WOMAN By Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Books and Documents, NewAgeIslam.com

Books and Documents

WOMAN By Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

Chapter 19: Islam A Challenge to Religion

WOMAN

By Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

I. Man and Woman - A Comparative Study

For ages, men did not treat the woman-folk with justice and fairness. That woman was inferior to man in intelligence, was, for long, regarded as a self-evident truth. All the dull and uninteresting tasks were, therefore, assigned to her. In the civilisation man built up, woman had to be content with an inferior role. It is only recently that woman has begun to assert her rights and claim equality with man. Though the intellectual climate of the present age is generally favourable to woman's demand for equality, the question of its validity has not quite emerged from the smoke of the controversy.

No doubt, there are differences between man and woman, but they are in fact far fewer than those which used to be quoted. Even these few are largely biological. A potent difference is that in physical prowess. The male surpasses the female not so much in his capacity for endurance as in the intensity of his muscular action. He generally runs faster and punches harder. His red blood corpuscles which carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles are ten percent more abundant than those of the female. Then her feminine (biological) peculiarities and maternal duties not only consume her energies to no inconsiderable extent, but also confine her indoor for long periods. All these factors supposedly keep her weaker of the two. Hence the tasks demanding great physical strength or regular out-door activities, such as fighting and hunting, were naturally assigned to the man, while the woman generally took over the lighter and domestic tasks, such as cooking and washing. As physical strength was an essential value for a primitive group constantly threatened by other hostile groups, man soon secured for himself a dominant position in the tribal set up. As this state of affairs continued for long ages, men consolidated their position of dominance and ruled over the women-folk with a high hand. Gradually women were reduced to the position of serfs.

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CONCLUSION by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Books and Documents, NewAgeIslam.com

Books and Documents

CONCLUSION by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

Chapter 20: Islam A Challenge to Religion

CONCLUSION

By Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

I. Religion and Din

A perusal of the foregoing chapters must have brought to light the basic fallacy and the fundamental misconception in taking Islam as one among the various religions prevailing in the world from time to time; and the unfairness of making an assessment of din on that basis. Furthermore, it is equally fallacious if we were to try to understand and grasp its meaning and its impact on human society from the standpoint of religion as commonly understood.

Religion, as such, is nothing more than a kind of private relationship between man and his Creator. We are not, at the moment, concerned with the nature of this relationship which has been amply described in books like William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience. Anyhow, whatever the nature and characteristics of such experience, it is admittedly the experience of an individual of a purely subjective character having no relation whatsoever with worldly affairs, nor could it be communicated from one to another. This private relationship between man and his Creator is essentially founded on the idea of salvation. Salvation is common to all religions, even to Buddhism which does not acknowledge the existence of God.

The idea of salvation was born out of the belief that man's sojourn on earth was one of bondage. How to extricate himself from that bondage thus became the main object of his life.

Islam on the other hand, is neither such a relationship between man and God, nor is it characterized by the experience of an individual of a subjective nature, but is essentially a "Code of Life," regulating the conduct of affairs concerning the individual as well as the collective life of human beings. Secondly, it does not consider man’s life on earth a period of bondage in. which case the .idea of salvation does not arise. On the contrary, having assigned to man a very high position in the universe, Islam expects him to take up the challenge of life boldly in order to harness the forces of nature for the development of his own self and the larger community of mankind. The fallacy of considering Islam a religion springs from the fact that absolute "faith" in God is of fundamental importance to it, as it is supposed to be more or less so in all religions, past and present, but it is not only the " faith" in God that should serve as a criterion in arriving at a correct estimate of one or the other. The real question we should be concerned with is, what is the concept of God which is supposed to be the common factor?

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POLITICAL SYSTEM: PART II, Books and Documents, NewAgeIslam.com

Books and Documents

POLITICAL SYSTEM: PART II

by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

POLITICAL SYSTEM: PART II

Quranic System

I. Islamic View of Humanity

In an earlier chapter, we have given an exposition of the Islamic view of human personality. We have seen that essential worth of man lies in his self and not in his physical body. As far as the self is concerned all men are equal, however much they may differ in respects of caste, creed or race. This view gives full recognition to the dignity of man as man. The Quran has expressed this view in lucid and unambiguous language:

Verily, we have honoured every human being (17: 70).

As human beings, all men are equal; every one possesses that precious jewel, the human self. This is the basic principle of the Islamic order of society.

It necessarily follows, therefore, that personality is an end in itself. No man has the right to exploit another man or to use him as a means in furthering his personal interests.* If society were organised on this basis, there would be neither rulers nor subjects. This is the second principle on which society in Islam is based. No man is permitted to compel others to obey him. God alone is to be obeyed through the Laws revealed by Him.

* In defending slavery, Aristotle argued that some men are born slaves. They are therefore, to be treated as chattels, i.e., used as tools as a crafts-man uses his tools. The Quran, on the other hand, has categorically rejected such ideas and in restoring to man his lost dignity has struck the death blow to all forms of slavery. This point is argued further in the chapter on Woman.

It is not right for man that God should give him the Book of Law, power to judge and (even) Nabuwwah, and he should say to his fellow-beings to obey his orders rather than those of God. He should rather say: Be ye faithful servants of God by virtue of your constant teaching of the Book and your constant study of it (3: 78).

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THE LAW OF REQUITAL by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Books and Documents, NewAgeIslam.com

Books and Documents

THE LAW OF REQUITAL

by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

Chapter 8: Islam A Challenge to Religion

THE LAW OF REQUITAL

By Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

I. What is it?

For the savage, as for the child, the world is the scene of fortuitous events none of which stands in an intelligible relationship with the other. With the growth of intellect, both awake to the presence of order in the world around them. The first thing they notice is the sequence of certain events—for example a flash of lightning is followed by a crash of thunder, and contact with fire is followed by burning. Knowledge of invariable sequence helps them to make better adjustment to the world. They become conscious of the causal nexus between events. They seek to know the causes of events, because this knowledge enables them to predict the effects and also to control them. They become aware that they themselves operate as causal agents producing changes in the world. The knowledge that all their actions have consequences gives them a sense of power as well as of responsibility. They realise that in choosing to act in a certain way, they are also choosing the consequence of their action. If the consequence is unpleasant and man wishes to avoid it, he can do so only by refraining from the action which leads to it. The Law of Requital states that every action of man has consequences and the doer will have to bear them whether he likes them or not. But far more important than the external effect of the action is its effect on the personality of the doer. All actions, however, do not necessarily modify personality. An action which has been performed inadvertently or carelessly has little influence on man's self. But an action performed deliberately for a set purpose or with a high degree of ego-involvement, changes personality for better or for worse. It strengthens or weakens the moral fibre. It furthers or hinders his progress toward self-fulfilment. This distinction between human actions is made by the Quran and is of great importance to the moral life of man. The Law of Requital is especially relevant to the changes in personality which result from the voluntary actions of man. It means that consequences of such actions are inevitably incorporated in the personality of man, adding to or detracting from its power.

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SURVIVAL: Individual and Collective by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Books and Documents, NewAgeIslam.com

Books and Documents

SURVIVAL: Individual and Collective by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

Chapter 10: Islam A Challenge to Religion

By Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

The verse, cited above, enshrines a great truth. To grasp it fully, we must consider it in all its aspects. Death is a natural phenomenon. It is a physical change which overtakes the human body. The body had its origin in the union of parental life cells. For a number of years it continued to develop through the processes of maturation and exercise. After reaching its peak, it begins to decline and decay. The process of disintegration culminates in death. The crucial question is whether there is anything in man which survives the dissolution of the body. The answer is that the self which grow and developed in the matrix of the body may survive it and may, on the break-up of the body, launch out on a fresh career. We, by no means, suggest that his is true of all selves. We admit that some philosophers of repute have held the view that the self is its nature imperishable. McTaggart, to mention only one, has developed this view in his writings and has defended it with arguments that are regarded as worthy of attention in philosophical circles. We do not subscribe to this view because it does not harmonise with the Quranic view of the destiny of the human self. In taking up this attitude to McTaggart's position, we have, also been influenced by two rational considerations. Firstly, this view entails belief in the pre-existence of the self, for which there is not a shred of evidence: secondly, with the acceptance of this view, emphasis shifts from what the self does to what it is. Moral activity ceases to be of vital importance to the fate of the self.

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SALVATION by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Books and Documents, NewAgeIslam.com

Books and Documents

SALVATION by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

Chapter 9: Islam A Challenge to Religion

By Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez

Every human activity is directed to some end. The end may be clearly formulated or may only be dimly perceived, but some kind of end desired by man is necessary to rouse him to action. Man's activity becomes intelligible only when we know the goal he is seeking. Religious activity too is goal-directed. It aims at the attainment of some objective which, rightly or wrongly, is believed to satisfy the spiritual longing of man. Most of the higher religions of mankind agree in regarding salvation as the ultimate goal of religious endeavour. It is believed that the purpose of religion is to help man to attain salvation. They differ as to the means by which salvation may be attained, but they are one in regarding it as the only end which a wise man can desire. Because of its essential role in many religions, it will be worthwhile to take a closer look at the concept of salvation and to examine its underlying supposition. Salvation means the saving of the soul, or in other words, its deliverance from sin and its consequences. The supposition on which the idea is based is that even at birth the human soul is stained by sin. This stain can be wiped out by leading a devoutly religious life. It is obvious that the doctrine of salvation is based on a belief in original sin. The soul of the new-born infant is, it is said, already infected with evil and the infection will grow and spread unless it is checked by religious belief and action. Man is born under the shadow of sin. He can dispel it only by submitting to a rigorous religious discipline. The followers of most religions are obsessed with the idea of sin and their chief aim in life is to loosen its hold on their souls. Each religion has its own distinctive view as to the source of sin and the means by which it may be eradicated.

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