Continuing Manifestation of Orderliness

Your entire argument is about ‘manifestation of orderliness’ in the Divine scheme of things. While this
reflects stunningly in the celestial and material world around us (dutifully verified by the Quranic
references), you seem to emphasize that all things we experience, whether exogenous or endogenous
to our conscious existence, echo this reality as well. However, the endogenous causatives bring human
psychological dynamics into the equation as well, which, unfortunately, do not easily integrate into a
uniform and consistent conceptualization of reality.

Apparently the inspiration for your ruminations comes from Pandit Narain Chakbast’s couplet:

‫ظہور ترتیب‬
ِ ‫زنرگی کیا ہے؟ عناصر میں‬
‫موت کیا ہے؟ انھیں اجزا کا پریشاں ہونا‬
Chakbast’s perspective is an individual’s reactive outcome to the very rigid social customs and traditions
members of his own community (the Kashmiri Mohalla of Lucknow) were practicing in his times. The fast
changing social scenario had a great influence on the life of this sensitive Urdu poet who took up the
challenge of social reforms. The ‘orderliness’ he refers to is more about emotional poise and level-
headedness, the pre-requisites for understanding the objective reality and taking positive and well-
informed decisions. And death implies a state of spiritual decay (due to inner conflicts) that depletes in
Man the quest for a higher destiny. In an attempt to invoke a befitting parallel to Pandit Ji’s eloquence, I
am reminded of one of Ghalib’s poetic gems:

‫پاتے نہیں جب راہ تو چڑھ جاتے ہیں نالے‬

‫ تو ہوتی ہے رواں اور‬،‫رکتی ہے میری طبع‬

Moreover, the entire cosmic order being organic in nature, I would rather translate the term zahoor-e-
tarteeb as ‘continuing manifestation of orderliness.’ This also sets the concept of taqdeer in its proper
context – an argument I will bring into effect later to address your concluding thoughts.

On the other hand, ‘disorder’ according to you is an aberration of the mind leading to erroneous
interpretations of ‘reality’ because of the relative differences in our perceptual faculties. Indeed, much
of life is concerned with trying to judge whether our understanding of the truth is the correct one, or at
least close to the truth. To avoid social chaos, one might be tempted to give the benefit of the doubt to
the perceiver, but it serves greater good if the perceptual process is better understood. I consider this
relevant since you have argued that despite such aberrations, mortals must reconcile with the idea of a
‘predestined’ eventuality.

The extent to which an individual’s perception (the subjective reality) of the event matches what is truly
there (the objective reality) depends on:

1. factors at work in the perceiver, such as the individual’s health, intelligence, degree of open-
mindedness, and level of emotional well-being.
2. factors at work in the external situation, such as whether this is a new experience or a repeat of
past event, the extent of involvement of others, and the time-scale involved.
The difference between the subjective and objective realities is the risk that individuals have to take.
The hard fact is that truth rarely is naked, but on the contrary is clothed in mist and mystery! Our
responses to situations determine our capacity for positive action. While all afflictions (disorders) are in
Allah’s foreknowledge, these need to be rationalized within the context of the evolutionary processes
and let us attain a higher level of spiritual consciousness. Resigning to misfortune as ‘fate’ cannot be
equated with Allah’s will (pre-destination).

How do we transition to the desired state which is consistent with ‘as it should be’ or the objective
reality? Iqbal solicits our attention to such intellectual imperatives in his poem Nigah-e-Shauq and the
verses that I quote bear a supreme correspondence with Pandit Narain Chakbast’s couplet, though with
a difference.

‫یہ کائنات چھپاتی نہیں ضمیر اپنا‬

‫ق آشکارآئ‬
ِ ‫ذرہ میں ہے ذو‬
ّ ‫ذرہ‬
ّ ‫کہ‬
‫نگا ِہ شوق میسّر نہیں اگر تجھ کو‬
‫ترا وجود ہے قلب و نظر کی رسوائ‬
What the above verses imply is that the orderliness in the cosmic architecture notwithstanding, we
must be aware of the continuing evolution of the universe. The Quran asserts this in Surah Ar-Rahman:

(Whoever is within the heavens and earth asks Him; every day He is bringing about a matter).

Just to be consistent with Quran’s idea of continuing evolution, Iqbal expresses the same reality in his
verse:

‫یہ کائنات ابھی ناتمام ہے شاید‬

‫کہ آ رہی ہے دمادم صدائے ُکن فیکوں‬
The important thing to understand here is that ‘creation’ is opposed to repetition. Therefore, destiny is
time regarded as prior to the disclosure of its possibilities. And it further leads us to the questions: “Is
there a permanent element in the constitution of this universe? How are we related to it? What place
de we occupy in it, and what is the kind of conduct in serial time that befits the place we occupy?”1 The
last sentence implies Iqbal’s innate belief that Man is not a pre-determined being.

The reader might wonder how relevant the continuing evolution of the universe is to an ordinary
mortal’s day-to-day engagements and endeavors. One may only be able to observe the cosmic
equilibrium through the lens of science. Further, the Quran doesn’t explicitly equate any of this dynamic
with our earthly destinies. Most people interpret the above-mentioned verse from Surah Ar-Rahman
(and similar verses) as mere glorification of Allah’s supreme creations and artistry. But the Quran does
elicit our attention time and again towards Allah’s creativity and exhorts us to ponder. The question is:
on what?

1
The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, 1930

2
Iqbal thinks that time is an open possibility and the universe is rich with its potentialities that exhibit
themselves by virtue of their inner reach ingrained in their nature. “At a particular moment in its
forward movement it is finite; but since the self to which it is organic is creative, it is liable to increase,
and is consequentially boundless in the sense that no limit of its extension is final. Its boundlessness is
potential, not actual. Its only limit is internal – the immanent self which animates and sustains the
whole”2. As the Qurans says in Surah An-Najm (53:14): (“And verily unto thy Lord is the limits.”)

Such is the nature of the universe Man inhabits. It is the educative center as well as his workshop. Man
is to determine himself in it by his intrinsic worth. Everyone is a responsible entity, and everyone has to
bear the burden of his own deeds. Refer Surah An-Najm (53:38): (“And then everyone has to appear in
person before Allah on the day of Judgement.”)

“The measuring, estimation, proportion, ordering, judgment, fitness, and capacity demand different
degrees of application. Lifeless bodies require quite a particular treatment. Living bodies with active
intelligence are to be handled in a different manner. Man, in general, does possess a highly active
intelligence; in that respect, he must put to use the faculty of analysis and, therefore, choose with
knowledge and purpose. He has foresight and he has memory; therefore, he can learn through
experience and make his lot better.”3

Permit me to conclude this discourse with my all-time favorite of Iqbal’s poems — “Rooh-e-Ardi Aadam
ka Istaqbal Karti Hai:”

‫خورشی ِد جہاں تاب کی ضُو تیرے شرر میں‬

‫آباد ہے اک تازہ جہاں تیرے ہنر میں‬
‫جچتے نہیں بخشے ہوئے فردوس نظر میں‬
‫خون جگر میں‬
ِ ‫جنت تری پنہاں ہے تیرے‬
‫کوشش پیہم کی جزا دیکھ‬
ِ ‫کر گِل‬
ِ ‫اے پی‬

[Conceived and written by Sayed M. Irfan with appropriate references to Allama Iqbal’s philosophy]

2
The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, ……
3
Iqbal and Quranic Wisdom, Muhammad Munawwar, Islamic Book Foundation, Lahore, 1981