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One characteristic of the
Qur'an is moderation or harmony between the
divine and human, the spiritual and the
material, the individual and the collective,
and so on. The Qur'an pays due attention to
all facts of life and all needs of man, and
deals with them in such a way as to help man
to realize the noble objectives of his being.
For this approach of moderation, the Qur'an
calls the Muslims a "middle nation"
(Al-Baqarah 2:143), and with this
"middleness" they are called the
best people ever evolved for mankind, as they
enjoin the right, combat the wrong, and
believe in God (Aal `Imran 3:110).
The Qur'anic wisdom functions
in three principal dimensions: inwardly,
outwardly, and upwardly. Inwardly, it
penetrates into the innermost recesses of the
heart and reaches the farthest depths of the
mind. It is aimed at the healthy cultivation
of the individual from within. This inward
penetration is different from and far deeper
than that of any other legal or ethical system
because the Qur'an speaks in God's name and
refers all matters to Him.
The outward function of the
Qur'an embraces all walks of life and covers
the principles of the entire field of human
affairs from the most personal matters to the
complex international relations. The Qur'an
reaches areas unknown to any secular system of
law or code of ethics and inaccessible to any
popular doctrine of religion. What is
remarkable about the Qur'an in this respect is
that it deals with human transactions in such
a way as to give them a divine flavor and a
moral touch. It makes the presence of God felt
in every transaction and acknowledges Him as
the first source of guidance and the ultimate
goal of all transactions. It is man's
spiritual guide, his system of law, his code
of ethics, and, above all, his way of life.
In its upward function the
Qur'an focuses on the One Supreme God.
Everything that was, or that is, or that will
be, must be channeled into and seen through
this focus, the active presence of God in the
universe. Man is merely a trustee in the vast
domain of God, and the sole purpose of his
creation is to worship God. This is no pretext
for seclusion or passive retirement from life.
It is an open invitation to man to be the true
embodiment on earth of the excellent qualities
of God. When the Qur'an in its upward
attention focuses on God, it opens before man
new horizons of thought, guides him to
unexemplified standards of high morality, and
acquaints him with the eternal source of peace
and goodness. Realizing God alone as the
ultimate goal of man is a revolution against
the popular trends in human thought and
religious doctrines, a revolution whose
objective is to free the mind from doubt,
liberate the soul from sin, and emancipate the
conscience from subjugation.
In all its dimensions the
Qur'anic wisdom is conclusive. It neither
condemns nor tortures the flesh, nor does it
neglect the soul. It does not
"humanize" God, nor does it deify
man. Everything is carefully placed where it
belongs in the total scheme of creation. There
is a proportionate relationship between deeds
and rewards, between means and ends. The
Qur'anic wisdom is not neutral. It is
demanding and its demands are joyfully
welcomed by all those blessed with
appreciation and understanding.
The wisdom of the Qur'an calls
for truth in thought and piety in action, for
unity in purpose and goodwill in intent. [That is the Book; there is no
suspicion about it, a guidance to the
pious] (Al-Baqarah 2:2).
[This
is a Book which We have revealed unto you, in
order that you might lead mankind out of the
depths of darkness into light] (Ibrahim
14:1).
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* Excerpted with
some modification from the author's book Islam
in Focus.
Dr.
Hammudah Abdalati graduated from Al-Azhar
University of Egypt. He received an MA in
Islamic studies from
McGill
University
and a PhD in Sociology from
Princeton
University
. He was appointed in 1960 the first full-time
director of the Canadian Islamic Center of
Edmonton, Alberta. From 1967 till he passed
away in September 1976, Dr. Abdalati was
associate professor of sociology at Utica
College of Syracuse University. Dr. Abdalati
was well known to the Muslim communities of
North America
as well as other intercultural groups and
audiences. For years he lectured on Islam,
attended Islamic conventions, wrote articles
in Arabic and English, and responded to
inquiries.
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