Islam. Even, apart from this, Islam disapproves of both the goal and
the methods by which it is to be attained. For Islam, the goal of man
is self-development and it is to be achieved not by shunning the
world but by making full use of the opportunities it affords. Islam
supports the view that man can enrich his life through the
enrichment of all life. Man is exhorted to produce goods not for
himself alone, but for the benefit of all men. The Qur'an declares
that the man who believes he is developing his self in seclusion, is
only deceiving himself:
Have you not seen those who think that their personality is developing.
Nay, it is only through the Laws given by Allah that personality can
develop (4:49).
The same idea is elaborated in the following verse:
Ascribe not "growth of personality" to yourselves. God is best aware
of one who abides by His Laws (53:32).
Again the Qur'an asserts:
Only his personality develops who gives his wealth to others (92:18).
According to the teachings of Islam, only that man succeeds in
developing his self who first deserves what he gets, and what he
gets, he gives freely to others. It is not an act of charity but a duty laid
on free rational beings.
Monasticism too is alien to Islam. The cloistered life hinders the
growth of the self. It is by co-operating with others for the good of
all mankind that man makes progress in self-development. The
Qur'an says:
But monasticism, they (the Christians) instituted it themselves, only as
seeking the good will of God; yet they could not observe it with its due
observance (as it is not possible to do so) (57:27).
The best way to realise oneself is through membership of the Order
of Rububiyyah, which is a society dedicated to the pursuit of the
absolute values and to the service of all mankind.
References- Quoted by E. H. Carr, in The New Society, pp. 41-42.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid., p. 60.
- Letter published in the daily Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, 30th
July, 1931.
The Rububiyyah Order 200