Faith
Faith and Science
In relation to faith and science, one can discuss this from two points of view. One is whether there is an interpretation which would increase ones faith and ideals and at the same time be logical. The other is whether all thoughts which science and philosophy inspire, are against faith, hope and optimism? The second aspect is the influence of science upon man on the one hand, and faith on the other. Does science lead man to one thing and faith to something else, opposite to one another? Does science intend to make something else? Does science drag us to one side and faith to another? Are science and faith completely to each other, science forming half and faith the other half accordingly? What does science and faith give us?
Science gives us power and enlightenment, and faith gives love, hope and warmth. Science creates technology and faith creates purpose. Science provides us with momentum and faith with direction. Science is the ability and faith is good-will. Science shows us what there is while faith inspires us as to what to do. Science is the external revolution and faith is the internal one.
Science makes the world humane and faith elevates the human spirit. Science expands man horizontally, and faith promotes him vertically. Science re-shapes nature, and faith molds man. Both science and faith give power to mankind. What science gives to human beings is detached strength, but what faith gives to them is an attached string. Both science and faith are beauty, science being the beauty of wisdom and faith being the beauty of spirit. Science, as well as faith, gives man security against anxieties, loneliness, helplessness, and absurdities. Science harmonizes man with the self.
The human need for faith and science has completely occupied the minds of learned scholars, irrespective of their being religious or irreligious. The scholar, Muhammad Iqbal Lahouri believes:
"Humanity needs three things today: a spiritual interpretation of the universe, spiritual emancipation of the individual, and a set of principles universally upheld which would explain the evolution of human society on a spiritual basis. Modern Europe, has no doubt, built idealistic systems on these lines, but experience shows that truth revealed through pure reason is incapable of bringing that fire of living conviction which personal revelation alone can bring. This is the reason why thought alone has influenced man so little while religion has always elevated individuals, and transformed whole societies. The result is a perverted ego seeking itself through mutually intolerant democracies whose sole function is to exploit the poor in the interest of the rich. Believe me, Europe today is the greatest hindrance in the way of man’s ethical advancement. The Muslim, on the other hand, is in possession of these ultimate ideas resulting from a revelation, which coming from the inmost depths of life, internalizes its own apparent extremity. With him or her, the spiritual basis of life is a matter of conviction for which even the least enlightened person among us can easily lay down his life."
Religious Faith
Man cannot live a good life or achieve anything useful for mankind and human civilization without having beliefs, ideals, and faith. Any individual who lacks ideals and faith will become either a thoroughly selfish person who does not see anything but his own personal interests, or an irresolute, wavering being who does not recognize his duties toward life, or moral and social values. Man constantly confronts moral and social problems and has to respond accordingly. If a person is associated with a school of thought, ideology and faith, his or her position is clear. But, if that person is not disciplined by a school of thought and a religion, he or she will constantly remain irresolute and will occasionally be pulled in many different directions. He or she will become an aimless being.
What must be taken into consideration is that only religious faith can make man a true believer; only faith allows him to overcome selfishness and egotism through faith and ideology and to create a kind of "devoteness" and "conviction" in the individuals, by which they accept fully even the minor issues of their ideology. At the same time a person holds his faith so dear and precious that life without it would become absurd and meaningless. Therefore he will support it with zeal and fidelity.
Strong religious beliefs cause man to struggle against his natural, individual inclinations and man may sacrifice his life and his prestige of his beliefs. This is possible only when man considers his beliefs sacred and gains absolute control of himself. It is only religious power which is able to sanctify beliefs and allow man to be completely ruled by them.
Sometimes, not because of religious faith, but under great psychological pressure, hatred, revenge, or reaction against oppression and cruelty, people sacrifice their lives, their property and their honor, many examples of which can be found around the world.
But the difference between a religious idea and a non-religious idea is that wherever there is a religious belief to sanctify the idea, sacrifices are made quite willingly and naturally. There is a difference between what is done with willingness and faith which is a kind of choice and that which is done under great psychological pressure. Secondly, if man’s outlook is merely a materialistic one exclusively based on perceptive reality, any social and human idealism is contrary to perceptive realities which people observe in their relation with the universe. "What results from a sensory out-look whose logical result is that idea, it will not go beyond illusion, that man has to devise a world separated from the existing realities with his illusion and be happy with this. If idealism originates in religion, it will be based on a kind of out-look whose logical result is following social ideas and ideals. Religious faith is a congenial link between man and the general ideals of the world and result in making an imaginary world for oneself which is in no way supported by the real world."
It is not that religious faith dictates a series of duties contrary to people’s natural inclinations, but is changes the perspective of the world in their eyes. It introduces factors different from the ones perceptible in the world. It changes the bleak, mechanical, materialistic world into a living, animate, conscious world. Religious faith changes their interpretation of the world and creation. William James, the famous American philosopher and psychologist of the early 20th century believes, "The world interpreted religiously is not the materialistic world over again, with an altered expression, a natural constitution different at some point, that which a materialistic world would have."
Apart form this, there is a natural inclination in all men towards certain sacred truths and entities. Man is the center of a series of non-materialistic potential talents and inclinations which can be developed. Man’s inclinations are not inclusively materialistic, and spiritual inclinations are not merely inculcated acquired. This is a fact confirmed by science. William James suggest, "So far as our ideal impulses originate in this region (and most of them do originate in it, for we find them possessing us in a way for which we cannot articulately account)".
Because they exist, these tendencies must be trained and if they are not trained properly and used correctly, they take a wrong course and cause incredible damage, such as the worshipping of idols, of man, nature, and thousands of other objects of idolatry. All this is the effect of deviation from the correct path.
Erich Fromm believes, "There is nobody who is not in need of religion, and does not want regulations for his guidance and a subject for his love and interest. He might not be aware of his religious beliefs as something different from his total beliefs and, on the contrary, he may even think that he has no religion and consider his love and interest for apparently non-religious ends such as power, wealth and happiness only the sign of his interest in practical affairs and in accord with the opportunity. The question is not whether one has or has not any religion, but which religion he practices." What this psychologist means is that man cannot live without the need to sanctify and adore something; for example if an individual does not believe in Almighty God, that person will consider something else as the ultimate truth and will make it the subject of his or her faith and worship.
Since it is inevitable for man to have and ideology and faith and science religious faith is the only faith which can truly influence man and satisfy his natural inclination towards sacred truths and entities, there is no way for him but to embrace religious faith.
The Glorious Qur’an is the first book to consider religious faith as a kind of harmony with the divinity:
"Seek they other than the religion of God, when unto Him submit whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him they will be returned." (3:83)
It also considers religious faith an element of human nature:
"So set thy purpose (O Muhammad ) for religion as a man by nature upright - the nature (framed) of God, in which He has created man……(30:30)
