The Philosophy of Islamic Teachings (27)
The Philosophy of Oath in The Holy Quran (Continued).
Divine revelation also conceals the defects of human reason, and like the night, does not let its errors become visible, - since the wise correct their own errors in the light of revelation - and thanks to the blessings of God's holy revelation, they are saved from public scandal. For this reason, no Muslim philosopher sacrificed a rooster as an offering to an idol as Plato did. Plato was wrong because he was deprived of the light of revelation, and although he was a great philosopher he committed this odious and absurd act. By following our lord and master the Holy Prophet (pbuh), the Muslim philosophers protected themselves against such absurd and ungodly practices. This shows us that Divine revelation covers, like the night, the shortcomings of the wise.
Know ye also that the perfect servants of God, like the heavens, take under their shelter the weary. His prophets and those who receive His revelation pour down, like the heavens, the rain of His benevolence. They also possess the qualities of the earth. Various kinds of trees of lofty learning spring from their noble souls, and mankind benefits from their shade, their blossoms and their fruits.
In short, the visible law of nature, which we easily see with our eyes, serves as a witness to the hidden law whose testimony God the Exalted quotes in these verses in the form of oaths. How much wisdom is contained in the word of the Holy Quran, which proceeded from the mouth of an unlettered son of the desert! Had it not been the Word of God, the learned and those who consider themselves learned would not have criticised such profound insight. Often, when a person's imperfect reason prevents him from appreciating a concept, he criticises that which is based on wisdom, and his criticism becomes proof that wisdom is not within the reach of the average intellect. For this reason those who considered themselves wise criticised this fact; but now, having deciphered the mystery, intelligent people, instead of criticising it, will find pleasure in it.
In another part of the Holy Quran, such an oath is recited in order to cite an example of natural law in support of a phenomenon of revelation:
"We swear by the heaven which sends down rain on us, and by the earth which, with the help of this rain, provides us with various kinds of vegetables, that The Quran is the Word of God and His revelation, that it discerns between truth and falsehood, and that it is not vain; that is, it has not been revealed at the wrong time, but it comes in due season, like the timely rain" (86:12-15).
Here God the Exalted expounds a well-known law of nature in support of the truthfulness of the Holy Quran, which is His Word. We know very well that in times of need rain falls from the sky, and that all vegetation on earth depends on rain. When the rain ceases, the wells also gradually dry up, hence the earth also depends, for its water, on the rain from the sky. For this reason, during the rainy season, the water level in the wells also rises, because the heavenly waters affect the earthly waters. Such is the revelation between the Divine relationship and human reason. Divine revelation is the heavenly water, and reason is the earthly water that receives sustenance from the heavenly water. When the heavenly water, that is, the Divine revelation, ceases, the earthly water also gradually dries up. For this reason, when a long period of time elapses without the appearance of any inspired of God, the reason of the wise is corrupted, just as the earthly water is corrupted and dries up. To appreciate this phenomenon it is sufficient to consider briefly the condition of the world immediately before the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Some six hundred years had elapsed since the appearance of Jesus Christ (lpD), without the appearance of any inspired of God, and the whole world had become corrupt. The history of all countries shows that before the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (lpbD) falsehood dominated the whole world. Why did this happen? It happened so because for a long time the world had not received any Divine revelation, and as a consequence the kingdom of heaven had fallen under the dominion of human reason. We all know the corruption that prevailed among the people because they followed their imperfect reason. Thus, when the rain of revelation did not descend for a long interval, the waters of reason also dried up.
Thus, in these oaths, the Exalted God calls our attention, and bids us meditate on this firm and eternal law of nature: that all vegetation on earth depends on the rain from heaven. Thus the evident law of nature serves as a witness to the hidden Law which governs Divine revelation. Try, then, to benefit from the evidence of this witness, and do not be guided by reason alone, for reason is a water that cannot go on without the help of the heavenly water. Just as the heavenly water causes the water in all wells to rise, even though it does not fall directly into the well, so when there appears in the world one who has received Divine revelation, reason is enlightened and sharpened in a way never seen before, even though the wise man does not follow such a person. People begin to search for truth, and there is animation and activity of all the dormant faculties. All this development of reason and heart is due to the blessed appearance of the one who has received the Divine revelation, which causes all the waters of the earth to rise.
When, therefore, you see that there is a general search for religion, and that the waters of the earth are stirred, be assured that the heavenly rain has fallen upon the earth, and that the water of Divine revelation has fallen upon a human heart.
(lpbD) - peace and blessings of God be upon him.
(To be continued in the 28th installment where we will begin the final consideration that we set forth in the first installment of this series [https://www.atalayar.com/opinion/qamar-fazal/la-filosofia-de-las-ensenanzas-del-islam/20230425163940184001.html] on "The Sources of Divine Knowledge").