The Argument (An approach to the Quran)

The Decline and Fall of Religion The history of the middle ages is a chronicle of Man’s lust for power and intellectual tyranny. It is a period characterized by the prominence of religious despotism. The central concept which fuelled the movements of intellectual regeneration and freedom of thought during the late mediaeval period was the desire to break free from this religious authoritarianism. However, the ‘advanced’ intellectual approach which the religious reform movements of Europe relied upon to escape from the shackles of religion was not without its own bias. The intense desire to fracture the stronghold of the Papacy and the Clergy led to the adoption of an aggressive, intellectual style of debate, which on occasions resulted in the sacrifice of life and property. The positions adopted by both sides were so extreme and uncompromising that any attempt at mutual understanding was almost impossible. In contrast, the Muslim world during the middle ages displayed a

The Origin of Intelligence There are many motives which drive people to seek education. For some it is a means of acquiring a livelihood, gaining status and respect. Others want more than this. They want education to lead to enlightenment and salvation. There are two approaches which can be taken. Firstly, the path of initiation into a religious order or group. People of this temperament place their trust in others and are content to be shown the way along the ‘straight path’ to reach their final goal. The alternative method is to acquire the skills and qualities which will enable you to discover the path of guidance for yourself. This approach allows you to evaluate beliefs and ideas, arrive at your own conclusions and avoid the pitfalls of blind faith. Human beings possess all the tools they need to discover the truth for themselves. Their survival depends on the use of the faculties that God, the Prime Teacher, has bestowed on them. Out of His grace, God entrusted dest

How did Prehistoric Man discover God? Archaeological experts and scholars of antiquity have devoted an immense amount of time to understand the lifestyles, economic activities and social systems of ancient civilisations. After tireless and painstaking effort they have pieced together the evolution of early human societies and identified their levels of intellectual development. But they have deliberately ignored a fundamental dimension of this study. Under the pretext of objective research, investigation and reliance on facts they allow no possibility of religion, let alone the suggestion of any divine inspiration, to be considered as a potential factor in their explanations. Detailed descriptions of priests and temples in these ancient societies are given, but there is a refusal to acknowledge the possibility of any external source of guidance on earth directed by a creative force. Instead these experts insist that in prehistoric societies the innate fear and terror fe

The Destructive Self Deliberation and reflection on the human self has continued unabated over the centuries. From the time when self-realisation was linked to the recognition of God, the wayfarers in the procession of divine passion began to search for salvation in the enchanting and tempting vastness of the human Self. This enigma has continued to engage mankind under the guise of various names, such as, self-consciousness, deep understanding and self-realisation. Few, however, have succeeded in attaining to the depth of its meanings: whilst those who were afraid of it, grew more in terror as their understanding of it grew. Those that did gain some knowledge of it found the Nafs to be the archenemy of Man, dominating every aspect of his life: the lawful and unlawful; good and evil; chaos and order; poverty and opulence; war and peace; the positive and the negative. Further, they witnessed it in the pomp and glory of the victorious and in the wretchedness of the vanquis