنهُ َس َكراً َو ِر ْزقا ً َح َسنا ً إِ َّن فِي َذلِكَ آليَةً لِّقَوْ ٍم يَ ْعقِلُونَ }النحل‬ ِ ‫ت النَّ ِخ‬
ِ ‫{ َو ِمن ثَ َم َرا‬
And from the fruits of date-palms and grapes, you derive strong drink (this was
before the order of the prohibition of the alcoholic drinks) and a goodly provision.
Verily, therein is indeed a sign for people who have wisdom

35‫{ َولَقَد تَّ َر ْكنَا ِم ْنهَا آيَةً بَيِّنَةً لِّقَوْ ٍم يَ ْعقِلُونَ }العنكبوت‬

And indeed We have left thereof an evident Ayah (a lesson and a warning and a
sign the place where the Dead Sea is now in Palestine) for a folk who understand

َ ْ‫ق َخوْ فا ً َوطَ َمعا ً َويُن َِّز ُل ِمنَ ال َّس َما ِء َما ًء فَيُحْ يِي بِ ِه اأْل َر‬
ٍ ‫ض بَ ْع َد َموْ تِهَا إِ َّن فِي َذلِكَ آَل يَا‬
‫ت‬ َ ْ‫{ َو ِم ْن آيَاتِ ِه ي ُِري ُك ُم ْالبَر‬
24‫لِّقَوْ ٍم يَ ْعقِلُونَ }الروم‬

And among His Signs is that He shows you the lightning, by way of fear and hope,
and He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and therewith revives the earth
after its death. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who understand

‫ت أَ ْي َمانُ ُكم ِّمن ُش َر َكاء فِي َما َرزَ ْقنَا ُك ْم فَأَنتُ ْم فِي ِه َس َواء تَخَافُونَهُ ْم‬
ْ ‫ب لَ ُكم َّمثَالً ِم ْن أَنفُ ِس ُك ْم هَل لَّ ُكم ِّمن َّما َملَ َك‬ َ ‫ض َر‬ َ {
28‫ت لِقَوْ ٍم يَ ْعقِلُونَ }الروم‬ ِ ‫ص ُل اآْل يَا‬ ِّ َ‫ك نُف‬َ ِ‫َك ِخيفَتِ ُك ْم أَنفُ َس ُك ْم َك َذل‬

He sets forth for you a parable from your own selves, - Do you have partners
among those whom your right hands possess (i.e your slaves) to share as equals in
the wealth We have bestowed on you? Whom you fear as you fear each other?
Thus do We explain the signs in detail to a people who have sense

78
ٌ َ‫اح آي‬
‫ات‬ َ ْ‫ق فَأَحْ يَا بِ ِه اأْل َر‬
ِ ‫ض بَ ْع َد َموْ تِهَا َوتَصْ ِر‬
ِ َ‫يف ال ِّري‬ ْ ‫ار َو َما أَنزَ َل هَّللا ُ ِمنَ ال َّس َما ِء ِمن‬
ٍ ‫رِّز‬ ِ َ‫ف اللَّ ْي ِل َوالنَّه‬ ْ ‫{ َو‬
ِ ‫اختِاَل‬
5‫لِّقَوْ ٍم يَ ْعقِلُونَ }الجاثية‬

And in the alternation of night and day, and the provision (rain) that Allah sends
down from the sky, and revives therewith the earth after its death, and in the
turning about of the winds (i.e. sometimes towards the east or north, and
sometimes towards the south or west etc., sometimes bringing glad tidings of rain
etc., and sometimes bringing the torment), are signs for a people who understand

َ ‫ان يَ ْس َمعُونَ بِهَا فَإِنَّهَا اَل تَ ْع َمى اأْل َب‬

‫ْصا ُر َولَ ِكن تَ ْع َمى‬ ٌ ‫ض فَتَ ُكونَ لَهُ ْم قُلُوبٌ يَ ْعقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آ َذ‬
ِ ْ‫{أَفَلَ ْم يَ ِسيرُوا فِي اأْل َر‬
46‫ُور }الحج‬ ِ ‫ْالقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّ د‬
Have they not travelled through the land, and have they hearts wherewith to
understand and ears wherewith to hear? Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind,
but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind

َ َ‫{أَ ْم تَحْ َسبُ أَ َّن أَ ْكثَ َرهُ ْم يَ ْس َمعُونَ أَوْ يَ ْعقِلُونَ إِ ْن هُ ْم إِاَّل َكاأْل َ ْن َع ِام بَلْ هُ ْم أ‬
44‫ضلُّ َسبِيالً }الفرقان‬

Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle;
nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. i.e. even worse than cattle

ِ ‫{ َوقَالُوا لَوْ ُكنَّا نَ ْس َم ُع أَوْ نَ ْعقِ ُل َما ُكنَّا فِي أَصْ َحا‬
10‫ب الس َِّعير}الملك‬

And they will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not
have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire

SOME OTHER IMPORTANT STATEMENTS OF THE

QURAN
This is the Book of Allah.

There is no doubt in it.

It is guidance for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the
reach of perception.

79
Whenever they are told: “Do not spread mischief on earth,” they say: “Why! We
indeed are the ones who set things right.” They are the mischief-makers, but they
do not realize it.

Whenever they are told: “Believe as others believe,” they answer: “Shall we
believe as the fools have believed?” Indeed it is they who are the fools, but they
are not aware of it.

THE TRUTH AND REALITY OF MODERN WESTERN

RESEARCH AND ITS METHODOLOGY: THE NEED FOR RE-
EXAMINATION
There are several modern Western research methods. They are also called
modern Western scientific research methods. We need to understand the
difference between them and the Truth-based research and its methodology. We
also need to understand the meaning of modern Western science and modern
Western scientific method. What do we mean by scientific? What is the criterion
of being scientific? Every concept is defined from modern Western perspective.
Should one accept it as being truthful and realistic? Do we have any right to
question its truthfulness and reality? We feel there is an urgent need to re-
examine the modern Western concepts of research and methodology.

Generally, the above-mentioned questions and need for re-examination are

not raised in the existing literature on research methodology and research
methods because they had been accepted ‘as granted’. Although, they are
modern Western research methodology and research methods. But, if anyone
who is committed to Truth and Reality of Life and the World, then, he needs to re-
examine them. This re-examination will help us to have a clearer and better

80
understanding of research and its methodology in line with Truth and Reality of
Life and the World.

The fact is that, as we have demonstrated above, all available concepts,

methods and methodologies of research are neither based on Truth and Reality of
Life and the World nor True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. They all are
deeply rooted within the false foundation of speculation, conjecture, imagination,
desires, and assumptions, the so-called ethical, scientific theories and modern
Western philosophical thought. Modern Western philosophical thought
developed its own worldview, vision of life and society. To achieve the goal of
modern Western vision of life and society, the modern Western philosophers and
thinkers provided the modern Western type theories of research, models,
methods and strategies. They were considered source of development and were
called means of modernization. The existing models of research, research
methods, research methodologies and books on these subjects are all written and
developed from the modern Western perspective. Hence, it is more appropriate
to call them the ‘modern Western models of research’, ‘modern Western
research methods’, ‘modern Western research methodologies’ and modern
Western books. We do not have at present books on ‘research’, ‘research
methods’ and ‘research methodologies’ in line with the Truth and Reality of Life
and the World. All available books on these subjects are the modern Western
books. To be genuine to our research and honest understanding we should call
them:

The modern Western models of research

The modern Western research methods

81
The modern Western research methodologies

Books titles may be:

Introduction to the modern Western models of Research

Introduction to the modern Western Research Methods

Introduction to the modern Western Research Methodologies

Without being based on Truth and in line with Reality of Life and the World
we cannot take a single step towards the cognition of things in their proper
perspective and totality. We cannot understand what the real problems of life
and society are. We may think some problem as very important but in reality they
may not be important.

…it may well be that you dislike a thing even though it is good for
you, and it may well be that you like a thing even though it is bad for
you. Allah knows and you do not know. [2: 216]

Hence, there is a need to realize that based on false foundation and

misunderstanding of life and the world, one cannot buildup culture and
civilization. No one can bring development in life and society without knowing
authentically, truly and certainly what is the Truth and Reality of Life and the
World, especially the Reality and Truth of the metaphysical world. Hence,
research, its meaning, methods and methodology need to be defined in their
proper perspective on the basis of Truth and Reality of Life and the world in the
light of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. We cannot rely on the existing
meaning and characteristics of research, its methods and methodology as they

82
are not based on true, authentic and universal foundation of Truth and in line
with Reality of Life and the World.

It is not the first time in history of scholarship that the Question of True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge has been raised. In the past several
communities and people have received True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge
and made use of it fairly and genuinely. They developed their understanding of
‘research’, its meaning, method and methodology based on Truth and Reality of
Life and the World. But with the passage of time, their vision of True, Authentic
and Universal Knowledge became blurred and they reduced this body of
knowledge to the level of ‘religious knowledge’ and the use of which was
confined to the private and personal affairs of life.

In recent decades some thinking minds have realized that the True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge is not meant only for private and personal use
rather the scope of which is whole life and society. It is the source of culture,
civilization and development. Hence, at first, they raised the question of proper
use of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge and started a debate for the
need of and the revival of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. Based on
Truth and Reality of Life and the World and True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge they developed true meaning of research and its methodology. Their
research and methodology are based on Truth and in line with Reality, hence,
they are called Truth-based research and Truth-based research methodology,
and Truth-based thinkers. In following chapters we will study both the modern
Western methods of research as well as Truth-based research methods.

MEANING OF TRUTH-BASED RESEARCH

83
 Generally, according to the dominant paradigm of the modern Western
philosophical thought, the modern Western research is, essentially, defined as an
activity or process through a particular procedure for getting some information
and developing some understanding about anything/idea/concept/phenomena -
social or material on the basis of collection of data and its analysis.

This definition of the modern Western research lacks comprehensive,

realistic and truthful meaning as it does not take the Truth and Reality of Life and
the World as its basis. We need, therefore, to explain and redefine ‘research’ that
must be in line with Truth and Reality of Life and the World. The Reality and Truth
is that Allah SWT exists. He provided True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge
and Guidance. [this will be demonstrated and established soon] Hence, we argue
that every ‘research’ must make sure that ideas, thinking and all other things of
this world are to be understood on the basis of Truth and Reality of Life and the
World and in line with True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. It means
‘research’ must be Truth-based research.

We do not find at the moment any notion of Truth-based research. It is

either modern Western research or no ‘research’ as such. We need to revive and
define the Truth-based research keeping in mind the contemporary conditions of
life and society. If, there is no Truth-based research or Truth-based research
methodology, then, it is the duty of all those students and scholars who
understand Truth and Reality of Life and the World, at first, to set ‘research’ and
its ‘methodology’ in line with Truth and Reality of Life and the World and on the
basis of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge and call it Truth-based
research.

84
 ‘Research’, therefore, may require to be re-defined as an ethical, rational,
intellectual inquiry into some specific issues of life and society on the basis of
Truth and Reality of Life and the World in line with True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge by way of collection of suitable data and its analysis with
the application of rational and empirical tools. The purpose of this research is to
understand the things as they are designed and placed in the scheme of creation
by their Creator Allah SWT so that we can make use of them and develop proper
perspectives, strategies and planning for the overall development and welfare
of life and society. To achieve this goal we need to approach and understand the
things as they are based on a well-designed systems or methods of ‘research’.
Hence, Truth-based research may also be defined as a systematic process of
identification of problems, collection and analysis of information [data],
solution of that problem in the light of the True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge and on the basis of Truth and Reality of Life and the World by way of
applying universally acceptable skills and techniques.

In this case Truth-based research follows a number of steps such as: to

collect and analyze information; to increase our true understanding of a
topic/problem or issue. The aim of research is to solve problems which come in
everyday life. The process of Truth-based research is generally founded on some
steps which are taken on the basis of Truth-based logic.

The Truth-based research may also be defined as a systematic, controlled,

empirical and critical investigation of natural phenomena that must be guided by
the facts which are derived from the True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge to
understand the presumed relations among such phenomena.

85
 The Truth-based research, therefore, is considered the most systematic and
realistic process in the sense that to do Truth-based research we, at the very
outset, determine as the first step, the Truth and Reality of Life and the World;
second, identify the existence of the body of True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge; third, we apply it[True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge] from the
very beginning until the end in our process of Truth-based research; fourth, follow
some specific Truth-based method of inquiry called by various names such as the
inductive, deductive, scientific methods, qualitative and quantitative methods.

The inquiry and research which is based on Truth and in line with Reality of
Life and the World which follows True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge is
considered the Truth-based inquiry/ Truth-based research as well as the
scientific inquiry and scientific research. It is conducted on the basis of the
method of observation, experimentation, and measurement, wherever and
whenever it is necessary. This research produces suitable solutions and gives good
results. This Truth-based method of research would replace the so-called modern
Western scientific method and thus develop Truth-based knowledge finally called
as ‘Truth-based science’.

This Truth-based inquiry/research is applicable to both material and social

phenomena. The purpose of Truth-based research is to gain new knowledge by
way of applying the generally accepted methods of data collection, analysis, and
interpretation. This Truth-based research process generally follows some specific
procedures such as qualitative or quantitative. One can, therefore, conclude that
the Truth-based method of research is applied in each and every discipline.

86
According to the needs of a specific problem the Truth-based method of research
may follow either qualitative or quantitative approach.

IMPORTANCE OF TRUTH-BASED RESEARCH IN ALL

DOMAINS OF LIFE IN CONTEMPORARY WORLD
The Truth-based research cannot be done on random basis. It cannot
become a small part of the modern Western research. It has to be well-planned
and well-designed. Its main goal is to bring change and development in life of
people and society in accordance with the Truth and Reality of Life and the World.
At present people and societies - humanity – as a whole - are suffering from the
false notion of material and technological advancement and development; an
unending race among all the nations of the world for technological growth,
material achievements and the production of weapons of mass destruction and
environmental un-solvable crisis and chaos. The goal of Truth-based research is to
take people of the world out of the darkness of the false worldviews, false
frameworks of research, false frameworks of methodologies, false view of life,
false view of the world, false vision of life, false vision of society, false mission of
life and false mission of society, false notions of development and modernization.

To achieve the above-mentioned goals, the Truth-based research, at one

side, needs to explain to the people of the world what Islam is all about; how
Islam plans to bring change in life and society; how Islam would guarantee quality
of life with simplicity; how Islam plans to reduce sense of power, greed,
hegemony and self-interest; how Islam plans to develop system and sub-systems;
how Islam plans to present a positive program of development and prosperity
without undermining anyone and, on the other side, the Truth-based research

87
will give to researchers a new meaning of life, new direction to society; it has to
impart new vision and mission of society. The Truth-based research has totally
new meaning of change and development different from the modern Western
oriented meaning of change and development.

For the purpose of the abovementioned goals of Truth-based research, the

Truth-based researcher, to be honest and committed to the claim of Truth-based
research, at the very outset, will conduct as a first step: A Through Survey of the
Normative Sources of Truth and Reality of Life and the World– the Quran and
the Sunnah. Whatever, topic/title/issue/problem or new point/new thing/new
model, new strategies, new ideas, new structures, he wants to deal and develop
will be first search in the Quran and Sunnah. He has to see: is there any
guidance/principle/reference to the topic of his Truth-based research? Based on
the instructions/guidance/references of the Quran and Sunnah, he will determine
exact title/topic of research and also identify and elaborate the issues/queries of
his research. In his second step, the Truth-based researcher will cover the study
and analysis of the heritage of the Truth-based literature and see relevance of
that literature to the topic of his research. An examination of the Truth-based
literature of the heritage will give him some hint [or no hint] for future and
further research. As a third step the Truth-based researcher will survey the non-
truth-based literature. This will be followed by the survey of, as fourth step, new
literature of both Truth-based literature and non-truth-based literature.

One should have the knowledge of Truth-based method of research which

can be used to identify and solve any problem in any aspect of life, society and
nature. It is wrong to argue that we need to do Truth-based research to satisfy

88
our curiosity or want to write a term paper or a dissertation or a thesis. The main
thrust and goal of Truth-based research is to serve the needs of man and society
as Wills by Allah SWT. The purpose of development of several branches of
knowledge/ disciplines/sciences is not to divide and separate life, society and
Nature from one another. The Truth and Reality is that life, society and Nature are
intimately related to one another. It is, therefore, necessary to keep oneself up to
date in respective fields of profession. All this helps to take an appropriate
decision. Our decisions in daily life must be influenced by the process of Truth-
based research and their solutions. Government’s developmental programs,
social, educational, economic, political, scientific, technological etc. have to be
shaped and evaluated by intensive Truth-based research. Hence, one should
know the logic and limitations of the modern Western research as well as the
wide scope and implications of the Truth-based research.

The study of Truth-based research methods helps to sharpen the powers of

critical thinking, analytical understanding and truthful and realistic evaluation. It
enables one to become a more intelligent Truth-conscious professional. It also
gives clear understanding of some key concepts such as ‘scientific’ and ‘ethical’
‘logical’ etc. Truth-based logic and the mechanics of doing Truth-based research
are also enhanced. The knowledge of Truth-based research and techniques is
necessary for acquisition of reliable information about a particular problem or
development of a new idea.

There is a view “that all social research – whether based on so-called

qualitative or quantitative methods – is driven by the same search for
understanding, operates from similar epistemological bases, and addresses

89
similar methodological concerns regarding reliability, validity, and generalizability.
Major differences among research methods reside in general research strategies.”
[Royce A. Singleton, Jr. & Bruce C. Straits, Approaches to Social Research, 5 th
edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2010, xiv] This view needs to be critically
and clearly understood in the light of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge.
We cannot accept any view without a thorough examination and critical thinking.
At present in the academic world a blind approach dominates. There exist
thousands of books, text books, and a plethora of modern Western research
methods which are generally accepted by everybody because it is said repeatedly
that these systems and methods have been tested and accepted. Look once again
at the same view:

“that all social research [modern Western social research] – whether based on so-
called qualitative or quantitative methods – is driven by the same search for
understanding [modern Western understanding], operates from similar
epistemological [modern Western epistemological] bases, and addresses similar
methodological [modern Western methodological] concerns regarding reliability,
validity, and generalizability. Major differences among research methods [modern
Western research methods] reside in general research [modern Western research]
strategies.” No single view or statement is free from a particular perspective. We
are arguing that each and every perspective is either deeply rooted within
conjecture and speculation or based on True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge
and in line with the Truth and Reality of Life and the World.

THE SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING OF TRUTH-BASED

RESEARCH AND ITS TRUE MEANING
90
 What does Truth-based research mean according to True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge? Is it different from the dominant modern Western research
paradigms as understood generally in the modern world?

The spiritual understanding of Truth-based research means the idea of

research is closely related to the conception of man and universe – the Truth and
Reality of Life and the World - as outlined by the True, Authentic and Universal
Knowledge. It has a few philosophical implications which in modern world have
not been fully understood.

As we have contended earlier to make Truth-based research meaningful,

relevant and useful it is necessary, at the very outset, to understand the position
of man and universe and their true relationship with one another in the light of
True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge.

For a proper understanding of man and universe, a clear and more concrete
comprehension of Islam as the worldview, way of life and code of conduct is
inevitable. Islam is not cooked by any human mind but rather it is granted to
mankind since its inception by Allah SWT Who is All-Knowledgeable and All-Wise.

Therefore, we argue, Islam is neither a religion, in its limited sense, nor a

bundle of irrational doctrines, dogmas and myths. It is the only True, Authentic
and Universal Worldview, the way of life and code of conduct. It is the source of
culture and civilization. Man needs so many things for his survival such as air,
water, sunlight, clothes, shelter, food, vegetables, fruits, minerals, trees,
mountains, rivers etc. Nobody can claim that these inevitable things which are
indispensable for the existence and survival of man are religious. Hence, only a
few people can benefit from them if they ‘believe’ in those things. All these things
91
are all not taken as religious but rather considered as universal facts of life and
equally applicable to the existence and survival of each and every single human
being. Islam is also basic need of mankind. Because both, basic things and Islam
have been given to mankind by the Creator - Allah SWT Who being the Creator of
universe and everything in it knows very well the needs of mankind. Hence, in the
same way as basic things have been granted to mankind, Islam, as the True,
Authentic and Universal Worldview and the way of life has been given to
mankind. This is the reason that we say Islam is universal and equally
indispensable and applicable for the existence of man and society. It cannot be
reduced to the level of a religion and the followers of Islam to a religious
community. Islam being the worldview and way of life gives true meaning to life
and society – the spirituality. It determines the true purpose of life and the world.
Allah SWT alone knows what is needed for the development of man and society.

Allah SWT, hence, leads mankind dynamically through His True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge to the path of peace, security, development, prosperity,
happiness and success here and in the hereafter. Islam wants to develop life and
society according to the scheme design by the Giver and Creator of life and the
world. The Truth-based research is, therefore, directed to help to develop life and
society. The vision of life and society is based on universal values and moral code
granted by Allah SWT which includes the concept of maaroofat [good of the
world] and excludes munkirat [vices of the world].

CHANGE

One of the explicit goals of Islam and of Truth-based research is to introduce

change as a process of growth and development which has been emphasized in
92
the Quran frequently. Change is understood as both: a process of development
and degeneration and decay.

Change and development are not possible without the Knowledge of

Ultimate Truth and Reality. The Knowledge of Ultimate Truth and Reality is not
possible without accepting the Truth and Reality of the existence of True,
Authentic and Universal Knowledge. The Quran, therefore, provides a powerful
ethical discourse to convince people along with empirical evidence about the
Ultimate Truth and Reality. Based on the Quranic teachings and guidance change
is planned. For bringing positive change and achieving the status of developed
community, Islam wants the Truth-based researcher conduct serious research on
various aspects of life and society. Development of life and society is main target
of Truth-based research. The idea here is to translate teachings of Islam in to
practical realities so that people can enjoy peace, security and standard of life. For
this purpose, the Truth-based research focuses on the concept and role of man.

THE POSITION AND ROLE OF MAN

The Quran expounds beyond any doubt the dual position of man. He is abd
[obedient servant] and khalifah [vicegerent] on earth. He enjoys free will. He is
not under obligation by His Creator – Allah SWT.

In the capacity of abd he is bound to seek guidance from Allah SWT in every
aspect of life to obey Him and to serve His creatures. He cannot be free from His
guidance. If he becomes free from Allah’s guidance, he creates chaos and crisis in
life and society. As he himself is not capable to know the Truth and Reality of Life
and the World.

93
 In his capacity of khalifah he is made responsible for maintenance and
further development of the things in the world.

To perform these jobs he has been granted with those faculties which are
necessary to perform the responsibility of vicegerency. He possesses power of
intellect and sense-perception. He is instructed, as we have discussed above, to
make use of these faculties to the best of his abilities. In spite of these important
faculties, he is subject to both Laws of Nature and Law of Free Will. Through Law
of Free Will he can achieve perfection.

The creation and position of man as vicegerent involves two things:

Immense possibilities of development

Immense possibilities of risk or decay

Man after rejecting Allah SWT as his Lord causes zulm [injustice] to himself.

Zulm: Zulm [injustice] is that action which falls counter to proper

development. It is misplaced or misguided action. Man is capable of zulm.
Improper intellectual development may become a source of disturbance or zulm.
In this way proper development and progress are hindered.

Fasad: Fasad is that disturbance or zulm towards which a misplaced or

misguided activity – zulm – tends to lead. Nature as a whole tends towards
harmony and smooth development. An action of man that goes against the Will of
Allah SWT leads to disharmony, discord and maladjustment. On the other hand
the properly guided activity of man would be directed, at every moment, towards
the construction of a Heaven of Peace – a world that is free of all zulm and fasad.

94
 Khusran: The zulm that is the cause of fasad ends in khusran – loss.

Allah SWT warns man against zulm, fasad and khusran. He guides him to the
Path of Development – Sirat-e-Mutaqeem. To avoid zulm, fasad, khusran and to
lead to the Path of Development man was always guided by the Prophets [pbut].
The Prophets [pbut] had always led mankind to the path of progress and proper
development. They always warn mankind against khusran.

DEVELOPMENT

The Prophets [pbut] had done a great service to mankind as they had saved
mankind from misdirected activity causing zulm, fasad, and leading to khusran.
The Prophets [pbut] had thus led always humanity on the path of sustainable
appropriate development on the basis of ethical, spiritual and moral lines. Man
was always saved by the Prophets against the false notions, isms and ideologies
such as materialism, secularism, rationalism, empiricism etc. In the Quran this
development has been traced at three levels:

At the level of individual personality – human resource development which

includes ethical, spiritual and moral this guaranteed political economic, social
scientific and technological development.

At the level of society – the social development - which helps man to avoid
zulm, fasad and khusran. It guarantees dissemination of justice, prosperity, peace,
security and happiness.

As a whole at the level of humanity– good, rational and ideal society which
keeps zulm, fasad and khusran under control.

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 The proper development of human life begins with the development of an
individual. This development is referred by the term tazkiyyah [purification] and
taadeep [discipline] leading to justice. It is said in the Quran:

truly he succeeds that purifies it, and he fails that corrupts it

Tazkiyyah involves two necessary steps:

Firstly, growth of individual and society which is based on the concept of

maaroofath [the enjoyment of all good of this world]

Secondly, elimination of the forces of evils and munkirath [forbidding from the
vices and evils]

The elimination of forces of evil was always considered a necessary step for
the achievement of proper sustainable development of human beings and
society.

Evolution and development of humanity on the path of civilization is the

highest goal of Islamic scheme of life.

People have to remember that all their development and happiness are due
to Allah SWT Who shows them the True Path of Development.

In order to achieve the ideal of healthiest growth and to avoid destruction

and disorder people have to surrender to the guidance of Allah SWT Who guides
them in all their activities if they follow Him sincerely.

Thus the real purpose of creation of man in his collectivity [as khalifa] is
cultivation and creation of better world within and without. By subduing his will
to the Will of Allah SWT, by molding all his activities according to His Guidance,
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man guarantees ideal and good life. The realization of this aim as the only true
aim of life and society is guaranteed through the cultivation of iman [true, correct
and authentic understanding of highest level]. Iman is thus a conscious effort
which helps man to choose proper direction for life. Initiation and practice that is
actualization of iman is possible with determination and help of Allah SWT. In this
actualization the individual and society both have to tend more and more to the
stage of ihsan [excellence] a state in which all his activities emerge from the Will
of Allah SWT, that is, from a will of an individual that has identified itself with the
Will of Allah SWT. Desires do not remain as his desires or the desires of society.
No wish is his wish. So his actions are not his actions rather the reflection of the
desire of Allah SWT. This is the way that the perfect ideals of life are realized.

ISLAM AS THE PROJECT OF SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION

In the light of the above mentioned goals and ideals, Islam would appear to
be a constructive undertaking [task, responsibility, duty]. At every moment we
shoulder a responsibility: we have to build our own selves, we have to build the
society in which we live; we have to build the world that we find all around us
which is, at present, based on and in line with vices. In order to fulfill our duty as
vicegerents of Allah SWT – the responsibility assign to us as the purpose of our life
by the giver of life – we have to work collectively in an organized manner.

In this task of development of individuals and societies we are bound at

every moment to seek the help of Allah SWT. We have to seek His Rahmah
[mercy which has to be taken seriously] as it is the positive and fundamental
principle behind all properly directed growth and development. We need His

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magfirah [forgiveness] that neutralizes the poisonous effects of our misdirected
activities, and also His nasr [help] in the elimination of the forces of evil.

THE PROJECT OF RECONSTRUCTION OF ISLAM IS

COMPREHENSIVE: All THE DIMENSIONS OF LIFE - SOCIO-
POLITICO-ECONOMIC, EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND
TECHNOLOGICAL ARE ADDRESSED AND DEVELOPED BY
TRUTH-BASED RESEARCH

The task of reconstruction is, however, not an individual attempt. It tends to

become more and more socialized. It is an organized social reconstruction. How
to make it a social movement? Every individual is a Muslim by birth and nature as
his body submits to the Will of Allah SWT. Ethically and empirically, man is bound
to submit consciously to Allah SWT through Islam. The heart of an individual in its
purest form is so pure, so fresh that it is only waiting for a call – call of fitrah – call
of Islam – call for submission. This call of fitrah is destroyed in society which is not
directed by the Will of Allah SWT. In the light of the Quran, each individual has to
realize the proper direction of growth and development in life and society which
is the sole aim of life in this world which guarantees the possibility of the
achievement of the highest goal of life - seeking the pleasure of Allah SWT – here
in this world and in the next world - by way of achieving excellence in this world in
all aspects of life.

So excel one another in good works. [2: 148] Be watchful over the
Prayers, and over praying with the utmost excellence...[2:

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 238]They believe in Allah and in the Last Day and enjoin what is
right and forbid what is wrong, and hasten to excel each other in
doing good. These are among the righteous. [3: 114]

Thus, the actualization of submission [for proper direction] demands, on one

side, detachment and on the other, attachment: the Detachment from
misdirected activities and false concepts whereas the attachment requires the
Love of Truth and Reality. This has to be cultivated in all individuals so that they
can work collectively for the project of reconstruction.

The positive task of reconstruction – growth and development – demands,

as said earlier, cooperation and mutual inspiration. It is derived from the moral
dictum: like for your brother, what you like for your own self.

SOME IMPORTANT FEATURES OF TRUTH-BASED

RESEARCH AS DESIRED BY ISLAM

Now it is clear that the Truth-based research is directed towards the

solution of actual problems of life and society that arise out of real and concrete
situations in life and society. They are not artificial problems that belong to a
hypothetical state of being. They are actual problems of life as projected on the
intellectual plane. The Truth-based research will have to avoid discussion on the
Nature of Godhead. It has to focus on the relationship of Allah SWT with man and
society. Allah SWT has to be understood through His action and sifath [attributes]
through which man and his destiny is related to Him. The Truth-based research
should not focus on such useless discussions that would take us away from the
concrete realities of life. The Truth-based research will have to relate itself with

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the concrete situation of the world in general, and the country in particular in
which we live.

We must keep in mind the fact that the Truth-based research proceeds on
the basis of and the realization of the duty of vicegerent who is bound to make
efforts to construct life and society which have to be free from vices, crisis and
chaos. This intellectual enterprise [duties and all activities of Truth-based
research] should, therefore, keep pace with the general growth of life and society
with its projection on the practical and external planes. The Truth-based research
would otherwise lose its relation with the general activity to end fasad and to
save humanity from khurasan. Such a research would be out of place.

TRUTH-BASED RESEARCH AND THE CULTURAL CONTEXT

We must give due attention to the distinctive character of Truth-based
research to the cultural settings [a particular situation].

Future has to be developed in the light of present and past in a given

situation. We have to develop a new model of theory and practice i.e. a
combination of ideals and realities. From the past and bitter realities of the
present we have to evolve the future. The main guidance, however, in this task of
realization and reconstruction would come from the True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge - a light that would guide both experience and intellect, and
that would give us fluid concepts such as the universal concept of oneness of
humanity.

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 The challenge in this regard is the challenge of determining true and
realistic perspective to every situation. We have tradition, heritage, experiences
of all people accumulated in the domain of all branches of knowledge, for
example, physical and social sciences. What a researcher needs to do is to put his
spirituality into his work, making it a force in individual and social life so that we
may acquit ourselves of the responsibility of vicegerency and lead people to the
Path of Sustainable Development. This would relate us to all the cultural, social,
economic and political problems of our societies and countries. In this way the
Truth-based research would have to offer a more satisfactory solution.

THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF TRUTH-BASED RESEARCH

Why Truth-based Research?

It is important for us, at the very outset, to raise a few fundamental

questions that would further help us to understand the spiritual basis of Truth-
based research. Why Truth-based Research is needed? What compels us to look
into its philosophy and nature? What is the rationale for giving it top priority in
the scheme of our work in contemporary age? In fact, these questions are central
to our argument of the validity of Truth-based research. However, for a better
appreciation, once again, we have to remind ourselves the truthfulness, the
reality, comprehensiveness and viability of Islam.

Islam is not a religion in its limited sense as understood in our time. It is now
a recognized fact that it is a worldview, a way of life, a way of conduct, the path of
culture and civilization. It educates us to understand the Truth and Reality of Life
and the World on the basis of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. It does

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not educate us to base the process of our research and understanding on the
basis of conjecture and speculation. It informs us about the importance of the
existence of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. This Body of Knowledge, in
reality, basically deals with the metaphysical issues and solves all the problems of
metaphysics. It also guides people in their daily life in accordance with ethical,
empirical, spiritual, and moral criterion.

Social Life is Integral to Individual Life

Injunctions related to social life are laid down in the Quran and the Sunnah,
the sources of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge, which are mostly in the
form of norms of actions and guiding principles for social development. People
are, therefore, required to live up to these injunctions. They have to uphold them
irrespective of temporal and spatial consideration. The Truth-based research
would have to develop strategies and planning through the proper development
of educational institutions.

What does it mean? It means that with the change of the context, the
injunctions will not change. But, with the onward march of the historical process,
certain conditions of life would change. For example, technological progress
changes the mode of production of the means of livelihood and affects far
reaching changes in the form of increasing intercommunication and transport,
and thus reducing the importance of spatial differences.

In the same way, scientific discoveries and progress of man’s thought direct
the attention to new planes of understanding the nature of the cosmos and pose
new questions before man’s mind.

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 Increased material involvement, increased social relations, accelerated pace
of living and the new development of thought, all affect the individual’s
personality to new strains and call for renewed adjustments.

These very changes call for readjustments of man’s way of life. Every age
presents a new challenge. The Truth-based research is a response to these
challenges. It has to affect a double readjustment – adjustment of the given rules
of conduct and norms of social action and behavior to the changed conditions of
life and society and a fresh understanding of the given principles and norms with
reference to the changed conditions of life. This readjustment is vital in Truth-
based research, for it is only through it that people can be able to live up to the
eternal guiding principles laid down for them in the Quran and the Sunnah.

It presents a challenging task to the Truth-based research. On one side,

people have to maintain the spirit of the Quran and Sunnah [in their way of life]
and on the other, they have to introduce change to the best of their ability to
guarantee to continue their onward march. They are not stagnant. Here Truth-
based research will follow a fundamental principle of permanent and change. The
success of people would lie in their being intellectually capable [new
personalities] of affecting these two types of readjustments in such a manner that
the resulting way of life would be a manifestation of the embodiment of the
cherished norms and values as it is fitted to the changed material conditions.

Thus the required new personality has to resolve all complex and conflicting
issues and ease all strains while retaining the vigorous purposiveness and
enthusiasm as a vicegerent of Allah SWT who is, in all his mundane activities,

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constantly in preparation for the success in the Hereafter [seeking the pleasure of
Allah SWT] and securing, at the same time, the best of this worldly life.

The mind and heart have to retain the natural thrust of their cosmic vision,
derived from the Quran and the Sunnah, while accepting all genuine knowledge
and insight offered by the onward march of modern Western science – a process
in which it is itself expected to be an active participant, nay, the leader and the
torch bearer.

At this stage one has to understand without any doubt that the
metaphysical Truth and the injunction of Islam relating to individual personality
and conduct are capable of a fresh understanding of everything.

Allah SWT out of His Mercy has given us the Knowledge of Truths, norms,
values and also laws of eternal validity. He must have made these capable of fresh
understandings and readjustments whenever the changed conditions necessitate
such a process – the changed conditions which are nothing but a manifestation of
His Will.

It is not true that the vast changes which have taken place in man’s history,
especially in modern world, are probably the biggest fundamental changes human
life has ever experienced. The Quran asserts that people have faced this kind of
changes and challenges throughout history. This is not a new phenomenon.
Hence, it is under our capacity to train ourselves to be intellectually capable of
conceiving reorganization and readjustment of every aspect of human life such as
political, economic, and social. Islam fully incorporates all the necessary and
relevant injunctions and ensures a socially healthy, politically coherent and
vigorous and economically efficient and finally developing life and society.
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 Have we been able to evolve, in a true sense, such a personality in the
changed conditions – intellectually speaking? At the very outset, we have to
demonstrate that we have been capable to understand and restate the
metaphysical truths revealed in the Quran, in terms more familiar to the modern
intellect and more fully comprehensible to the modern man.

We have to live up to the guidance granted to man by Allah SWT. Therefore,

the need to comprehend fully the injunctions contain in the True, Authentic and
Universal Knowledge, particularly relevant to socio-political life, such as the
injunction of cooperation and consultation, and to work out the process of their
practical implementation is an urgent task before the Truth-based research.

Undisputedly, it demands a serious reflection and a thorough Truth-based

research on the practicality of the injunctions – the laws, the actions, and the
institutions that they require. All these aspects of Truth-based research require
efforts – efforts to find out the ways and means for the practical implementations
of the injunctions in the contemporary times – and this is to what we refer as
Truth-based research.

The contemporary conditions of life and society in which both Muslims and
non-Muslims live increases the need of such a creative Truth-based research. The
socio-political future of people depends much on a successful demonstration of
the validity of our claim that a modern society would lose nothing and gain much
if it is reorganized on the basis of True, Authentic and Universal Knowledge. We
are looking for a new type of society that has to be based on ethics, spirituality
and morality and also be politically strong, economically sound and scientifically
advanced. Obviously, the construction or reconstruction of such a society is not

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possible without intellectual efforts and serious Truth-based research. It is only
through Truth-based research that we can provide ourselves, understandable and
workable formulation of the injunction of Islam. It seems also important to
mention here that disastrous consequences are liable to follow if the reawakening
is not accompanied by an intellectual effort at a realistic and workable
formulation of the socio-political injunctions of Islam.

Nevertheless, when we look from the perspective of the Ummatic mission –

witness the truth unto mankind – the need for Truth-based research is felt more
acutely and seriously. In fact, we wish to emphasize that the Truth-based research
is an intellectual and creative dimension of the Ummatic responsibility per se.

The magnitude of the task cannot be exaggerated; it requires all the energy
and resources that we can command, and the more we delay the more
insurmountable it would become. So it is the duty of all those who understand
Islam as the worldview and the way of life and who wish to see people of the
world keep abreast of the times answering to the spiritual, moral, and socio-
political needs of contemporary society, to come forward and devote themselves
with a spirit of dedication to this noble task. Let us not forget the Quranic
promise:

As for those who strive in Our cause, We shall surely guide them to
Our Ways. Indeed Allah is with those who do well. [29: 69]

THE SPIRITUAL CONTENT OF TRUTH-BASED RESEARCH

Islam possesses some unique aspects which have to be understood clearly.

It is generally claimed that Islam embraces the spiritual and the material and it

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maintains a balance. It is not true because spirituality is not something exterior
and isolated from physical existence but rather it is related to basic and
fundamental aspects of physical existence of man and refers as such to the
purpose of creation and Creator. It is clear beyond any doubt that Allah SWT is
the Creator and He assigned a specific and definite purpose of life. In this sense,
everything is based in spirituality. Everything begins on the basis of spirituality
and fulfils its purpose of creation. Water is created for different purposes. One of
them is it reduces thrust. It never overlooks this purpose of its creation. The one
of the sub-purposes of the creation of man is to do good things in life. Thus,
whatever is done is both spiritual and material. For example, working hard for any
cause, such as achieving livelihood for family, is both spiritual and material. No
distinction between them is possible. When we deny the Creator of this World
then we deny spirituality. When, the physical existence is accepted as the only
reality, then, we deny spirituality and create chaos and disorder and destroy
everything. The disillusionment and utter disregard to spirituality lead gradually to
a disintegration and destruction of human personality. Denial of spirituality
resulted finally in the denial of the true spirit of progress, development and
scientific discoveries and inventions. It suppresses dynamism of development and
scientific discoveries. These positive things become negative. A reasonable
realization of spirituality helps to avoid these dangers. Hence, spiritual and
temporal are not separated from each other. They are not two separate
departments. They don’t go side by side in a balance way rather temporal
originates from spiritual and with its unbounded growth remains as spiritual. Life
is one single unit which includes as indivisible aspects in a blend of harmonious
unity and integrity. The above-mentioned characteristics owe itself to the unique

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nature of Islam. It finds no parallel in modernity or in religions. This uniqueness
lies in placing all human activities in a spiritual perspective: in providing the
mundane affairs of life with spiritual bases while investing spiritual content to
every human action. This applies with equal validity and strength to all aspects of
life such as sexual, family relations, social inter-communications, consumption,
production and exchange of goods and services, political organization, legislation,
disbursement of justice, supervising the markets, and inter-national relations in
war and peace, etc. There is not a single realm of life that is not attended by the
spiritual content. Now, the question here is: how are we going to do this and what
would be the impact of this character of Islam on the nature and content of
Truth-based research.

This spiritual content which Islam basically wants to provide to all human
activities is due to the ultimate objective of human life as envisaged by the
Creator of man and the world, and to the logical consequences that follow. This
ultimate end is nothing except seeking pleasure of Allah SWT through achieving
excellence in this world. This is the ultimate aim and everything else constitutes
only the means. Hence, it is clear that all human activities have to be directly
conceived as means to this ultimate goal. This ultimate goal should immediately
gain prominence. There would be several sub ends, no doubt, but the ultimate
goal must be the motivating force behind all activities generating and directing.
Allah SWT observes our actions, reads our hearts and knows our intentions.
Nowhere, in no aspect of life, man is outside His surveillance. This conscious
understanding so deeply rooted in the heart of man who loves Truth and wants to
live in accordance with Truth and Reality makes him end-conscious and spiritually

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motivated. The Truth-based research is motivated by these spiritual insights and
gives to Truth-based research its true meaning and significance.

It has to be further reinforced by the concept of accountability on the Day of

Judgment and of the final Reckoning which will ever reminds him that worldly life
is short and fleeting while the Hereafter is eternal and infinite. This approach to
life is not only significant but True and Real and produces a far reaching impact. It
further deepens man’s end-consciousness and invests the end and the motive
with a high degree of urgency. Finally, the personality of the Prophet Muhammad
[pbuh] would act as a powerful impetus to strengthen our consciousness and also
provide spiritual basis to man’s attitude to life in every aspect including
intellectual. This develops proper hierarchy between the metaphysical and the
physical aspects of life.

The Prophet Muhammad is the practical guide and an ideal exemplar, in all
aspects of life, following him the ultimate goal of life can be achieved. He lived in
this world of trials and travails, yet successfully brought revolutionary change in
all dimensions of life, social, economic, political and what so ever. He totally
transformed the uncultured Bedouins society into a most highly cultured and
civilized society of refined intellectuals and researchers. What was the force
behind this transformation? It was nothing but the ultimate objective of life which
was firmly grounded on the fundamental understanding of Tawhid and Akihrah.
Understanding of Tawhid, Akhirah and the conduct of life as presented by the
Prophet [pbuh] motivated and offer man a conceptual as well as a practical
framework for the actualization of the goal of life individually and collectively.

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 This actualization of goal of life can be further comprehended by the
concepts of Ibadah [obedience and service] and zikr [remembrance of Allah SWT].

Ibadah which connotes obedience and service implies the actualization of

Allah’s commandments throughout life in every aspect of life.

Zikr, remembrance of Allah SWT also signifies the realization of Allah’s Will
by practically submitting one’s life and will to the Will of Allah SWT as explained
by the Shariah.

The above mentioned two points once again point out the need for the
spiritual foundation, the spiritual content on which stand the whole structure of
economic and socio-political life of man and society as explained by Islam.

All this is, of course, very obvious. It is this that establishes its validity and
forms the subject of our enquiry in our time. To be clear on this subject, we need
to ask ourselves: how far this spiritual content of human activity, as explained by
Islam, is foundational to the Truth-based researcher? What is the need and
significance of the spiritual content of economic, political and social activities as
explained by Islam to the researcher?

The foundational priority seems to be direct and immediate. The ultimate

goal is the chief driving force behind every activity. The spiritual nature of the
ultimate goal is reflected in the nature, content, and purport of all the sub-ends
down to the lowermost rungs of the hierarchy of ends.

It creates a world of difference to see whether an economic activity is

spiritually motivated or not. The presence or absence of such a motive affects the
means adopted for the desired end. A spiritually minded person looks towards

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political association, legislation and justice entirely different from spiritually
indifferent person. Human relationship – be it between employer and employee,
the administrator and the supportive staff, or between two neighbors or two
strangers – is effected in important details if it is based on spiritual considerations
rather than on material considerations and self-interest. All these activities and
relationships are seen by the doer as means not only to the immediate material
gains he seeks to attain also as a means for the attainment of the ultimate
objective: the good of the life Hereafter: the pleasure of Allah SWT.

How far, then is it wise to abstract the spiritual element from any study of
these activities and relationship? Is it not rather imperative to attempt an
integrated study? A social analyst who ignores the spiritual motive behind a
particular act also ignores something which might have been decisive in giving the
act its particular content, direction and scope. For example, the essence of an
economic act is supposed to lie in the maximization of results in the employment
of scarce means directed towards them. The spiritual element is of decisive
relevance to his act at all stages. It affects the very desire for the results selected.
It may modify the very urge of maximizing profit; it may give a value to the
employment of means and scarce resources, and may also affect the choice of
means as well. Then, would not it be essential to include spiritual content in an
economic analysis to prevent it from becoming barren and irrelevant to reality?

We may concede the necessity of such an abstraction at the intermediate

level of analysis only if it is followed by the ultimate end which integrates the
various aspects in order to arrive at a complete picture. How can one allow over
all pictures of individual economic behaviors of the market, and of the economy

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as a whole, to be drawn without any reference to the forces which generates
these activities, guide these behaviors, mould these institutions and exercise a
decisive influence in giving them their particular content?

One finds experts offering policy suggestions to the individual, the

household, the firm and to the economy as a whole and basing their study on
“economic analysis” in isolation from any spiritual considerations at all. Would
this be advisable for Truth-based researcher or an expert?

What is true of economic activities is true of all other human activities. A

picture of human behavior is incomplete if it does not take the spiritual element
into account. It is vital both for analysis and for policy recommendation that we
take this most essential element of life into account.

Furthermore, Truth-based research also aims at telling men how to live a

meaningful and purposeful life individually and collectively. In other words it has
to suggest a conduct to people as individuals and also members of society. It has
to suggest policies which are appropriate for the establishment of the just order
in a state and also its functions in contemporary society and time context.

The fact that modern social sciences have developed in an atmosphere

where life had lost its true purpose and meaning and is more or less divorced
from the spiritual basis and content deserve special attention from the
perspective of Truth and Reality. Therefore, an appropriate approach should be
adopted by the researcher on every subject, striking spirituality.

There is, therefore, an urgent need for evolving a new Truth-based

methodology for research from the perspective of Truth and Reality. This Truth-

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based methodology should enable the researcher to take the spiritual foundation
and content of human activities into account and thereby to discover the
combined effect of the spiritual cum material contents on human behavior.

For example, the behavior of the entrepreneur seeking profit as well as the
Pleasure of Allah SWT; the behavior of the members of a polity, organizing for
security and material well-being as well as for a better and more righteous
conduct of their collective affairs in order to win for the entire society the
approbation of Allah SWT – all these should have to be taken into consideration
by the Truth-based researcher for his Truth-based research and analysis.

It is rather difficult to make precise suggestions as to what this Truth-based

methodology should be. But it should be possible to get some insight into the
situation by asking ourselves the question: what a conscientious person or a
group of persons would do in such a situation? The resulting conclusion would be
less precise and more removed from exactness, as compared with the findings of
a method based on a different methodology which abstracts all aspects other
than that subject under study – the spiritual content. But it would undoubtedly be
a truer approximation to the Truth and Reality of Life and the World. Someone
may object to the very crude nature of this type of analysis of the problem of
research but it should not be forgotten that this simple question is the starting
point of research in all the most exact and inexact social sciences. One cannot
expect more refined methods and precise and exact results when one is
embarking upon an entirely fresh adventure in the realm of knowledge. The
important thing is to see the need of making this adventure. Does not the unique
feature of Islamic life emphasize such a need?

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