authorised to make such a contract with others. The reason is not
difficult to discern: the leader of such a society can only be one who
has surrendered himself to God and has identified his will
completely with the Divine Will. Obviously, the verse which
commands men to "spend in the name of Allah" and "lend unto
Allah" can only mean that the "price of Jannah" is to be paid to the
central authority of the Rububiyyah society. The society will naturally
utilise the resources placed at its disposal for the enhancement and
enrichment of human life and personality.
The Order of Rububiyyah initiates a new process of evolution –
moral evolution. No man who values the possibilities opened out to
him can remain indifferent to this process of evolution. He will be
only too willing to sacrifice all he possesses for the sake of the
perfection he can attain. Those who join the Rububiyyah Order and
dedicate themselves to the pursuit of self-realisation regard no price
too high for its attainment. They desire only the good, whether in
this life or in the Hereafter. Rightly do they pray:
Our Rabb! give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter (2:201).
IV. The Problem of SubsistenceThe real self may eventually become capable of subsisting by
itself, but during its earthly career it is more or less completely
dependent on the body. Bodily needs, therefore, have a prior claim
on man. The body can survive only if the satisfaction of its basic
needs is not delayed too long. Hunger is the most powerful of these
biological drives. A hungry man has no eyes for anything but that
which promises to appease his hunger. Only when he has a plentiful
supply of food, does man turn his mind to higher interests such as
art, science and religion. Before engaging in the pursuit of the good,
man demands an assurance that he and his children will not starve
for want of food. The Qur'an gives this assurance:
We will provide for you and your children (6:152).
The Order of Rububiyyah, therefore, holds itself responsible for
providing its members with the means of sustenance. The serving
of man's physical needs, though not an end in itself, is the grim
reality to be faced. Once this requirement is met, the mind is free to
indulge in higher pursuits. The ideal of self-realisation can appeal
only to him whose mind is not assailed with pangs of hunger. Man,
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 195